St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-04-25
ish head. With the exception of ccat
slipped over his flannel working shirt.

had been digging. So we sat there-we
| three-and talked of the doings in the
cutter world in quite the same strain as
we would have talked in London. My
| host in his boots and work-suit, and M
queenly hostess in her calico gown.
| might have been seated in a iordly man.
| sion.
After time a bell rang. "The dress
| ing bell" said Mrs. Austin; 1--WE dine at
| half-after six, and it is now six o'clock. T"
/ retired to dress, a simple operation,
which consisted of running my fingers
through my hair and relying my neck
tie. However, | devoted as much time
as possible to this. and together with
sitting on the potato box and medi-
tating 1 succeeded in consuming gD
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 q
spray of mignonette in his button-h hole.
A great, gruf fellow in dirty apron
announced dinner in the surliest Of
tones. I saw Mrs. Austin vince, and a
frown passed across her husbands
brow. ''Brant," he said, 81 regret to
say that you will have to eat at the same
table as the ranch hands do. We trieSt,
long ago, to have separate dining
room, but it made too much ill-feeling
among the men,"
That was the one apology he made
during my stay. We sat at an oil=elUth
covered board, Oh long, wooden benches,
Mrs. Austin at the head, her husband on
her left, and l on the right, as I had
offered her my arm in entering the
dining-room. Our dinner was of the
poorest, both as to food and cooking,
and there was no profusion. | realized
now the full poverty of my entertain
ers, and remembered having heard that
the price Of horses was steadily decreas-
ing. / fancied, too, that Mrs. Austin
did not dare to have dainties for herself
and her husband while the democratic
American citizens at her board Jared on
plain things, There was an unpleasant
constraint about the meal, | eotild see
that there was no love wasted on the
master, and that his dress-suita and aris-
tocratic bearing was source of annoy
ance of his free-born employees. They
were sullen and gruff, as was the man
dignified by the name of cook. On
the whole, I was glad to leave the table
and get back to the drawing-room.
Eve breakfast at half-after six, Mr..
Brant," my hostess informed me
graciously, holding out her hand to say
goodnight. It was rather large hand,
and werk-hardened, btit firm and bean-
tifblly shaped. .-zl.
have said that every sound in the
house could be heard, because Of the
manta partitions. had just lain down
on my cot, when caught the voice of
Austin. Really, Alexandria, the men
are getting ainost unmana ageahle.
-4.ey Border Gil tnutihy.'
IT know 1t, Everette. It makes me
very nervous; tes; I'm sd afraid they
will do you sone hhrin.s
"oh, fancy nett
"Eyerettel''
"Wellf3
Suppose you stop wearing your even
ing-suit, and that we give up our tea
in the afternoon. They think we are
putting on airs, as they call it,
mo, will not. I nm not going to
change the habits of thirty years and
throw over all memories of home"
"You are only one to twenty, dear.
It might be wiser"
But the woman's counsel went un.
needed.
There were boutonnieres at our
places at breakfast, and Austin, fresh
from his tub, in an old but natty cor
duroy suit, tried, with much cheerful
loud talking, to cover the evident sui
lenness of his hands After break
fast he donned his working clothes,
and went back to the digging of ditches.
My horse was better, SO left at ten
o'clock, with considerable reluctance.
Mrs. Austin was so charming. No won
der Austin was desperately in love with
her.
l sent Mrs. Austin a box of new books
and some small trinkets, such as man
believes that wcman likes, when
reached town. Two days after they had
gone, | met friend who had come to
the city that morning.
''By the bye, Brant, wasn't that
ghastly thing about those Britishers
at the Circle-A ranch ?"
''Who, the Austins?. / cried, turn
ing cold with foreboding.
"Yes. You've heard about it, then?"
ssNo. Tor Heavens sake, what is
it?''
.sWell, the way heard it was this:
Their men on the ranch didn't like
them, accused them of being bloody
aristocrats.' i believe, and they set fire
TO the grass near the stables two or
three nights ago. You know it's been
a dry year, and the grass burned we'll
Austin and his wife tried to fight the
flames, and keep them from the stables,
all alone; no men to be found until it
was quite over. They kept the barns
safe, all right, but Mrs. AustIn-pretfy
woman, they say-was so burned thaI
she died in perfect agony at the end
ef an hour. The men had turned up
by that time. Been down at Central
City at a dance, they said AustlH
nearly went crazy while his wife was
suffering; but after she died, ne Wen'
outside, drew his gun, and shot the
foreman and another of the - ras'
cal s."
strThaul, HeaEen.