The Red Cloud chief., 1908-05-01

knows why i've '".
Perhaps II Wa. ~
old Puritan ihC"
physical perfection +
Of these were k2,t r. .''n 49,
dow glass. but there ~ 90 cuoIgn o"
relations to spoil the q 80
~ wn the road between the arches of
the weeping willows came first the
brook, with the stone ~bridge-this
broken AS to coping and threadbare
In general-then on the hither side of
the way some three or four neigh.
bors' houses and opposite the black.
smiths shop and postoticc, the latter
Of course in n store, where you could
buy anything from stale groceries to
shingles.
In short, Fairfield was an eastern
village whose cause had departed, n
community drained Of the male prin.
ciple, leaving only n few queer men,
the blacksmith and some halting boys
to give tone to the background of dOz-
ems Of old maids.
An unsympathetic stranger would
have felt that nothing was left TO the
Fairficldians but memory, and the
sooner they lost that the better.
Take n wineglassful Of raspberry
vinegar, two ~tablespoonfuls Of sugar,
| half n cup each Of boneset and rhu.
bard, Il good full cup OF the milk OF
| human kindness, dilute In u gallon Of
water and you have the flavor OF
Fairfield. There was just enough OF
| each ingredient to spoil the taste of
all the rest.
Miss Matte rested her elbow on the
| railing. her chin in her hand, and
| gaZCd thoughtfully about her. As n
matter of fact, she was the most In.
spring thing In view. At Il distance
of fifty yards she was still Il tall, slcn.
der girl. Her body retained the habit
as we'll as the lines of youth, Il trick
of gliding into unexpected. pleasing at.
titudcs. which would have been awk.
ward hut for the S~upplrnrSS of limb
10 which they testified and the unc"n-
seriousness and ease of their irregular.
ity.
Her face was Il child'S face in the
ENROLLING sense Of the word The rec
ord of the years written upon IL seem
| ed Il masQucradc-thc face of q clear
| eyed girl OF fourteen made up to rep
resent her own aunt at Il fancy dress
party: n face drawn a tritie fine, Il lit.
tie ascetlc. but balanced by the hu.
NOR Of the large. shapely mouth, and
| really beautiful In bone and contour,
| the beauty Of mignOnette and doves
and gentle things.
You could see that she was t~hirty-6ve
| IN the blatant candOr Of noon, but now,
blushed with the pink OF the setting
sun, she was still in the days Of the
fairy prince.
Miss Mattie's reverle idled over the
year upon year Of respectable stupidity
that represented life in Fairfield, while
her eyes and soul were In the boiling
gold OF the sky glory. She sighed.
A panorama Of life minced before
Miss Mattie's mind about as vivid and
full Of red corpuscles as q Greek
frleze. Her affectionate nature was
starved. They visited each other, the
ladies OF Fsirfield-these women who
had rolled on the HoOr together as
babies In their best black or green or
whatever II might he, and gloves
this though the summer sun might be
hammering down with all his might.
And then they snt In a closed room
and talked In a reserved fashion which
was entirely the property OF the call.
or course one could have q moments
real talk by chance meeting, aud there
were the natural gricfs OF life to break
the corscts Of this etiquette. although
in general the griefs seemed TO be
long drawn out and conventional az
fairs. MS n natur herself at last yield
ci Ia the system. conquered by the
invincible conventionality and stub
bornness OF the ladies OF Fairfield. II
vas the unspoken but firm belief of
each of these women that n person
of their circle who had no more idea
Of responsibility than to drop dead OH
the public road would never go 70
heaven.
Poor Miss Matte! Small wonder
she dropped her hands, sat back and
wondered. with another sigh, II Ii Were
for this she was born. She did not
rebel-thcre was no violence In her
but she regretted exceedingly. In spite
" her slcnderness It was a wide
mother lap In which her hands rested
AN obvious cradle for little children
And instinctlvely Il would come to you
~ You looked Mt her that there could
be no more comfortable place for q
tired man To come home to than q
houHphnib nreSibnI nvnr hv this SInu
moving, gentle omar
There was nothing old maidish about
Miss Matte but the tale OF her years