The record-union., 1895-08-31
So Mr.. Kirk seated himself beside her
nd at once entered into conversation by

ou have brother, l hear, at the
Flat? | have seen him often, though
have no particular acquaintance with
him."
Indeed" said Miss Ray. who was de-
lighted TO meet one who had seen her
brother. Il have not heard a word from
hlm for almost two months. l hope he
is well?'
Quite well, assure you, a week ago.
w hon L left he was making some I'M
proVements, and, perhaps. additions TO
MS little house. II Will be quite cosy
place, but no doubt it requires woman's S
hand 10 give 1t a homelike appearance.
Miners cabins, as rule, are sadly def
clent IN that particular. / am afraid you
Will lind very different home here from
what you have been accustomed to III
the States. There is no society, accord l.
ing TO Eastern ideas. and not above hall a
dozen women all told"
'1 on quite lrighten me-" said Miss
Ray; but l shall be with Clinton and
shall not mind so much"
Things viii improve steadily now the
ladies begin 10 coIne," said Kirk. ut is
much better now than last year, when
scarcely three months period went by
without killing or hanging. Men are
d good deal lko SaVageS when out of the
pale Of woman's influence
And so the conversation went on until
just before sunset they drove down the
nil to the lat and refined up before the
Oro House amid d crowd of gray-shirted
miners who had crowded about the coach.
W hen they saw there was lady aboard,
many were the mods and smiles, and
the wonder was great when CLINTON
sprang forward and clasped his sister in
his arms. And II there was not real envy
in tneir looks | can not rightly interpret
human impression.
But Clinton thought only of his sister
whom he had lott in. his New England
home almost two years before, and in his
JOY he almost carried her to his cabin,
now aspiring 10 the name OF house, and
pointed with pride TO her own little room
which he had planned and finished with
his own hands, description of which
must defer for the present.
In the mean time the miners were gath
ering in little knots discussing the new
arrival. IL was an event OF no small i'm
portance. when woman came to camp.
Many had not seen woman for months,
and 10 have "a genuine and real" and.
above all, a beautiful young lady such as
Rays sister, was an event indeed, and
ought, they said, to be celebrated by real
rejolclngs.
What lucky fellow Ray was, and
many thought of the sisters they had left
at home, and, perhaps, had not written
to for months, or were reminded of some-
body else's sister whom they had neg
lected. The exciting life they led. the
lack of convenieuces and often the great
distance to postotfice. all tended to les
sen the correspondence which other wise
might have passed between the minors
and their friends and sweetheartS beyond
the Rockies.
SO, many a treat was INDUCED in at the
bar Of the ORC, and by dark there was
much noise and shoutings. and soon a
long file OF miners, with pitch pine
torches, marched across the flat and
down the creek past Rays little "cot-
sical instrument on the Flat, excepting
a fiddle, which was not very we'll adapted
to marching,
Look across the creek" said Clinton
to his sister, land see what is happening
in your honor"
Lucy looked and beheld the long line of
torches and heard the screaming life and
shouts and cheers, and asked innocently,
How III the world did they know OF my
coming?"
why. they saw you, little sister, when
you come in. Such news travels with
wonderful rapidity when SO important an
event happens as young lady coming
10 camp"
"W hat a strange country and people,"
said Lucy. 1T is pleasant to know one
is of some importance. | wonder what
our friends at the East would think of
such a gathering aS This because a poor,
tired little body like me had come to
Iown?"
Nor was it less wonderful to sit and
watch Clinton get up" the supper.
There was savory beefsteak, "cut from
a ham," ne said, warm biscuit from self
rising flour, and excellent potatoes.
Then there was cup of coffee, strong
enough to bear up an egg, though
the egg was sadly wanting, and box of
sardines with cover turned back.
While eating supper she began to real
ize what life in the mines was to be.
They talked long OF their old home in the
'States," and OF those they had lett be-
hind, and felt how dear was each TO the
other now no one was left of the family
but themselves.
An uncle on their fathers side was vet
living in New hampshire. An uncle on
their mothers side had been lost at sea
years before. Clinton remem bered him
well, as he used sit upon his knee and
listen to wonderful stories of shipwrecks
and hairbreadth escapes from drowning.
Poor Uncle Henry" said Clinton, 'he
seemed never satisfied unless in danger.
And Uncle George. mothers favOrte
brother, TO think of him wandering off
in the Rocky Mountains with the trap
pers only TO be scalped by the Indians.
Old Burwell, who was III the fight and
came home years ago. saw him fall and
scalped. Mother always thought it such
an awful death. She never spoke OF it
without weeping.
'But you are tired out, little girl. Go
to bed now and pleasant Dreams"
CHAPTER IT