The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-02-20
CHAPTER VIII.

II L
amount of unforeseen delays IL
was ready for business by the
latter part of September. The official
opening was set for the 21th, Miss
Matties birthday, and the village Of
Fairfield was invited to picnic to
be held at the mill in honor Of the &C.
casion. 1t is needless to 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 at 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
necessarily basket party, which
struck Mr. Saunders as being grievOus-
ly like Swcde treat. lie made up
for 1t In n measure 10y having barrels
OF lemonade aud cider on tap ut the
grounds, stronger beverages being bar
"clear from town
At half past . on n Respondent but
hot September afternoon the caravan
started for the mil grounds. the WON
en- dressed In the most unpicnicky cos
tunes Imaginable. ana the men osten-
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
II. 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
wind of locomotive, carrying Red all
day and willing to kick at anything
which bothered him when night came.
He was a splendid beast through and
through, from forelock to tail tip, but
he had learned who was his master
and obeyed him accordingly.
1t was Il five mile ride, mostly under
the shade of fine old trees. The road
wound around the hills; here and there
a break in the arborcal border showed
views Of rolling country, 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 Il silvery
sheen 10 the landscape that brought it
into unity.
One member of the party felt that
his heart was very full as he looked at
II. That was Lettis. Blast the old
office" 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 all?' and then he'd howl at the
horses In sheer exuberance OF good
feeling. making the mild old brutes
put better foot of it to the front.
Red cantered up beside his va ,on
"Well, Lettis,' he said, here we go
for the opening overture with the full
strength of the company-we're great
people this day, amt we?" And the
big man smiled like pleased big boy.
"Oh, what bully old fellow you
are!" thought Lettis as he looked at
him. Lettis was thinking Of other
qualities than flesh, but the physical
Red Saunders on horseback was de-
serving of glance from anybody; the
figure so well poised; the clear
cut. proud profile; the shapely head
with its crown of red gold hair; the
easy grace of him by virtue Of his
would be a remarkable
crowd in which Chanta Seechee Red
couldn't pass for man. He was ev-
cry inch of that from the ground up,
Lettis had come to bow down to him
in alteration. with all an affectionate
boys worship. To those eyes Red
was just right in every particular;
likewise 10 Miss Matte, who even
now was filing her eyes with him
from behind the vantage Of broad
brimmed straw hat.
At last the whole party disembarked
at the fiat before the mill and made
ready for the official starting of the
machinery. The big doors We're thrown
open, so that the company could see
within while resting outside I'm the
shade, and under the cooling influence
OF what breeze there was. The mill
was officially started. Red climbed
the bank TO the flume and raised the
gate. The crowd cheered as the i'm,
prisoned waters leaped to freedom
with a hollow roar. raising in pitch as
the penstock flied and the wheels be-
gan to go round. Speech was called
for, and the vigorously protesting Red
was forced to the front by his former
friends. Demilt and Lettis. Thus be-
trayed by those he trusted, Red made
the best of It,
Ladies' and gentlemen. fellow citi-
zens," said he, "the mill Is now open
to all Corners. We hope to make this
thing success. We hope to see every
horny handed, hump backed farmer In
the country rosin the soles of his moe
HxI-