The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-27
& ~ MINERVY. * S


town. I'd be ashamed. To go a-puttin'
Things of so, an a-curlin' my hair to a
crisp with a red-hot iron. Primp? My
Oi What's the use in primpin' so? If
Young Hodges comes home with your
raw to spend Christmas he'll be apt to
find ont your hair don't curl by itself.
Mercy, child Yuh didn't git a good
curl on that one at the back o your
neck. Yuh might as well dot right
while you're a-doin' it. I'd laff II L
couldn't curl my hair evener n that,
an expectin' beau to come an spend
Christmas. Take an give me them
tongs"
Minerva handed her mother the curl
ing-iron with a sigh of mingled relief
ard exhaustion. She was slim, sal
low accomplishment girl, with large, II
regular features. She had little,
weak stoop which made her shoulder
blades stand out sharply. Her eyes,
alone were beautiful: they were large
and brown, with golden tints in their
velvet depths. They were wholly out
of harmony with her sickly face ana
poor figure.
Her mother gave her head a sharp
push, and it dropped forward in limp
obedience on her long neck
.sTherei" said her mother, in the Wig
orous tone with which she would have
said ..Sol" TO a COW. Bend the back
on your neck out SOS 1 can git the
tongs around this lock"
The girl stretched her neck further
in a fltile attempt TO perform this I'M
possible feat
neck out that way or your head'n roll
j off N the cellar exclaimed her mother
with sigh of Impotence. Yum
never can do things like other girls
There's Lily Belle Mcnamara, now
why can't y7lb pattern after her lit
tle9 Her hairs always curled jest as
pretty at the back o. her head S on the
forehead She don't stick out her
shoulder blades the way you do yours,
neither. 1t makes a body feel offul to
see yuh stopped over so. Lilly Belle Nc
Namara holds herself up like an arrer;
everybody looks when she goes up the
aisle at meetin'. She always looks jest
as neat as a new tin pan, too. L see
her once jest after she'd wed out big
redish-bed, an My-Ol She didn't have
a speck O. dirt on her. Look-ee. There
goes the minister, all primped up IN
his best, with his chin clean shaved! L
bet he's a-goin' down to see the widow
Peters, I bet
Mrs Bunt gave the iron jerk, re-
leasing a small, bobby curl on the back
Of Minerva's Bonded neck. Two strides
took her to the window. she pulled
the green shade cautiously aside and
peered out. Her skin wrinkled up
around her narrowed eyes.
eyes. street" she announced, trium-
phantly, a moment later. If he ain
the Northeast Diagonal. as bold as
brass without so much as lookin'
around to see e anybody see him. He
must be pushed. His wife amt dead
a year-an' him with his chin shaved
up that way ! bet the mournin' band
II -.,f,- -o1l-O flaaf .
where he's a-goin to dinner tomorrow
asst him here, an he said he had an
invite ahead O me. She must of asst
him the minute he got back from his
wife's fun'rali I see her n the Rally
III Seattle, the other day, a-buyin'
lavender dreSsi"
I'D like TO have a lavender Dress
spoke up Minerva, suddenly, with
little quaver-
..A-lavender-dres For PHYS sake!
What Go you want of a Lavender dress,
Completed like you?'
Il don't see why not
.Yuh don't see why not. aigh? Wy, |
you'd look like sole-leather.
There was a silence. Another little |
bobby curl nestled beside the first on
Mineryas neck. Presently. she said, !
land there was a break in her thin !
voice. as of tears, What do you think !
I'd look best in, then, MAJ"
IVY. I do know" She reflected with |
thoughtful eyes. Lets see" She |
burst ont laughing suddenly in COM
Portable mirth. IF yuh want fax, |
AIinervy. ! do know 5 there's any best
to yuh in the way o looks. Lily Belle
McNa''-
Il guess, if you're done curtin up my
hair, Ma, I'll take an get the caves
up said Minerva. There was a hurt /
look on her face.
.-Ail right It's high time. Wastin' !
your time so, a-curlin' your hair. Lily |
Minerva slipped out of the room and |
closed the door. She coughed as she |
went.
The Bunt ranch was on one of the |
large islands OF Puget sound. The |
boats came Up through long blue |
arm that almost divided the island. 1t /
was beautiful thing to See-their COM !
irg in; the white line of smoke wind |
ing around the fired crests of the !
smaller islands, and later the glistening |
curves Of the boats themselves, as they |
came throbbing up the narrow water
avenue flooded with blue and ceiled |
with blue and walled with sombre {
green. Here and there rich fruit and |
vegetable farms sloped down to the |
water from their dark forest back
ground. They were green with clover
and fall-sown wheat, although it was
the day before Christmas.
Minerva threw a shawl over her
head to protect her new curis from the
ravages of the salt wind, and ran down
the Morrow path to the pasture. There
had been no heavy frosts yet, and the
young brakes We're bravely putting up
their curved heads, pushing the moist |
earth into little cones around them.
The willows were hanging out their
sityer tasseIs; the wild eglantine was in
leaf. In damp places the skunk cab
bage had spread anew its broad leaves,
from whose velvet depths would, later
on, reach beautiful golden hands bear
Ing pale, early torches in their followed
Palms.
It was sunset; and an the little gaily-
clad, running clouds were jumping
ropes" of many colors, which were be-
ing turned slowly by invisible hands
across the west.
Minerva stopped by a sheltered bank
and plucked a handful of spring
beauties" Poor little pale things"
she said They've come too early; the
frost or the cold rain IL kill 'er sure
She pinned them on her fiat breast
ard went on She let down the bars
and the calves came leaping through
from the pasture. She stood for a few
moments looking down the blue arm
with soft light in her eye. Then
faint trail of smoke drifted slowly into
view. She started from her leaning
ysostuSe and a rich glow burned over
her face.
She Tut I'D the bars with trembling
hands and FASTENED home; little ham