Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-05-01
CHAPTER VIII.

~1IfE work On the mill was push
ed, and In spite Of the usual
amount of Unforeseen delays ii
~ was ready for business by the
latter part of September The official
opening was set for the 9th. Miss
Matties birthday. and the village Of
Fairfield was invited to picnic to
be held at the mill IN honor Of the Oc-
casion. It Is needless 10 say that the
Fairfield StraWboard Manufacturing
company did the thing up IN shape.
Wagons loaded with straw and drawn
by four horse teams went the rounds
of the village collecting the guests. 1t
IS doubtful If Fairfield was ever more
surprised than ut the realization OF
how much there was OF her, using the
pronOun out OF respect to the majority,
when she was punched" as Red said.
You would not have believed that
struggling, lonesome looking place held
SO many people. AS Red could discOv
er no means In the towns resources to
provide q meal for 800 people, 1t was
necessarily n basket party, which
struck Mr.. Saunders as being grievOus-
ly Ike n Swede treat. He made up
for 1t In a measure by having barrels
of lemonade and cider on tap at the
grounds. stronger beverages being bar
red, and by hiring a quartet Of strings
"clear from town"
At half past on respondent but
hot September afternoon the caravan
started for the mill grounds, the wom-
en- dressed in the most unpicnicky cos
fumes imaginable and the men OSten-
tatiOusly Mt ease In their store clothes.
Every one was in the best of spirits,
keen for the excitement and pleasure
that was sure to mark the occasion.
Red rode old Buckskin. who had
succumbed to the inevitable and only
Jumped around little," as Red put
It, on being mounted. 1t was pretty
lively jumping around" but perhaps
Mr. Saunders found some satisfaction
IN sitting perfectly at his ease, smok-
ing his cigarette, while Buck jumped
and Fairfield admired. And, at any
rate, Buck had legs Of iron and the
day and willing to kick Mt anything
which bothered him when night came.
He was q splendid beast through and
through, from forelock to tail tip. but
he had learned who was his magtel
and obeyed him accordingly.
It was a five mile ride, mostly under
the shade Of fine old trees. The road
wound around the hills: here and there
break in. the arboreal border showed
views Of rolling coVptry. well shaped
and pleasing. winding up grassy slopes
IN groves Of verdure. OF course most
of the freshness Of leaf was past, yet
the modest gray green gave a silvery
sheen to the landscape that brought II
into unity.
One member Of the party felt that
his heart was very full as he looked at
1t. That was Lettis. BLAST the old
officer he kept saying to himself
BLAST its six dingy windows and the
clock at the end! Doesn't this look
good, and doesn't It smell good, dust
and ALI" and then he'd howl at the
horses in sheer exuberance Of good
feeling. making the mild old brutes
put better foot Of 1t to the front.
Red cantered up beside his wagon
swell. Lettis." he said, here we &c
for the opening overture with the full
strength Of the company-we're great
people this day, amt weY' And the
big man smiled like a pleased big boy
"Oh. what bully old fellow you
arer' thought Lettis as he looked al
him. Lettis was thinking Of othel
qualities than flesh, but the physical
Red Saunders on horseback was de
serving of a glance from anybody: thu
massive figure 80 we'll poised; the cleal
cut. proud profile: the shapely heat
with Its crown Of red gold hair: thu
easy grace Of him by virtue Of hi.
strength-it would be a remarkable
crowd in which Chanta Seechee Rec
couldn't pass for a man. He was ev
cry inch Of that from the ground up.
Lettis had come to bow down to hin
in alteration, with all an affectionat,
boys worship. To those eyes Rex
was just right in every particular
likewise to Miss Matte, who ever
now was filing her eyes with hin
from behind the vantage Of a broat
Dr1mmed straw hat.
At last the whole party disembarket
ut the fiat before the mill and mad,
ready for the official starting Of tn,
machinery. The big doors were thrown
open, 30 that the company could se,
within while resting outside In tn,
shade, and under the cooling infuenc,
Of what breeze there was. The mil
was officially started. Red climbe(
the bank to the fume and raised tn
gate. The crowd cheered as the i'm
prisOned waters leaped to freedom
with hollow roar, raising in pitch a
the penstock filed and the wheels be
gan to 60 round. Speech was calle(
for. and the vigorously protesting Rex
was forced to the front by his forme,
friends, Demilt and Lettis. Thus be
trayed by those he trusted, Red made
the best Of 1t.
Ladies and gentlemen. fellow citi
Sens." said he, 1.-The mill Is now oper
to all corners. We hope to make THU
thing a success. We hope to see ever,
horny handed, hump backed farmer IL
the country rosin the soles Of his moe
SaoAAo aA0 cuONC A1S R1OW tuIOuSA
twice us much ground as he ever di(
before, and II he comes here with hi
plumber We'll give him q square shake
Well pay him as much as we das
and not let him In on the ground floor
30 he can crawl out through the Goa
hole, as Is sometimes done. Now, ev
erybOdy run away and have a goot
time, for don't like to talk this yapp
any more than you like to hear II
Kola geus! By-byr'
1t was a very successful picnic
They spent the afternoon in wander
ing around in the usual picnic fashion
developing appetites, until 1t occurred
to Red to liven the performance b!
showing them the art Of roping al
practiced upon an old COW found IL
the woods. AS spectacle 1t was
failure The combined efforts of nj