The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-04-07

glorious head eminently suggestive of
country life in the West.
"She is q perfect squaw," Clarence
thought slowly following her to the
ladies' room. The next moment,
gracefully bowing, he asked:
Iiave l the pleasure of greeting
Miss Myra Delano, my cousinP"
"Ah, yon are Clarencel" she said,
showing two dazzling rows of teeth in
smile of frank pleasure. els Cousin
Clara hereP"
"My mother is at Chestnut Hill, but
L have my carriage here to drive you
out of town. Shall take the checks
for your aggagef"
III am desperately hungry" she an
swered, ''could we get something to
eat while the trunks are being carried
out?"
''Here? I could drive you to a
quieter restaurant"
mo, no; herei could eat fried
whale, am 80 starved. l have had
nothing but gingerbread and apples
since yesterday noon."
There was no resisting such an ap-
peal, and Clarence led the way to the
depot restaurant and offered his cousin
the bill of fare. 1t being one of his
great points in feminine perfection
that the appetite should be delicate
and needing coaxiDg. he was abso-
lutely shocked to see Myra Delano
eat. Such an indiscrimiuate jumble
of provisions would have made his
mother i'll for month; but Myra
heartily enjoyed steak, eggs, coffee,
pie, rolls, cakes, oysters, anything and
everything, as the waiter put it before
her.
She was not rude, did not eat with
her knife or her fingers but she had
not one of the little dainty tricks of
manner that made Mrs. Parker's table
etiquette SO charming; and Clarence,
trifling with his own luncheon, won.
dered If in six meals he could eat as
much as this "squaw" eat in one. In
his own mind he chrlstened her
'squaw," though he was far too
courteous ever to speak so Of her, even
to his mother.
All through the long drive home,
she chatted, frankly rs q child, OF her
journey, her home, her anticipations
of pleasure in her visit, and, while her
voice was clear, ringing and musical,
her language was we'll chosen, giving
no jar to Clarence's fastidious taste,
though he wished her tone more sub
dued. But her dowdy hat, her cotton
gloves, her stout leather boots, her
untidy HAIR were oil an offense.
In his first hour alone with his
mother, he implored her to buy some
dresses for their guest that were not
two sizes to big and seven sizes too
short.
Aud Mrs. P1rker, utterly over.
whelmed by the tall, handsome girl
thrown upon her care, found her life
suddenly burdened with unwonted re-
sponsibility. First, there was daily
fight to settle between Lucille, her
own French maid, und Myrs.
"But, madame, the dresses nevare
will fit, nevare, il mam'selle will not
wear re corset, or let me make re fit,"
the maid would protest
81 cannot breathe, all pressed up so,
Cousin Clara" Myra would remon-
strate, 81 should stiae in au hour"
1t was difficult to compromise, but
Mrs. Parker, by exercising the
patience and gentleness natural to
her, finally presented Myra in we'll.
chosen wardrobe that gave her the
freedom of lungs and movement she
craved, and yet set of the magnificent
figure.
The girls own utter ignorance of
dress amazed the little lady of fashion.
She found that half-y early visit to the
nearest town, an order to the dress
maker to make warm dresses for win
ter and cool ones for summer, COM
prised Myra's idea of dress. Scrup-
ulously cleanly, she was absolutely
without vanity, and as pleased as a
child to note the improvement in her
looks produced by a becoming ar
rangement of her abundant raven hair,
and the tasteful broach of bright color
in her carefully appointed dress.
The first time Clarence saw her in
dress of black silk tissue with a dash
of vivid crimson here and there, at the
throat, in the glossy braids of hair,
the sash and sleeve knots, he was alb
solutely amazed at her beauty.
''If only she was not such savage"
he thought, regretfully.
But there was not one hour of the
day that she did not jar upon his fas-
tidious ideas. He rode with her at
her request, aud told his mother,
confdentially, that he never imagined
anything but an Indian or a circus
rider could so manage horse.
He sang with her, and found that he
must actually exert himself TO prevent
his deep baritone notes being over
powered by her ringing, powerful
voice, full of sweetness and.musie, but
utterly uncultivated.
He found her in the garden, drIv-
ing the gardener distracted by her
criticisms upon his plants, aud prov
ing all her theories by transferring
roots with her own hands to spots of
her own selection, where they invari-
ably improved.
He caught her in the woods, prae.
ticing with a revolver, shooting at a
mark; aud she pathetically told him
she was all out of practice, and only
hit her mark six times in nine.
81 suppose there is no shooting to
be had here?" she said, dolefully, and
then described hunts she had taken
with her father, in the far Western
woods and plains, us il shooting deer
and squirrels were every day affairs in
a young lady's life.