The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-10-23
Tyov pubfishedl
G. a PIT A N p HILL.
A SKETCH FROM LIFE.
By ia UFFUS HARDY.
Copyright. 1892. by the Author

Dar Changers place was lonely one;
and the times were wild. and the life was
rough ut Blue Lead Bar when he brought
his young wife there. It took brave
woman and q strong one. to face that life;
but Lucy Granger had perfect health and
sanguine spirits. and love and courage
enough to be the blessing of whatever mans
path she elected to share and to shed the sun
shine of her presence on 1t. whether it lay
among rocks or roses. She had chosen her
lot, and cheerfully set hand and heart to
her appointed work; and there was not
home for miles around so well-ordered and
comfortable as Dan Changers
In the course of his checguered life Dan
made his pile in the mines. lost il. and was
now in fair way to making it again. At
present his chief occupation-and an i'm
portant one It was. too-was carrying the
express from Blue Lead Bar to Yucca City.
making the journey sometimes alone, some
times with his partner, Steven Brock.
Lucy was never quite so happy when her
Dan was running the risk of road agents"
and other less alarming and less probable
accidents. alone. She got used to il. and
accepted it as a natural part of her life;
but familiarity never bred contempt of the
hazards her husband ran in his long, lone
~ rides, often charged with valuables and
money; for every man in or near Blue
Lead Bar committed his property to Dan
Granger's care in perfect faith that he
would take it through safe if any man
could"
The Grangers' home was q beautiful one
rs far as its surroundings went, although
it's situation was more solitary than many
woman would have liked, left as often
alone as Lucy was with only her little
children. Dan could have afforded and
would gladly have got help. service and
companionship for his wife if it had been
procurable. but help in those regions was
simply not to be procured. Servants there
were none: neither the name nor the thing
were known there. Every woman had her
hands full TO overfowing with her own
work. III Mra Granger had been i'll or In
trouble, the neighbors would have helped
her for love; but there was no such thing
as Eslp-daily domestic help-to be got for
money. So Lucy had hours. and often days.
alone with her little girl and boy. while
her husband was off on his journeys.
Their home-o prettily- built wooden
house. with porch and gables. rather larger
than the majority of the houses of Blue
Lead Bar, as 1t included Dams office
stood on q natural ledge or terrace among
dwellings,, some of them mere log cabine,
some neat little cottages. which were scat
tered around. above and below it.
Dark evergreen forests. scanned here and
there by deep.yawning cany ons. clothed the
mountain side like clinging garment,
above which the rocky brow rose bare and
rugged. Beyond 1t, and far of. the snowy
range of distant peaks scared high into the
skies. seeming sometimes to float like silver
sails above sea of low-drifting clouds.
Below the uneven ledges-like huge. ir-
regular natural steps-on which the little
settlement was perched-thespi woods
eloped down into broad, green valley,
through which the river wound like a
shining silvery snake. The west windows
OF the Changers house had a splendid view
across the landscape of rolling meadow,
wood and valley, rising toward the far-otf
hills which faded away and vanished in
vague violet mists of distance.
Lucy Granger. fortunate for her, loved
nature. If she had had less heartfelt APP
probation of the beauties of sapphire sky.
and emerald valley. and sombre pine for
est. of snow-capped mountain, rocky gorge
and cleaning river, she would have
been less content even with the love of
husband and children. here.
How beautiful the valley looked in the
golden haze of morning. Lucy smiled with
pure Joy of life and beauty as she stood in
the doorway and looked across to tine shm-
mering mlsts OF amber and amethyst hues
In which the distant hills were lost like a
dream. She was getting on we'll with her
mornings work. and had time to stand
still awhile. Perhaps one secret of Lucy
Changers doing her work so well and so
thoroughly was that she was never hustled
nor Hurried. She went on through it all
smoothly and easiIy-like a machine in
good order. She would not have smiled so
contentedly on the tar landscape. how
ever. now, If she could have heard what
Dick Mullins-better known in the neigh
borhood. as Ginger Dick"-was saying to
her husband in the seclusion of the office.
II didn't ssay anything before Mrs.
Granger, Dan-its no use alarming her;
but Captain Phil and his gang are about
here-reported up at Gopher Flat. They're
on your track and swear they'll pay you
out for that Melipa business. There's no
doubt of tit was one of the Captains
pigeons let 1t out. / came mp to give you
word of warning
Dye know when they mean to try it on?'
reioined Dan. as cOolly as If it had not been
q matter of life and death; for If Captain
Phil had. or conceived he had, debt to
est-or Captain Phirs reputation belied
HIM.
Mullins shook his head.
Only know just what I've told you. Phil
Darrell and his boys are round and they
have it in for you"
Dan nodded.
well. don't mention it before Mrs.
Granger. The women folk are apt to get
skeered. It's bit awkward, certainly.
Just now, when Steve Brooks away in
Sacramento. and / 60 my rounds alone"
Ills So" Ginger Dick asserted. Mind
you're heeled!"
Pm always heeled on my rounds" said
Dan. further convincing his friend of the
fact By pulling heavy navy revolver out
of one pocket and q neat little derringer
out of another. He looked 10 these
treasures carefully. handling them as III he
loved them, and assuring himself that
they were IN perfect and deadly working
order.
Time for me to be off now,p he added.
"No. Pm NOT bound for Yucca City to-day
--only to Scudder's. I'm going to take a
bag of dust for old Engleby."
Well for you that Captain Phil don't
knoww observed the other Five minutes
later Dick Mullins had taken his leave
and Granger swung himself on TO his old
plebald horse-One-eyed Bill-who. as Dan
always said. could see as much with his
ono eye as any common horse could with
two. and could lind his way and bring his
master safe home on pitch-dark night
when even Changers practiced eye could
not distin guish the trail.
Dan looked back, and smiled and waved
his hand TO Dis wlfe-as cheerIly as il he
had not heard the ominous news of Phil
Darrell. better known as Captain Phil"
and old One-eye trotted briskly off,
The 'Melina business" 10 which Mullins
Phil had It in his mind TO pay" Dan
Granger, was story of some years ago be-
fore Granger came 10 Blue Lead Bar. He
had been the prime mover in the arrest