Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1886-10-12

slightest complacency; but 1t was quite
different with little Mariquta, whom we
met at Alamosa on Christmas Day, and
who asked him to come and see her
when she returned. To be sure the ac-
quaintance was any thing but intimate,
and Mariquita would never cause Tom
to forget a certain bluc-eyed maiden in
Denver. But, as before said, it was
very dull in the town, and when he had
''night Off" while they were repair
ing the big engine, and there was bale
the same evening, and Mariquita asked
him to come, of course he went-other-
wise this story could not have been
written.
"Wa'al, Tom" said the roadmaster,
II allow you'd better be mighty kccr-
full. l amt asayin' the little gal amt
pooty, an good, too; but them greasers
is queer lot. | seen that feller Jose
looking mighty black when you was n
dancing with Mariquita the other night,
an he's parl Of that mean cuss Car
los that you fired out OF the engine
house the other day"
"Thank yer kindly, old man," said
Tom "I'll try to take keer of myself;
but Marlquita's daisy little gal, ez you
say, an ez long ez she's willin' You
bet I'll dance with her in spite of all
the greasers from here down to Sonora.
Hello! there's the train" Ten minutes
later he was on his engine and had be-
gun the ascent of the grade. 70
1t was any thing but dull Manitou,
at the foot of Pixies Peak, that sc ason.
People had come thither from all parts
Of the country; and if the society re-
porters" were to be believed, there were
more pretty girls there than ever before.
For only one of them is there room in
this brief tale, and Nellie Stevens need
ed no "local Endorsement, " for she had
attracted attention even at Newport.
Clifford Stanley met her there, and for
got every one else from that moment.
A good fellow was Clifford, manly, up
right and well-to-do. He had enioyed
life thoroughly, but he convinced him
self that 1t would be thenceforth blank
unless Nellie smiled. lie dropped every
thing and followed her to Colorado, as
he would have followed her to the end
of the earth. Had she smiledp All!
no one knew When they came down
from Pixies Peak together certain
, gildcd youth offered odds in the billiard
room that they were engaged; but he
found no one to take him up, for the
simple reason that the bet could not be
I decided.
After a while Mantou began to pail
IL little on the visitors. The great peak
had been climbed; Glen Eyrie and the
Garden of the Gods visited; Cheyenne
and Williams canyons explored. They
sighed for new worlds TO conquer, and
planned trip to the Grand Canyon Of
the Arkansas, and then to oWagon-wheel
Gap. just as they were to start, adj
verse fate, in the shape OF peremptory
telegram, called Stanley to Denver, and
sorry enough was he to go. When his
business was finished it was zoo late to
follow the party to their ultimate desti-
nation. Besides, he had written a long
letter to Nellie; as n matter of fact, he
had "put his fate to the touch" Per-
haps a little separation might help his
cause. So he went to friends ranch
near the "old town" arriving the day
before that on which this story opens.
He would join the party, he thought, as
they passed the station on their return;
and, as one of the railway officials was
on the tram, he would know when to
look out for them.
Next day he strolled about the neigh
borhood. He was restless and uneasy,
and, like most anxious lovers, spent
much time in arguing with himself.
Nellie could not really prefer that dude
from New York to him, he tried to per-
suadc himself, and yet how could he be
sccureP He was subjecting himself to
an ingenious course Of sclf-torment
when he met the three railroad men.
llc fell into conversation with them
and found mental tonic in, their
hearty ways and sensible observations.
all unconscious meanwhile that the Di-
vinity that shapes our ends would make
them-casual acquaintances- actors in
drama in real life In which he himself
would have part, and the 'star" would
be chow wildly improbable he would
have thought itD the beautiful girl who
might be even now on the top of the
stage on her way from Del Norte to
Alamosa.
When he parted from his new friends,
before the train from the north arrived,
he left the Mexican village at one side,
climbed little elevation, and getting
thcrefrom u good view of the Spanish
peaks, threw himself ON the ground ant
lay there smoking and surveying the
prospect, just as two villainous-lookine
Mexicans approached the base of thu
low cliff and began talking eagerly
Suddenly his attention was ARRESTED
by what he overheard of the con
versation below him. Fortunate, in
deed, was it that he understood Spanish
for the fellows were plotting vengeanc,
against Tom Lewis He listened eager
, ly; they spoke vaguely, but finall,
agreed to obtain certain information
and meet again at the same place at
o'clock. Stanley waited until they wer,
out of sight and then walked to III,
'new town." There was an uncom
monty serious expression on his face
and he said but little tr the acquaint
ances whom he met on the streets, o
,, while submitting to the miseries of sup
, per, at restaurant called, with savag
! irony, "Delmonico of tho Mountains.
After it was over he sat silently smok
ing, and then. after carefully examinin,
, the cap on his revolver. and lookin,
. several times at his watch, he walked
:. away in the direction from which he ha,
come. An hour later he broke in upol
Burke and Harris, sitting in the latter
? room. Burke caught the expression O
his face in second.
"Bet you ten to one, jack" said he
!, "before he opens his mouth, that thi
! yere young feller's got something seri
: GUS to tell us. !"
J ''Well, should say so, said Stanley
He told his story rapidly and concisely
The Mexican scoundrels, had, he said,
grudge against Tom Lewis.
= II told him SC" interrupted Burke
. 1t was Jose and Carlos, and don't yo
y forget it. Wa-al, what work arc the,
up to nowP"
: "Only throwing his train off the trac
I. tomorrow morning, "said Stanley
: Then he gave all the details of the plan
as discussed in his hearing, and dcsig
y mated the place which they had selecte,
" II