Dodge City times., 1889-12-26

their heavy-hoofed horses admitted the
leading statement with supremely sat
isfied conviction that other towns were
not booming as was Bubble and an abso-
lutte indifference to the probability of its
being Christmas Eve elsewhere. A de-
licious day it was, too, although not the
typical winter one which imagination
invariably associates with the dear old
feast. There was no snow; the air was
crisp, keen, in its frosty sweetness exhil-
arating as wine; by sky of subdued yet
intense blue was the billowing prairie
domed and bounded; against that Sc
rene and perfect background fields
Of rided but unriven corn flung out
their tattered, tawny banners; the
winding, brownish roads rang like steel to
every passing sound; along those desolate
country ways the sumac shrank in blasted
beauty, and skeleton sunf1owers reared
aloft the bare, brown hearts from which
had fallen long ago the disks of gold.
But the old man, who, mounted on the
front seat of O ponderous, creaking farm
wagon, drove over the hill and down the
one new. ugly, bustling street which
boasted the business, the barter, and the
commercial enterprise of Bubble, thought
not at all of his surroundings, not even of
the day. He did not stop at either gen.
exAl store, at the tinshop, the saloon, or
tn drug store. With an occasional nod
- hmiliar faces he steered his team
straight down the street. passed the pre-
tsnffous hotel, the gaping livery barn h-e
~, bleak lumber-yard, and drew ap be-
side the platform OF the railroad depot.
.Whoa-ah. thar! Train most due,
Tonlf Hope 'tis. Olive q sort of niece
aboard-me cousin Moike's child. Did
Va know that?s
The station agents assistant smiled
back at him. Did he know that? Who
|. did not know that old Rafferty, had some
months ago sent money to Ireland to bring
out young relative of his. A queer
character, old Rafferty,. Seventeen years
of his life had been passed as a sailor
He claimed to be one of the survivors Of
the battle between the Merrimac and the
Cumberland, and that it was he who fired
the last shot on board the latter vessel.
whom it, with colors still bravely flying,
sunk beneath the waves. Dearly did he
love to tell of the affair. particularly of
the part which concerned himself, of the
three hours spent under the water before
rescue was effected. At the close of the
war he took up"a claim" in Nebraska,
and by slow degrees, in loneliness and
privation, had accumulated not little
wealth. Out of perilousness he had seen
peace come. A friendly and familiar
figure was he to ALL Somehow people al
ways smiled at old Rafferty-cordially
too. There was a comicsl kind of fasci-
nation in the face visible between the
shabby felt hat and the huge comforter"
of purple, red, and yellow yarn-a shrewd,
sallow old face with grizzled beard, bushy
brows, and youthfully alert, bright eyes.
Then his accent was delightful, his own
broad and hearty brogue being favored
With Western infections wholly foreign
to it.
On time. sir.
A Awhistle-another. A puff of smoke;
. distant roar; a vibration of the rails; a
shrek Of steam; glare of ight-then
tho train was laundering up had
paused, painting. snorting, disgorging.
A girl stepped out and down on the
platform.
Eli. thar" called old Rafferty,. She
turned at the sound of his voice, went
toward him.
you're Hanna?"
@Yis, sor."
Without alighting, he stopped over the
side Of the wagon and extended big
blue-mittensd hand.
sGlad TO see ye. Willum's comm
down 70 . dance to- night. Hen fetch
yer box. Jump up!"
The tain trembled, screamed, pulled
out, and went swinging westward. The
seent, carrying his book and express
packages, returned to the Office. A boy
swung the solitary mail bag on his shoul-
der and sauntered off. Casting half
curious, half-stolid glances at the new
conner, the usual crowd of depot loungers
wilted away. Only the drayman loading
.store-truck" remained. And old Raf-
ferty, with Hanna perched up beside him,
headed the horses for home.
An how did ye lave all the frinds in
still parish priest2 Dead! An Tom
Grady? q noice little bye Tom was
must be most o man now. What! mar
ried-an'lten childther! Bless me. Han
M! An the Murphys-how's the Muir
phys, Hanna?"
They were beyond the crush Of coun-
try vehicles. The horses were slowly
pounding their way up the hill, which
might be the boundary line of the world,
the jumping-of place into infinite space
for all save sky she could see over its
sweepinc curve. A rabbit scudded across
the road and away through the short dun
grass. From the creek below came the
cheerful chirp Of quail. -Al we'll, sor
tho Murphys, the Morans, the shee-
hys-
Hanna!'
Something of shrinking came into
Hanna's fresh young face, but she turned
to him eyes wholly questioning and inno-
can't.
-Sor?"
sHanna!'-andt the voice WAS appalling
" etern. almost threatening niver let
ne hear ye mention them individuals
aeain -niver! The Sheehys are the
rsfheral born enemies Of our fambly. Ne
! eYrndmother told me the coolness began
q - beffle Of Clontarf. Our ancestors
- riyal kings, believe. However, the
8nd Rrev downward. Tim Sheehy's
S11Asks bull thranpasd down NY fathsr's