The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-07-20

Dry Valley had had no youth. Even |
his childhood had been one OF dignity
and seriousness. At six he had viewed
the frivolous gambols of the lambs on
his fathers ranch with silent disap-
proval. His life as a young man had
been wasted. And now In his scar
and yellow leaf one scornful look from
the eyes Of Panchita O'Brien had food
ed the autumnal landscape with
tardy and delusiye summer heat.
But sheepman is hardy animal.
Dry Valley Johnson had weathered
too many northers to turn his back on
a late summer, spiritual or real Old?
He would show them.
By the next mail went an order to
SaE Antonio for an outfit Of the latest
clothes, colors and styles and prices no
object. The next day went the recipe
for the hair restorer clipped from
newspaper, for Dry Valleys sunburn-
ed auburn hair was beginning to turn
silvery above his ears.
Dry Valley kept indoors closely for a
week except for frequent sallies after
youthful strawberry snatchers. Then.
q few days later, he suddenly emerged
brilliantly radiant in the hectic glow OF
his belated midsummer madness.
A jaybird blue tennis suit covered
him outwardly almost as far as his
wrists and ankles His shirt was OK
blood, his collar winged and tall, his
necktie boating orif1amme; his shoes
a venonnous bright tan, pointed and
! shaped on oenitentiai lasts. A little
fat straw hat with striped band des-
| ecrated his weatherbeaten head Lem
on colored kid gloves protected his
oak tough hands from the benignant
| May sunshine, This sad and optic
smiling creature teetered out Of It's
den, smiling fooIishly and smoothing
its gloves for men and angels to see.
| 10 such 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 roost
I 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
ly 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 unclassif-
able procedure something 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. Or Brien favored the
match as soon as Dry Valleys inten-
lions were disclosed. Being the moth
er of woman child and therefore q
charter member of the Ancient Order
OF the Rat Trap, she joyfuI1y decked
out Panchita 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 q
slice of cheese. It was nice, too, to
have as good march as Mr.. johnson
paying you attentions and to see the
other girls fluttering the curtains 81
their windows to see you 60 by with
hina.
Dry Valley bought a 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 ham dumb: the feeling that
Pancfita was there kept him happy.
He took her to parties and dances
and to ehurch He tried-oh. NO man
| ever tried so hard to be young as Dry
Valley did. He could not dance. but
he invented a smile which he wore on
these joyous occasions. a smile that
in him was as great concession to
mirth and gayety as turning hand
springs would be in another He be-
gan to seek the company of the young
men in the town. even of the boys.
They accepted him as decided dam
per, for his attempts at sportiveness
were so forced that they might as well
have essayed their games in a cathe-
ORAL Neither he nor any other could
estimate what progress he had made
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 girl
one afternoon at 6 for walk. An
! afternoon walk in Santa Rosa was a
feature of social life that called for
the pick Of ones wardrobe. So Dry
Valley began gorgeously to array him
| self; and SO early that he finished
early, and went over to the O'Brien
cottage As he neared the porch on
! the crooked walk from the gate he
heard sounds of revelry within. he
stopped and looked through the honey
suckle vines in the open door.
1 Douohifo roo or,ar,cino hor varrn oop