The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-01-29
PHGBE, OF SANDY GULCH.

IHEYc called the place Sandy Gulch ; j
was hard 10 understand why. foe il wa
full OF rocks, apparently. There was no
sand enough visible 10 scour n pan-bu
then. pans i'm Sandy Gulch were no
secured. There was a deeply hronzed anG
heavily bearded set OF men. heavy drink
ers all and there were nc. women. a
least until PhGbe arrived. slim Jim wa
the autOcrat OF the place he kept tn,
New Orleans Saloon. Liquors were dis
pensed in the front room, and faro in III,
rea
Phoebe lived "a smart piece" above it
in a rough place. half canvas and hal
logs. What old Langsdale had brought
her there for, no one could imagine: sh,
had been the only woman on the shiT
when they made their weary six-mOnths
voyage from New York, and now she was
the only woman i'm Sandy Gulch. The
miners took OF their hats when they
passed old Langsdale's cabin.
Phoebe was twenty-most girls are prct-
" az twenty. ii thew are ever going 10 be
pretty PhGbe had hazel eyes, and round
cd. rose-pink cheeks. and the prettiest
pouting mouth In the world. The Sandy
Gulchers thought her a god!ess. and
adOred her accordingly.
Old Langsiale took the best Of care OF
his daughter. When he moved his claim,
he moved his cabin, too; and always kept
lear enough for Phoebe to hear the sound
OF hks pick. When the diggings gave out
in enc place. the cabin was toted /" TO
where they had not given out. He never
lacked help in moving his cabin-there
were always plenty of Sandy Gulchers
anxious TO lend a hand: they even quar-
relied about ii. and Langsdale Obliged them
TO take turns. You see, they called il
helping Phoebe;
There were not many l0afers in camp I:
the people had come there 10 make a for
tune and could not afford 10 loaf but
There were a few, a couple OF Mexicans-
= Grea-ers, = the miners called them-and
two or three of the stamp of Slim Jim.
They were always busy enough al
night in the day time they hung round
the New Orleans saloon. and they would
have liked TO have visited Phoebe, but old
LangSdaic would not have il. He bor-
rowed a pot of black paint and a brush,
and painted over his door:
"NoucE. No LoAFERs WANTED
lie thought that this would do, but one
day he came home and found Apodoca
there. Phmbe was sitting on an empty
butter-keg. the rosc-pink i'm her round
cheeks deepened a little, and the pouting
mouth was as smiling asyou please.
Old Langsdale was mao he called Apo
doca ont and pointed to the notice on The
door. Apodoca planted his feet firmly on
the ground. placed his arms akimbo. and
gzzed intently at the lettering for some
time; then, turning TO Langsdale, he said,
in his politest accents
NO sabbce."
You no read - INTERCEPTED L~angsdale.
"Me no sabbee read lnglis.' replied
Apodoca. taking his sombrero from the
bush by the deor which caught the hats of
most OF Phgbe's visitors; once In a while
a hat was taken inside. lift CHANGED to be
new. and kicked under the table for safe
keeping. Apod0ca raised his sombrero as
If 10 put Ii on. but Just then he caught
sight OF Phoebe standing In the door way,
with her cheeks pinker than ever, and an
extremely amused look in her hazel eyes +:
> o be held tine hat behind him, and stood
bareheaded.
well" said Langsdale. "Ill read il
for yer Notice f'''-he said TINS in
laundering tones. which increased in vol
ume a. he went on-ssNo loafers wanted
That meaxs, Git. You sabbee that.''
Isl. Senior" replied Apodoca, with a
sardouic smile, &c. after a o profound
bow 10 Phoebe, he placed his sombrero on
his head. and walked ~serenely away.
"Illhorsewhip thet fool, ef | ketch him
we're again, : said Langsdalc, frowning at
Phoebe.
why, papa. don't blamemei' said she.
tossing her heal; II couldn't tell him to
clear ont"
You needn't have heen so dreadful
sweet and smiling. thought he replied.
Just gave him a pleasant word"
pouted PhGbe; I" can't he cross TO peo-
pie. and Jose was very polite, I'm sure"
Langsdale muttered something about
"breaking his head" and went into the
cabin for his dinner. Phoebe went in after
him. When he had gone into the rear,
room. which was his room. par excellence.
she softly closed the door behind Rim.
The front room was her own; II contained
her bed, her wardrobe, and her trinkets /;
the later were all presents. and all of one
sort. They stood in n row on a rough
board shclf-"s e.imen','' which would
have made Eastern ladies eyes shine.
When a Sandy Gulcher found a nugget
which was remarkable for purity or beau
". he set Ii aside for the "Posyr-they
all liked TO call the blooming iaaid their
: Po-y.r The consequences was that Miss
Phoebe had several thousand dollars on
her rough shelf, and went barefooted aud
bareheaded, and wore a calico gown. She
nal no fear Of any one robbing her,
thoug there were scamps in the camp
VINO would have cut a mans throat for a
n OF 1.-THE wealth which Phmbe'snuggets
represented but woe unto the man in