The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-01-27
HIS WESTERN KATHARINE.
IAN ARTISTS EXPERIENCE OUT In
COLORADO.

3NE7 ~ 4
Two o'clock b. NJ. and the wind at Ranch
altogether a vicious and ill-legulated wind,
sfi6lighting In mischief and bent On confusion,
and II came sweeping down through the mar
row valley like the wolf on the fold. Down it
came Through the deep Colorado canons, car
rying I'LL before 1t In It's mad career; piles Of
old frllit-cans, crinoline and paper and rags In
every state OF dirt, oil the nameless articles
which 30 to make up the picturesque bulk of
Suburban debris, had started with giddy reek-
lessness on d mad dance through the town.
The Inhabitants were not visible, experience
having taught them to avoid the wind, II pos
sible, when on its diurnal tour; Ranchtown
streets were quite deserted; and only few
acknowledged Celestials, digging with an as
pect of thoughtful melancholy In a gulch
near by. represented humanity in the entire
region What was wind to them I What was
rain? Nhat was discomfort generally !?
There were shining nuggets buried deep,
be had for the digging and they dug on stoi-
Idly, and let the wind take its course.
Ranchtown is not pretty, place; It is moth
ing, III fact, but an appendage. to Golconda
mine. The town Is uglness ITSELF O collection
of nundescript houses, some just put up 9TH
sefs lust ttmbling down but with no attempt
at the rural harmony that can beautify even
logs. These poor dwellings stretch off sngly
the frightful loneliness Of those whom fate
had set solitary In such uncanny places.
Thp beauty iii the distant view stands out
against these forsaken looking houses in bold
relief, and seems TO rebuke the irreverence OF
man In marring tho perfect work of nature
with such unsfghtly excrescences. A turbu-
lent mountain stream cleaves the canon just
beyond the town; and the dark frs fringing
its brink, and clinging for support to the
h e ergs gna s eens aa hg tense n bs bows ess es
winds. On the left side lies o chain Of hills
their southern slopes already gay with the
faint dawning life Of bud and blossom, viii ile
their northern flanks and crest are white with
silow--a living picture of May Nesting at the
feet of December. No outlet from this noun
stain-fastness seems visible at first sight; but
the castellated rocks are parted high in air,
and through the cleft there CLEANS against
the blue horizon the deeper azure Of the re-
mote plains shimmering like the sea In sun
light.
But what care the Chinese gold diggers. or
the better class Of Mammon seekers that
thrUng Eanchtown for the sake OF the money
or shadeY They are all blind but the artists
One OF them, Chase Carroll by name, is not
m artist pruperly-his wonderful gift Of
brush and palette being only worn as sort Of
sOrnamental appendage, q last charm, like that
Df the angel to the moss-rOse, to one whom
fortune had already favored to overflowing.
There seems no earthly reason why Chase
Carroll should be an artist. He had fortune,
family. friends. everything to recommend
might never have been good for anything, as
he certainly never would have become ac-
quainted with Kanchtown, had he not fortu-
nately been visited by what is popularity
known as disappointment"
She was so lovely, this little, soulless thing
on whom he poured forth all the love of a deep
natures she was SO dainty, SO ethereal In her
refinement, that when the blow came OF her
eiopement with q popular opera tenor, huge
mass of Italian flesh and fat. he was utterly
stunned. It was 80 extremely novel a sensa-
tion to Chase Carroll to be deprived of any
thing he wanted having from babyhood
always had the moon when he cried for it
that be could only realize the astounding fact
by slow degrees. When the truth finally came
home to him he felt that life was over, at least
oil that part OF 1t that was worth having. He
was not living at all In the world he had
thought himself init had turned out quite
was to get away from it.
III is astonishing how readily forgotten or
neglected friends will rise to the surface of
ones memory when there is any particular
les over his wrongs and sorrows, the deserted
lover suddenly bethought him OF q certain
John Rollins an excellent fellow at college,
who had folded his tent like en- Arab and gone
into exile In Colorado two or three years ago,
whence he had sent numerous invitations to
Chase to follow him; but, being poor corre-
sponde1t, he had not even acknowledged these
attentions. Now, however, while wondering
what to do with himself, John Rollins virtues
stood out IN very prominent light; and
left on the earth that was worth going to.
JOhn was always raving about the views, the
grand canon, the gorgeous wild flowers, and
what not; and here was a chance to take up
II was o'clock, on a March afternoon, and
Kachtown zephyrs were in full blast when
Messrs. Rollins and Carroll were seated in
the law Office Of the former, discussing Colo
rado life In general. "You have not seen
Kate Carneth yet,' observed Collins to his
friend; "she has been away on visit. You
are sure to meet, however; and / only hope
that may be there to see it; would not
tune
The artist had Just opened his mouth to ask
to rattle more furiously, the door was burst
open as though by the irrepressible fury of
the wind, and there on the threshold stood an
incarnation OF the tempest itself,
Angry and beautiful exceedingly was the
apparitlon. her heavenly blue eyes were full
of wrath; her complexion Of softest peach
bloom and natural lily-white glowed with
crimson like the sunset In her fury. An ex-
quisite mouth, that seemed formed only to
derbolts of abuse while the delicate nostrils
OF most faultless nose quivered with angry
emotion. The lovely face was framed In d
cloud Oh rich, golden brown hair that seemed
TO have arranged itself, while full and
rounded though slender figure of medium
height was drawn proudly up in an attitude
OF the most graceful defiance. She probably
Wore the regulation habiliments; but people
seldom noticed what Kate Carneth had on.
The artists eye was fascinated at once: the
ear was thunderstruck. Breathlessly the in
truder confronted the not astonished Rollins,
and burst forth:
. Look here, Mr.. Rollins you're the fellow
want-yes, sir, your
..'Oh, certainly, Mrs. Carneth y he replied
with great sauvity: pray be seated. Allow
Now, none Of your peach-butter on my
bread, John Rollins I amt to be come over
u l1a1t anat tn way. y I've = come % on business, and
You said didn't use to pull it even with Joe,
and Just came to ask If you did say So
Chase was astonished at the imperturbable
replied: ''
I'm not at all surprised at your hearing