Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-08-29
Doctor, how did you ever happen to settle

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of his face and never cared to repeat the
question. It was my first and last personal
inquiry. His oddities were very amusing
to me. For instance, on warm spring
day he would appear dressed as if for mid
winter, in heavy oyercoat, fur cap and
gloves and wrapped in buffalo robe. On
an unusually bright day he would go pre-
pared for rain One day he appeared on
the street with all his beard shaved off ex-
cept a little tuft under each eye, which
gave him most hideous appearance.
ale never invited me nor any one else
TO his house, but back of and Mt some dis
lance from the house were his stables, sur
rounded by n large pasture, and here, after
our acquaintance had progressed for some
Time | ventured togo 1t was generally
understood that thedoctor attended strict
ly to his own business and expected Others
to do the same, and visiting boys, to their
sorrow, sometimes met with Il very lurid
reception. At times, however, he aston
ished beggar who ventured on the prem
ises to ask humbly for a few pennies by
giving him V, but perhaps the next time
he appeared he would be lucky to escape
the toe of the doctors boot My starsP
said one of the boys who stood in holy
terror of the doctors wrath, some day
the old man will get mad at you for hang.
ing round in the way and cuss till the air
Is blue
But he never did, which | considered
very fortunate, and proceeded to enjoy my
self to the utmost, for he had the finest
horses had ever seen land even now next
to my wife | love a horse). His horses
were all blooded animals from the blue
grass regions of Kentucky, and were as
carefully groomed as was ever Maud 5. in
her palmiest days. There were always
four or five men, often more, whose sole
duty appeared to be exercising and taking
care of these beauties They slept in the
stables, and the premises were always well
guarded against horse thieves, which in
those days were not uncommon by any
means
1.-The Doctors daughter, Minna, kept
house for him. but for a long time | never
caught more than u fleeting glimpse of her
as she came down to the spring with her
pitcher for water. She reminded me then
of those little brown partridges that run
in the tall prairie grass, appearing and
disappearing as suddenly and mysteriously
as If they sank into the earth itself-and
just as wild and untamable, too, she was.
There was not horse on the place that
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the men could say that, and she was bet
ter shot than the old doctor himself, which
is saying good deal.
"Her mother had died soon after they
came west of malarial fever. She was
quiet, reticent woman, a devout Quaker,
wearing always the plain drab garb of the
sect, but holding herself aloof from even
the members of the church. After her
death kind hearted neighbors offered to
care for the child, but the father had curt
ly declined all assistance and attended to
her like woman until she was old enough
to take care of herself, and this she was
soon able to do. twas not long before she
was cook, housekeeper and companion for
her father and the very apple of his eye.
She learned in some intuitive way to make
her own dresses, and they were always
fashioned after picturesque style pecu-
larly her own, but they were wonderfully
becoming. Even as child she had never
associated with any of the village people.
Indeed the children stood in wholesome
awe of her. remember once as she was
passing along the street, she saw a boy
teasing forlorn looking kitten. Some
one sat pail of hot water down beside
him for a moment and he mischievously
dipped one of the cats paws in it. In an
instant she was across the street. Like a
little fury she seized that boys arm and
plunged his hand in the scalding water
until he howled with pain.
"'Well, how do you like It'll? she said, and
took the kitten up tenderly in her arms
and carried it home. She never seemed to
be lonely, although her father was away
much of the time. He would be gone oc-
casionally for days at time, and Minna
would reply to all inquiries for him that b.
had been called away on business and it
was uncertain when he would return. No
one was bold enough to inquire what and
where this business was, but it was under
stood to be in regard to his horses and ex.
cited no comment, for every one knew and
good naturally humored his peculiarities.
Well, | think l had been in the village
about year when there were rumors COM
ing from Cincinnati of counterfeit money
in circulation, and it was even limited that
it came from our county. 1t naturally
created a little gossip, but that suspicion
was generally believed to be quite without
foundation and was treated as a great joke
by the town people. But the matter grad
ually grew worse, the counterfeiters were
evidently becoming holder as time went on
and no clue appeared to the guilty party.
about that time there came to the town
young man whom every one knew as
Joe-a harness maker by trade. He was a
handsome, genial fellow, and was soon a
favorite with the whole community.
"Of course the DOCTOR having many
horses, was one of his chief patrons. Joe
managed to have frequent errands around
to the stables, and seemed to take great
interest in the horses. He was business
/ ,,la ippYrisitiva nd
being very rude at first the doctor gradu-
ally came to treat him with certain de-
gree of cordialty. l soon noticed that
Minna fell into habit of coming down to
the spring when he happened to be there,
and no matter how saucy she was to the
rest of us she had always bright smile
for Joe. Then he began to come every
evening and often fingered to chat with
her and say some of the pretty things he
knew SO we'll how to say.
/ 70,