Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-12-01
FOR CHIQUITA'S SAKE.
TALE OF WAR AND LOVE IN PICTURE
CANYON.

Ned" HerrleS, or as his card read,
Edward T. Herries. G. E., stood in the
doorway Of the Rough Diamond and
looked gloomily forth at the rain as il
fell aslant the cactus growth and chapar-
raj on the red soil of the mesa
From the saloon within came the rattle
of dice, the chink Of glass, the rattle of
coin. and the murmur of deep, hoarse
male voices. The Rough Diamond was
a most lucrative and fiourishing institu.
tion in the little railroad town of Picture
Canyon, on the line of the Union Pacific.
1t was one of those places which, at
that time, sprang up in night and are
deserted in day along the line Of the
great road. Indeed, they followed the
track, and wherever track laying ended
temporarily there town was certain to
spring up-almost as if by magic.
There were thousands of laborers, rail
road men, engineers, and SPECTATORS
With them came peddlers, storekeepers,
and last, but not least, the great army of
gamblers and saloon men. Some of these
towns were located in advantageous situ.
ations and finally took on solid growth
and prospered. Others, having nothing
to justify their existence save the pres.
ence of the army of railroad employees,
vanished utterly when that army adj
vanced further and further on its mission
of conquering space and time, and bind
ing East and West together with bands
of steel
Herries was attached to the engineer
corps of the road, and had been for some
time stationed at Picture Canyon, a city
Of some 5000 inhabitants. mostly males,
and which was nearly month old, so
antique, indeed, that an election for
Mayor and Common Council was being
agitated by the more enterprising mem.
bers of the community.
Harvard bred, delicately nurtured, ac-
customed to all the refinements of life
which wealth guided by correct taste
may give in an old and settled commun-
ity, the rude surroundings of his pres
ent life had at first disheartened Herries,
but being, at bottom, a man of good
sense and pluck, and possessing splen-
did constitution, a magnificent biceps,
standing six feet and over in his boots.
the man who had been Yale's especial
terror as fright tackle" and who had
filled the seat in the Varsity eight with
more than credit when the blue crossed
The line ahead of the crimson on Lake
Quinsigamond, would hardly finch at
hardships which other men bore without
complaint, even if at times his soul grew
weary of oaths and liquor, maddened
men and brawls and bacon and muddy
coffee and hardtack. Indeed, he grew
at last to like the wild freedom of his
life, as all men will do in time, and he
was fast taking on the exterior of gen
line frontiersman when he
When he met Chiquita!
Chiquita was sprite. She was a truo
daughter of rocky canyon and deserl
mesa-a genuine child of the Sierras-and
woman withal
Her reputed father was an evil eyed
old Iexican named Ramon; ostensibly
herder of other mems sheep; really
gatherer of other mems coins.
Chiquita kept house for him in
tumbled together "shack" on the out
skirts of the town, and here entertained
her fathers guests.
Poor little Chiquita
She was brilliantly pretty, with the
rich rose red flushing her olive cheeks,
her white teeth flashing between ripe,
dewy. crimson lips, with glorious brown
eyes, under heavy arching brows, and
shaded by such long, curling lashes as
would make ones heart ache, especially
the heart of frontiersman, in whose life
female beauty is rich and rare event.
Many dollar had Chiquita's eyes and
lips brought to old Ramon's sheepskin
pouch--and still he was athirst for more
gold.
1t was of this Herries was thinking,
for he knew Chiquita, and it was this
which, thinking of it, drove him out Of
the warm and cosy barroom (the only
place he could possibly stay, save in his
cold and cherries tent, and forced him
to cool his heated brow In the cool, wet
wind which blew from the mouth Of Pict-
ure Canyon.
He was reused by voice, deep,
slow plainsman's voice, addressing him
~Pardner, you are a good one for
tclAcAAOOts AcdctW q . 4 fC cOAScN tdChitu
to you sence seen the way you whipped
that ere cowboy chump. and belted him
with his own gun. Some tenderfoots
amt got no sand, but you have, en- I'll
not see you double teamed on ef kin
help it, sho's I'm fun Texas-which I'm
known as Black Waxy JIM"
Why, what's the matter?D broke in
Herries on Black Waxy's harangue, as
he turned and regarded closely the tall,
athletic figure of the man beside him.
The Texan jerked his thumb over his
shoulder in the direction of the barroom.
In thar. he said in . low tone, Il
heern somethin' n'--about-about you-en
--er-
-Chiquita ?"
Thet's it, pard You've called the
Teal. It's Jest about that ERE little
greaser gal, en- you amt the fust, nor you
L..