Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-19

moving on to Lone Tree to capture break
| fast"
| Lone Tree consisted of a single ranch and
the new section-house. Dick said he would
take the ranch while Paul went on to try
his luck a. the red-paint ted house adjoining
the track. little woman, carrying a big
baby. answered his knock at the kitchen
| door.
| Can you do anything to pay for a din
| ner?' ,she said. repeating Pauls question.
| meantime cycling him critically. II guess
\ you en- Jest take that bucket and go to
| the tank and fill 1t with water; after that
| mebbe I'll have somethin for you to eat"
| Pau trudged off with the wooden pail and
presently returning, set 1t down in the
| kitchen sink. big pile of unwashed dishes
| stood on low bench, and through an open
doorway the remnants of a meal were dis
| cernible on the dining room table.
| While Paul discussed generous plate of
| corn beef and cabbage the little woman sat
on a chair and told her troubles. She was
! the wife Of the section boss with six men to
board; her baby was only a month old and
| her hired girl had left her only two days
before on half an hours notice. She was
| utterly tired out and would feel very CRATE
| full If Paul would stay and assist her in the
kitchen until she could engage help from
| Cheyenne.
| AS the delay of few days mattered little
to Paul he readily consented to remain and
cheerfully set to work on the pile of dishes
| as soon as he finished his dinner, or, rather,
| breakfast. When Dick came up an hour
| later he found Paul installed at an open
I
| baby in his lap that was grooming away in
/ great glee.
Must ha' struck some o. yer relations, l
reckon" calculated Dick, with a broad grin
on his freckled face.
| NO, sir; / have hired out as assistant
! dishwasher and nurse to the family. Please
| go away: we don't want any tramps around
here" Then. as Dick grinned again in ap.
| probation of this joke, Paul asked, did
| they treat you as well over yonder?"
| Jest hand-out. that's all. No good there
| tonight, though" added Dick. disconsolately.
| "Oh, we'll. 1 guess 1 can fix you out II you
hang around here. but keep shady, as 1
| wouldn't want them to think was In league
! with gang of trampS.
| Paul stayed three days at the section
| house, at the end of which time the little
/ woman had inveigled a stout Norwegian
| girl from Cheyenne to Lone Tree. The Sec
| ton boss gave him 81 for his trouble and
passed him on to Union Pacific Junction by
| the regular passenger train. Dick had gone
| up the night previous on freight, having
agreed to meet Paul at the junction next
i day.
| And there they did meet. but not as either
| had expected When Paul jumped from the
! train ne asked one of the station hands II
he had seen a lad answering to Dicks de-
| scription.
Sort Of tall. freckled-faced duck. with
long hair an big blue eyes. want hep
| Yes, l guess that's Dick.
| well, / reckon he's in the freight house
/ stretched out acrost two barrels, deader' n
| a door nail; the crowner's in there now.
| Dead Dick deadi What do you meant?
| KILLED last night on No. g. Went er
| sleep on the brakes an got his head crush
| ed. You'll find out all Their perticklers In
i there II you ask Their crowner."
| 1t was horrible. but only too true. as
| Paul discovered when he entered the freight
| room. His late comrade lay outstretched
| on a board, around which stood six men IN
| charge of the coroner from Cheyenne, a
| verdict of accidental death while stealing
| ride having just been rendered.
4 There was nothing on the body to identify
| the remains, and Paul could only say that
| the name of the dead lad was Tracy and
! that his home was somewhere in Texas.
1 AS this information shed no light on the
| case the coroner CURLY ordered the body 10
| be sent to Cheyenne for burial, and the last
| look Paul had of his late companion was
/ when he lay in a cheap pine coffin awaiting
| transportation to the city. He turned away
| with sickening feeling at his heart. II
| might be his fate any moment.