Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-23
Written for The EvTx1xs Sr.R
THE WILSON .'LARIAT."
By PATIENCE STAPLETON,
Author of "The Majors Christmas" and
"Jean Mcclure"
Copyright 1850
PART l.


Was bi.Ised-that's the word Orlando Pike said,
and made me think of basques being cut SO.
for | am In the dresSmaking trade and cutting
waists is my speciality, not being much on
trimmings, though getting skirt to hang even
mostly. Orlando Pike is the meanest fellow in
Wilson, and I'd like to have him know said
10. He's running the town now, thinks he's
boss OF the whole county. The town amt but
Elk year old. L come here when there wasn't
but two houses besides the section house TO the
railroad Right out the plains IT
Is, and ali around as far as you can
see think of, is cattle feeding,
mostly the Wilson's herds, which is
rich and progressing men indeed. Spring and
fall there is a round up, and the towns full OF
cowboys, and lively they be, drinking aud
cavortin' onG breaking respectable folks win
dows. La me, L amt skeered of 'em though,
for I'm fifty toa day. Old enough to be the
aunt of 'em, most of 'em being young feliers.
wouldn't say mother, Tor being a single woman
ii mightnt be proper.
When first come to Wilson there was lots of
emigrants passing through, and they'd camp
nights nigh the creek, their white tents and The
red gleam OF their fires being pictuIe-like on a
starry night. l used 10 like to see them wagons
coming, a bit OF human life them silent
plains, where allus / looked out over the
stretch of ground these lines would sound in my
ears, The awful stiffness of God;t where / got
en- L uOn KNOW Nowadays, when the rail-
road fares is cheap there amt many emigrant
wagons. but two year ago last June see one of
'em i'll the distance meandering along, and /
set sewing on Melindy Lyons shroud, con-
sumptive she was, and not being buried tor
two days, had time 10 put in careful stitch
ing in the pleats generally though just bastiDg
OF em), so / set and watched the speck, and see
1t grow bigger and towards night see 'em close
TO my house going into an Old ruined building
That alni been lived III since And! Blake was
shot there when.it was Tim Murphy's saloon.
There was the Usual OLD rattling wagon. with
the busted white cover, the pos and kettles tied
on behind, two lean, worTied-loOkIIg horses
hanging down their heads "a drawing OF it, and
driving 'em was one of them wanderers, leaner
then his horses, with ragged, gray beard, long
hair, and Drowned like an lnjun, with watery
eyes, eenmost burnt outer his head. Then there
was a stoutish woman a> old us him, but SEEM
Ing Older, ragged and dirty. Them two / could
pick out any where as being the Sorter foil us is
the last ones TO IA boom, getting To a town arter
p the money was gone, the strike over and the
population getting away the kind as hangs
on to the march OF progress just out of hearing
OF the music and keeping step with no one, To
use metaphor wnIcn generally mixed me up.
But sprlnglng out oi the wagon WAS another
sort OF a person. the like / hadn't seen i'll the
western country afOre. y giri-loOking short,
being so round and plump but OF lair size
dressed neat, and having red cheeks, big brown
eyes, and short, curly brown hair like Il mans.
She Wore a regular cowboy hat and walked just
Ike boy, swinging her arms She hurried the
Old folks into the house with the truck aiore l
am quite sure they knOwed what they was
don't deny wanted 10 hear " hat they might
say, as they was going to be neighbors heered
her call EN- pa and ma
They set up housekeeping and we got ac-
quainted, me being called on TO make basque
for the giri, whose name Eliza jane HuIcil-
ms Iney was, as i thought, regular natural
emisrantS, the old folks but the girl had
worked i'll cities, and Was, we say, a ruster
After they'd lived in Wilson "a spell! see her
going over to the grocery store CONSIDERABLE up
stairs The steps being outside the building, I
Couldn't but help seeing her GO up and down,
trFsn fBNF
seemed anxious enough To help her. one day
there come on the railroad powerful heavy,
lrOn MISUNDERSTANDING from tile GUESSING oil the
men what got IT up them step>-tnouSn they
was All pert enough 10 heip her-run their legs
OIL for "a smile from ner- AFTER day two,
none OF the folks saying anything went over
To the store. 1t wasn't moTe'n EeighbOrIy Just
10 call and SEE how She was doing. The lott
over the store a big loom. with Il rough
board 1oor, 40 latiieS or plaster at ALL but lust
beams, two windows looking cut ON the main
street vi the town. and IA queer little door
which could be bust with one kick. 1 Thought
Gi the cowboys and their dido>. / knoWed
they d ali tall i'll love with her, she being SO
pretty aud free like win her smiles. aud [
Judged there Il be considerable shooting about.
The Room was fuii Oi stands, the tops set OFT in
little boxes, the machine there, and she
was - working it with her loot and sliding
baperS iii and out S!Ie-d Il blue .in..;:iIn
S.''Fn, and belIg warm from work, ner nair u;id
-.fied round her forehead In little rings, MAX
ner look mighty taking. l haint got no
.Iie jealousy no doubt having .,,tsrowed
same ANA think she was the lppI!zin.ist
&C "a Iesn aEd blood 1 ever see.
What on earth axe you tnIng:' l said.
4-cos! she laughs, showing her teeth, saint
tlitt im!uensc?'
There Il y neat little printed newspaper.
TIE HitSoH L0F.dt; catching Oh 10 the lie Oi lhe
news al about lisOns cattle. BYusE's aud
Cooper's. and all the rest iie bi;, owners;
Small tsik aUOu. the ncishbOrs, being men
tIO:led - ihe best Gre>siIaEler III town, which
as WAS lac Only one puZZlin. collpii-
nent - say tie least. Ca: i..e was ;ttiver
t!seIac.i:~, ali the stores in town mentioned,
and there ws.s. too. SOME pictures cattle and
their c:nds y .iicii l. 5 ;neEaily set down the
Cfleyc!.He Hc,Et}-
~ cIi,' s..la, how'd you get EN- ali: Pears
To hue You amt been here Inorcn week.
Every BODY helps i.ie. sac chrps. '-See all
those l.iiI-.s-sUEscriUeTs. Mr.. l. *, ;ue drug
gisi, got ciil iOr me; mes avail Eiad. Tue .tlis
the store hcepers sent in; ;IIcy'r II ;Icaled with
The Icc: "a paper. 1 learnt TIE trade in Dem
yer: saved up some money and I'm going
make this paper = ~.
You w.i: Il any cody says l. but how'd all
TINS news come III? Them Items, MIS-. DpuUs
Is gone 10 Denver 10 sYeid u wees MI Jack
Wilson was N town Monday ,.:it TUESDAY, all
OF theIn."
'Mr. fike," she says, "he got en-"
HE seems To be running this paper" says /.
Sne Only gIgglcG!. and ;,SAed me 10 come up
oitei, which diG. bringing my sewing and
Watching ner PICK up them i,;Ie letters 81 lead
when mace prlit she DOING t:Ie sain quickern
lightning. Out>iie t!ie GlOr Was bI. Dtac.trsi:
No ioN1ns here, and that Kept the rIibte
away, but YOU'D died lSUg ming ~ see tine
most respected mcn IN town "a Ineanderiug up
theln stairs WITH Olts OF ~rote-Un paper tEey
caliei Items. and glowerin- at me because /
WAS tIiSFe, WilcE mostly was, size pleadi ug
NE 10 DE with Aer, and being > much IKE Z,
orphan with them contrary, sniff. less parents,
dii come. The cowboys was AL in love with
her, as L hnowed they would be, and they
gathered up truck IL a news way enough to NIL
Two papers the size Oh the LQride, ami | USED Id
believe they nj and got hurt and such. lust for
Items Tor her which they alIus laid in "A box
nailed To the foot of the step railing, few OF EN-
going up the stairs. though onc't in "A while a
Dig hat and red face would be stuck IN the door
chunk OF paper would be ii red III and ii0.Ir.,e
'For ye, marin, and down the Tickeiy step, al
a run hed 90. jumping on his horse and riding
on IKE mad while the others yelled and hUoted
at hiin They used To hang around the grocery
store one when IN liquor, but now they kept
at the saloon. u genIiemanly trick which 1
liked IN EN-. Onct "a letter was hove liz the
door, We couldn't see BY whom, lie run so fast
= love letter, says l.
Listen she says, iaus hing fl To Kill
Mis- tiutcfins, there sOI-tetnin that Amt no
news, but l. Tor you hitcaed to the steps winch
Is rikeity. and him iUl III fire bus Sentel as a
Kitten and lit Tor a laidy TO ride like YOU but
nIte GIT away and haul the steps down and
you'd have To git down ON y ladder.
The BOYS OF n. WILSON'S ROUNDUP
We Went down and there The incest little
COW pony you ever set. SOrLer cream cO!Ored
with brown n;tne and tail, tied To the step as
Gad teen tod, and gentle last Way out
over the plains WAS some spccks.
ITS thcIn, said me grocer. who'd been
MAD Tor lear sne't not take IL, Or wanter thank
EN-
forgot 20 mention On the pony was "a saddle
AeA4Csia Que. ssiI orUIdcTy anG fine work.
thsiii@ed ein through the paper next week
tho;4eh, ai.d they was more in love lhan ever
win her. IEey didD I know rs | did Orlando,
fIke and ner WAS engaged, >oTry was To see, H.
H.