Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-12-22
+ FIRST BALL.

excitement in the pretty little valley
of the Popo-Agie. There was always
nIentv Of excitement there. Miners,
COWBOYS, farmers and soldiersI,put
them together anywhere, n there
win be plenty of excitement. ButthlS
WAS .peaeeable excitement. IL was
the drsf social event known in the MS
torv of Lander. 1t was a ball. Tom
0s6orne had cleared the ~ OF his
storehouse for the affair. The women
had been cooking good things TO a
for the three preceding days. Inc
men had decorated the hall with pine
boughs fresh from the s~now-coNered
Wind river mountain.
Peg Leg, Mexican Joe aud Dntch
Pete had promised to be on hand with
their fddles, and they were never
known TO fail to he present at any
tbing when they promised to be, all
iborrph Peg Leg would have TO make q
tkrse,day tourney in one with his mule
team to keep his promise, and ppSch
Pete would have TO leave for a whole
| ni0ht tho little herd of cattle that he
hoped, in a blind, trusting way, would
some day make him rich. Oceans OF
snowy ehippings of spermaceti candle
had been strewn over the floor OF the
| storehouse under the experienced d.
| rection of the -schoolmarm," who was
| no "schoolmarm" at all, because she
was & Young man from the east. And
there had been a call at the single
store in Lander for billed Shirts"
linen collars fancy handkerchiefs,
bright, colored stutfS for dresses, new
store clothes and new boots and shoes,
that was at once very gratifying to the
proprjetor of the store and indicative
of a growing civilization.
But il was a mad excitement to her.
| She could hardly wait for it to occur.
IL was her first bali. "Buckskin NelF'
they called her, because of the buck
skin pony she rode with all the dash
and skill of a cowboy. Helen Whitti-
more was her real name, and she was
| the only daughter-in fact, the sum
total Of the family-of old John Whit
| timore, who had gone west in the SIX
! lies to make his fortune and had never
made II. He had been a gentleman
ono What her mother was Nell
| did not know for She had died when
| Nellie was n baby.--
At any rate, between them they hac
bedueathed a brave little heart and
| beautiful disposition TO the child, who
was thereafter ~ be brought up al
most without t. society of women
She was g lady by instinct, notwith'
standing the remarkable way she
dashed around on her buckskin pony
and the rather bad grammar she used
She was sixteen, pretty and fresh as
wild rose, with a clear complexion anc
laughing eyes. She had read a gooc
deal, and had formed ON ideas o
the great world very queer ideas
some of them), and she had her ambi
tions.
The men of the Pope-Agie valley
saw her bud from q rompiug little CIR
into the very prettiest girl In Sweet
water county, with a great deal of in
terest and more or less establishment
She had already caused q good many
of them to sigh and look melancholy
out not one had ever dared as yet Il
propose for her hand, or even show
her any marked attention. Even the
imported school teacher knew that HI
was not good enough for her, and KEEP
OuN VI Nut ways NhANh "aS n "AoS NHAhr
for him todo,fo he was not particularly
strong aud it was more than probable
that the man who married ~BuckskiI
Nell7 would have TO fight for her NOR,
than once. Jealousy, too, makes
mans hand awfully steady when In
aims a pistol, and the school teacher
was not n good shot at all.
1t was merely a quiet amusement tC
} Lieutenant Hardy. He would stroll
over from his camp, leaving his sol
diers in charge of his first sergean
every day, and take a look at the pre-
paratioEs. Occasionally, in a lazy
way, he would offer a suggestion Oh
two. He had been a hop manager a
West Point in cadet days Ga tremen
dous honor, and after his graduation
had led many a german and figured il
many firtations. IL was hardly to b'
expected that he would condescend Il
dance at this backwoods affair. but hi
suggestions were considered invalua
bic, Even the school teacher listened
~deferentially when he explained a few
pretty figures for the opening anS
closing Of the ball. he was consider
ably more interested in it, however
because it was to be her first ball. III,
had acquired quite a liking for her. II,
had discovered the latent ladyhood il
her, and for the few weeks he had beer
in camp near her fathers ranch b,
had made quite a study of her,
A fellow has to do something to keel
his mind busy when he is away from
his books and post duties, and theI
she was awfully pretty. He had ad
vised her what to wear and had giveI
her a few lessons in the waltz. By hi
aivi.s she was to wear a simple dres
o. white muslin with a sash. Tn,
Other women would look horrible witt
their gaudy colors aud i'll cut dresses
he knew, and he expected her to maxi
a sensation. He quietly gave tn
young school teacher the hint TO escor
her, for he himself merely intended L
look on. II would hardly be in keep
ing with his social position as an office
of the army, in fact, as the most dash
ing young lieutenant in his regiment
TO dance at such an affair as that. II,
was q trihe surprised when she aske,
him il she should accept the schoo
teachers profFered attentions. Frc..
her manner he saw that il was rattle
& broad hint to him. and he was awar,
that it hurt her a good deal when h,
told her to 20 with that young man
Evidently she had expected his court
esy for the occasion. But he did no
pay any attention TO the fact. 1t wa
nothing to him.
He did not go near her on the day O
the mop. He knew she wouli expect
him, and he had what many a tinel
lady had called a most contrary dis
position Along in the evening h,
walked ~leisurely over from his camp
The bali had already begun, and b,
smiled as he entered the room Th,
crowd was ven nor interesting tina,
he thought it would be. The awk
~wardness of the men and the feebl
attempts at style of the women. tn,
three fddlers saving away for des
hfe-even the uproariousness of tn,
crowd were more absurd than lie ha,
hoped. He leaned up against tn,
doorway, well aware that in his fadeC
blouse and cavalry boots he looked
more the gentleman than any man il
the room would ever look or ever haC
looked in his life. He did not see he
at first, for she was standing near tn,
door at which he entered, and but ter
feet from bis side.
As he looked calmly around h,
caught sight of her and knew from
her manner and her blush hat sh,
had been looking ut him and haC
turned away her eyes in a little fit o
anger. He repressed an exclamation
II he had been in q civilized hop room