Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-04-11
A PRAIRIE ROSE.

sworded.
Hail, guardian of the fortl" cried
Mrs. Marshall, looking up from the
perusal of q letter from home. "Did
you have very horrible night?"
$50, So"
These nights on guard were always
horrible in Mrs. Marshalls mind, and
80 unnecessary, she grumbled, in pip
ing times of peace. No Indians
within five hundred miles; no labor
riots. She did not believe in works
of supererogation.
Marshall was saying, "In time of
peace prepare for war" sleepily, when
an orderly raped. "Hullo! here's
active service for you"-reading the
paper handed in by the orderly. Bet
ty came and read over her husbands
shoulder. 81 am hot sure that l like
thiskind of police duty, however"
"August twentieth That's to-
morrow, Tom. An escort of ten
men. To pursue and arrest and bring
back TO Jail in Green River JAS.
O'Leary.' What does it oil mean?"
"O'Leary is the fellow who broke
into Jones jewelry store in Green
River the other day. He is desper
ate character, l hear; escaped from
Texas few months ago, where he
was awaiting trial for manslaughter.
wish the Green River people would
look after their own rascals. And
why should the colonel pitch on me
to go? Just off the guard, too, and
as secdy rs you please"
Betty sympathized With him fully,
of course; you might be sure of that.
Toms grievances eased off In that
sunshine. He picked himselfup pres
emily, and went back to the guard
house to turn over his responsible
ties to his immediate successor; then
to see the colonel, and CLEAN partic-
ulars in regard to the morrow's ex-
petition. 1t was borne in upon him
that the colonel had proposed to
compliment him by this detail. "If /
can only keep my eyes open," he said
to himself, strolling down the line
rom the colonels Office, gazing at a
photograph of the escaped burglar,
which had been handed him. Two
or three officers were standing on the
porch talking to Betty when he came
up. He showed tho photograph.
"O'Ieary, his countenance," said
one of these. "Old Jim, they call
him, because he was christened John,
and because no looks like babe. If
we were in San Antonio now, and
you caught him and brought him
back to the Jail there, the chances are
he would he linched. He has very
unenviable reputation down that
way. He's been wanted in Texas q
long time-wanted badly"
"Who is it he looks like?" Betty
wondered.
"Ons of Raphael's cherubs? No;
they're too fat and jolly. Amedieval
saint"
81 don't believe he has done all
those dreadful things" cried Betty
still gazing.
Tom took the pilot ograph from
her and turned to go indoors, the
other young men moving on.
II have to be off before dark, Bet
~ / take my men into Green river,
and start from there with the con-
stable and one or two of his myr-
midons."
Betty followed him into the house.
"Do get good sleep, dearest" she
said, land by the time you are about
again dinner will be ready"
Tom got off duly, cheered and speed
cd by his wife and her cook. Thelat-
ter displayed unusual energy. asking
more questions than Mrs. Marshall
could answer as to the burglar at
large and the efforts being made to
capture him. This cook was n young
woman of twenty-four or so, of a
type that one walking in the beaten
path is moro apt to find in Bret
Harte's novels than in real life. But
life rs frontier post is hardly the
beaten path. Betty had remarked
OF her hand-maiden that she might
have been brought up anyhow, and
come from anywhere, and done any
thing. Once, going out suddenly in
to the kitchen, she discovered the
cook mounted on table singing a
variety theater d.tty, with appro-
pirate gestures, to two other neigh
boring coofs and an enlisted man or
two. There was q racy abandon
about this performance which sug-
gested to Mrs. Marshall that the
singer was at home behind the foot
lights.
at makes me Creep" Betty told
Tom, ITO think how she has probably
been knocked about the world. Her
father was miner. and she was