Dodge City times., 1891-12-04

tHc Oltc WAS lOOhin AOT ANcIy ui1A-
ute," he said, with a good-natured
smile ON his round. forid face.
"Say. Pat" asked Ben, ''did Morg
ever tell you or your woman whether
he had any friends where he hailed
/ from?'
Faith, yis, he tould Katie thet he
had lost his wife, and had wan girrul
| livin' wild her mothers sister in Kan
sas. Thet's all he iver tould. for the
| poor mons not much on the talk, at
all. at ALL after which meager iDfor-
nation, Pat returned to his fishing-r rod,
and was soon busy pulling out some
handsome dcnizens of the mountain
| stream.
| Ben and Jack smoked away in silence
| for several minutes, and having summed
and aired themselves for half hour,
they arose to go up to oMcBirney's shan
! ty to see how Morgan was getting
along.
who's that coming down the trail?''
asked Jack, pointing down the gulch.
| where a dim object was moving into
sight.
"Eless my ole socks if kin tell yer'
answered Ben, stopping by his com
panion's side and following his gaze
down the gulch. Maybe some one
over from the canyon"
Its woman!" said Jack Leslie,
with some excitement at his discovery.
''Yes, pard, it's a woman, picking her
| way over the rocks down the old
trail"
BLESS my shirt if it ain't!' returned
Ben. 'sShe's tenderfoot to rocks an
mines, ye kin tell by the dainty way
she's drawin' this way"
.She's a young and pretty girl" an
nounced Jack, as the object drew
nearer. ''and, pard, she's dressed in
style. What'll we do?'
Hadn't we best drap sorter be-
hind this bowlder till she passes,
pard? You an me amt dressed fit to
be seen by sich creeter as yOn gal.
Its no use to hide now, for she's
already spied u.s." said Jack. "see
she's turning from the trail and coming
direct for u.s."
1t was as Jack Leslie said. The fair
stranger had left the old trail and was
coming across the rocks to meet them.
When she was near enough they could
see that she was very young, with a
| graceful, slender form and lovely
face, lighted up by a pair of intelli'
gent blue eyes, while her hair was the
color of the sunbeams that kissed the
! eternal SHOWS up on the distant peaks
of the Rockies. She was dressed in 4
| dark, becoming costume, fashionably
! though plainly made, and carried q
| small valise in one hand.
She paused before the men, and, in a
| sweet, low voice, asked:
us this Windy camp?"
Jack and Ben stood blushing before
the fair creature like two great bash
! full schoolboys However, Jack was
the first to recover his presence of mind,
| and he answered.:
Yes, ma'am, this is Windy camp"
And Ben Thomas, who had not seen
| so fair a girl from the haunts of civil
ization for five years, recovering him
self on hearing his companions famil-
lar voice. added:
Eyes, miss, wot's left of it-most oi
| it's gone over the mountains 70 the
canyon"
"Do. either of you know q man by
the name of Alexander Morgan?" asked
the girl.
The men exchanged significant
| glances, and each seemed to beseech
the other mutely to tell her the sad in.
telligence. At last Jack said, kindly
SIS he a relative of yours, miss?"
"Yes; he is my father" she replied
81 am Grace Morgan, and have, since
my poor mothers death, five years ago
lived with my aunt in Kansas. But
grew tired of eating the bread of de-
pendence and have come tooseek my
father About two months ago had
| a letter from him, and he said he wcai
be at Windy gulch this summer; SO
came to him-not to be a burden tc
him, for l can teach school, wash for
the miners, or do something" she said
cheerfully.
"Miss Morgan" said Jack, striving
TO render his tones steady. don't be
scared, for l have bad news for you"
Grace Morgan trembled slightly and
her face grew very white
"He is deadr' she uttered. hoarsely.
'Not quite SO bad as that, Miss Nor
gan. He had trouble with bad fel
low, who shot him. Your father is
alive yet. up there at that little shanty
among the cedars," and Jack pointed
to where McBirney's little cabin could
but family be seen, enmeshed as it was
by rocks and evergreens.
THANK God, he lives!" cried she, and
she started to 60 toward the cabin, but
she staggered so fearfully that Jack
hurried to her side and begged her te
accept his strong arm.
Grace Morgan gave him such a tender
look of sweet gratitude from her blue
eyes as honest Jack never forgot al
his life; and with q softly spoken
THANK you," she took his offered