Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-05-02


A gust Of March wind caught up q
bushel of the dust from an Arkansas
road, threw it into the air, kept it whirl-
ing high for minute, and then let it
settle to the ground. As TINS dense
clouding Of the highway slowly ceased
two pedestrians developed into view, as
though materialized on the spot, by
some whimsical phenomenon, from that
which the Bible says we all are and shall
return to. That the dust was corporal
part of these persons was not hard to
believe, for the new deposit merely
mixed itself with that which had pre-
viously whitened their heads, shoulders
and other places of chance lodgment.
They did not take the trouble to brush
any of it off their clothes. TSey clapped
their hands together. and having thus
shaken it from those members they rub
bed it from their faces.
One of them was man who strutted
30 pompously that more of the dust re-
mained on his breast than on his back;
but if his over erect posture came of
personal pride it must have been accom-
panied by abundant modification, for
dilapidation was disclosed wherever the
dust did not hide his frayed and dis
colored suit But the frock coat was
closely buttored over q figure which it
fitted by original design, not by second
hand chance, and the trousers, although
they had not retained their shapeliness
equally well, had been made from a meas
urement of the same legs which they had
too long enclosed. The decay was not
careless; it was unavoidable. The pros
perity Of the man and the endurance of
his clothes had evidently passed away
together, and only the length of time
that had s,lfiiced to bring the wearer and
the worn to state of harmonious i'll
fortune remained a matter of estimate
In one particular, however, his aspect
did not show any unsightliness. Scis-
sors and razor were still his to use. His
hair was cropped neatly close, his mus
tache dropped gracefully at the sides of
q smoothly shaven chin, and the gray of
both was in an effective contrast with
the redly sunburned complexion.
The companion of this unrelaxed effigy
Of dignity was contrastingly lissome
girl, 16 years old, if judged by her face
but less if measured by her small stat
ure, on which the tatters of a once jaun-
.y jacket and gown were no disfgure-
ment; whose countenance was not loser
of prettiness through tan or freckles;
whose hair wrapped her head with
brown and was powdered like court
beauty's with the dust, and whose feet
stepped as lightly in pair of shattered
shoes as though newly slippered. She
was the fairest of tatterdemalions.
Dad" she said, and then stopped to
6eck grain or two of the small cy-
clones deposit from her lips dad, this
eight mile tramp's just about six miles
too long"
Daughter" he responded, as he shift
ed the strap Of shabby leather bag
from one shoulder to the other, "don't
say 'tramp'-please to don't say tramp.
Say trudge, if you object to calling it a
walk, or mention it as a saunter-a stroll
anything that doesn't make us out
vagabonds. We mustn't confess before
we're convicted"
"Whatever It's, tramp or trudge," the
girl retorted, "its something we've got
to do; so let's jog along"
The fathers tone was little queru-
lous, although he tried to speak jocosely,
and the daughters smile was something
like peevish grimace; but as they
walked along the girl took hold of the
bag to relieve the man of some of its
weight, whereupon he gently removed
her hand and held it in his own.
Telegraph poles made hundred yard
measurements along the road, with their
still sappy surfaces of hemlock from
which the bark had lately been removed
and the small rounds Of freshly pounded
earth at their bases outlined sharply by
the surrounding turf, showing that the
work had not been done long. The evi-
dences Of newness increased steadily,
and when the pedestrians had gone a
mile further they came to the men who
were making this line Of telegraph from
civilization across the boundary into the
transitional territory Of Oklahoma.
There were several canvas top prairie
wagons standing in row, and the horses
belonging to them. unhitched but still