Evening star., 1893-10-07

|
| was a comely young woman. with dark
hair. an olive complexion, and OF a light.
but sturdy build. With her hair cut short,
a slouch hat, a pair of mining boots, and
jacket that was something between a
| blazer and a shooting coat, she worked her
way toward Gunnison City, Neds knife In
| her belt and his image i'm her heart.
| She met with no difficulties of note on her
| journey. She practiced all the masculine
arts she could think of; thought how Ned
did this and how he did that. got into the
swing of his gait. took long strides, held on
her way fearlessly, impelled by an anguish
that had gradually frozen into a burning
desire to avenge the death of her husband,
If he had been murdered as she had every
| reason to fear and to visit his last resting
place, wherever it might be.
| sometimes her heart was stirred with the
| hope that the vague stories she had heard
were false even in their vagueness. Once
a Jealous fear had crept into her mind with
a fiendish hint that perhaps some other wo-
man had supplanted her. and that Ned had
| sought to get away under cover OF the re-
port of his death.
She dismissed the thought as quickly as
1t was conceived; and as she neared the
| new settlement she had no longer any
reason to doubt that Ned Glover had been
! killed in fight at Gunnison City. On
| reaching her destination she had reason to
be fully convinced that she had acted wise
ly In adopting the disguise of man.
Gunnison City was just issuing from its
frontier shell when Mrs. Glover-otherwise
| Silas G%Dde-found 1t.
Only hlf-hatched, it consisted of one long
street of canvas tents. Some Of these were
stores, others living places. one or two
more pretentious, with attempts at the dig
nifty or wooden fronts and shingle roofs
were bars and gambling dens.
Ihe place was crowded with a motley
| crew or men. belted and gray-shirted
or occupying conspicuous places in the bar
rooms. were little company of wicked and
pedlzened women. There was not one de-
cent petticoated creature in the place.
| AS she entered the canvas town Mrs. Glo-
yer was very thankful for her disguise
She assumed certain swagger and conf
dence OF manner that did not displease the
miners, who were inclined to encourage the
enterprise of the young and there was
something refined in the newcomers man.
ner that was not without it's good effect
IN commanding a certain rough kind of re-
spect.
| Some dare devil belonging to a high
toned FAMILY, who has given civilization the
slip and means business" one miner, with
more than the usual amount of observation
ana sympathy said to another.
| MRS. Glover overheard the remark, and
inquired her way to Toppings Gulch. She
was advised to lie around" until Old Top
nlmseif came into the Eureka saloon, which
| ne did without fail every Friday night
was the stranger on for a job? The
stranger said she was. Then Old Top was
just the man for him: and. moreover. he
was on the lookout for a partner and they
shouldn't wonder that the lad could have
tne vacant bunk at Old Tops quarters.
| Meanwhile they invited the stranger to
take drink. which the stranger did. man
aging to spill some Of the burning whisky
upon the sawdust floor and inviting her
hosts In her turn to join her in a nip of
| the best
In due time Old Top arrived He was a
man OF about fifty. short in stature with
gray hair and grizzled beard. His COM
| plexion had once been fair; 1t was now n
| notified red. with bullet mark on the
right cheek that gave his face a somewhat
grim aspect. His soft brown eyes however
and his mellow voice contradicted anything
or vicious nature that might have been
beaten face.
wall. youngster." he said, "they tell me
you're lying around for me-"
| Il was advised to speak with YOU" said
Mrs. Glover, lounging in the most approved
masculine manner against the bar counter
| Of the Eureka saloon
| Let's wet it with a drink" said Old Ton
| turning TO the bartender. who handed him
bottle and dashed a couple Of glasses and
an Ice water jug before him. Old Top
helped himself and pushed the bottle to-
wards the youngster. who responded heart
lily to the Here We CO." which was the
usual toast in the bars of Gunnison City
said Topping. "A likely young Teller and
wish yer luck. It's true as wants a pard
havin' lust lost the one i had: and he come
from Chicago. too. As handy young fel-
|
get along with Abner Digges which the
gulch knows him as The Knifer' prefer
ring that weapon to a gun, and havin' been
mostly successful in every combat. There's
a sort of luck in a man lodging bullets and
maxim the running with a knife: but there
you'll soon be as wise about the gulch as
ann am; wont on, nave nothin' to talk about If yer
| come with me. Are you a Chicago boy?"
Yes" said Mrs. Glover, II was born
| there"
I'm English by rights-was born in Rr,s.
| Eaan on ciI
Sam"
DO all the men at the gulch have part
rers?'
Every one O. EN-. They works in pairs.
and finds it lonely O. nights without a pard
20 talk with or shuttle deck Of cards"
Mrs. Glover asked.
| Not much" said Topping: mary a wo-
man allowed nearer than Gunnison City
ana wed get along better without a petit
| coat in the entire state"
Not If you had the right kind of women
TO help you and keep the stove alight"
said Mrs. Glover.
| "Darn'd If you didn't say that Just like
| my pard who couldn't get on with the
Knifer. but he was married fellow, end
dessay you've left sweetheart behind
NO." said Mrs. Glover "but I'm on the
side OF the good women, and II you men
made room for the good and swept out the
| bad Gunnison would soon brush up and
make her ways clean and sweet"
| by Jeosophat! l believe you. youngster,
and I wish Ned Glover was only alive to
| hear you talk morality"
| Ned Glover" said the stranger, with an
effort, Ned Glover. did you say?'
Yes. my dear old pard; old called him,
cos 1 was fond of him, but he was not
much older than you"
| Ned Glover" she repeated turning pale
| to the lips and clutching the bar counter
| for support
| Yes; they fought-him and Abner Digges,
| otherwise the knifer-and the whul camp
| was grieved that Digges came through it
| without a scratch. We Civ the dear old
pard a real good funeral and-hello,
youngster, why, you're worn out, dog-tired
ben walking the Rockies-and perhaps
| you know'd Ned Glover?"
| Yes" said Mrs. Glover, her mouth parch-
| ed, her limbs no longer seeming capable of
| bearing her up, "and / have walked many
miles today, and I've had nothing TO eat,
| and"
Great Scott! and I reckon to be as far
seein' and hospitable as most; here lad
| gimme your bundle; come on, I'm free of
| the kitchen here"
Old Top led the way. The stranger fol-
| lowed staggering.
| mo head for rum" remarked a looker-on.
| Nor no legs nayther," the other replied
with a laugh. as the two disappeared.
| That night the woman lay in the very
bunk in which her husband had slept. Top