Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-08-07
A DESERT CLAIM.
By MARY E. sTIOKNEY.
roopyrishs 1904 by J. B. Lippincott Company.
CHAPTER V.

There was to be dance at the K
Bar ranch, and Mrs. Dennison, wife Of
the resident manager, out of the kind
ness Of her heart, sent special invita-
ton, urging the Ellery family to assist
at the function.
"And suppose the poor woman has
not the remotest idea why we should
not 90" remarked Nelsine, with an air
of despairing appreciation of her neigh.
boris hopeless simplicity.
"But why should we not go?" cried
Edith eagerly. "a genuine cowboy
dancel It ought to be no end Of fun. "
"It is-better than circus" Hugh
declared, laughing with reminiscent en-
joyment "We took one in over at the
Campbells' awhile ago. 1t was no end
Of lark. As to the Dennisons, glanc-
ing interrogatively at his wife, II should
hate to offend them"
Eyes" Nelsine admitted, with q
plaintive little sigh. "They are 30 &C.
oommodating in the matter of butter
and eggs and chickens. But when it
comes to taking Edith to the dance
"But why not9" cried that young
woman in vigorous protest "1s it not
respectable?'
"Oh, pre-eminently respectable, but
as hopelessly mixed as heaven ITSELF"
laughed Hugh. ''The best society will
be there as we'll as the second best, all
pretty much alike as to gowns and
grammar, all particularly free and ag-
gressively equal"
"It il not a private party, you must
know" put in Nelsine parenthetically.
"The cowboys get it up among them
selves to celebrate the end of the round
up- The Dennisons scarcely do more
than lend their house. The boys hire a
fiddler-and such a fiddlerEfrom a
ranch some 90 miles up the country, who
packs his wife and parlor organ along
with his own especial instrument of
torture to the scene Of festivities, where
he acts as master Of ceremonies, while
as she paused Hugh continued the tale,
delighting in the der -iption: 1.-The
dances are sold by numbers, 30 cents
for each opportunity having become
the established figure You pay your
money, but then you don't take your
choice to any great extent, for the fd-
dler, with strict impartiality, calls out
the numbers before each dance, SO that
one has only to find ones partner and
i'm the recherche language commonly
employed ON these joyous occasions
hoof It to the extent Of his moneys
worth, whether luok happens to have
given him real or a redowa. This
simple arrangement has not only pecu-
MARY advantages to recommend it, but
It also works like charm in preventing
any obstreperous cow puncher from de.
manding more than his fair share Of
floor space and partners, contingency
which has been known to lead to en-
barrassing results in this simple and
untrammeled society, where weapons are
always handy"
"Ah, this is the west have dreamed
about" cried the girl delightedly.
''surely, Nelsine, there could be Lo
harm In going to look on for a little
while?'
II suppose It would please Mrs Dem
nison," her sister-in-law thoughtfully
admitted, alive to the Importance Of
oonciliating 30 desirable a neighbor.
but Of course you could not dance. I"
But on the evening i'll question it was
settled that only Hugh and his sister
should accept Mrs. Dennison's invita-
tion, Nelsine, even if she had wished to
make one Of the party, not liking to ask
Artalissa, who also had been invited,
to remain at home with tho children.
Late hours for arrival were not fash
ionable in Cow Creek society, and it
was in the cool gray twilight that they
drove down the winding natural road
along the creek to the I x Bar ranch,
to find that, early as they were, many
had come before them. Edith saw most
of the men belonging to the K G outfit
mingled in the groups that were loung-
ing about the barns and corrals, while
Artalissa, fresh as rose in a pink cot
ton gown, was laughing with couple
of women in the doorway of the low,
unpainted frame house.
Mr.. Dennison, greeting them all with
cordial hail-fellow-well- -metship, led
the way indoors and went to find his
wife, who was, as he ingenuously eX-
planned to Edith's great amusement,
''in the leanto putting the last licks to
the supper. A faint but unmistakable
odor of boiled ham pervading the place
announced one delicacy at least to fig
ure at the coming banquet
They had come into what was evil
IDENTIFY the family living room, large,
low apartment, unpainted and unplas-
tered. its walls smoothly covered with
cotton sheeting which had once been
white, Its slightly dust stained and
smoky surface now brilliantly illumi-
mated with several kerosene lamps, with
a generous row of candles BESIDES glued
by their own drippings to small pine
shelf. The room had been stripped Of
most Of its furniture, only few chairs
stif1y ranged against the wall remain
ing, together with bed in one corner
protected by calico curtains, which
Edith presently discovered was a
thoughtful provision for the babies,
which were brought to the ball in num-
bers simply amazing to her unaccustom-
ed eyes, Most Of these plump mothers,
Ed;fb opocco5 xuaro fha ,riyac of the