Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-04
Christmas at Mud Flat.

Christmas at Mud Flat.
She had been in camp four days.
Where she came from, why she came,
or who she was, no one could tell. But
that she was in camp, and had come TO
stay, there was no doubt. She was
quiet, modest, and simply clad-three
qualities which commended her to the
residents of Mud Flat as change from
the ordinary run of females who from
time to time invaded the precincts of
that classic settlement.
{. Nor were these the only points which
had been noted by the boys. As Andy
McCorkle had CALAMITY handed her
from the lower step Of his mud-be-
scattered coach to the portico of the ho-
tel, everybody saw that she chung al
most convulsively to the little child
whose arms were twined about her
neck. They observed also that her fea-
lures were pale and bloodless to an ex-
tent that was almost pitiful. By that del
icate intuition which sometimes exists
under the toughest exteriors, the sturdy
miners of Mud Flat understood that the
strange lady was suffering from mental
as well as physical illness. Their SYM
pathy was aroused in her behalf from
that instant, and every man in the
place Immediately constituted himself
her champion and friend.
A day later, when she had rented q
cabin near the outskirts of the town,
without disclosing to anyone her inten-
tions for the future or her story OF the
past, their interest was increased, and
they began to show their friendship in
substantial ways. A great heap of fire.
wood was mysteriously deposited with
in easy reach the first night. Bags OF
-four. quantities of coffee and sugar, a
whole ham, and q quarter of fresh veni-
son likewise made their appearance
from some unexplained source the third
morning. =
Little was seen of the recipient of
these treasures, however. She had
only been on the street once, and then
only to purchase few necessary arti-
eles. Upon that occasion ahe met the
reverential gaze of q score of loungers,
and turned her head away, pretending
not to see, when jovial Bill Carter
struggled huge package OF candy into
the child's capacious pocket. But aside
from that. che had remained hidden
from view, and the miners knew as lit
tie about her on the fourth day as they
had on the first.
The twenty-third of December was
unusually cold, even for that locality.
As the frozen moon came mp over q dis
tant crag, cutting with chilly hands the
dusky gloom, one might have fancied
that he had been suddenly transplanted
into the Arctic regions. The ground was
covered with thin layer of snow, which
glistened like FURNISHED silver in the
pale light. Here and there along the
sides Of the gulch, giant pines. stand
ing like CHASTITY sentinels, threw spec
trail shadows across the white expanse.
The roar of Potato Greek, wrapped in
the icy arms of winter, was snbdued TO
. tiny, muffied trickling. And the
wind gently signing through the passes,
played molian melodies among needles
Of pine and tassels of hemlock.
In the main apartment OF the Mag
nolia Saloon, . party of the boys were
sitting around table, upon which
steamed large bowl emitting a fragrant
and aromatic odor.
Whoever she mought be" OBJ
served tall and rather angular person
age known to his companions as Long
Tom Rollins =" whoever she moughf
be, she's alone, barrin' tibet kid. and
unprotected besides. She's sickly, too.
and orter hev doctor. This amt no
sort of place for a--a-inyerlid he
concluded, hesitatingly, removing his
heavy boot from the table and helping
himself to liberal allowance of the
punch. Then. after pause. he con-
tinued: ST wonder what ails the
critter, anyhow !"
A mans at the bottom of il, gentle
men, you hear me-" observed Judge
Gashwilder from the other side Of the
table, nodding conviction at each Of
his hearers in turn. Take my word for
il, theirs man in it, as Their allus is 10
any deyiltry as robs some poor woman's
cheek Of its bloom, and her eye of its
light"
The Judge was eloquent at all times.
But when his ronnd pate glistened from
the effects Of good punch, and his
theme was woman, he was thought by
the men of Mud Flat to have but few
equals. Therefore the little party
seated around the table were considers
bly, startled when, just as their fayorite
srator thrust his right hand into his
breast 40 aspreparatory gesture leading
to more extended tribute to the sex,
Long Tom Rollins leaned forward and
exclaimed
4 See here. old man. How do you
know all this ?"
For . moment rybody was aghast.
Whether they were sstonished at the
suddenness Of the interruption, or at
the half-sayage tone Of the speaker, or
whether it occurred to them that the