Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-01-03
ing near the door at which he entered, and


but ten feet from his side
AS he looked calmly around he caught
sight of her and knew from her manner
and her blush that she had been looking III
him and had turned away her eyes IN
little fit of anger. He repressed an excia
=, nation. Ii he had been in a civilized mop
/ room he would have said quite aloud: by
love, What a beautyp' lie had not ex-
nected her to do half as well with her
white muslin and blue ribbon. he did nov
know what exquisite beauty she In real
ity possessed. The old excitement OF the
dance, spurred on by the presence OF youth
and beauty, came back to him. Should ne
dance with herr He confessed that he
would like to- after all. He would make
her still more of Il sensation If he were 10
dance with her and no other woman III
the room. But he would have to do IL IN
a rather patronizing way or she might
think too seriously of it. He concluded 10
do it. 1t would be a clever thing to tell
the young ladies at more pretentlous al.
fairs, when he should go east on leave OF
absence. :,
He walked gracefully over to her and
babe her good evening in his most gal
liant way. She blushed good deal more
but could not even reply. The school
teacher had the modesty and discretion to
retire from her side. just as he had ex-
pected he would. He knew that all in the
room were looking at him. He had to ad'
nit it was a bit exhilarating. He did not
forget his patronizing way, however.
.How pretty you are tonightl'' he said.
Gam II" she answered, blushing again.
"Wonderfully," he answered, hardly
knowing whether his own admiration was
mock, as he wanted it to be, or honest.
"Do look like girls in the east when
they 20 to dancess" she asked him.
"Just exactly, although much prettier,"
he replied. He noticed that he was begin
ming to be overgallant in the good old army
way. He concluded that he would dance
with her. What" said he, lin all this
world would you rather have me do this
evening than anything elseS" he asked her.
will you do it?" she asked in turn, but
with strange earnestness.
81 solemnly promise" he answered
laughingly.
"Then take me and dance with me and
talk to me just as if was live lady il
the east, and as if this was great ball
with everything just as nice as it could be
and as if l was a-was girl that you
LIKED" she said.
He did it, 1t seemed like challenge
and he was a gallant. It was great temp
tation, he felt the intoxication OF hel
beauty and he was human. He danced
with her; he paid her compliments by the
7 score until she was ecstatic; he talked II
! her lust as he would if she had been {
countess, and she was delighted. Hs
J monopolized her until the little schoo
teacher went off home pale with rage ant
J modification, and the other men began tt
l wonder if the lieutenant had fallen in low
J with old Whittimores daughter. and thu
women became as enviOus as women cal
become, which is great deal. He mean
not a word of it, but he was soon talking
: of his love for her. Pretending sincerit!
at lovemaking was trick he had learned
to perfection at West Point. He took he
3 out into the moonlight, and talked abou
: being as true as the stars are to the sun
g He told her that even the trees and thu
4 mountains and the flowers were in low
e with her, and Jealous of him. He told he
q that the bubbling Popo-Agie was singing
q her scramble. He enjoyed it a great deal
= 1s-yas more than enjoyment to her.
g he walked home with her, too, when tn
u affair was over. The road seemed neve
before SO short to her, and never before s.
long to him, for he was beginning to tire o
J the Irritation. Besides that, it remnde,
him of the delightful times the fellows il
= the artillery and engineers stationed in tn
east and near the great cities were havin
! all the time, while he and all the rest Q
u the cavalry fellows were doing all the rea
r work of the army, and it is not well for
cavalryman to brood on these subjects.
they were very silent until they reache
7. Al Il ,f l.
T he said Good night" and started to leave
S To his surprise, as he did SO, he found he
arms outstretched to him and her face he'll
o up to his own. AS | have said before, b
: was human. Moreover. he was a cavalr
J lieutenant. He kissed her.
II Good night" he said again, this time
little more tenderly.
; when will you come tomorrow" sh
4 asked him.
a He was little startled The tone of he
voice told him that, as he had feared, tn
y affair had gone a little too far. However
it was not possible, he thought, that sh
? could have taken him seriously. 1t wa
embarrassing. The odd contrariness cam
+ over him again.
II think I'll take ride down the rive
: tomorrow" he answered coldly.
"And not come to see me at all?" sh
y continued.
v ''Not tomorrow; perhaps some othe
r day." he answered lightly
e 'But you said that you could not liv
!. an hour without me-" she said tremu
/ lousy.
;. "Oh, well, Nellie" he replied, that wa
q only in fun. OF course you must not be
n lieve everything that | have told you.
Q was only in fun. Good night" He turne,
on his heel and walked away in the direc
s ton of his camp.
s Old Whittimore did not care for society
' He remained in the house this night ant
!, went to sleep very early. He knew tina
e Nellie would turn up all right, for she wa
a quite able to take care of herself. He wa
Q awakened several times during the nigh
: by the shooting of the cowboys, who cele
t brated the last dance of the first ball in tn,
o Popo-Agie valley by unnecessarily expend
Q ing ammunition. 1t seemed to him tina
t there was one shot rather close to his house
( though, and if there had been another h,
b would have dressed and gone ont and giver
ha how N If i'll