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CONNIE WILLIS

BURNT FORK, WYO., July 8, 1914.

DEAR MRS. CONEY,--

Your letter of the 4th just to hand. How glad your letters make me;
how glad I am to have you to tell little things to.

I intended to write you as soon as I came back from Green River, to
tell you of a girl I saw there; but there was a heap to do and I kept
putting it off. I have described the desert so often that I am afraid
I will tire you, so I will leave that out and tell you that we arrived
in town rather late. The help at the hotel were having their supper in
the regular dining-room, as all the guests were out. They cheerfully
left their own meal to place ours on the table.

One of them interested me especially. She was a small person; I
couldn't decide whether she was a child or a woman. I kept thinking
her homely, and then when she spoke I forgot everything but the music
of her voice,--it was so restful, so rich and mellow in tone, and she
seemed so small for such a splendid voice. Somehow I kept expecting
her to squeak like a mouse, but every word she spoke charmed me.
Before the meal was over it came out that she was the dish-washer. All
the rest of the help had finished their work for the day, but she, of
course, had to wash what dishes we had been using.

The rest went their ways; and as our own tardiness had belated her, I
offered to help her to carry out the dishes. It was the work of only a
moment to dry them, so I did that. She was so small that she had to
stand on a box in order to be comfortable while she washed the cups
and plates.

"The sink and drain-board were made for real folks. I have to use this
box to stand on, or else the water runs back down my sleeves," she
told me.

My room was upstairs; she helped me up with the children. She said her
name was Connie Willis, that she was the only one of her "ma's first
man's" children; but ma married again after pa died and there were a
lot of the second batch. When the mother died she left a baby only a
few hours old. As Connie was older than the other children she took
charge of the household and of the tiny little baby.

I just wish you could have seen her face light up when she spoke of
little Lennie.

"Lennie is eight years old now, and she is just as smart as the
smartest and as pretty as a doll. All the Ford children are pretty,
and smart, too. I am the only homely child ma had. It would do you
good just to look at an