Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-06-19


he's with 'em," urged Piney.
bah! That was just to show that he
didn't care what we thought of him
he's that conceited! And it wasn't re-
spectful, considering one Of the direct
ors was there, all dressed up. Don't
tell me! You can see it in his eye-look-
ing you over without blinking and then
turning away as if he'd got enough of
you. He makes me tired"
Piney did not reply. The engineer
had seemed to her to be singularly
attractive young man, yet she was
equally impressed with Cissy's superior
condition which could find flaws in
such perfection. Following her friend
down the steps of the veranda, they
passed into the staring graveled walk
of the new garden, only recently recov-
cred from the wild wood, it's accurate
diamond and heart shaped beds of
vivid green set in white quartz borders
giving it the appearance Of deliberately
iced confectionery. A few steps farther
brought them to the road and the wood
en- sidewalk to Main street, which car
ried civic Improvements to the hillside
and Mr.. Trixit's very door. Turning
down this thoroughfare, they stopped
laughing and otherwise assumed con-
scious, half artificial air. For it was
the hour when Canada City lounged
listlessly before it's shops, it's saloons,
it's offices and mills or even held lazy
meetings in the dust Of the roadway,
and the passage down the principal
street of it's two prettiest girls was an
event to be viewed as If it was civic
procession. Hats flew off as they pass
ed, place was freely given, impeding
barrels and sacks removed from the
wooden pavement and preoccupied in
jewellers hastily summoned to the front
door to do homage to Cissy Trixit and
Piney as they went by. Not but that
Canada City in the fierce and unregen-
crate days Of it's youth had seen fairer
and higher colored faces, more gayly
bedizened, on it's thoroughfares, but
never anything so fresh and innocent.
They stood there all unconsciously
reverencing their absent mothers, Sis
tiers and daughters in their sponta-
neous 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. I am afraid that
neither Cissy nor Piney appreciated
this feeling-few women did at that
time indeed these young ladies assum-
ed slight air of hauteur. Really,
they do stare So" said Cissy, with
eyes dilating with pleasurable emo
ton. well have to take the back
street next time" Piney, proud in the
glory reflected from Cissy and in her
own, answered, eve 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 en-
gineer, 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 afternoon" yet with a glance
that was quietly observant and toler-
antly critical. "There," said Cissy
when they had passed, didn't I tell
you? Did you ever see such conceit
in your born days! hope you did
not look at him."
Piney, conscious Of having done so
and Of having blushed under his scru-
tiny, nevertheless stoutly asserted that
she had merely looked at him 'sto see
who it was.' But Cissy was placated
by passing the Secamps' cottage, from
whose window the three strapping
daughters of John Scamp, lately an
emigrant from Missouri, were, as Cissy
had surmised, tightening the household
duties by gazing at the, to them, I'M
Wonted wonders of the street. Wheth-
er their compilations, still bearing
traces of the alkali dust and inefficient
nourishment of the plains, took a more
yellow tone from the spectacle of Cis-
sy's hat cannot say. Cissy thought
they did. Perhaps Piney was nearer
the truth when she suggested that they
were only Cooking" to enable them to
make homemade 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 uplifted
whips as the two girls passed by, wea-
ry miners toiling in bitches looked up
with pleasure that was half reminis-
cent Of their past, younger skylarkers
stopped in their horseplay, 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 it's launches and
rigid forelegs, with a sweeping bow Of
his sombrero, within a foot of their art
fully simulated terror. In this way
they at last reached the clearing in the
forest, the Church, with it's ostentatious
spire, and Rev. Mr.. Windibrooks'
dwelling, otherwise humorously known
as "the parsonage" where Cissy in