Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-04
MADGE.
The Plucky Girl Who Saved the
Red Gulch Stage.

''Click, click, click, click went the types
as they were thrown into their respective
boxes by the type settlers in the Daily Cal
Hope office. 1t was early Sunday morning
and they were almost through with the
nights work. One of the compOsitOrs. d
dark-haired girl. was particularly deft at
her task; and the nimbleness of her stained
fingers as. without an error, she rapidly
sorted the letters, was a sight worth watch
ing. Though the only lady in the office, and
but child ut that. she was as quick and
rapid a worker as any.
The Callope was one of the experimental
dailies, that had started in western towns
for booming" purposes.
The city would be called a mere village
by Eastern visitors, but standing as it did
far out on the plains. amid the foot hills of
the Rockies. il had quite metropolitan ap-
pearancc. After the leagues upon leagues
of unbrokcn prairie or rolling bluffs and
precipitous banks, it really appeared like
center Of civilization, and despite the ram
bling character Of its buildings and the
smallness OF its population, its daily paper,
electric lights and water works did not seem
50 much out of the way.
As the fingers of the girl were nearing the
end of their task, voice was heard behind
rard, the editor. He said: Miss Madge,
here are three short items 1 wish you would
put in type. Take pains, please. for | will
not have time 10 look at your work
The morning paper was nearly ready for
the press and handing her three slips of
manuscript covered with his almost I'M
readable Scrawl he left her and went to at
tend to other matters demanding his at
tentiOn.
Il wonder what that can be, thought the
girl, pulling over the badly-written sen
fences. "Oh yes, [ see now" and she
quickly put into type:
To-day is the glorious anniversary OF the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. The word Is sweet with
suggestion. II speaks OF hope, o. JOY. of a new
lie. That our readers may ENJOY hope and hap
piness AID tat = new life may come TO each
heart is our wish
II was a short editorial squib. Then she
took up the next one, news item:
we learn that Ben Haven. the well known
stage driver on the Colorado and Kansas line
between here ami Red Gu!ch. has been dis
charged and his place filed by John Horr;s.
Ho-ris ar;ed out on his first TRIP Friday morn
ing, and Will return tomorrow night.
The girl hcsitated. She disliled having
the words sc forth 20 the world. They told
of her father being thrown out of employ
meat, and though the editor had not said so.
every body would know that Ben Haven
had lost his job on account OF his dissi-
patton.
Il must do it. though" she thought, for
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 tCle-
graph Office. 1t read:
"A terrible blizzard, said to be the worst OF
the season. is raging in Wyoming and Western
Nebraska. 1t i sweeping southwark and will
reach here about noon Sunday. Coming so late
in the season it Will find many unprepsred and
DO much dana ye."
That was all and throwing her thin cloak
around her. she left the Office and, through
the chill. gray morning. sought her unat-
trsctive home-a frame cabin, perched far
beyond the outskirts of the town, on the
side of Indian hill, with only the govern
ment stage road between it and the Smoky
river. There was a peculiar clearness in
the air and the stars tA inkled with "a strange
magnetic brightness. She thought little OF
IL, however, and before the Easter sun rose
or noisy carrier boys had delivered the
morning CalliOpe, she was fast asleep, rest
ing from the labOrs of the night
''Madge.n called her father six hours
later, haven't you slept long enough! I'm
hungry. Get up and get me some dinner"
The girl YEARLY arose and began getting
the meal that her father had so roughly de-
manded. They two were alone in the
world, and the double duty of the printing
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-sieep nearly all day, and alas
be down town all night. Now he sat bv the
kitchen stove lazily blinking at the morning
Calliope which had long ago arrived.
''Madge, did you see this about mes" he
suddenly exclaimed.
''What, father!'i
'About my being discharged and that
worthless Joe Harris taxing my place."