The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-19
THE RED GULCH STAGE.
BY CHARLES NJ. uARGER.

Click, click, click, click, went the
types as they were thrown into their re-
spective boxes by the type settlers in the
Daily Calliope office. 1t was early Sun
day morning, and they were almost
through with the nights work. One of
the compositors, a dark haired girl, was
particularly deft at her task; and the
nimbleness of her stained fingers as,with-
out an error, she rapidly sorted the
letters, was a sight worth watching.
Though the only lady in the Office, and
but child at that, she was as quick and
rapid worker as any.
The Cauiope was one of the expert
mental dailies. that had started in Western
towns for blooming" purposes.
The city would be called mere village
by Eastern visitors, but standing as it did
far out on the plains, amid the foot hills
of the Rockies, it had quite metropolitan
appearance. After the leagues upon
leagues of unbroken prairie or rolling
bluffs and precipitous banks, it really ap-
peared like centre of civilization, and
despite the rambling character of its
buildings and the smallness of its popula-
ton, its daily paper, electric lights and
water works did not seem so much out of
the way.
As the fingers of the girl were nearing
the end of their task, voice was heard
behind her. She recognized it as that of
Mr.. Ferard, the editor. He said: "Nliss
Madge, here are three short items [ wish
you would put in type. Take pains,
please, for l will not have time to look at
your work."
The morning paper was nearly ready
for the press and handing her three slips
of manuscript covered with his almost
unreliable scrawl, he left her and went
to attend to other matters demanding his
attention.
II wonder what that can be" thought
the girl, puzzling over the badly-written
sentences. "Oh yes, I see now," and
she quickly put it into type. 1t was a
short editorial squib. Then she took up
the next one, a news item:
We learn that Ben Haven, the well known
stage driver on the Colorado and Kansas line
between here and Red Gulch, has been dis.
charged and his place filled by John HorTis.'
Horris started out on his first trip Friday
morning, and will return tomorrow night !
The girl hesitated. She disliked hav-
ing the words 60 forth to the world.
They told of her father being thrown
out of employment, and though the editor
had not said so, everybody would know
that Ben Haven had ''lost his job" on
account of his dissipation.
81 must do it though" she thought,
''for I want to keep my place here now" %.
and this item, too, was made ready for
the press.
The third, and her last work of the
night, had evidently been handed in from
the telegraph Office. 1t read:
A terrible blizzard, said to be the worst of
the season, is raging in Wyoming and Western
Nebraska. 1t is sweeping southwark and will
reach here about noon Sunday. Coming so
late in the season, it will find many unpre-
pared and viii do much damage.
That was all, and throwing her thin
cloak around her, she left the Office, and,
through the chill, gray morning, sought
her unattractive home-a frame cabin,
perched far beyond the outskirts of the
town, on the side of Indian Hill, with
only the Government stage road between
it and the Smoky River. There was a
peculiar clearness in the air and the stars
twinkled with strange magnetic bright
ness. She thought little of it, however,
and before the sun rose or the noisy car
rier boys had delivered the morning
Cal1iepe, she was fast asleep, resting from
the labors of the night.
'sAIadge," called her father, six hours
later, "haven't you slept long enough?
I'm hungry. Get up and get me some
dinner"
The girl wearily arose and began getting
the meal that her father had so roughly
demanded. They two were alone in the
world, and the double duty of the print
ing office and the kitchen fell upon the
girls shoulders. Her father had come to
make his days much like hers, when he
was not employed-sleep nearly all day,
and alas! be down town all night. Now
he sat by the kitchen stove lazily blinking
at the morning Cauiope which had long
ago arrived.
'toIadge, did you see this about me?"
he suddenly exclaimed.
"What, father"
"About my being discharged and that
WORTHLESS Joe Horris taking my place."
ayes, saw it, was the meek reponse
"Why didn't you keep it out then? +
don't see why the editor should attack me
that way"
81 couldn't keep it out, father. What
do you suppose l have to do with things
that 60 into the paper?"
"Oh, you don't care. You're like that
worthless brother of yours; if you were
a boy, you'd desert me like him-that's
all you care about your father"
He was in a grumbling mood to-day
and did not spare the patient slave who
served him. She would not allow, how
ever, the allusion to the boy who, four
years ago had gone forth with mothers
blessing, to seek an honorable livelihood.
"What has Will done2" she asked
hotly. ''To be sure, he has never come
back, but he has sent you money and
will some day come to us. But never
mind, dinner is ready"
She saw that he was waited on, and
then went to the window. Far down in
the town she could see the people throng-
ing churchward. The sky was covered
with gray, misty cloud that was drift
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