The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25

does you amt bound to bring her out to
general COMPANY
AT parting Spindler in sheer gratefulness
pressed her hand and fingered so long over
y that little color sprang into the widows
sprang into her heart too. for she went to
sacramento the next day. previously en-
Jolnns SpIndler on no account to show any
answers ne might receive. At Sacramento
her niece flew to her with condolences.
we so wanted to see you, Aunt Hubby
Tor we've heard something so delightful
about your funny Christmas partyi'' Mrs.
frlces heart sank, but her eyes snapped.
,Oniy think of it One of Mr.. Spindier's
TINS motel. and papa knows him. He's a
sort OF half uncle, believe. and he's just
furious mat Spindler should have invited
Ilm he showed papa the letter; said it
was the greatest piece Of insolence in the
N WoTld; mat Spindler was an ostentatious
Iool VINO had made little money and want
ed TO use him to get into society; and the
fun OF the whole. thing. was that this half
uncle and whole brute is himself a parvenu
"a vulgar, ostentatious creature, who was
Never mind what he was. Kate" inter
Iapted mrs Price, hastily. Il call his con-
duct shame"
SO do We said both girls. eagerly. After
pause Kate clasped her knees with her
forwards said: ''Milly and | have got an
idea, and don't you say no to it. We've
had it ever since that brute talked in that
way. NOW, through him, know more
about this Mr.. Spindler's family connec-
tons than you do. and we know all the
party You understand? Now we first wan3
to know what Spindlers like. Is he saw
saw on the boat?''
Mrs. Price said that on the contrary, he
good-looking.
Young old?"
"Young-in fact, mere boy, as you may
Judge from his actions" returned Mrs.
Price, with suggestive matronly air.
Kate fere put up long-handed eyeglass
to her fine gray eyes, fitted it 6stentatiousIy
mr. hnn GoiH in
voice Of simulated horror: Aunt Hubby,
this revelation is shocking!"
Mrs. Price laughed her usual frank laugh,
albeit her brown cheek took upon it a faint
tint OF Indian red. If that's the wonderful
i E0 you fo grs have got don't ont, see how it's
idea. Now look here"
Mrs. Price looked here" This process
seemed to the superficial observer to be
merely submitting her waist and shoulders
to the arms of her nieces and her ears to
their confidential and coaXng voices.
Twice she said 'it couldn't be thought Of"
and 'it was impossible once addressed
Kate as You limb!' and finally said that
she wouldn't promise-but might write!'
1t was two days before Christmas. There
was nothing in the air, sky, or landscape of
that Slerran slope to suggest the season to
the Eastern stranger. A soft rain had been
dropping for a week from laurel pine and
buckeye, and the blades of springing grasses
had Shyly-Opening flowers, Sedate and 81
lent hillsides that had grown dumb and
parched towards the end of the dry season
became gently articulate again; there were
murInurS in huShed and forgotten canyons,
the leap and laugh of water among the dry
bones of dusty creeks and the full song of
the larger forks and rivers. Southwest
winds brought the warm odor of the pine
sap swelling in the forest or the faint far
off spice of wild mustard springing in the
lower valleys. But as il by some IRONY of
nature this gentle invasion of spring in the
wild wood brought only disturbance and dis
comfort to the haunts and work of man.
The bitches were overfioWed the fords of the
fork impossible, the sluicing adrift and the
trails and wagon roads to Rough and Ready
knee deep in mud. The stage coach from
sacramento, entering the settlement by the
mountain highway it's wheels and panels
clogged and cruSted with an unctuouS, pig
ment, like mud and blood passed out of it
through the Overfiowed and dangerous ford
| and emerged in spotless purity, leaving its
stains behind with Rough and Ready. A
had driven the miners to the more COM
Portable recreation of the saloon bar it's
mirrors, its ford paintings its arm chairs
and its stove. The steam of their wet boots
and the smoke of their pipes hung over the
latter. like the sacrificial incense from an
altar But the attitude of the men was
more critical and censorious than contented
and showed little Of the gentleness of the
weather or season.
Did you hear if the stage brought down
any more relations of Spindlers?'
The barkeeper to whom this question was
against the bar and said: Il reckon not--ez
far ez l know"
And that old boat of a second cousin
that crimson beak-what ken down yester-
day-he amt bin hangin' round here to-day
for his reg lar pizon?"
No said the barkeeper, thoughtfully, ct
reckon Spindler's got him locked up and is
settin on him to keep him sober till after
Christmas and prevent you boys gettin at
He'll have the jimjams before that" re-
turned the first speaker. land how about
| that dead beat of a half-nephew who Dor
rowed $40 of. Yuba Bill on the way down
| and then wanted to get off at Shootersville,
| but Bill wouldn't let him. and scooted him
down to Spindlers and collected the money
| from Sp1ndler himself, afore he'd give linn
up?'
He's up that with the rest of the men
| agere," said the barkeeper, but 1 reckon
that Mrs. Price ez bin feedin' him up. And
ye know the old woman-that fifty-ifth
cousin by marriage-whom Joe Chandler
swears he remembers ez an old cook for
| a Chinese restaurant in Stockton-darn my
skin eff that Mrs Price hazn't rigged her
out in G some me-, fancy duds Of her own, end
| A deep groan here broke from Uncle Jim
starbuck. Didn't tell yer he said, turn
| ing appealingly to the others. It's that
| darned widow that's at the bottom of it all!
| She first put Spinder up to givin' the party
and now-darn my skin-ef she amt goin'
to fix up these ragamuff1ns and drill 'em so
| we can't get any fun outer 'em after all!
And Its bein' woman that's bossin' the. job
and not Spindler, We've got to draw things
| mighty fine and not cut up too rough or
some of the boys will kick!''
You bet!'' said a surly but decided voice
And" said another voice, Mrs. Price
| didn't live in Bleeding Kansas for moth
| ing"
'7What's the programme you've settled on,
| Uncle Jim?" said the barkeeper, lightly, to
check what seemed to promise a danger
GUS discussion.
WELL said Starbuck. 1--WE kalkilate to
gather early Christmas night in Hoopers
Hollow and rig ourselves UP Injun fashion,
and then start for Spindler's with pitch
| pine torches and have torch light dance
| around the house; them who does the dane
| in and yeln' outside takin' their turn al
goir' III and hevin refreShment. Jake Cool
edge, of Boston, seq if anybody objects to
1t. we've only got to say were 'Mummers
of the Olden Times sabe? Then, later,
Well have them Sabbath Evening Bells
performed on prospectin' pans by the band.
Then at the finish Jake Coolidge is goin'
to give one of his surkastic speeches-kinder
welcomn' Spindler's family to the free
openin' o. Spindler'S Almshouse and Re
formatory." He paused, possibly for that
approba ton which. however, did not seem
to come spontaneously. lit amt much"
he added. apologetically. "for were hamp
cred by women; but We'll a6d to the pro-
gramme eZ we see how things pan out Ye
see, from what can hear all of Spind-
ler's relations amt hand yet! We've
got to wait. like in elekshun times, for re-
turns from the back countless Hello!
What's that?"
1t was the swish and splutter of hoofs on
the road before the door. The Sacramento
coach In an instant every was
peotant and Starbuck darted outside on the
platform. Then there was the usual greet