The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1895-12-05
IN GOLD TIME.
wv ROBERTA LrTrLEHALE.

the lawlessness and passion OF the
states earlylife into the decency and up-
rjghtness Of successful contractor. '~
His name was Bill Bowen.
AS civil engineer, came more or
less In contact with him, and rejoiced
in the lnrgeness of his mental mold, as
well as in the business sense of security
he let me enjoy.
One summers night we took drive
TO a distant town on the San Joaquin
river. We were to look at stone for a
bridge building, and the blistering heat
OF the day made us willing to lose our
sleep for the more comfortable travel.
!. ing by starlight.
The horses logged lazily through the
coarse, thick dust on the rivers levee,
nnd the insects from the grain fields
and the frogs from the sloughs had
things wholly to themselves until Bill
\ suddenly interrupted:
~. "Mrs. Chase is pretty enough yet to
understand why she sent two fellows to
( the devil, isn't she?"
'What are you talking about?" an
swered.
"Oh," said Bill, pulling himself up, Il
! forgot you didn't struggle with the rest
. of us through those groggy days"
knew Bill well enough to let him re-
lapse just so many minutes; then said:
"Judge Chase's wife is lovelier at sixty
than most girls at sixteen, but hadn't
any idea she figured so Economically in
the early days as to send anybody over
board"
Him." replied Bill, rehectively.
The horses travelled on without at
tention, and l waited in patience.
You know what it was like" he be-
gan at last. "Men with guns from air
over the union and gold the heaven we
sweated for. Prayers, and court, and
the gambling tables all running under
one roof, and nary woman $ face show
ing up in the mass togive US courage. 10
be sure, there were viXenish ribs o
Satan who robbed, and killed, and
drank with the worst OF us; but until
81 we'd never the woman for reverence.
+ Then, by degrees, the lawyers and a
. stray merchant or two aired their
families, but things wasn't dizzy till
pretty Grace Blanchard got out with
her father.
understand, she carried herself as
she'd ought to; but, understand, there
was men among US as was born and
bred TO live with blood. The macS OF
US had TO take out our satisfaction i'll
looking at her; but for two the favor
4 in old Blanchard's eyes was easy read
ing, and it wasn't long seeing the
course the straw took.
I" Ned Emory was long, lean, blond
. fellow, with IA blamed fine face and
way that made friends of the
toughest. They said he looked
Il swell when he called at the
Blanchard's, but never saw him
but like the rest of us-red-shirted and
, oSeralled, and an angle to his pistol
that made him IA JOY.
4 George Stokes-'Shorty,' we called
him-was a man with an answer that
ripped like knife and n head that
made success of everything. because it
could work crooked as well as straight.
He'd been on the bench, but he'd located
a vein at Mariposa, and was overseeing
up there in so. Naturally, he lost OPP
portunities, not being right on the spot,
and the danger began.
The Blanchard house was swelled
larger than most of TIA cabins, and had
two long windows that opened onto a
porch. Things might never have been
SO bad but Tor those two lidless eyes
in front.
"One fatal night Shorty Stokes rode
into the settlement--but am getting
ahead of affairs"
Bill tossed his cigar into the tules,
and hurried the horses into effort as
the interest of his "Reminiscences swept
him on. =
The girl carried herself after the
fashion of high steppers, and neither
Fellow could swear where he stood. II
was laughter and spirit for both of
them, they said, and nip and tuck for
the yielding. Tho pace was the sort
that exhausts men, and Shorty's brain
Tor lawycring cooked up schemefo for
his rescue. He was for their going to-
gether some night before her, and, after
formal marriage proposal, each argue
MIS- claim and fitness for ten minutes
by the clock, their honor ut stake TO
stand by her decision.
1T got about afterwards that Emory |
wouldn't consent until he saw the
devil to pay in Shorty's earnestness,
and they swore with their fists in each
Others to carry the thing through TO
hn Auy