Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-18
FOR DAVID.

railroad tracks, converging mysteriously
until distance blended them into one.
Back of it fared the wide main street,
with stores and cottages indiscriminately
mingled, which marks the disconsolate
prairie town. Beyond, inclosed by
white picket fence, stracgled the DESC
late graveyard.
The only thing in plenty which nature
supplied was room. There was an
abundance of space. It was quite a
walk to cross the street. Neighbors'
houses stood aloof. Nobody was crowd
ed, even in the graveyard.
The telegraph operator, satiated with
landscape, leaned back, stretched him
self prodigiously, yawned audibly and
collapsed in his chair, which creaked in
vexed remonstrance. He tossed o re-
mark over his shoulder, $50 this is what
you are yearnin for, Dave?"
Dave took his cane, and limping to
the door viewed the inertness in silence.
Then he reused himself and said cheer
fully:
"a telegraph operator is all I'm good
fur since got hurt"
"Seems like the com'ny might have
done more for you when you got
smashed up in their own accident.
'Twouldn't have hurt 'em none to keep
you as CONDUCTOR" grumbled his
friend.
Suddenly the afternoon stiffness was
broken by excited voices and the sharp
barking and yapping of dogs. Joe
brought his feet to the floor in hurry.
'sIcan't leave the machine, Dave. Go
and see what the rumpus is about. l
bet Brier Rose is up to somethin. It
takes that there girl to stir up the boys.
No, Foxy" he said to his terrier, who
was whirling around in an ecstasy Of an
ticipation, "you stay here. If Brier
. Rose is at the bottom of it, a little feller
like you might get lost in the shuttle"
Dave obediently limped up the street,
where, in the midst of crowd Of rough
men, stood girl holding some little ami
NAL high above her head, while the dogs
leaped and snapped around her.
The girl, with scarlet cheeks, begged
and scolded and threatened them all to
their infinite amusement.
! "Call off your dawg, Jim," she said
fiercely to the. owner of the largest,
whose leaps sometimes almost reached
the qdivering little object in her hands.
s.Throw down the beast an l WILL" he
answered.
eff that there dawg gives another
jump I'll pizen him before sun up" she
said slowly.
Jim made lunge for the dog and
sat on him to keep him down, while
the crowd hooted in derision of his obe-
dience.
'What's all this?'' cried Dave, coming
up and pushing his way through their
midst.
"Brier Rose is being held up" cried a
voice.
The crowd yelled with delight. The
girls whole face became white with
rage as she singled out the speaker.
you'll pay for that, Ben Miles, as
you've paid BEFORE" she said.
"Call off those bfutes," cried Dave,
rapping the nearest dog with his cane
"For shame, to tease womanr
"Look a-hyer, stranger" said young
giant menacingly. He lowered above
Dave, who stood his ground.
"rm lame and no account in a fight, I"
said Dave; ''but half a man amt goin to
see woman tormented."
"Who in thunder" began his threat
ener; but Ben Miles laid hand on his
arm.
"Hold on, Jim," he said; "that there's
<n1~ It 4lSo
smashed up No. T."
"Not the feller that got hurt savin the
baby?"
"The same"
"Sho, strangerr' said the Modified
Jim. you're welcome to interfere. Give
us yer hand. We wouldn't hurt her fur
nothin. Bless my starsl Brier Rose
can take care Of herself better'n most
men,"
The dogs were all held now, and the
girl put her tired arms down. She
looked curiously at the man, whose
brave story she knew by heart, as she
heard him defend her.
To be sure, she had been defended be-
fore; there was hardly man who would
not have risked his life to save hers, but
they teased her numerically when they
got the chance. Dawes interference
was on new line. She did not quite
understand it, but it appealed to her at
once.
When Dave went back to the station
to tell Joe the latter roared with de-
Light.
"Just like her Exactly like herl'' he
cried, slapping his leg SO inhumanly
that his lame friend WINGED for him.
"Who is Brier Rose?" he repeated in
answer to Dawes question. "You don't
know much if you don't know old Bry-
ans daughter. She's the best known
girl from Horseshoe Gap to Powder
erik. Old Bryan's been engineer on the
road ever since the track was laid. All
eyes she was then as she is now. What
wasn't eyes was temper. Same now,
savin that now she bosses the boys in
addition to old Bryan. She can run an
engine with the best of 'em. Bryan's
taught her all the tricks, and he thinks
the sun rises and sets for just her,"
Strange she would defend gopher
when she's SO hard Oh the boys" OBJ
served Dave.
"That's just it. That's Brier Rosel
She's got more tame pets; she's friend
ner with every beast IN Weepln Willel
than with any OF the boys. She ain
even got head fur anybody but Ole