The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-07-28
A MOUNTAIN ROMANCE.
The Loving Fidelity Of True
Hearted Girl.

One rainy day In the early winter of
1882 found myself bag and baggage on
the railway platform at -Grand=-Jnne-
ton, Col. As the train lessened in the
distance took n survey of my sur
roundings. Not tree, not a spear of
grass-mud which looked as If it might
engulf one to be some time dug up as
an unknown fossil-not side walk visi-
bic except now and then the uneven re-
mains of a brick pavement fast resolv-
ing itself into it's original clay. The
town lay some distance. away from the
depot, but from my platform island
conld see good number of mud shan
ties, few frame buildings and one sol
itary brick. ! stood under the shelter
ing caves for moment and asked my
self what fate it was that landed me
here.
| had been travelling through the
west during the summer, and now on
my way here had stopped to see one
who was my oldest and dearest friend,
the wife of the superintendent of a
mine on the headwaters of. the White
river. She had tried to prepare me for
the discomforts efthe Journey after i
should leave the railroad, but l found
no words could describe it as wildly as
] afterwards felt it, and l heartily
wished myself safe in the luxury OF "a
Pullman and speeding eastward. How
ever, / pulled myself together and
went to the agent to ask when the
stage would leave for Meeker, and
found could not go till morning, so
giving small boy a quarter to carry
my grip gingerly picked my way from
brick to brick along the causeway that
led to the town proper. The sun was
just beginning to struggle through the
watery mist in the west and colored
the cloud delicate rose hue and illum
mated the blue Book cliffs and sent a
beam to the far distant points of the
grand canyon of the Colorado toward
whence the Grand was rolling its swift,
turbulent and clay colorcd waters
The next morning as | entered the
hotel dining-room | heard:
"Well, if that amt the darnedest
scheme. Dye know that mine was
sailed for all it was worth and then
they run. lot of suckers in here and
loaded them all they could carry. Haw,
haw.n
Il believe the Tin Cup mine upon the
White is bonytidy."
'.Oh, yes, guess SO. They take out
pay ore right along. Rcnfrow is a
pretty straight Teller and wouldn't run
any sailed concern. I'm going along up
to Meeker,to see about claim Can't
run in any gum game on me-"
With this the speaker rose, and in
lieu of napkins combed their boards
with their fingers and brushed the
crumbs from their vests. ! had dis
Covered that they would be passengers
on the stage which would take me to
Meeker, and wondered if they were to
be my only companions on a fifty-mie
ride-not that | was at all afraid, for
they appeared to be merely shrewd,
good-natured, ordinary business men,
bnt | began to feel the want of some
woman's conversation, for l had been
months away from friends and home.
The morning was clear and pleasant
and the air bracing as we dragged la
boriously out north through the almost
bottomless clay road. There were no
other passengers but the two men and
myself, so turned my attention TO the
scenery. To the right across Grand
river rose bare and rugged peaks which
suggested desolation instead of gran
dcur. Away to the west were the SYM
metrical outlines of the Book cliffs,
while the great Hog Back rose toward
the north, ami about noon we began to
aseendiits rugged Slopes. ------ g.
The two men had eyed me curiously
at first, and then began talking of
mines and the various arts and tricks
of the INSCRIPTIONS to outwit the guilt
BILE tenderfoot. But gradually they
ovcrcame their apparent diffidence in
addressing IA woman, and began after
true American style tc want to know
all about my antecedcnts, and above
all my reason for talk ing such an un-
usual journey. When told them ex-
pected to visit Mrs. Renfrow at the Tin
Cup mine one whistled expressively
and said: You'll be likely to stay for
all winter"
'Why?" asked.
Because If signs go for anything
there is going to lie an everlasting
snowfall before long
glanced at the skysand to my I'M
practiced eye there was nothing I'M
usual. 1t was clear save for a soft In
dian summer haze w aich hung over all
the face OF nature. So l laughed and
said wasn't afraid If little snow.
1t was late at night when our six
pautinp mules droye nm befnra ,.,b =