Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-04-25

donable if he felt almost sure that hel
reason for being glad was the same a:
his own.
Lucky Dog was one of those shambling
new camps, where one street serves for {
string on which two or three dozen ill-as
sorted tenements are strung, every fiftl
one being place intended for the reliet
of the universal American thirst, though
the liquids dispensed at these beneficent
institutions were observed rather to pro
woke than to abate the dryness of theil
patrons. Eating houses were even more
frequent than those which dispensed
moisture to parched throats; so that, tax
ing cursory view of the windows front
ing on the street, the impression was in
evitably conveyed of an expected rush OF
famished armies, whose wants this char
liable community were only too willing to
supply, for a sufficient consideration.
The houses that were not eating and
drinking houses were hotels, if we except
occasional grocery and general merchan.
disc establishments. Into what out-of-
the way corners the inhabitants were
slowed, it was impossible to conjecture,
until it was discovered that the men lived
at the places already inventOried, and that
women abode not at all in Lucky Dog
or if there were any, not more than half a
dozen of them, and they lived in unaccus
toned places.
The advent of Mrs. Page at the Silver
Brick Hotel naturally made a sensation
An assemblage of not less than fifty gen
tlcn en- of leisure crowded about the en-
trance each more intent than the other
on getting look at the arrivals, and es-
pecially at this one arrival-whose age,
looks, name, business, and intentions in
coming to Lucky Dog, were discussed
with great freedom. Sam Rice was close
ly questioned, but proved reticent and
non-committal. The landlord was be-
sieged with inquiries-the landlady, too
and all without anybody being made
much the wiser. There was the waybill,
and there was the lady herself; put that
and that together, and make what you
could of it.
Mrs. Dolly Page did not seem discom-
posed in the least by the evident interest
she inspired. With her black curls
smoothly brushed, her black robes i'm
maculately neat, with pretty color in her
round cheeks, and quietly absorbed ex-
preston in her whole bearing, she en-
dured the concentrated gaze of fifty pairs
of eyes during the whole dinner, without
so much as one awkward movement, or
the dropping of fork or teaspoon. So
it was plain that the curious would be
compelled to await Mrs Pages own time
for developments.
But developments did not seem likely
to come Overwhelmingly. Mrs. Page
made fast friend of the landlady of the
Silver Brick, by means of little house
hold arts peculiarly her own, and before
fortnight was gone, had become as in
dispensable to all the boarders as she was
to Mrs. Shaughnessy herself IT she had
a history, she kept it carefully from curl
Gus ears. Mrs. Shaughnessy was evi,
IDENTIFY satisfied, and quite challenged
criticism of her favorite. Indeed, there
was nothing to criticise Itwas generally
understood that she was a widow, who
had to get on in the world as best she
could, and thus the public sympathy was
secured, and an embargo laid upon Cos
sip. To be sure, there were certain men
in Lucky Dog of class which has its
representatives everywhere, who regarded
all unappropriated women, especially
pretty women, very much as the hunter
regards game, and the more difficult the
approach, the more exciting the chase
But these moral Nimrods had not hall
the chance with self-possessed Mrs. Dolly
Page that they would have had with a
different style of woman. The grossel
sort got a sudden congo and with the
more refined sportsmen she coquetted JUS
enough to show them that two could play
at game of "make believe" and theI
sent them off with lofty scorn edifying
to behold-to the mingled admiration an6
amusement of Mrs. Shaughnessy.
The only affair which seemed to have q
kernel of seriousness in it, was that of Mr.
f1,a or 4
was in, on Sans night, he paid his re-
ways received him with graceful friend
illness, asking after the horses, and even
sometimes going so far as to accompany
him to their stables. On tbsse occasions
she never failed to carry several Jumps OF
sagar in her pocket, which she fed TO the
handsome brutes off het own PINK palm,
until there was not ore of them she could
not handle at her viii.
Thus passed msny weeks, until summer
was drawing to a close. Two or three
times she-had gone down to Pineywoods
Station and back, on Sans coach, and al
ways sat on the box, and drove part OF
the way, but never where her driving
would excite remark 1t is superfuous to
state that on these occasions there was a
happy heart beneath Sans linen duster,
or that the bantering remarks of his
brother drivers were borne with smiling
equanimity, not to say pride; for Sam
was well aware that Mrs. Dolly Pages
brunette beauty, and his blonde bearded
style, together furnished not unpleasing
tableau of personal charms. Besides,
Sans motto was, LET those laugh who
win;" and he seemed to himself to be on
the road to heights of happiness beyond
the ken or ordinary mortals-especially
ordinary stage-drivers.
II don't kalkelate to drive stage more
than year or two longer" said Sam tc
Mrs. Page, confidently, on the return
from their last trip together to Piney
down in Amador, and an interest in tht
Nip -and-tuck gold mine, besides a few
hundreds in bank. I've notion to settle
down some day, in cottage with vines
over the porch, with little woman tc
tend the flowers in the front garden"
As if Sans heightened color and shin
ing eyes had not sufficiently pointed thi:
confession of his desires, it CHANGED thai
at this moment the eyes of both were at
tracted to a wayside picture: cottage, {
fower-bordered walk, fair young woman
standing at the gate, with growing baby
in her arms lifting it's little white han6s
to the sun-browned face of stalwar
young farmer who was smiling proudly
on the two. At this sudden apparition O
his inmost thoughts, Sans heart gave
great bound, and there was asimultaneou
ringing in his ears. His first instInctiv,
act was to crack his whip so fiercely as t,
set the leaders off prancing; and when, b,
this diversion, he had partly recovere,
self possession, to glance at the face Q
his companion, new embarrassment
seized him when he discovered two littl
rivers of tears running over the crimsone
cheeks. But coach-boX is not conver
lent place for sentiment to display itseli
and, though the temptation was great t
inquire into the cause of the tears, with
view of offering consolation, Sam prl
dently looked the other way, and mali
tanned silence The reader, howevel
knows that those tears sank into the b.
holders soul, and caused to germinat
countless tender thoughts and emotions
which were, on some future occasion,
be laid upon the altar of his devotion
Mrs. Dolly Page. And none the less tina
in few minutes, the eyes which she
them resumed their roguish brightnes
and the lady was totally unconscious
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