Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-06


''Dunno. He Ief right suddin dis yeah
mornin'. Mebbe so de city ed'tr he knows"
was the exasperating response Miss Roma had
not often invaded that functionarys domain
He had no use for a woman in a newspaper
Office, consequently women reporters had small
use for him.
"Mr. Stanton, do you know Mr.. Wilson's
whereabouts?' She had bearded the lion in his
den and still lived.
'Mr. Wilson was called suddenly to Las
Vegas and left at $780," responded the city
editor, without looking up.
Miss Roma felt herself approaching a state of
utter FERTILIZATION, but managed to hold out
the slip of paper which Mr.. Wilson's we'll
known fist danced a hornpipe. 800 you know
anything about this order?'
Mr.. Stanton looked up In mild surprise, and
even that was a concession on his part. Mr..
Wilson said that he would leave orders for
some one to go to Gallup to investigate the
truth OF this mornings dispatches but think
there has been a blunder. This note never
intended for YOU l shall take the liberty Of
countermanding--"
pardon me, you will do no such thing"
broke in Miss Roma hotly. SIN the first place
L am not subject to your orders. In the second
place l can handle an Indian scrimmage quite
as intelligently as you can do a reception"
SHOT THAT TOLD.
That shot told. In moment of self abnega-
ton Mr.. Stanton had reported a swell function
at the house OF friend. disdainlng Miss
Roma's proffered assistance. He fixed the
women out in "corset bouquets" Those SO
maligned had cut him dead, and the Office had
guyed him numerically. Miss Romas ill
timed remarks made him furious.
you'll make dead failure Of it." he re-
torted angrily.
Then we will call it even.'' said the puckv
little woman as she turned to the cashier desk
Here. Mr.. Selby," and she poked the order
through the window. .'On the strength of that
l shall want transportation over the A. and p. and
some expense money. Have you any instruc-
tons concerning it?"
"N-no," replied Mr.. Seiby, eyeing her re-
fectively over his glasses. Il suppose there
can be no mistake. Runner was to have trans
portation On the II 80, but he hasn't showed up
yet. Same trip may be?" interrogativeIy
GOOD gracious. no. Miss Roma WAS getting
nervous, but she braved it out. "Do we
generally hunt in pairs? That order was on
my desk when / got here this morning You
know MIR. Wilson's chirography as we'll as 10.
NV duty is to obey orders. I'll be back in
twenty minutes
When she returned Mr.. seby gave her the
envelope containing her transportation and
expenses and she raced off to the station.
Miss Roma enjoyed ut that time the reputa-
ton of being the only all-around newspaper
woman in the west, but when the accommoda-
ton began to creep out toward the mountains
she began to realize that to that moment .'all-
around had described very limited sphere
indeed. She was under the managing editors
direct orders, kind Of staff officer. upon whom
he depended for odd bits Of work He recog-
nZed in her a great deal OF latent talent and
enjoyed developing it. He had theories re-
garding woman's ability entirely at variance
with those of his city editor. and to keep peace
in the Miner office had been Obliged to make
Miss Roma amenable to his orders only. She
had proved herself efficient accurate and COM
petent in city work from drawing room to
criminal court. but, accustomed though she was
to his cratic vagaries. she was unprepared for
her last assignment"
Il don't know his motive" she muttered
mentally asshe disposed Of her grip and made
herself ~ comfortable as possible for the tedious
twelve hours trip, but I have an idea he
thought I'd wilt. l didn't, though, and 1t re-
mains to be seen who will be the sorrest for
this days work.
She unlocked her grip and from among the
handkerchief, hand glass and hair pins ex-
tracted her pistols-two Smith 4 Wesson's %
caliber. They were in prime condition. Miss
Roma was not at all bellIgerent. but the time
might come when she would need them in her
business and she felt it quite safe to go loaded
for bear, ven though she trapped nothing but
a coyote. She dropped one in each pocket Of
her cloth ulster and drawing the Daily Miner.
from her shawl strap began to hunt for the
special which had mixed itself up with her
destiny 1t was not hard to find. On the first
page, in double-leaded minion, with a scare
head. it doomed up before her startled eyes like
the muzzle of A in the hands of dead shot ~
THE ITEM THAT CAUSED THE TRIP
"GALLUP n. NJ, Sept. 21-In a drunken
row at this place this evening three railroad
hands were wounded and two Navajoes and
their ponies killed. The Indians had filed up
on whisky sold them contrary to law by the
saloon men in the wake of the front boarding
train. On demanding more it was refused
them, as the saloon men were already fright
ened at the quarrelsome, ugly disposition mani
tested by the redskins. The refusal enraged
them. and, mounting their ponies they charged
Oh the saloon tents, firing their Winchesters
with reckless abandon. The row became
general. with the above result. The Ma aioes
have been sullen and dissatisfied for some time
and now a general outbreak is feared az they
refuse SO bury their dead and are preparing
for war dance. The troops at Fort Wjngate
have been ordered to hold themselves in readi-
ness to move at any moment"
''Can it be possible that Mr.. Wilson has sud-
denly gone crazy and they are quietly seques-
tering him in u private asylum?'' quered Miss
Roma of herself as the Miner dropped from her
nerveless hands. This affair begins to assume
what might be called .draymatic' proportions
hope it won't end in tragedy. don't par
ticuarly relish being under the direction of a
luratic. but under the circumstances presume
the world would look upon pair of EN-. 50
I'll just stay BY this hand and play it for what
there Is in it. Besides" she admitted shame.
| facedly to herself. II have groveing ambition
to get even with Mr.. Stanton"
That scare bead kept her from seeing any.
thing else in the Miner, she dropped 1t and
took in the landscape, which was familiar tc
her. There were tiny valleys cultivated by the
| primitive Mexicans and Pueblos under system
| of irrigation primitive themselves
| involving a very limited knowledge of en-
| cheering. Foaming little torrents splashed
and sparkled in the sunshine as they
coursed through fertile intervals thei,
sources cool mountain springs hidden in the
| dark recesses of the towering ranges. A few
! scattering pinons cast their grateful shade owe,
the bold clear level Of the naesds, and far be
yond the SCARED and verdureless Rockies doomed
up grandly in the beautifully serrated land
scape. Here and there in this wonderful pic
| ture we're small adobe villages standing high or
commanding emminences Of enduring rock. OF
| fashioned in its very face. all swarmng with
human life, the posterity Of that strange people
| the A-tecs.
RUDE AWAKENING.
| These half-civiized creatures crowded abou
the train at the various stopping places-town
where the telegraph operator and pumpmaI
comprised the whole city directory and DO,
car filed tine building record Miss Rom,
watched them curiously, wondering if in the
weird and sad mythology these storm beate,