Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-02-27
! The Swamp Secret
Observation-Disclosures,
CHAPTER


vile of to-day The name suggests a
village. There is kind of villagy sound
about the willie. But in the days of
which ] write, when villages were few
and far between on the frontier, the
sound suggestive of village was the
only indication of one which you could
have found if yon had hunted the town
ship over in which Brownsville was To-
Gated. There was little store on one
corner of the crossroads. and little way
down the road from this general rendez-
vous for Brownsvillians Of the sterner
sex on rainy days. and at times when
there wasn't much to DO there was a
school house, which was a church pro
TEN. whenever minister came along,
which was not very often in that early
period of Brownsville's existence.
These two houses, built OF logs, form
ed the nucleus of Brownsville. The farms
Of the settlers were scattered about
through the woods. and as the oldest
inhabitant" had only a residence of five
ar six years to fall back OH in telling
the stories which oldest inhabitants al
ways have told and always will tell, the
residents of the place had to admit that
it was quite new" as the saying goes
liz the West, regarding a recently set
tied locality. AS the settlement extend
ed several miles in each direction from
the school house and store, and was all
Included when Brownsville was spoken
of, going TO Brownsville" was regarded
as a rather vague statement regarding
persons destination. by people living
outside the place, in those primitive days.
Solomon Boone lived about mile from
the village" as the store and school
house were dubbed by general consent of
all pubiic-spirited citizens living in the
vicinity. He had the best farm in the
settlement, and enjoyed the enviable no.
toriety of owning the best span of horses
and the prettiest girl in Brownsville.
Mamie Boone was a very pretty girl,
and she knew it quite as well as any one
Her face was full of healthy color with
out being red, and her checks were fully
as bright as the wild roses which grew
along the path leading to the school
house. Her eyes were as keen as black
eyes ever are. but they were brown of
that peculiar shade which can shift
through the gamut of the color scale,
sometimes seeming intensely dark, and
then Softening 10 the tenderness of blue.
This trick of expression which nature
had bestowed upon Miss Mamie had the
power to make the hearts of the young
men OF Brownsville palpitate about twice
as fast rs usual when she turned her
eyes upon them. and rc,enforced her
slaDces with smile from her full, red
lips. for n kiss from which almost any
OF the young men would have given q
good weeks work. From which you will
readily infer that the young men of the
Brownsville of fifty years ago were very
much the same in their tastes as the
young men of the Brownsville of to-day.
Pretty lips, like Mamie Boone's, have
always had a peculiar witchery and
charm about them for young men, and
sometimes old ones. since Adam stole his
first kiss in Eden.
OF course Mamie had many admirers
among the young men OF the settlement,
and plenty Of enemies among the girls,
who knew well enough that. had she
chosen to do so. she could speedily have
brought all the backward gallants to her
feet, and kept them there, thus monop-
oliZing that very necessary element TO the
peace and prosperity of such place as
Brownsville was at that time, where the
girls were in the proportion of two to one
with the young men. But that was be-
fore the dawn of monopolies, and Nan
keep beaux dawdling about her when
they might much better be at home help
ing their fathers clear the farms they
had staked out in the wilderness.
She was something of a firt, and liked
10 make the girls jealous and see the
young men cast furious glances at one
another on her account but that, l take
it, is natural for the average girl. She
cant help it. 1t is born in her. All of
us exult in sense of power, and why
should pretty girls like Mamie Boone
not find a certain satisfaction in the
knowledge that they have only TO say
the word or give the look to have the
young men fall down and do them hom-
age? In doing this they are only allow
ing human nature to come to the sur
face and human nature is about the
same thing the world over. They mean
no harm by it, and it is only when a girl
allows ambition TO trample good sense
under foot that any real harm is done.
But Mamie, while smiling upon most
of the Brownsville boys, had one sweet
est smile which she kept for Dick Bray
ton.
Dick was a good-looking young fellow,
who had come from down below
which was anywhere forty or fifty miles
from Brownsville. and had reference to
no particular place or point OF compass
about six months before the opening of
my story. He was quite unlike the young
men of Brownsville on his advent among
them. His hands were white and soft,
and his dress and general appearance in
Dictated that he had not been used TO hard
work. When Intercepted about it, he
had answered that he had been work in
store, but, getting tired Of being housed
IN he had determined to strike out in
search of new field of labor, and be-
hold him at Brownsville looking for Il
job.
Seems to me it's ruther odd fer a fell
Ter that's ben ust to soft work to come
M into this region lookin' fer suthin' to
do" Deacon Snyder had remarked, when
Brayton appeared upon the scene. Most
Young men now days want as lectle as
possible TO do" This with sarcastic en-
phasis and severe look at his son Eze-
kiel. who had. on several occasions, ex-
pressed desire to go down below" and
hire out in store.
Dick Brayton had seen Mamie first ut
meeting in the log school house. He
fell in love with her at first sight. and
the very next day applied 70 her father
for work on biz farm.
What can you doE' asked Solomon
Boone, as he proceeded to fill and light
his corncob pipe Yer hans don't look
ia fust-rate trim fer loggin, an sh'd
ledge that yer muscle WANT jest what's
needed in breakin' new land.
That's So | suppose" said Dick IN
reply. II haven't had much practice in
hard work. but | can learn 10 do il. I'm
stout aud healthy. and it won't take long
TO teughen me TO it. I've got grit TO stick
To thing when | undertake it. You can
pay me what you think earn, AT first,
aud if I improve, you can increase my
wages. leave that 20 you Only give
me trial. Ii don't come up TO require
mentS. you can turn me of. That's fair
isn't itg''
Yes, that's fair enough" answered
Mr. Boone. Il kinder ike yer style, an
I'll try yc."
so Dick Brayton became Mr.. Boone.