Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-02-22
MISS GRAYSON'S DISCOVERY.
GRACE BROWN,

Beautiful Salida. with its towering
mountains, rich blue skies, and crystal
air pulsing with the music of singing
waters
The parlors of the Santa Christie
were rapidly filling. A party of Ne
bras kan editors and their wives were
on an excurslou, as guests of the r. r.
Co., to Salt Lake; and Salida h ID
shown her respect Tor the powers of the
press by giving a grand ball in their
honor. While some OF these editorial
gentlemen were of the leanness so de-
plored by the astute Roman, and bore
deeply cut upon their faces marks of
labOrlous thought, the majority pre-
sented an al pearance of rather corpu-
lent !olli.y. Their quIps and retorts
set med TO furnish considerable amuse-
ment TO a grUup of new arrivals from
Denver that had stopped here for the
night, in de- renee to tie magnificent
scenery ahead, which, 4" if lost" to
quote the words of the suave and gal
liant Mr.. Seville, would be the regret
of life time"
This party of tourists was noticeable
from the fact, that though thoroughly
social and congenial few short DAYS
before, the existence of each was en-.
tirely unknown to the other.
After leaving Denver, the grandeur of
the scenery had brought them into
sympathetic elations, and many acts of
thoughtful couIt tesy on either side had
pre- duced the ease and confidence that
mark tie Intercourse of friends and
reiPhbOrs.
Perhaps no one had contributed
more TO this pleasant state Of affairs
than the handsome and polished MIR.
Seville, OF the West, and the beamine-
faced Mr.. Franklin, of Massachusetts.
The four great sections of the country
we're represented by this comuany,
which We shall distinguish as the Den
yer party.
The Nebraskans we're socially in
cIlned and one bright, little bit of
sweet nature, the Juvenile wife of the
Oldest editor among them, who seemed,
by her 1.-the movements and Lively talk,
to try to compensate Tor the absence of
both movement and talk in her aged
lord, got into sprightly chat with our
lady from Louisiana This spicy
daughter of the South, whose ewes as
we'll as dress were in deepest mourn
ing, was q most delightful fellow
guage and gestures had the fire but not
languor of southern clines. With a
flash Of her black eyes, she had assured
US at this very beginning that she was
the widow of rebel General, and that
she never had been and never would be
anything but rebel, heart and soulI
As all of this was accepted by her
northern friends with unruffled amia-
bility, tranquility always prevailed.
The little edItre' told us-for her
pleasant eyes at once made friends
with us sll-that the dust was " just
dreadful" that she detested baggage,
and SO had only her travelling suit,
filled with the soil of Nebraska and
Colorado, to wear at the ball, that she
loved travel above everything on earth,
but wasn't it "exhaustIve!y tiresome"
The conversation becoming general,
Miss Gray son, one of the Denver party,
spoke of an accident which had befallen
them the day before on the perilous
edge of the most marvellous loop in
that most marvellous feat OF engineering
the Denver and RIO Grande Il. r.
when five cattle bad been killed by
being run over, and portions of the
long train of cars uncoupled; but that
most of the passengers had been OBJ
livious of dan ger until ali danger was
past. Upon this q young Nebraskan
editor observed that he had lived in
the widest parts of the West in the
widest tim es, when one literally walked
in the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
and had noted that danger and death
are like nettles, grasp them closely, the
sting is unfeared and unfelt; and had
often wondered if Shakespeare did not
think of this when be spoke of "PluckiHg
the -four Safety out of the nettle Dan
GER"
In the thoughtful pause which fol-
lowed, the little editress exclaimed:
"And so you are all going to Salt
Lake? Do not you long to see the city
of so many strange experiences? Have
any of you ever been there before?"
81 think" said Miss Grayson, with
sparkle in her gray eyes, and in her
words, too; for, like one of Golgops
heroines, she seemed to ftash forth her
words and then dart after them in swift
pursuit-"Mr. Seville has been to salt
Lake. / notice he Is very familiar
with the road.
That gentleman's brown eyes looked
little disconnected, but he said pleas
antly that he bad been over the road
City more than once. He and Miss
Grayson had had so many animated
talks together, that some of her COM
panions probably wondered that the
subject OF Salt Lake bad never been
introduced, although considering what
an abundance of matter for CONVERSE
ton such long sketches of stupendous
scenery must furnish, it was no mystery,
after all.
"Is Salt Lake beautiful city? Do
you think We shall find 1t all our fancy
has painted it?" questioned the little
editress.
mo, Madam" said Mr.. Seville,
.'you will be wofully disappointed.
The site is glorious, hut in thus season
of drouth, when the foliage is brown
and scant, and the unpaved streets are
deep beds OF powdered earth, penetrat-
ing every inlet of clothing or body-I
might add soul and mind, too, for
neither the moral nor the intellectual
nature seems to escape its stiffenlng,
choking infuence-you will first en-
duIe, then pity, and-such are its pc
euIlar attractious-end by embrUc-
ing"
The little lady laughed, and merrily
and emphatically repeated the closing
words to her husband, who seemed
snatched by her laugh to the surface
Oh very gray AID very deep reverie,
IN whose depths he had been perilously
Numbering.
But the Mormops what of
tnemf asked the always genial
MI; franklin. "Ain't they a
fs'ner tough set? I always fancy the