The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-16
THE FORGOTTEN CLAIM.

the land Office OF BIan0y " 20. IL was the
only type writer in Sunda, and the country
people who came into the Office to mortgage
their claims, or to make payments, looked
at it askance, as though it were con-
triyance of the evil one. Ii would scarcely
seem that a land office on the very frontier
Of Kansas would need a typewriter. 1t
didn't But BIandy was ambitious, and
wished to impress Eastern visitors and Gus
! toners with a show of doing large amount
! of business. So he furnished his Office lux
| uriously and hired Lydia Murrey at ridicu-
| lousy low wages to click the typewriter.
"Chick, elickety- click" The sound was
a CHEEKY one, but not more CHEEKY than the
round, pink-tinted face that bent over the
| instrument through the dull October after
noon.
Voices came from the inner Office as She
| wrote, and as the door stood little aJar,
/ she could not help hearing something OF the
! conversation.
you can do it like a book, Joe" said
Blandy, in his peculiarly sharp treble.
! Nobody has caught on but me-" Blandy
! was inclined to be somewhat slangy; but
! real estate dealings do not call for culture.
! 1T is Just at she edge of the town, and
everybody thinks II is taken up. 1t was
once, but hear that the claim lapSed and
has been forgotten. 1t was only by accident
! learned that it WASN'T taken"
You are sure of it, are you?" asked
soft tenor voice.
"Of course Pm sure, else I wouldn't have
! telegraphed you to stop off here Instead of
! letting you go on to Denver. Bat don't give
the thing away, for there are plenty waiting
to jump at it if you let it 90"
"What can they be talking Off" thought
the pretty head bent over the typewriter.
! Then an accusation of eaveSdTODpin 2
! flashed upon the mind, and the nimbe fin
! gers pounded away so vigorously that the
| clicking KEYS drowned all other sounds
But soon, above the rattle of the keys and
| the tinkle of the bell came the voices again.
| The ears did not mean to listen, but how
! could they help hearing and transmitting
! their impressions to the brain IN that same
| pretty brown head?
"If anv Que should get hold of it, Joe,
they would make a fOTtune-that is, II the
| town goes on, and it will. OF course, just
| now there's rot much in it; but I'd take the
! claim in minute if l wasn't loaded down
| with all such material as the Government
! viii allow one man 10 carry"
! We'll, what's the exact state OF affairs,
| anyway? You haven't told me yet"
"WhY, you see, there's this quarter sec
| ton living right up within twenty rods OF
| the POstOifice-that IS Government land
! There's a house OF two on il, and every one
thinks claim Is entered on l., but there
| isn't. Anybody over 20 can 90 10 Nasturna
| and take II up either as a tree claim or as a
! homestead - and 1t Is going to DE worth
| money one of these days"
! The town las pretty good prospects, has
Finest in the West. Wouldn't wonder if
the State capital was put here some day.
| You see. we are right in the center of the
| State, and we are going TO have tNO new
railroads 10 the spring. We have none
now, YOU know, so We are bound TO boom
her mp"
"Where can that land ba?" thought the
| typewriter. Il wish they'd tel"
1t was coming.
"And when the boom does arrive the town
is bound TO grow southwark, and it viii then
take n this quaIter-sectiOn."
"Soulhward? Why that is where we live.
| 1t is possible he miserable house we live in
stands on it, sighed Lydia.
! "Wel, Biandy, I'll try il, came that soft
| tenor voice again; Though, to be honest
about it, l can't believe there is much in it. ;"
A rustic told that the gentlemen were
| rising. They came into the outer office.
| How the typewriter Was clicking as they
You can 90 home. Miss Murrey, when
you finish that letter." said Blandy, as he
/ lighted a cigar You need not come to
morrow; there's not much to DO. Come on,
! Joe"
Lydia stole a glance at the two men as
they left the room. So that handsome
stranger was Joseph HaSton, the busting
young New Yorker. How many letters she
had written him regarding loans and mort
cages, for which he had agencies. She had
somehow become Interested IL MIN, Tor she
knew he was a great friend OF Blandy's,
| aBd-unmaTTied.
She soon finished the letter. It was to a
spinster schOol-teecher in New Hampshire,
urging her to invest her bard-earned savings
in Blaudy's UtOpian Addition to the city Of
Sunda. She looked it over hastily, prepared
il for the mail, and, with bundle OF similar
epIstles in her hand, left the Office. She
posted the misSiYeS at the store whic h did
duty as pOStOtiice, city hall and market, and
then turned homeward.
1t was not lar, fol Sunda only comprised
about a hundred buildings. Most OF these
were dWellings-smal, implanted and unat-
tTactiYe. The entire city, new as it was,
with the unbrOken pTairie-sOd still in its
avenues and bOuevards, seemed like flock
! of mammoth birds that for a little while
we're resting their weary pinions as they
perched upon the billOWy stretch OF earth.
Of to the east and north were settlers cab
ms, like StTagglerS from the little flock. dot
ting the various claims. Southwark, whittier
she was walking. the cabins were fewer :;
| but far away magnificent line of cotton
on its slow way across the plain.
Yes, this must be the sectiOn' she
thought, as she crossed an east-and- west
road that led far away in either direction
till its chocolate c0lored track seemed to
| reach the clouds. " 1t is the only one he
could have meant And any one over u can
claim It'll Il l only had brother old
enough to - suddenly she stopped and
tapped the ground with her taper toe.
"Nhy nOt? she cried aloud. II am over
q now, and have as good right to it as
anybody" She flew rather than walked
alter that Into the little home she burst.
"Oh, mother. get me good supper, quickp'
'Why, childP gasped the quiet, sad-faced
woman, whats the matter?"
''Nothing's the matter Tell Charlie
want UnO saddled when he comes in. He
must feed her well. Pm going to Was
tuTna."
Are you crazy, girl, to think Of going tc
Wastuna-sXty miles-tOnight."
''No, Pm not crazy; but lve found out
something, and If 1t proves true we shall be
better off some day than we ever were be-
fore. You wont have to work and Charlie
can 20 to school instead Of herding CATTLE"
Then in few words the girl outlined her
plan.
"But Charlie must 60 with YOU" her
mother urged.
"No, no; he is too well known, and
people would find out who made the entry.
Then Mr.. Blandy would not give me work
to 90, and You know we must have that"
So the mother acQulesced, as she usually
did, to any plans her self-willed daughter,
and by 10 O'Clock a snug figure was seated
on horseback rising and falling in regular
rhythm over the golden tinged prairie
She was half frightened at the task she
had undertaken; but then, If she should be
right
Onward and onward she fOated. The
perfect dome above, the perfect circle OF
plain around, gentle night breeze signing
past and long CLEAN of prairie fire at the
lar horizon-these were her companions.
Then the flush of the dawn in the east. the
growing of the day, the first burst of sun
light, aud soon the smoke Of Wasturna away
to the north.
=" The stage from Sunda will not arrive TIL
noon. l shall have plenty Of time shf