That Girl of Johnson's — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10 THAT GIRL OF JOHNSON’S. Young Green took off his hat, and ran his fingers through his fair hair. The wrinkle of perpie appeared and deepened between his brows. ‘‘Johnson, is she your daughter ?” The blacksmith let down the mare’s hoof and rast ened up in surprise. Noone had ever before asked about Dolores. ‘There was something in the young man’s voice that roused his sluggish nature. With the back of his hand he wiped the drops from his grimy face. ‘She my darter? Wal, I reckon. My cursed luck thet she warn’t a boy; boys is 0’ use.” | A flash came into the clear blue eyes watching him; a flush mounted the fair face showing even beneath the beard. ‘Cursed luck? Man, you should thank your lucky star that she is a woman—and such a woman! Where did she — get her learning ?” **Learnin’ ?” The man was. bewildered; he laughed scornfully. The mare was growing impatient, and he lifted her hoof once more to his knee. ‘‘She ain’t never had no learnin’ ’s farasI know. Thar ain’t no use in learnin’—’t least I ain’t never seen no use o’ it. Wimmen ’specially air better off ’thout it. Theys never has much sense best ways ye ken fix it. Ther only thing D’lores knows how ter do is to keep her mouth shet. Better fer all wimmen if they did. -Hyar’s yer mare reddy. Hine mare she. Mares is better’n wimmen gen’ly speakin ’; ye’d best keep to’em. Let ther wimmen alone is ther way to keep outen mischief. A shillin’, sir; thank ee,” The mare wheeled out of the close shanty of a shop as though she were glad to get away. She was full of life and spirits, and a beautiful animal. When her master mounted she reared and plunged; her tail swept the scanty grass at the door, her long silky mane swept his face; her eyes were flashing, her nostrils dilated. \ GEomicboo ‘S.coO