Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-04-03

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Hes my O,Un cousin" she whispered to
herself
reason I'm here. Id never got money
enough to 60 anywhere farther than
horse could carry me If I hadn't
taken a fly at placer mining and hit
her to beat h-er-the very mischief"
Miss Matte looked first at the bar
barrie, splendid necklace and then at
the barbaric, splendid man. Things
grew confused before her In trying to
realize that 1t was real. What two
planets so separated in their orbits as
her world and his? She had the i'm
agination that is usually lacking in
small communities, and the feeling Of
a fairy story come true possessed her.
And now, Matte" said he, II don't
know what's manners in this part Of
the country, but I'll make free enough
on the cousin part Of 1t to tell you
that could look at some supper with
out hinching. I've walked a heap to-
day, and amt used to walking"
Miss Matte sprang up, herself again
at the chance to offer hospitality.
why, you poor man" said she. "Of
course you're starved! 1t must be
nearly o'clock. almost forget about
eating. living here alone. You shall
have supper directly. VIII you come
III or sit spell outsider
Reckon I'll come in," said Red.
Don't want to lose sight Of you now
that I've found you"
1t was some time since Miss Matte
had felt that any one had cared enough
for her not to want to lose sight Of
her, and a delicate warm bloom went
over her cheeks. She hurried into tho
little kitchen.
MATTER called Red.
"What Is It. Willr' she answered,
coming to the door.
''Can I smoke in this little h0use?"
Certainly. Sit right down and make
yourself comfortable. Don't you re-
member what q smoker father WASH
Red tried the different chairs with
his hand. They were not stalwart
lot. Finally he spied the homemade
rocker in the corner There's the lad
for me-" he said, drawing It out. "Got
to be kinder careful how you throw
$50 pounds around"
Mercy cried Miss Matte, pan in
hand do you weigh as much as
that, WilY'
II do" returned Red, with much sat
isfaction. "And there isn't over two
pounds Of 1t fat at that"
"What a great man you have grown
up to be, Willr'
Red took in a deep draft Of tobacco
and sent the vapor clear across the
little room.
ION the hay scales, yes" he answer
ed, with a sort Of joking earnestness.
"but otherwise don't know"
The return to the old home had
touched the big man deeply, and rs he
leaned back In his chair there was a
shade Of melancholy on his face that
became 1t well.
Miss Matte took in the mass Of him
stretched out at his ease. his legs
crossed. and the patrician cut of his
face. to which the upturned mustacho
gave cavalier touch. They were good
stock. the Saunders. and the breed
had not declined in the only two ex-
tant.
Hes my own cousin" she whisper
ed to herself in the safety Of the
kitchen. And such a splendid looking
mani! She felt a pride Of possession
she had never known before. Nobody
In Fairfield or vicinity had such a
cousin as that. And Miss Matte went
on joyfully fulfilling an inherited in
stinct to minister to the wants of
some man. She said to herself there
was some satisfaction in cooking for
somebody else. But alack-a-d day, Miss
Mattie's ideas Of the wants Of some
body else had suffered a Fairfield
change. Nothing was done on q large
scale In Fairfield. But she sat the lit
tie cakes-lucky that she had made
them yesterday-and the fried mush
and the small pitcher Of milk and the
cold ham and the cold biscuit on the
table with pride in the appearance
Of the feast
'Suppers ready. WILL" she said.
Red responded instanter. He took q
look at the board and understood. He
aae the little cakes and biscuit and
said they were the burned best he
ever tasted. He also took some pot
cheese under a Misrepresentation, swal-
lowed 1t and said to himself that he
had been thryugh worse things than
that. Then. when his appetite had
Just begun to develop. the inroads on
the provisions warned him that 1t was
time to stop. Meanwhile they had
ranged the fields Of old times Mt ram
dom. end as Red took in Miss Matte,
PINK viii excitement and sparkling as
to eyes, he thought, BLAST the supper!
It's square meal just to look ut her.
II she amt pretty good people, 1 miss
my guess"
1t was merry meal. He had such
way Of telling things! Miss Matte
hadn't laughed so much for years, and
she felt that there was no one that
she had known SO long and so well as
Cousin VIII. There was only one jar
ring note-Red spoke Of the vigorous
celebration that had been followed by
the finding Of gold. 1t was certainly
well told. but Miss Matte asked in
soft horror when he had finished,
You didn't extraordinarily
ibid ~ said ha Lost IN vnov,,ovxv n 4