The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-09
A BELLE OF CANADA CITY.
By BRET HARTE.
Copyright, 1899. by Bret Harte.)

| civic improvements TO the hillside, and
Mr.. Trixit's very door. Turning down
this th~oroughfare they stopped laughing.
and otherwise assumed u conscious half
artificial air. For it was the hour when
Canada City lounged listlessly before
its shops, its saloons. its offices and
mills-or even held lazy meetings IN the
dust of the roadway-and the passage
down the principal street Of its two
prettiest girls was an event to be viewed
as if it was a civic procession. Hats
few off as they passed; place was free
" given; impeding barrels and sacks
removed from the wooden pavement and
preoccupied indwellers hastily summon
ed to the front door 10 do homage to
Cis>y Trixit and Piney as they went
by. Not but that Canada City, in the
fierce and unreGenerate days of its
youth. had seen fairer and higher col
ored faces. more gayly bediZened on its
t~horoughfares, but never anything Sc
fresh and innocent. They stood there
all unconsciouSly, reverencing their alb
sent mothers, sisters and daughters. in
their spontaneous homage to the pair,
and seemed to feel the wholesome breath
of their eastern homes waited from the
freshly ironed skirts of these foolish
virgins as they rustled by. | am afraid
that neither Cissy nor Piney appreciated
| this feeling-few women did at that
time-indeed. these young LADIES as
>llmed q slight air of hauteur. Really.
they do stare So said Cissy, with eyes
lilating with pleaSurable emotion: "we'll
have to take the back street next time
Piney, proud i'll the glory reflected from
CiSsy and in her own, answered, 1--WE
will-sure."
There was only one interruption to
this triumphal progress, and that was
so slight as to be only noticed by one
of the two girls. As they passed the
new works at the mill the new engineer
as Piney had foreseen-was leaning
against the doorpoSt smoking a pipe.
He took his hat from his head and his
pipe from his mouth as they approached.
greeted them with an easy Good after
noon.' yet with a glance that was
quietly observant and tolerantly critical.
There said Cissy, when they had
passed. didn't | tell YOU? Did Won
ever see such conceit in your born days.
| hope you did not look at him."
piney. conscious Of having lone so
and of having blushed under his scru-
tiny. nevertheless %stoutly asserted that
she had merely looked at him TO see
who it was" But CisSy was placated
by passing the Secamp'S cottage. from
whose window the three %strappins dauch-
tiers Of John Scamp. lately an emf
grant from Missouri. were. as Cissy had
surmised. tightening the housah hold .li-
ties by gazing at the-to Them nnwout-
ed wonders Of the street. Whethcr tErei1
celnpleXloIYs, still bearing traces % the
alkall dust and inefficient noariShmpnt
of the plains. took Il moro yellow ton.
| nom t1o r -
not say: Cissy thought they did: per
haps Iiney was nearer the truth when
She suggested that they we're only slook-
ing to enable them to make a home
made copy of the hat next week.
Their progress forward and through
the outskirts Of the town was of the
same triumphal character. Transfers
withheld their oaths and their nplifted
whips as the we girls passed by: weary
miners toiling in bitches looked I'D with
a pleasure that was half reminiscent Of
their past; younger Skylarkers stopped
in their horse play with half smiling half
apologize faces; more ambitious riders
on the highway urged their horses to
greater speed under the girls inspiring
eyes. and "Vaquero Billy charging them.
full tilt. brought UP his mustang on its
Launches and rigid foreleeS, with a
W. l'iiS W VI lhN SO4IIDItIt. NtJltIl 1t
foot of their a~rtfully simulated terror,
In this way they at last reached the
clearing i'm the forest, the church. with
its ostentatious spire. and Rev. Mr..
Windibrook's Observation-Disclosures humor-
ously known as the pastoraee''-Uherc
CisSy intended to call.
Rev. Mr.. Windibrook had been selected
by his ecclesiastical superiors to min
lister to the spiritual wants of Canada
Clty as being what was called a "hearty"
man. Certainly, If considerable lung ca
nac1ty. absence of reserve. and power of
Misunderstanding and back-slapping were
necessary to he redemption of Canada
City. Mr.. Windibrook's ministration
would have been successful. But, sin
| gularly enough. the rude miner was apt
to resent this familiarity. and it is re-
corded that Isaac Wood. otherwise
known as "Grizzly Wood once respond
ed to a cheerful back-slap from the rev
crend gentleman by an ostentatiouSly
friendly hug which nearly dislocated the
pastors ribs. Perhaps Mr.. Windibrook
was more popular ON account of his adj
miring enthusiasm of the prosperous
mOney-gPtting members of his flock. ana
Il singular sympathy with their methods.
and Mr.. TriXit's daring speculationS We're
an especially delightful theme to him.
"lAh. Miss Trixit." he said as Cissy
entered the little parlor. and how is
your dear father? Still startling the
money market With his fearless specula-
tons? This. Brother JONES'" turning to
Il visitor. SIS the daughter o. our Napo-
Icon of finance Montague Trixit. Only
last week. in that deal in the CCmStock.'
he cleared fifty thousand dollars, Yes.
sir" repeating it with JUNCTION. fifty
! thousand-dollars.-in about two hours.
and 4 single stroke of the pen, | believe
[ am not Overstating. Miss TriXit," he
added, appealing to Cissy with q porten-
teus politeness that was as badly fitting
rs his previous "heartiness."
Cissy colored slightly. Il don't know
she said simply. She was perfectly
truthful. She knew nothing of her faith
er's business-except the vague reputa-
tom of his success.
Her modesty. however. produced a sin
gular hilality in Mr.. Windibrook. and a
playful push. You don't know? Ha.
but / do. Yes. sir'-to the viSitor-"I
have reason ito remember it. l called