Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-06-23

over the looped knot of narrow blue rib
bon there, at opposite sides of her shape
ly throat, whose winter-whiteness had
taken on a little of that rich, warm tint
that III intermOntane valley climate so
plentifully bestOws upon all sojourners,
and which in unhealthy people we call
"sallow," while i'll the more robust it goes
by the unobjectionable title of "ruddy."
Then. with her new, bright patent
leather" slippers, showing a very little
band OF white stocking about her shape
ly ankles, when she sat down and crossed
the very neat little left foot over the
right, she was as pretty a picture as ever
a little mirror exhibited in any little
plain middle-room in all Christendom-
the white pond lily of Reelfoot Prairie,
as could be proved by every admiring
Hoosier from the mouth of Big Rattle
snake Creek on the north, to the very
r~ush-tangled limit of Reelfoot Pond on
the south.
She was in her gayest and most teasing
mood. too. She couldn't help it. She
would think of her father, and his mis-
fortune, for a moment, and feel hat it
was perfectly shocking in her to be so
dcmonstratively, boisterously merry as
she was. But she couldn't help it. She
could not repress her buoyant animal
spirits. She flew about the house from
room to room, with her stiff I'M
derskirts rustling like the futtering
wings of the wild pigeons now feeding
their young up in the dark thickets of
Wickly's Woods. She sang little bits
Of song in the sweetest voice that ever
led a class of young Hoosier hoodlums in
a public school. She picked up her guitar
off the haircloth sofa, and slipping its
sling ribbon over her left shoulder, went
about the rooms playing pretty and mel
low old rOndeaux in a way that she had
never played them before.
She made short little fights out to the
front gate of the narrow little hOllyhock-
ed and morning -gloryed yard, and back
again. She stopped at least twenty times
in her delightful little hutterings here
and there about the house to kiss her
mother on the cheek, or to pat her ON the
shoulder reassuringly and lovingly, out
of the very enthusiasm of her mood. In
fact, she did hundreds and hundreds of
foolish little things that she was perfect
ly aware a mature young woman school
teacher shouldn't permit herself to do.
But she couldn't help it. And, what's
more, she didn't try.
In any one of the little, rustling, white
dove flights to the front gate she could
hear the sounds of shouting, clapping
hands and multitudinous laughter of a
delighted audience. And she could al
most see and hear Mr.. Huntley in the
merry humnr of hic nnuy oh a ra ntar tho
he had shown of late, exchanging humor-
Gus repartee with his audience as is now,
and always has been, the custom and
the delight of the IIoosier audience and
the Hoosier orator. Perhaps, after sup
per was over, she would walk with her
mother down to Coonrod Redden's. She
would BIZ heartily welcome. She needed
no invitation. For such is the broad and
simple hospitality of the native Hoosiel
people to-day, that to 'be acquainted
constitutes a perpetual and unlimited in,
v~itatiOn to come when you please and be
sure of a hearty welcome.
But after the supper was over Lizzy
could not fully make up her mind tc
start. He had not been long enough in
Hoosierdom to thoroughly understand
that informal freedom of manner which
sanctioned the unprecedented gathering
of neighbors at each others houses al
any and all seasonable times.
True, she remembered that he had very
readily conformed himself to the prevail
ing customs in Sandtown society. But
lie had always exhibited much more OF
reserve. even to the point of ditidence
/. than was quite agreeable.
"A leetle mite backurd. A leetle mite
{ backurd," Coonrod Redden had said OF
him at first. But | don't thenk the
, Teller means any harm by ut. He hainr
yusen to ar ways yit. He's been raised
whar people haint gut nuthun to do bu,
! git acquainted. I'm they kin teck AZ
much time to ut as they wawnt to. Ur
they g%inurlly teck a plenty, l low. w
, haint gut time fur no SIGH foolishness a.
that out h-yur en- Indyanny. Fellel
comes h-yur we wawnt to know righr
away whurrer he's ittun fur a neighbol
, ur nut. Eff he haint. we wawnt to hos.
i'm up, ur git i'm out, jist quick's we kin
by gum!"
: She knew that Mr.. w. Mason Huntley
had ostensibly subscribed to this doctrin,
which COonrOd Redden had not failed [,
t enunciate on all fitting occasions. Blu
had that subscribing been more than {
, piece of amiability on his part? She hat
| thought that in the case of a man havin,
only the humble and subordinate place O
Assistant" it was not at all to be ex
pected that he would not readily fall int
| the ways of the Sandtown people as cas-
! lily as he had fallen into the sandy wind
ings of the Overcoat road.
So she hesitated about starting, in tn,
, secret hope that he would make that un
necessary by coming to her %"soon," as h,
had said. But if he did not come within
an hour, she would go. She felt that sh,
! must see him. She could not content her
self with the thought of remaining ava,
e until after twilight. She would go dowr
in the twilight at the very furthest.
: So when the young Doc bikes cam,
: over presently, to get Mrs. Wickly t,
= oopoa ond cfn u ha1f m hnur With hi. 80.