The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-29
CHAPTER XII.
Plans for the Journey East.

Plans for the Journey East, q
Until late in the afternoon they rode
thru land that was bleak and barren Of
all grace or cheer. The dull browns and
grays of the landscape was unrelieved by
any green or freshness save close by the
banks of an occasional stream The vivid
blue of a cloudleSS sky served only to
light up its desOlation to- greater disad
vantage. 1t was grim unsmiling land,
hard to like.
This may be Gods own country said
Percival once, looking out over a stretch
Of gray sagebruSh to a mass Of red sand
stone iutting up. high, sharp, and ragged.
in the diStanCe-'but it looks to me as if
lie got tired Of it Himself and gave up
before it was half finished"
"A man has to work her a few years
to love it." said Uncle Peter, shortly.
AS they left the car at Montana City in
the early dusk, that thriving metropolis
had never seemed so unattraCtiVe to Per-
Cival; so rough. new, garish. and wanting
SO many of the sOftening charms of the
east. Thru the wide, unpaved streets.
lined with their low wooden buildings.
they drove to tho Bines mansion. land
mark In the oldest and most fashionable
part of the town. For such distinctions
are made in western towns as soon as the
first two shanties are built The BineS
house had been a monument to new wealth
from the earliest days or the town. "nlCQ
was fairly decent antiquity for the re-
gion. But the house and the town grated
harshy now upon the young man. He
burned with a fever of haste to be Off
toward the east-over the far rim of hills.
and the farther higher mountain range, to
Il land that had warmed genally under
300 years of civilized occupancy-Where
people had lived and fraternized long
enough to create the atmosphere he craved
so ardently.
While Chinese Wung lighted the hall
gas and busted himself with their ha ts
and bags, Psyche Bincs came down the
stairs to greet them: . Never had her
youthful freshness so appealed to her
brother. The black gown she en-
Dhaszed her blonde beauty. AS to give
her the aspect of mourning one might
have tried as reasonably to hide the
dance Of the earth in springtime with
that trifing pail
Her brother kissed her with more than
his usual warmth Here was one to feel
what he felt. to ,sympathiz warmly with
all those new yearnngs, that were to take
him out of the crude west She wanted.
for his own reasons. all that-he wanted.
She understood him; and she was
his ally against the aged and narrow man
who would have held them to life in that
physical and social desert.
well. sis, here we are! he began.
'HoW fine you're looking, And how is
Mrs. Throckmorton? Give her my love
and ask her if she can be ready to start
for the effete cast in twenty minutes
1t was his habit to affect that he con-
stantly forgot his mothers name. He had
discovered years before that he was some
times able thus to puzzle her momen-
tarily.
why Percival." exclaimed that excel
lent lady, coming hurriedly from the
kitchen regions. Il haven't a thing
IL
do declare", . ...,.--,s o,,~- ..,. -.w
It was an infrmity of, Mrs. ,Bines that
she was unable to take otherwise than
literally whatever might be said to her;
infirmity known and played upon re-
lentlessly by her son. $3.50. .'.....,
"Oh. well!'' he excla imed. with a show
of irritation. Il suppose we'll be delayed
then. That's like woman. Never ready
on time. Probably we can't start now
It'll after dinner. Now hurry! You know
that boat leaves the dock for Tonsilitis at
S.23-I hope you won't be seasick.
''Boat-dock-" Mrs. Bines stopped to
convince herself beyond a certainty that
dock boat could be within many
hundred miles Of her by any possible
chance.
Never mind" said Phyche; "give ma
half an hours notice and she can start
for any old place. -:
Cant she. tho" and Perciva seizing
his astonished mother, watzed with her
down the hall. leaving her at the far end
with. profusely polite assurances that he
would bring. her Immediately lemon ice,
an ice pick, and a cold roast turkey with
pink stockings on.
Never mind, Mrs. Cartwright" he
called back to her-"oh, beg pardon
Bines? yes. yes. to be sure-well, never
mind, Mrs. Brennings.' Well give you
time to put your gloves and bottle of
orse-radish and a nail-file and hammer
into that neat travelng-bag Of yours.
Now let me go up and get clean again.
That lovely alkali dust has worked clear
into my bearings I'm liable to have a
hot box just as We get the line open
ninety miles ahead
At dinner and afterwards the new west
and the old aligned themselves into hostile
camps, of yOre. The young people
chattcd with lively interest Of the coming
change, Of the New York people who had
visited the mine. of the, attractions and
advantages of life in New York. .,..
Uncle Peter. tho he had long since rec
ognized his cause lost. remained dog
gedly inimcal to the migration. The
home was being broken up and he was de-
pressed. :.
"Anyhow. you'll soon be back" he
warned them. You won't like it a mite.
tried it myself thirty years ago. I'll jest
camp here until you do come back. Ny
but you'll be glad to get here again..
''Why not have Billy Brue come stay
with you" suggested Mrs. Bines. who was
hurting herself with pictures of the old
mans loneliness, lin case you should want
a plaster on your back or some nut
meg tea. brewed. anything? Thai
wung is so trifing."
Maybe I might replied the old man
but Billy Brlle amt exactly broke to
shack like. this. know Just what, he't
do all his spare time; he'd set down t,
that new tangled horseless piano and pla.
it to DEATH
Uncle Peter meant the new automat III
piano in the parlor. AS far the nev
cabinet was from-the what-not this mod