, in
delivering over his charge to the herders on the Keowee River.
"Gadzooks, neighbors, but I shouldn't be a whit surprised if that old
party is a duke in disguise!"

But the cow-drivers heard him not! They hardly heeded the coming and the
going of the pack-train and their gossips the packmen! They cared naught
for the news the caravan brought of the country-side far above, nor the
commissions they were wont to give for the various settlements and the
metropolis far below! For so featly came riding in to the humble prosaic
precincts of the cow-pens and into their hearts the vernal beauty of
Spring herself, the living Bloom of charm and love, all arrayed in
delicate gray sergedusoy opening upon carnation taffeta, and crowned
with sheer quillings of primrose sarcenet, with a cheek that repeated
these roseate tints and a glint of golden brown tresses curling softly
against a nape of pearl, that the ranchmen were bewitched and dazed, and
knew no more of good common-sense. Their equilibrium thus shaken, some
busied themselves in what might be called "housewifely cares," that the
dainty visitant might be acceptably lodged and fed, and afterward they
cursed their industry and hospitality that thus left her conversation
and charming aspect to the shirks and drones, who languished about her,
and affected to seek her comfort and minister to her entertainment. For
the cow-drivers, like the other pioneer settlers of that region and day,
represented various states of society and degrees of refinement, and to
those to whom she was not as a blissful reminiscence of long ago, she
appeared as a revelation, new and straight from heaven, a fancy, a
dream! It seemed meet to them that she arrived in the illusory sunset of
a sweet spring day, like some lovely forecast of the visions of the
night.

With their artless bucolic ideals of entertainment they invited her out
to show her the new calves. One of these little creatures, being
exquisitely white and eminently pleasing to look upon, was straightway
named, with her gracious permission, "Peninnah Penelope Anne," and she
was assured that because of this name its owner, a slim, sentimental,
red-haired youth, would never part from it. And it may be presumed that
he was sincere, and that at the time of this fervent asseveration he had
not realized the incongruity of living his life out in the constant heed
of the well-being and companionship of a large white cow of the name of
"Peninnah Pen