Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-07-22

GOING TO GET MARILLA PIANO, I HEAR"
ing deep into the hard packed loan,
each of us reposed against an elm
pillar of the structure and smoked Ell
Toro tobacco. while we wrangled ami.
cably concerning the affairs of the rest
of the world.
As for conveying adequate concep-
ton of the engaging charm of that
prairie evening, despair waits upon IT,
1t is bold chronicer who will under
take the description of Texas night
in the early spring. An inventory
must suffice,
The ranch rested upon the summit of
a lenient slope. The ambient prairie,
diversified by arroyos and murky
patches of brush and pear, lay around
us like a darkened bowl at the bottom
of which we reposed as dregs. Like
turquoise cover the sky pinned us
there The miraculous air heady with
ozone and made memorably sweet by
leagues of wild howerets, gave tang
and SAVIOR to the breath.
MT. NlllItN y VIE. a NpuuS anu
capable woman, we had left In the
house. She remained to busy herself
with the domestic round OF duties. In
which | had observed that she seemed
to take buoyant aud contented pride.
In one rOom we had supped Pres
emily from the other as Kinney and
sat without there burst a volume of
sudden and brilliant music. If ! could
justly estimate the art of piano play
ing, the cOnStruer of that rollicking
fantasia had credtably mastered the
secrets of the keyboard. A piano, and
one so well played, seemed to me to be
an unusual thing to find in that small
and unpromising ranch house. | must
have looked my surprise at Rush Kin
ney, for he laughed in his soft south
ern way and nodded at me through the
moonlt haze of our cigarettes.
You don't often hear as agreeable
a noise as that on a sheep ranch" he
remarked. But | never see any rea-
son for not playing up to the arts and
graces just because we happen to live
out in the brush It's lonesome life
for woman, and if a little music can
make it any better why not have it?
That's the way look at it."
"A wise and generous theory"
assented- And Mrs. Kinney plays
well. | am not learned in the science
of music, but should call her an I'M
commonly good performer. She has
technic and more than ordinary pow,
er."
The moon was very bright, you will
understand. and saw upon Kinney's
face a sort of amused and pregnant
expression, as though there were things
behind it that might he eXpounded.
you came up the trail from the
Double Elm fork" said Kinney prom
isingly. "As you crossed it you must
have seen an old deserted jacal to
your left under comma mott"
Il did" said |. There was a drove
of javalis roofing around it. | could
see by the broken corrals that no one
lived there"
THAT'S where this music PROPOSE
ton stagted,' said Kinney. Il don't
mind teGing you about it while we
smoke. That's where old Cal Adams
lived. He had about 800 graded Meri
nos and a daughter that was solid silk
and as handsome as new stake rope
on a thirty dollar pony. And | dom
mind telling you that ! was guilty iI
no 1appan nf ho mr.
old Cars ranch all the time | coult
spare away from Iambing and shear
ing. Miss Marilla was her name. an(
! had figured it out by the rule of tw,
that she was destined to become tn,
chatelaine and lady superior of Ran
Cho Lomito, belonging to X. Kinney
ESQ, where you are now a welcom,
aud honored guest
II will say that old Cal wasn't dis
Enguished as a sheepman. He was
little old, Stoop shouldered hombr,
about as big as gun scabbard, will
scraggy white whiskers. and condemn
Ell to the continuous use of language.
But that Marila girl was benefi
to the eye. And she was the most ele
CANT kind of a hOuSekeeper. | was tn
nearest neighbor, and used to rid
over to the Double Elm anywher
from nine to sixteen times a weel
with fresh butter or quarter of venl
son or sample Of new sheep dip JUS
as a frivolous excuse to see Marilla