Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-10-29
A Modest Girl
With Long Hair
By SADIE OLCOTT

hSGicu you was gum " NC MAJ
red. Jake what kind Of gal you
goin to git?'
las purity as peach. Ton. and as
modest and gentle as dove. That's
what drawed me. her modesty. Can't
anybody look at her without her blush
in all over?"
"Humph"' grunted Tom.
"Reckon you don't count much on
woman's bein' so modest ~ that, do
you?"
Jake. I'm goin' to answer your ques-
ton by tellin' you story. Oncet |
had TO go down to Denver to get some
assayin' done. ! had struck some dirt
that | thought might pan out purity
good. So | took some chunks with me
and started on my own horse. When
| got within ten miles or SO of the city
it was gettin' dark. and | put up at a
tavern. My room was in an l. to the
buldin', and | could look right across
to another L and into a winder. where
there was gal standin' before a look
in glass combin' her hair. And. her
room bein' lower than mine. | could
see just how long it was. 1t reached
to the floor and was thick as a sheaf
o. wheat.
''If there's a feature about u woman to
head of hair. And this gals was glossy
and wavy as the surface Of a lake, and
it shined under the light O them kerO-
sene lamps to beat the band. | fell in
love with her at oncet-or. rather.
fell in love with her hair-and | vowed
wouldn't leave the place till I'd made
her acquaintance.
THE next mcrnin' ! saw her go out
and walk up the road. jist went after
her. and when l caught up with her
| says. says |:
Its fine mornin. miss
"She looked down at the ground and
didn't say nothin'. so said some more:
mo offenSe miss. I'm a miner from
up around Georgetown. purity rough.
but honest | saw you combin' that
wonderful head o. hair O. yourn. and
Ibid your she said. kind O. fright
ened-like.
Yes. You don't mind man seem
you with it unloosened. do you?'
Ladies don't usually appear before
gentlemen that way she said so mod
est-like that wanted to put redhot
pokers in my eyes for lookin' at it.
and | told her that her hair was so
splendid that she'd ought to wear ii
down her back all the time. | axed
her If | couldn't walk a ways with
her, and she said she wasn't used to
walkin' with gentlemen as she hadn't
been introduced to. but looked so
good and kind and nice that she would
not mind my walkin' little ways.
WAL got to telin her about
what brought me to Denver, and she
looked kind O. interested when | told
her | thought Id struck payin' dirt.
She said for my sake she hoped |
wouldn't be disappointed. We was
talkin' when we come to a puddle.
and she waited while went ahead.
for she had to lift her skirt a couple
of inches and she was so modest that
she wouldn't let me see her foot. So,
you see. had two things to love. her
hair and her modesty. and there was
even more of the last than the first.
1--WE walked some time together. and
| was gettin more and more in love
all the time But bimeby she came to
a house and went in. so | had to leave
her at the door. | KEEP watch to see
her combin her hair ag'in. and toward
evenin she went into her room and
took the hair down. and just as was
beginnin to feast my eyes on 1t she
closed the blinds.
Now. if that wasn't modesty ! don't
know what you'd call it.
THE next mornin' | saw her 60 out
agin and joined her agin. tellin' her
that | was goin' into town to get my
samples assayed. She said she hoped
they'd turn out well and ] must let her
know ! took the samples into Denver
and left 'em there. to call for 'em in
two days. While was a-waitin' ] saw
lot o. the gal with the long hair and
did some courtin'-that is. ! would "a
done it if she hadn't been so deuced
modest accidentally touched her
hand oncet. and | thought she was
goin' to have a lit.
when went into Denver to get the
assayer's report on my samples he told
me there was not enough gold In a
ton to buy plug o tobacco. | went
back disappointed. but by this time !
was so dead in love that didn't mind
my setback in the other matter. con-
fided what the assayer said to the gal.
and that was the last | saw Of her in
those parts. Where she went ! didn't
know. but it was plain she didn't have
any use for miner without mine.
IL had q friend in Denver. so | went
in there to borrow enough money to
get back to camp. While | was walk
In up the main street where all the
shops is | saw crowd before win
der. went to see what was goin' on.
and standin' there in the winder with
her hair hangin' down to her heels was
the gal I'd fallen In love with. princi-
pally for her modesty. while Teller
stood before the shop pointin' her out
as havin growed her hair by usin' DR..
Thingamagig's hair restorer.
Il don't want to discourage you. Jake.