Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-07-01
le would show Them.

newspaper. for nry Valleys sunhurn-
ed auburn hair was beginning To turn
silvery abovr his ears
Dry valler kept indoors closely for a
week except for frequent sallies after
youthful strawberry snatrhers. Then.
a few days later. he suddenly emerged
brilliantly radiant IN the hectic glow OF
his heiated midsummer madness
A iaybird blue tennis suit covered
him nutwnrdly almost as far as his
wrists and ankles. His shirt WAS OK
blood. his collar winged and tail. his
necktie floating orifiamme; his shoes
venomous bright tan. pointed and
shaped on penifential lasts. a little
fat straw hat with n striped band des'
ecrated his weatherhearrn head. Lem
on colored kid gloves protected his
oak tough hands from the beniSnnnt
Nav sunshine. This sad aud optic
shifting creature teetered out OF Its
den. smiling foollshly and smoothing
its gloves for men and angels TO see
To such a pass had Dry Valley John
son been brought by Cupid. who al
ways shoots game that Is out of season
with an arrow from the CULVER OF
Menus. demonstrating mythology. he
had rised prismatic macaw from the
ashes Of the gray-brown phoenix that
had folded its tired wings to roosl
under the trees Of Santa Rosa.
Dry Valley paused in the street to
allow Santa Rosans within sight OF
him to be stunned and then Deliberate
Iy and slowly. as his shoes required.
entered Mrs. O'Brien's gate.
Not until the eleven months drought
did Santa Rosa ease talking about
Dry Valley Johnson's courtship of Pan
chita O'Brien. 1t was an unclassitl-
able procedure-somethin like com
bination of cakewalking. deaf and
dumb oratory. postage stamp Irritation
and parlor charades. 1t lasted two
weeks and then came to sudden end
OF course Mrs. O'Brien favored the
match as soon as Dry Valleys inten-
tons were disclosed Being the moth
er of a woman child and therefore a
charter member of the Ancient Order
Of the Rat Trap, she joyfully decked
out Pauchita for the sacrifice. The
girl was temporarily dazzled by hav-
ing her dresses heightened and her
hair piled up on her head and came
near forgetting that she was only a
slice of cheese. 1t was nice, too. to
have as good a match as Mr.. Johnson
paying you attentions and to see the
other girls f1uttering the curtains al
their windows to see you go by with
him.
Dry Valley bought buggy with vel
low wheels and fine trotter in Sar
Antonio. Every day he drove out with
Panchita He was never seen to speak
to her when they were walking OF
driving. The consciousness Of his
clothes kept his mind busy; the knowl
edge that he could say nothing of in
terest kept him dumb; the feeling thai
Panchita was there kept him happy.
He took her to parties and dance:
and to church He tried-oh. no mar
ever tried so hard to be young rs Dry
Valley did. He could not dance, bu
he invented a smile which he wore OF
these joyous occasions. smile tina
In him was as great concession t.
mirth and gayety as turning hand
springs would be in another. He be
gan to seek the company of the youns
men in the town. even of the boys
They accepted him as decided dam
per. for his attempts at sportivenes
were so forced that they might as wei
have essayed their games in cathe
dral Neither he nor any other coul(
estimate what progress he had mad
with Panchita.
The end came suddenly in one day
as often disappears the false after
glow before November sky and wind
Dry Valley was to call for the cir
one afternoon at 6 for walk A.
afternoon walk In Santa Rosa was
feature Of social life that called 70
the pick of ones wardrobe. So DR.
Valley began gorgeously to array him
self; and so early that he fnishe
early. and went over to the O'Brie
cottage. As he neared the porch o
: the crooked walk from the gate h
; heard sounds of revelry within. Fl
! stopped and looked through the honey
Buckle vines in the open door.
Panchita was amusing her younge
brothers and sisters. She wore
mans clothes-no doubt those of til
late Mr.. O'Brien. On her head wa
', the smallest brothers straw hat dee
Grated with an ink striped paper bant
On her hands were Tapping yello'
cloth gloves. roughly cut out and sew
for the masquerade. The same m;
terial covered her shoes. giving theI
the semblance Of tan leather. Hig
collar and flowing necktie were nj
omitted.
. Panchita was an actress. Dry Va
= ley saw bis affectedly youthful gal
: his limp where the right shoe hui
. him, bis forced smile. his awkwar
> stimulation of a gallant air, all repr
= duced with startling fidelity. For til
first time a mirror had been held Il
to him. The confederation Of one {
the youngsters calling. Mamma. con
. and see Pancha do like Mr.. johnson
was not needed.
d As softly as the caricatured tan
IS would permit, Dry Valley tiptoed bac
e to the gate and home again.
Is Twenty minutes after the time az
n pointed for the walk Panchita trippe
e demurely out her gate in thin, trf
d white lawn and sailor hat. She stroll
d ed up the sidewalk and slowed he
It steps at Dry Valleys gate. her mar
n ner expressing wonder at his unusu,
le delinquency.
e. Then out of his door and down tn
c. walk strobe, not the polychromati
IS victim of lost summertime, but til