Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-02-26
CHAPTER Iv.-tContinuedJ

why, mother, I haven't been GALL
wanting"
Don't tell me. Wasn't John Cam
eron waiting for you up therea Didn't
Danny get tired and come away, leaving
you two together? or all the men in
the world, it must be John Cameron you
go out in the woods to meet. l should
think you might have more pride about
yOU-and you a Mulyeil. You know very
well there never yet was any love lost
between the Mulyeils and the Camerons,
even among our forbears in the old cOun-
try. The CamerOns, indeed! A stuck
up lot, who think themselves better than
anybody else, because they have clan;
while, as is we'll known among wise
men, the first Aiulveil was a king-and
an Irish king; and I'd like to have any
body show me a Cameron that ever was
king. l wonder if you've forgot how
John CamerOn's father got the best Of
yours in that lawsuit, when we had to
pay one hundred dollars for our bull jab-
bing his horn into old CamerOn's mare;
and it never did seem sense nor reason
nor justice nor godliness to me that we
should be held responsible for the natural
dispositions of the dumb beasts"
Don't cook fish till you catch them,
mother" answered Hetty, placidly.
You've been swallowing some of Dan
Ey's yarns L should think by this time
you'd know better than to believe any
thing that boy says, except that he's
hungry or don't want to wash himself"
Wasn't it true that you and John
Cameron had a meetin' up on the Back
bone to-day? Wasn't he waiting there
Tor you to come alOng?'
He was waiting, certainly, but hardly
as a matter Of choice, | think, or for me, =
replied the girl, with little laugh.
And then she went on to narrate the
facts Of Jacks mishaps and her share IN
his rescue, without remembering, how
ever, anything about the shooting, all
traces of which she had, on her way
home, taken care to hide from casual OBJ
sery2tion. While she was telling the
story, her mother and Mary Elder kept
up a running commentary of eXclama-
tons:
Laws sakcs"'
did you evcrr'
If that don't beat all"'
Danny, being hungry, had better use
Cor lis mouth than talking with it. but by
the knowing grins and lcers with which
lac favored IIetty, he sOrely tempted her
10 box his ears.
The girls vivid recital of John Cam
eron's peril quite won her mothers sym
pathetic interest, for Mrs. Mulveil was
at heart u kind, well-mcaning woman,
wishing i'll to none, even to u Cameron,
SO long as the old faction grudge did not
happen to be stirred up. But the story
had a keener interest for Mary Elder,
who being a lcar-sighted girl, saw what
The widow did not perceive, or even sus-
poet.
Soon after supper, Danny-in his Gus
tomary state of rebellion and angry dis
gust with the familiar assurance that it
would be hard enough to get him up in
che morning, even if he went now, was
driven off To his bed in the loft.
Then the three women abandoned
themselves to the ecstutic delight of an
uutrammeied conversational revel over
the subject of dress. Mary Elder was a
skinful dressmaker, who made, or, at
least, cut and fitted, the best gowns of
half the well-to-dO women in that part
OF the country. The whole year round
she was in demand, and sure of enthusi-
asJic welcome at any one of fifty farm
houses. All the latest fashions known
iu Pittsburs she could be depended upon
for supplying, and she was a treasure
house of knowledge concerning all the
new things the most stylish women in
the county had or contemplated having
And she was prudent withal. Every
wardrobe or individual garment reported
by her was presented in its best light A
IhiRg turned or made over" to look
like new, from her point Of view, was
new. She betrayed no secrets. Ii was
not necessary that She should do so to
make her news interesting or establish
her position as an authority.
At length, Mrs Muvcil, having yawn-
ed until her jaws cracked, declared she
could sit up no longer. and went off to
bed. Hetty covered the big fire in the
crate by piling upon it large quantity
OF the finely broken Goa! called slack"
which meits into 4 crust during the night,
and at the first touch of the matutina!
early poker bursts INFO a mass of roaring
flame. Then she and Mary sat down to-
Eether before the fireplace, in the half
light cast from between the lower bars
OF the CRATE, and. with their arms about
each o,her. talked in low tones.
You told me something you did NOT
cell your mother, dear" said Mary, draw
ing her younger friend close to her.
Why, no. How SO? What?"
THAT You were in love with John
Cameron"
why. Mary! How YOU do talkg'
oh, don't try to deny it to me. dear.
I'm enough older than you to read the
signs. You can't help telling your love
or letting it tell itself. Your voice wonld
ugaEc il known il you were only talking
about the weather; and If you are silent
your happy eyes will laugh it ont TO the
world; and if you shut ,Acm tight, the
flame in your cheeks viii tell the story.
Is Il does now"
THAT is only the red freight"
God grant the fire thar light comes
from may never die down in ashes"
"Oh. Mary. How You say that?"
Il have reason 20, for [ know better
Chsn YOU do vet what love is: how happy
~ how wretChcd one may be made by il. =
Urt,y shuddcred, and for Il few min
uErS both were silent; looking at the FIRE
ONE seeing in it the past, the other the
culture.
ON ;he surface Of the melting mass II
-5yh b.JuminoUS coal near the front
where it was thiuaeSt piled and most
srally acted upon by the fierce heat be
uea,a-s glossy, jet-black gas bubbles form,
ed continuously. slowly swelling larger
aud larger each in lis turn suddenly
bursting into a bright bur generally only
H5WcuJary blaze. Sometimes the flame
would catch the gas rising in slender
columns Of dark smoke from where thu
sack lay jhickcSt aqd for an instant
produce an effect like a diminutive dis
play Of heat lightning Again it would
persist for a longer time, as much rs &
minute or TWO. in long, slender, tongue
OF kissing. golden light. No two bub
b.es acted exactly alike either in forma
Sloa or transformation. And 4 pretty
picture those 6tfgy ulumjnations made OF
the homely but cheerful kitchen interior
every detail Of which was brought out
by them in most vivid relief. The bright
utensils Of tin and copper shone like