The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-26
TRANSFERRED.
Kate Es,erly, in Denver opinion.l l

Kate Esseriy, in Denver Opinion-l
 We were returning to our eastern home from mining camp of southern New Mexico. In our palace car were two in- vzlids coming through from California. to which paradise for weak lInes they had repaired too late They were strangers to all on board, and strangers to each other. Both were young men; both couehed necessarily; both were evidently in the last stages of consumption. Each occupied full section which was, by an unfortunate contretemps, opposite the other. After an unusually hard coughing spell each glanced toward the other with peculiar disfavor.
 Their friendless situation excited the sympathy of their iellow-passengers, who seemed drawn more closely together by this bond of interest, and many kindly attentions were proffered them. As their names were not known they were dis tinguished by the appellations of Sthe bearded one" and the smooth-faced fellow" The latter kept to his berth, lying there from night until morning, and from morning until night he also exacted much attention from the porter. The former sat up during the day, asked few favors, and was as companionable as his short breath permitted. Their condition excited much discussion.
 They will never live to reach home,n asserted travelling man whose sales had not met the houses" expectations.
 "Yes they will" contested the more cheerful army surgeon.
 :" could not sleep at all last night,n exclaimed nervous old lady the .,econd morning out. ~l am sure that smooth faced fellow will not live to see Kansas City"
 You are mistaken, ma'am," said a rough old prospector who had struck it rich and was on his way east for the first time in many years. "The bearded one is really the weaker of the two But he is real grit and will not give up SO long as he's breath left prophecy he'll die with his boots on."
 To the alarmed conductors inquiry alter their friends the bed-ridden man had responded that he had none "this side of Canada" The other expected to be met by relatives in Kansas City and had telegraphed a friend in Las Vegas who would probably go way up the road with him, returning on the Emigrant"
 At 200 pm. we reached Vegas, and the passengers hastening out to dinner were met in the doorway by a bright. faced young fellow whom all instinctively recognized as the expected friend. Going through the aisles, glancing from side to side as he went, he would have passed our invalid but for feebly extended hand and weak " How are you, Jim. "
 Good heavens, Charlie, can this be you ~ was the answering greeting as he sank into the opposite seat, striving to subdue the expression of horror which he felt creeping over his face.
 After a few minutes silence linn re- marked with an effort: "I did not know you: your beard-has changed you so.n
 "Yes," assented Charlie with a grim smile in his brown eyes
 "Why did you not write meT burst forth in angered tones.
 What good would it have done ?n was calmly answered.
 Do your friends know?n
 No; of what use would it be. There IS no one to care, especially, since-she ! went-the way-I'm going; and, to tell | the truth. haven't cared myself.'
 Jim's manfully repressed grief during the hour or two they were together was pitiful to witness; and when he left the train he also leff large tee in the hands of the porter, to stimulate his service on his friend.
 In New Mexico, with stations many miles apart and wood becoming like tin- der during the dry season, it often hap pens that bri iges burn, necessitating a !" transfer" Several times during our stay in that country the mail had been some hours late and the invariable ex- planation had been, transferred" There isre many of us were not surprised to hear, as we were retiring for the night, that we had this experience to pass through before morning. Do not rise until you are called, was the general or der issued "lt will take two hours to transfer the baggage, express and mail, then we will attend to the passenger"
 At ! o'clock of moonlt October morn- ing we let the train which had borne us in safety thus far. The weird beauty of the scene around us vas enchanting. The elories of the i8S, comet in the eastern sky paled before the bright rays of the western moon. We were on high plain with mountain peaks not far distant. On the brink of narrow chAsm our locome- tives. with headlights burning. faced each other silently. A few of the bridge tim- bers still remained and burned with a fickering flame Down, through and up the nov dry water-course passed and re- passed rows of swarthy Meadcans bearing trunks or other burdens upon their shoul- ders. Not word was spoken above a whisper, not loud order was given the intense silence harmonized with the sur 
 As passed through the gulch picked up white stone which glistened in the 1t was a bit of chalcedony. Going up the bank became entaneied in the prickly arms of a mesquite bush. While stopped to disengage myself a sad procession passed by. First vas the <s srnrofh-farNd 6ello~r~ ~nrr Sr~<> hf., ~~~.>A