Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-08-31
FOR DAVID.

faced the level prairie. Up and down
before it like shining ribbons lay the
railroad tracks, converging mysteriously
until distance blended them into one.
Back of it flared the wide main street,
with stores and cottages unfortunately
mingled, which marks the disconsolate
prairie town. Beyond, inclosed by
white picket fence. struggled the desc
late graveyard.
The only thing in plenty which nature
supplied was room. There was an
abundance of space. 1t 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
,yexed remonstrance. He tossed 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.
II can't leave the machine, Dave. Go
and see what the rumpus is about. ]
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, 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
fercely to the owner of the largest,
whose leaps sometimes almost reached
the quivering little object in her hands.
'Throw down the beast an l WILL" he
answered.
"If 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.
whats 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.
s'Youn pay for that, Ben Miles, as
you've paid before" she said.
'''Call off those brutes," cried Dave,
rapping the nearest dog with his cane.
.sFor shame, to tease a womanw
."'Look a-hyer, stranger" said a young
giant menacingly, He lowered above
| Dave. who stood his ground.
I'm lame and no account in fight"
said Dave; ''but half o man amt goin to
see woman tormented."
s'sWho in thunder" began his threat
ener; but Ben Miles laid hand ON his
arm. "
''.Hold on, Ji1n," he said; "that there's
| noxn (rorpcfocH oon6r1ofOr of tho
smashed up No. T." g.
'sNot 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 starsi 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
bravo 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 a 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 tbs latter roared with de-
light.
| s.Just like her! Exactly like her!' 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 on the boys" OBJ
served Dave.
"That's just it. That's Brier Rose!
She's got more tame pets; she's friend
her with every beast in Weepin Wille1
than with any Of the boys. She amt
even got a head fur anybody but old
Bryan; you notice make no mention OF
heart concernin Brier Rose; don't keel
to talk of what she amt got-and just
now she's specially bewitched about
him. After keepin straight for forty
years he's taken to drink. The girl
knows he'll lose his job if the company
gets wind of it and she watches him
like hawk"
whats Bryan's run.
+ Horseshoe to Powder erik. She knows
every inch of the track and siding. And
wisht you could see her handle the
critter. She knows all Bryan does, and
she's heap site quicker calc'latin than
the old man. It's wuth while to see her
oil and clean the machine. She goes
oyer it spry as a kitten"
-. L.. l.. I n