Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-09-03

/! said, VIII that dor" Mr.. Windibrook's q
voice sank to thrilling whisper. 1T
was an order for $1,000! Fact sir.
That is the father of this young lady"
aye had better luck. than Bishop
Briggs had with old Johnson, the FL
celsior bank president" said the visit
or, encouraged by Windibrook's "heart-
iness" into humorous retrospect.
briggs goes to him for subscription
for a new fence round the buryin
ground, the old one havin rotted away.
'Ye don't want no fence sez Johnson
short like. No fence round buryin
groundY sez Briggs. starin. No. Them
as is in the buryin ground can't get out.
and them as isn't don't want to get In,
no how. So you kin just travel. amt
gIvin money away on uselessness.' Ha,
hal"
A chill silence followed. which check
ed even piney's giggle. Mr.. Windi-
brook evidently had no "heartiness" for
nonsubscribing humor. "There are
those who can Jest with sacred sub
jects," he said ponderously, "but l
have always found Mr.. Trixit, though
blunt, eminently practical. Your father
is still away" he added. shifting the
conversation to Cissy, "hovering wher-
ever he can extract the honey to store
up for the provision Of age. An indus
trious worker!
Hes still away" said Cissy. feeling
herself on safe ground, though she was
not aware of her fathers chronological
habits. "In San Francisco. l think"
She was glad to get away from Mr..
Windibrook's "heartiness" and console
herself with Mrs. Windibrook's consti-
tutional depression, which was partly
the result of nervous dyspepsia and her
husbands boisterous cordiality. Il sup
pose, dear. you are dreadfully anxious
about your father when he Is from
homer. she said to Cissy, with sym.
pathetic sigh. Cissy. conscious to never
having felt moments anxiety and &C.
customed to his absences, replied naive.
ly, why's" "Oh." responded Mrs. Win.
dibrook. ION account Of bis great busi.
ness responsibilities, you know; 30
much depends upon him."
Again Cissy did not comprehend. She
could not understand why this master
full man, her father, who was equal to
her own and. 1t seemed, everybody's
needs, had any responsibility or was
not as infallible and constant as the
sunshine or the air she breathed. With
out being his confldante or even bis as
sociate she had since her mothers
death no other experience. Youthfully
alive to the importance Of their wealth,
1t seemed to her, however, only nat
ural result Of being his daughter. She
smiled vaguely and little impatiently.
They might have talked to her about
herself. 1t was a little tiresome to al
ways have to answer questions about
her pepper" Nevertheless. she avail
ed herself Of Mrs. Windlbrook's invita-
ton to 60 into the garden and see the
new summer house that had been put
up among the pines and gradually d.
yerted her hostess conversation into
gossip of the town. If 1t was somewhat
lugubrious and hesitating, it was, how
ever, relief to Cissy and, bearing
chiefly upon the vicissitudes of others,
gave the young girl the comforting
glow of comparison.
Touching the complexion Of the Sc
camp girls, Mrs. Windibrook attributed
it to their great privations In the alkali
desert. lone day." continued Mrs. Win
dibrook, "when their father was Ill
with fever and ague, they drove the
cattle 20 miles to water through that
dreadful poisonous dust, and when they
got there their lips were cracked and
bleeding and their eyelids like burning
knives, and Mamie Secamp's hair.
which used to be beautiful brown like
your own, my dear, was bleached into
rusty yellow"
"And they will wear colors that don't
suit them," said Cissy impatiently.
"Never mind, DEAR" said Mrs. Windi-
brook ambiguously. 81 suppose they
will have their reward" Nor was the
young engineer discussed in q lighter
vein. ut pains me dreadfully to see
that young man working with the CON-
mon laborers and giving himself no
rest Just because he says he wants to
know exactly how the thing is done
and why the old works failed" she re-
marked sadly. "When Mr.. Windibrook
knew he was the son Of Judge Master
ton and had rich relations, he wished,
of course, to be civil, but somehow
young Masterton and he didn't hit off. ;
Indeed Mr.. Windibrook was told that
he had declared that the prosperity of
Canada City was only mushroom
growth, and 1t seems too shocking TO
repeat, dear, but they say he said that
| the new church, our church, was SIM
ply using the Almighty as big bluff to
the other towns. OF course Mr.. Wlndi-
brook couldn't see him after that. Why,
he even said your father ought to send
you to school somewhere and not let
you grow up In this half civilized
place."
Strangely enough, Cissy did not hail
this corroboration of her dislike to
young Masterton with the liveliness
pne might have expected. Perhaps 1t
was because Piney Tibbs was no Ion
ger present. having left Cissy at the
parsonage and returned home. Still she
enjoyed her visit after fashion, romp-
ed with the younger Windibrooks and
climbed tree in the security Of her
sylvan secluslon and the promptings OF
her still healthy, girlish blood and only
came back to cake and tea and her new
hat, which she had prudently hung up
| In the summer house as the afternoon
was waning. When they returned to
the house, they found that Mr.. Windi-
brook had gone out with his visitor
and Cissy was spared the advertise
ment of a bolsterous escort home which
he generally insisted upon. She gayly
took leave Of the infant Windibrook
and his mother, sailed out through the
parsonage gate into the empty road
and once more became conscious Of her
new hat.
The shadows were already lengthen-
in-. and a cool breeze stirred the deep
aisles of the pines on either side OF the
highway. One or two people passed
her hurriedly. talking and gesticulat'
Ing. evidently so preoccupied that they
did not notice her. Again a rapid horse