The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1896-05-30


of bread and butter, as Tin as cloth
and rich cream, ard good tea, none Of
the bitter, nerve-shatterirr, rreen con
coction which is dignifed by that name
in the average American house. I found
out afterward that this was the ono
meal of the day where there was any ap-
proach to luxury.
Austin came in, after having washed
his hands and brushed his smooth Brit
ish head. With the exception of o coat
slipped over his flannel working shirt,
he wore the same clothes in which he
had been digging. So we sat there-we
three-and talked of the doings in the
outer world in quite the same strain as
we would have talked in London. My
host in his boots and work-suit, and my
queenly hostess in her calico gown,
might have been seated in a lordly man
sion.
After time bell rang. ''The dress
ing bell" said Mrs. Austin; eve dine at
half-after six, and it is now six o'clock"
retired to dress, simple operation
which consisted of running my fingers
through my hair and relying my neck
tie. However, I devoted as much time
as possible to this, and together with
sitting on the potato box and medi-
tating 1 succeeded in consuming 20
minutes before [ returned to the draw
ing-room. Mrs. Austin was already
there, looking even sweeter and more
girlish, in an ancient but fresh white
muslin and white ribbons. Mr. Austin
joined us at the end of five minutes,
fully attired in evening clothes, with
spray OF nignonette in his button-hole.
a great, gruff fellow in q dirty apron
announced dinner in the surliest OF
frown passed across her husbands
brow. "B-ant,n he said, 81 regret to
say that you viii have to eat at the samr
table as the ranch hands do. We tried,
long ago, to have a separate dining
room, but it made too much ill-fceling
8inong TIC men"
That was the one apology he made
.iu-,;;,& Isly stay. We sat at an oil-cloth
covered hoard, on long, wooden benches.
lrs. austin ct the head, her husband on
be- lest, and l on the right, as l had
offered her my arm in entering the
d!Eing-room. Our dinner was of the
poorest, 10th as to food and cooking,
ard there was no profusion. [ realizcd |
now the full poverty OF my entertain
CTS, and remembered having heard that
the price OF horses was steadily decreas-
ms. fancied, too, that Mrs. Austin
did not dare to have dainties Tor herself |
sid icr husband while the democratic |
American citizens at her board Jared on |
plain tG.ngs. There was alfunpiaasan4 |
constraint about the meal. / could see
that there was no love waited on the I
master, ard that bis dress-suitand aris-
tocratic bearing was u source of annoy |
lnca OF his free-born employees. They
were sullen and g1-uff, as was the man
lienifed by the name of cook. On
the whole, was glad to leave the table
md get back to the drawing
we breakfast at half-Gfter six, Mr..
Grant" my hostess informed ne
rraciousIy, holding out her hand 70 say
yocd-night. It was rather large hand,
md v'ork-hardened, but firm ard beau
fully shaped.
4ha%NN '-~AANA lAiebb ShNl SDtiitA III tiiN
iousn could be heard, because of the
nanta partitions. had just lain down
n ny cot, when / caught Tie voice Of
Austin. "Eeally, Alexandria, the men
re getting almost unmanagcablc
they border on mutiny."
i know it, Eyerette. It makes me
cry nervous, too. I'm so afraid they
ViE do Won. some harm :"
ooh, fancy not"
"Eyerctta!" II
''yVeli?"
Suppose you stop wearing your even
ng-suit, and that we give up our tea
4 the afternoon. They think we are I
utttt.ng en- airs, as they call it," I
NO, l viii not. I am not going to l
hange the habits Of thirty years and I
lrow over all memories of home" "
You are only one to twenty, dear. t
might be wiser" I
But the woman's counsel went UNI +
eetled. t
There were boutonnieres at our r
Iacss at breakfast, and Austin, fresh u
rom his tub, in an old but natty COR
uroy suit. tried, with much cheerful
,ud talking, to cover the evident sui s
'nness of his hands" After break a
lst he dcnned his working clothes, t
nd went back to the digging of bitches. p
My horse was better, so 1 left at ten r
clock, with considerable reluctance. il
rs. Austin was so charming. No won a
IT Austin was desperately in love With q
ST.
sent Mrs Austin box of new books IL
al some small trinl1ets, such as man Il
,lievcs that a woman likes, when al
nohed town. days after they had Il
oEe, met friend who had come to ii
&c city that morning. ii
'Ry The bye, Brant, wasn't that tt
lastly thing about those Britishers OF