The Newtown bee., 1892-10-14


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.
"Youll 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.
"For shame, to tease woman!"
s'Look hyer, stranger" said young
giant, menacingly. He lowered above
Dave, who stood his ground.
''I'm lame and no account in fight, -
said Dave; "but half man amt goin' to
see woman tormented."
s'Who in thunder''-began his threat
ener, but Ben Miles laid a hand on his
arm.
Hold on, Jim," he said, "that there S
Dave Comstock, conductor of the smash
ed-up No. T."
'Not the Teller that got hurt savin' the
baby?"
"The same.''
''Sho, stranger.' said the Modified
Jim.
"Youre welcome to interfere. Give
us yer hand. We wouldn't hurt her fur
nothin'. Bless my stars Brier Rose
can take care of herself better'n most
men, 3
The dogs were all held now and the
girl put her tired arms down. She look
ed 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 leased her numerically when they
got the chance. Dawes interference was
on new line. She did not quite under
stand it, but it appeared to her at once
When Dave went back to the station to
tell Joe, the latter roared with delight.
"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. "Y GU don't
know much if you don't know old Bryan's
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 rs now. What was
MT eyes was temper. Same now, savin'
! hot no hnSanS tha hove 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 a gopher
when she's so hard on the boys" observ
ed Dave.
CHATS just it. That's Brier Rose!
She's got more tame pets; she's friend
lier with every beast in Weepin' Willer
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 I don't keer
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
get wind of it and she watches him like
a hawk
''What's Bryan's run?"
Horseshoe to Powder erik She knows
every inch of track and siding. And
wish you could see her handle the crit
ter. She knows all Bryan does and she's
heap sight quicker calc'latin' than the
old man. It's with while to see her oil
and clean the machine. She goes over it
spry as a kitten"
"She's handsome" said Dave, simply.
"Humph! Handsome is as handsome
does,'' observed Joe, grumpily. "She is
cold as ice and hard as rock. It's my
belief that she amt got no heart same-as
other wimmin. And sassy? Lori"
In spite of what he had heard, or per-
haps, because of what he had heard. all
things, even the melancholy town itself,
grew rose colored to Dawes sunny eyes.
With his unfailing cheerfulness he
waited hopefully for news of his ap-
pointment at Red Valley, and lowered,
as if fascinated, aronnd Engine No A.
Neither the boys nor old Bryan were
slow to notice this, the latter having ac-
cepted such attentions periodically from
all the young men. 1t was so inevitable
a proceeding that up to the time of the
,Middleton's dance they paid no attention
to it. ..
But that night something extraordina-
ry occurred.
The next day, as Brier Rose rode down
the street on her hardy little pony, the
boys gathered around her eagerly, not
stout little whip in her hand They had
something new and strange to tease her
about.
"Brer Rose" called out Jim. as she
drew rein, ''you don't care nothin' about
dancin', do your"
"You'd rather set all the evenin',
wouldn't you, now?'
'Do you like the name o. Dave, or do
youreckon you'd rather have Comstock ~
Rose looked from one to the other as
the bottled up taunts fell rapidly upon
her ears, her cheeks and lips growing
scarlet. For once her ready tongue fail
ed her. Small need to ask them what
they meant. Too well she knew. But
was her subjugation apparent in such
trifle? And so soon? And Dave as yet
had said nothing. Emboldened by her
silence, they went further.
HWhat does he say about it?''