The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-04-19
FOR HIM. FOR HER.

ever since the SfdHu opening p4 JIG
Gold Bar liquor dispensary.
Barnes, the superintendent of the
Aladdin group was mad. This state
of mind on the part of the "old man"
also dated from the grand opening
aforesaid.
These conditions resulted in Mr..
Gerry's retirement from his position
as en- ngineer, and left him free to ex-
change his "time," even unto the last
cent, for the doubtful oblivion pro-
ducer dispensed at the Gold Bar and
other institutions of the kind, of which
there were several in camp.
The new engineer was rather out of
the usual order. / have often Won
dered how it happened that Barnes
took him on, for the old man always
insisted that mine was no place for
boys, much less an engine-room.
And the newcomer was certainly
not man. He could not have been
more than eighteen, to judge from APP
pearances, and was small for his age.
But he could handle an engine with
the best of them.
Next morning Rice, the assayer, who
had been over near the Gila for sew
0l Ill OdYS On O0S1DOOo 1OA tAO SO1h y
returned. The new engineer and my
self were sitting at rather late break
fast when the assayer entered the din
ing-room.
The latter came over and shook
hands with me, and I introduced the
new arrival. Rice shook hands with
him in his frank way, glancing at the
engineer rather keenly. The latter
seemed EN- barrassed and acted strange
ly, I thought, though I paid no par
ticular attention to the fact at the
time.
The new engineer soon became the
most popular man in camp. He was
so pleasant and obliging. and withal
so gentlemanly and nice in his ways,
that every body "cottoned" to him
straight off. And then we liked him
because he was "white"-that is about
the most expressive adjective re could
apply to him.
And "Milly," as we called him (his
name was Milton Ledyard), seemed in
return to like all the boys, in his quiet
undemonstrative way, though it was
quite plain that he took particular
liking to Rice.
Every body liked Rice. He was big
and handsome, and had a deep bass
voice and a jovial, hearty way about
him. Moreover, he could shoot quicker
and straighter than any one else in the
camp; could and did drink more thar
any other man in the district without
showing it, and was always ready tc
help the weaker side in row, albeit
even Milly was not more gentle.
But there was something about Mil
ly's admiration for Rice that d;stin-
guished it from the feelings the rest oi
US entertained for him
@By Jove! old man, it just gives me
the fidgets.". he said to me one day as
we sat chatting in my Office, "to have
the little euss tag me around so.
wish he didn't like me quite so we'll
no, l don't either, but-damn it all, il
makes a man feel like a shadowed
criminal"
Then, for the first time since I had
known him, wondered if there could
have been anything in that old story
that was circulated when he ran fol-
the county clerkship five years before
At that time there was rumol
started, no doubt by the opposition, to
the effect that he was a fugitive from
justice on account of young lady he
had betrayed. But the yarn had
gained no credence and was speedily
lost sight of.
Let's go over to the ball tonight,
suggested Rice at the breakfast table
one morning. "There'll be plenty Of
beer and lots of Gila monsters to dance
with. Come on, colonel; we're getting
rusty and need little shaking up"
"Want to go and shake a foot, Mil
ly?" he added, noting the wistful lool
in the lads eyes. Cali right; Lett
make up crowd and go. And put OF
your best bibs and fuckers, boys-twc
of old Miles girls are just back from
| St. Louis, and we want to create ar
impression"
We met with the usual hearty vel
come of the Southwest, and it was no
long before we were inside taking {
hand in the fun. Milly and for s
while sat and watched the others, anc
got no end of enjoyment out of it.
Pretty soon l noticed that Rice wa
paving considerable attention to on
of the Gila girls, a pretty little thing
whose father raised "garden truck"
few miles up the river. He dancet
half a dozen times in succession witt
her and did not leave her an instant.
This is never the proper thing AM
is not good policy where girls ar
scarce, and | knew it might max
trouble, as the girl was understood t
be as good as engaged to Harve.
Bragg, who was one of the "worst
men in the county when feeling dis
agreeable.
And he seemed to be feeling dis
agreeable this evening. Every fey
minutes he would return from the room
where the beer and whisky were O.
tap and look scowlingly on the seen
in the big living-room; and l kneN
enough of him to believe that he wa
likely to cause trouble presently.
It came~ The next dance was
quadrille, and Rice and his partne
were just taking their places in tn
first set when Harvey Bragg, his fac
like thunder cloud, strobe out o
the floor and touched the assayer o
the arm.
As Rice turned 1 saw by his eye
that he, too, was affected by the liquo
he had drunk, and had, doubtless
been impelled by its influence to act
he had.
"See yere, Mister Man" hisse
Bragg, threateningly, "this yere foolin
been goin' on long 'nough. Let loos
O. that heifer an give a white man
show"
Rises eyes blazed. He stepped bac
a couple of PAGES out of hearing OF th
women, and answered with quie
earnestness:
$50 to -, sir! I'd have you ur
derstand that no white-eyed COW
puncher can bullyrag me. I'm goin
to finish this dance-and more, if
choose. But if you have anything
say about it, I'll accommodate yo
after this quadrille, in any way yo
like"