Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-02-24

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
rush-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 that 1t
was perfectly shocking in her to be so
demonstratively, 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-starched I'M
derskirts rustling like the t1uttering
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 Il class of young Hoosier hoOdlums in
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 i'll Il way that she had
never played them before
She made short little flights out to the
front gate of the narrow little hollyhock-
cd and morning gloryed yard, and back
again. She stopped at least twenty times
i'll her delightful little f1utterings 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
~, ~ L, 4
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
delighted audience. And she could al
most see and hear Mr.. Huntley in the
merry humor Of his new character that
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 be heartily welcome. She needed
no invitation. For such is the broad and
simple hospitality of the native HOOSier
people to-day, that to ''be acquainted''
constitutes perpetual and unlimited in
vitatiOn 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 to
start. He had not been long enough il
Hoosierdom to thoroughly understand
tbat ind of ms I1-hi fh
sanctioned the unprecedented gathering
of neighbCrS at each others houses at
any and 9Il seasOnahc 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 diftidence,
than was quite agreeable
"A leetle mite backurd. \ leetle mite
hackurd," Coonrod Redden had said of
him at first. But | don't thenk the
Teller means any harm by ut. He haint
yusen to ar ways yit. He's been raised
whar people haint gut nuthun to do but
git acquainted. Tn they kin teck as
much time to ut rs they wawnt to. Tn
they gnurlly teck a plenty, | low. We
haint gut time fur no SIGH foolishness as
that out h-yur en- Indyanny. Felcr
comes h-yur we Wawnt to know right
away whurrer he's fttun fur neighbor
Ur nut. Eff he haint, we wawnt to boss
i'm up, ur git i'm out, jist quck's we kin.
by gum
She knew that Mr.. W. Mason Huntley
had ostensibIy subscribed to this doctrine
which Coonrod Reddcn had not failed to
enunciate on all fitting occasions. But
had that subscribing been more than a
piece of amiability on his part? She had
thought that in the case of Il man having
only the humble and subordinate place Of
Assistant it was not at all to be ex-
pccted that he would not readily fall into
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 the
secret hope that he would make that W..
necessary by coming to her ''sOOn.'' as he
had said. But if he did not come within
an hour she would so. She felt that she
must see him. She could not content her.
self with the thought of remaining away
until after twilight. She would go down
in the twilight at the very furthest.
So when the young Doc bikes came
over presently. to get Mrs. Wickly to
come and stay half an hour with his aunt
and her sick little boy. she felt that it
would be a way of occupying the inter
val of time. And so she went along,
taking care to look back once in every
twenty yards to see if he were coming.
Then there were presently so many
of the Sandtown women dropping in at
Mrs. bikes to see how little Jimmy was,
and to ask Lizzy Wicily about her great
fortune and take note of how she looked
and talked. and whether she had begun
to be stuck up. and proud and exclusive,
as rich people very foolishly do. And
perhaps with the thought of making 1t
very prominent that she had not begun
to be a bit stuck up, and perhaps be-
cause she still felt the very unusual eX-