The morning news., 1899-12-31
BELLE OF CANADA CITY.
BY BRET HARTE
Copyright, 1899. by Bert Harte


eerrsted mountain and olive shadowed
canon, with a faint additional outline Of
a higher snow level-the only dreamy
suggestion of the whole landscape The
foreground was a glaringly fresh and un
picturesque mining town, whose irregular
attempts at regularity were set forth with
all the cruel uncompromising clearness
OF the California atmosphere. There was
the straight Main street with it's new brick
block of stores ending abruptly against
a tangled bluff; there was the ruthless
clearing In the sedate pines where the
hideous spire of the new church initiated
the soaring of the solemn shafts it had
displaced with almost irreligious mock
cry. Yet this foreground was Cissy's
worid-her life, her sole girlish experience
She did not, however, bother her pretty
head with the view just then, but moved
her cheek up and down before the glass
the better to examine by the merciless
glare of the sunlight a few freckles that
starred the hollows of her temples. Like
others of her sex, she was a poor critic
of what was her real beauty and quarrel
healthy skin which made her face as elo-
quent in her sunkissed cheek as in her
bright eyes and expression Nevertheless
she was somewhat consoled by the ravish-
Ing effect of the bowl1not she had Just tied
and turned away not wholly dissatisfied
Indeed as the acknowledged belle of Can
ada City and the daughter of its princi-
pal banker, small wonder that a certain
frank vanity and childlike imperiousness
1nYacr hnK
ions.
She bounded down the stairs and into
the front parlor-for their house possessed
the unheard-of luxury of a double draw
ing room albeit the second apartment con-
tanned a desk and was occasionally used
by Cissy's father in private business in
terviews with anxious seekers of "ad-
vances' who Stunned the publicity of the
bank. Here she instantly few into the
arms of her bosom friend. Miss Piney
Tibbs-a girl only a shade or two less
pretty than herself, who, always more or
less i'll at ease in these splendors, was
awaiting her impatiently. For Miss
Tibbs was merely the daughter of the ho-
tel keeper and, although Tibbs was a
Southerner and had owned "his own mig
gers" in the States, she was Of inferior
position and a protege of Cissy's
Thank goodness you've come" ex-
claimed Miss Tibbs, "for I've bin sittin'
here till nigh took root. What KEEP yep
How does it look?" responded Cissy,
as a relevant reply.
The ~ referred to Cissy's new hat,
and to the young girl the Conference was
perfectly pain. Miss Tibbs looked at "it''
severely. Ii would not do for a protege
TO be too compaisant.
Hem! Must have cost heap O mon
ey"
1T did" said Cissy. Game from the
best milliner in San Francisco"
"Of course" said Piney with half-as-
sumed envy, when your pepper runs the
bank and just wallows in goEd!'
Never mind, DEAR said Cissy cheer
fully. "Soll your pepper some day. I'm
gOin' to get mine to let your pepper into
omething-ditch stocks and such. Yes!
True, o king! Popper'l do anything for
me-" she added little loftily.
Loyal as Piney was to her friend she
was by no means convinced of this. She
knew the difference between the two men,
and had a vivid recollection of hearing her
own father express his opinion of Cissy' s
respected parent as a gold shark" and
quartz miner crusher.' 1t did not, how
ever, affect her friendship for Cissy She
only said: Lets Gomez caught Cissy
around the waist pranced with her out
into the veranda, and gasped out of breath,
Where are we going first?"
Down Main street." said Clssy prompt
".
And let us stop at Markham's store.
They've got some new things in from
Sacramento" said Piney.
Country Styles" returned Cissy with
supercilious air. mol Besides, Mark
hams head clerk is gettin' too presump-
tuous. Just guess! He asked melville
I was buying something-if enjoyed the
dance last Monday
But you danced with him" said the
simple Piney in establishment.
But not in his stole among his Gus
toners" said Cissy sapiently. No
we're goin' down Main street past Sc
camps. Those Scamp girls are sure to
be at their windows looking out This
hat will just turn 'em green-greener than
ever"
you're just horrid Cissr' said Piney
with admiration.
And then. continued Cissy, "we'll just
sail down past the new block to the par
sens and make a call"
"O see." said Piney archly. "ItH be
just about the time when the new engineer
Of the mill works has a clean shirt on and
Is smoking his cigar before the office.
Cissy tossed her hat disdainfully. Much
anybody cares whether he's there or not! l
haven't forgotten how he showed us over
the mill the other day in a pair of overals
Just like workman"
But they say he's aWtully smart hhu
well educated, and needn't work, and I'm
sure its very nice of him to dress just
like the other men when his with EN-
urged Piney
Bah! That was just to show that he
dldn't care what we thought of him-he $
mat conceited! And it wasn't respectful
n considering one of the directors was there
all dressed up. Don't ten me! You can
see II in his eye-looking you over without
Whking and then turning away as If ne d
q got enough of you. He makes me tired.
Plney did not reply. The engineer had
seemed TO her to be a singularly attractive
young man. yet she was equally Impress
el with Cis sy's superior condition which
yould lind flaws in such perfection. Fol
owing her friend down the steps of the
neranda, they passed into the starting
sla'eled walk of the new garden, only
iecentiy recovered from the wild wood
accurate diamond and heart shaped
tsls OF vivid green set in white quar- q
ooIaers' giving it the appearance OF elao-
.%d'ey iced confectionery. A few steps
.ur'ler brought them to the road and the
asf i f1-sF ff