Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-05-22
A LUMLEY PASS ROMANCE


The settlers who constituted what
was locally called the "Lunley Pass
folks" were few, Woodworking and un-
imaginative. They were much given to:
staying at home and minding their own
business, in the sense which conveys
total lack of interest in anybody else.
Long reaches of rough mountain
roads; frequent torrents, which rushed
rudely wherever resistance was most
readily overcome, combined with SOM
Der stretches of dense forest to discour-
age sociability.
Nevertheless, when it became known,
in q general way, that the old tip-tiited
log-house-a house hoary with age
about which the halo of romance had
never chung, was to be the seat Of q
wedding, interest in it became vivid,
and visitors multiplied miraculously.
The house stood at the head of the
pass, and gave it its name. Itwas Peter
Lumley's daughter who was to be mar
ried.
That piece of information percolated
through Peter himself, one evening
when he had fingered at the store in
Hogan's Gulch long enough to forget
his usual taciturnity and wax conf
Dental with other late stayers.
On that occasion Mr.. Peter Lumley
remarked, in a general way, that
Women folks was cussed lot of
trouble when they got marryin' in their
heads, an he was considuble thankful
that he didn't have but one gal to turn
the world upside down just because a
fellow had asked her to change her
name.''
This amiable al!usion to his only
daughter, coupled with the fact that,
earlier in the evening, Mr.. Lumley had
openly invested in ten yards of white
''cross-bar" muslin and ''scalloped"
Handkerchief, fastened the impending
change of name on Sue Lumley.
Until that cross-bar muslin and en-
broidered handkerchief were actually
transferred from Hogan's counter to
The gummy sack which already held
Peters supply of tobacco, whisky, seed
potatoes and rope for pillow lines, the
general public had laid no particular
stress upon Peters outburst.
Never before had Sue Lumley been
an object of even passing local in
terest. No one had ever associated her
name with a possible lover. She was
accounted rather spiritless creature,
totally lacking in grit. Grit is a moral
quality in high repute with your noun
taineer.
Being motherlesss and sisterless, Sue
had grown up with even fewer feminine
accomplishments than fell to the lot
Of other Lumley Pass girls.
A wedding presupposes man. It
was long time before local gossip fast
ened upon the right man for ''Sue Lum-
ley's beau" When it did, curiosity was
merged into amazement bordering on
indignation.
WAS Brad Martin bent on throwing
hissen clean away? Had Brad Martin.
turned plum idiot?' were questions
which everybody was asking but no
body answered.
Bradley Martin was what might be
called a newcomer, having only lived in
the neighborhood of Lumley's Pass
four Or five years. None of his for
hears had ever titled the rocky acres
he called his own.
He was handsome fellow, with
broad shoulders and strong, swift legs !
which carried him over the steep noun
ain paths with the surefootedness of |
he goat.
There wasn't girl within IL miles of
'eter Lumley's old gray house that
rould not have lent willing ear to
radey Martin If he had come a-court-
q. But Sue Lu,nley, of all the Pass
rls!
Martin and Sue alone knew the very
gin1ing Of the love affair whose inn
inens elimination was agitating the {
Uttered settlers Of Lumleyis Pass.