The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-05-23

AA'-~1' pug NaAS'S l''t'| SAi ~ AAC A-eeNA
become envelopea in the Indian sum
mer Of the soul.
Dry Valley had has 10 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-
pTOval. His life as a young mau 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
!ardy and dclusiye summer heat
But Il sheepman is 4 hardy animal.
Dry Valley Johnson bad weathcrcd
too many northors 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, coIors 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,
a 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 rs his
wrists and ankles His shirt was OK
blood, his collar winged and tall bis
necktie floating orifamme; his shoes
a yenomous bright tan, pointed and
shaped on penitential lasts \ little
fiat straw hat with striped band des-
ccratcd his wcathcrboaten head. Lem
on colored Kid gloves protected his
oak tough hands from the bCnignlnt
May sunshine. This sad and optic
shifting creature tcetered out of its
den, smiling fooliShly and smoothing
its gloves for men and angels to 500.
To such pass had Dry VALLEY John
son been brought by Cupid. who al
ways shoots game thai is out of season
with an arrow from the CULVER of
Nomrs demonstrating mythology, he
had risod a prismatic maeaw from the
ashes of the gray-broWn phoenix that
had folded its tired wings 10 roost
under the trees Of Santa r as2
Dry Valley paused in the street to
allow Santa Rosaus within sight Of
him to be stunned and then deliberate
~ and slowly, as his shoes required,
entered Mrs. G'Bricu's gate
Not until the eleven months drought
did Santa Rosa ease talking about
Dry Valley Johusou's courtship OF Pan
chita O'Brien 1t was an unclassiG-
able procedurc-somcthiug like 4 com
biuation OF cakcwalkin@. deaf and
dumb oratory. postage stamp Irritation
and parlor charades. 1t lasted two
weeks and then came to Il sudden end.
OF course Mrs. O'Bricn favored the
match as soon as Dry Valleys inten-
tionS were disclosed. Being the moth
er of Il woman child and therefore Il
charter member of the Ancient Order
of the Rat Trap, she joyfully deckcd
out Panchita for the sacrifice. The
girl was temporarily daZZled by hay
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 match as Mr.. Johnson
paying you attentions and to see the
other girls fluttering the curtains at
their windows to see you go by with
him
Dry Valley bought a buggy with vel
low wheels and Il fine trottcr in San
Antonio. Every day he drove out with
Panchita He was never seen to speak
to her when they were walking or
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 that
Panchita was there kept him happy.
He took her to parties and dances
and to church. He tried-Oh no man
ever tried so hard to be young rs Dry
Valley did. He could not dance. but
he invented Il smile which he wore on
these joyous occasions, a smile that
in him was as great "A concession to
mirth and gayety as turning hand
springs would be in another. He be
gan TO seek the company of the young
meu in the town, even Of the boys.
They accepted him as a decided dam
per. for his attempts at sportiveneSs
were so forced that they might as well
have essayed their games in cathe
dral. 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 a November sky and wind.
Dry Valley was to call for the girl
one afternoon at 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.
Panchita was amusing her younger
brothers and sisters. She wore a
IL