Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-05
WEDDIN UP AT LEES.

WINS us thin as a rail and hunesick with
that awful homeslckness which man
feels who hasn't home However, that
was deficiency which he meant TO rem
edy without delay, having thought over q
number of matters up ON the range when
he WINS keeping guard.
The cattle were to be rested ut Bryson
for n couple Of weeks, and Carrot Jim was
in sight of the place when his pony went
down somehow and got .IiIn's leg under
him and fractured 1t neatly in two places.
Jim got up in the saddle and rode on, like
good cattlcman as he was, though he
couldn't sec the road or the horse for the
faintness from the pain, and had somehow
missed the rcins, but he chung on the mnno
till they got In town and some one pulled
him Off and sent for the doctor. There
wasn't vacant bedroom In the hotel, for
the place was full Of cnttlomon driving the
beasts down for the spring fattcning- and
they laid Carrot jim out on the hotel desk
and proceeded to mend him.
Thought you was just In time to go to
the wcddin jim" said some one.
"What wcddinY" nskod Jim, glad to
speak and save himself from groaning.
"Tho weddin up at Lees Eyerythings
open. Got spread for any Roin that
way. Ole Lees orders was for any
wishin to come up today, but it looks kin
of threatcnin It's about time for the
equinoctial and this Is bad country for
man to git caught out in when there's
weather from the northwest.
AT Loo's?" cried the sick man, sit
ting up. (which girl is goin to be married
kit or Nclly'
Don't know Ole man Lee was down
here yesterday and said there was eoin to
be weddin up at his place and f'r folks to
come round. He didn't s,ly my more.
Carrot Jim got up on his elbow and
looked over the crowd.
"Whnt man 5 hero that will do service
for mcY" he asked That 1t was not u
tritling service which he was about to ask
was apparent from his manner His face
was strained and white with physical pain,
but In his eyes was look such rs physical
pain cannot give.
81 guess I'm your man, young Hig-
gins said, coming around from behind tho
big base burner What's the jobf" He
was strapplng young lrishinnn with
round blue eyes, and Carrot Jim got him
out Of stampede on tho range the year
before Every one had forgotten 1t except
Higgins himself ITS little slow" no
said alphabetically, $50 III be glad to git
out Of here. What do you want me TO do?"
Carrot Jim saw everything black before
him md his voice us he spoke sounded far
off and like the voice Of another man, but
he managed to say
" Ride to Lce's-now, now, nowi Git
back before the wcddin and let me know
whether it's Kit or Nell"
''Welly' said young Higgins. "WellY"
well" cried Carrot Jim, gestlculating
violently with his fingers like man in
the wheat pit, "if it's Noll come bnck hcro
and let me know and III set en- up for tho
hull crowd, and if it's Kit--why, If it's
kit
Then, said young Higgins, compre-
hending, probably you'd rather not see
me ut all "
Don't be fool, JIM" said the hotel
clerk. 'If wcddin Is on, 1t can't be
stopped There's storm comm up. l
wouldn't want anybody was consarned
about goin far today"
But Carrot Jim turned frantic eyes on
young Higgins and Higgins nodded to
Jim and went out
1t was Is miles up to Lees and the road
lay In the open country 1t ran, in fact,
the length Of trcclcss mesa, and tho pull
with alkali, was torture to the nostrils,
binding to the eyes, agonizing to the
throat. Higgins got cayusc because
they have tAa ~' - :. -..-i and
will go their journey no matter whit
comes. He was blithe, because he was IA
romantic cub, and not boing able to 20 on
love message Of his own was willing to
go on ono for another man as the next
best thing. So he wouldn't look at the
copper Culurcd northwest, or heed the
crying of the wind In the short, brown
grass, or be warned by sudden screams
from the canyon over south, where tho
wind got big sweep down a tortuous
path He went on aud felt from time to
time of his sprouting mustachc, or sang
sweet old Irish love songs, or wondered
when he'd care about II woman like that,
and rather cavicd Carrot lin for caring
But by and by there was yellow whirl
OF dust all about him, and tho little cayuso
was blown out Of the road, and then sud.
denly the wind seemed blowing from the
heart of Glacier hay and there was un aw.
full icness that seemed to freeze his heart
and great swirls OF yellow sand going up
to hcayen-splendid moving spirals won
dcrlul tosee-and noise as of great angry
waters, though there were no waters
But she cayuse, mind you, had tbs . .
C. :. -. .--.., and would 20 to his
journeys end, no matter what came. 50
he put his nose 10 the ground and stood
there with his rigid legs planted firm, and
the young Irlshman lay Hat on the horse 4
back, and thCy stuck together like two
brave follows who knew whom the fight
came and weren't going to run away.
In utcw moments the dramatic part was
over, the thermometer had fallen 2s de
grces and - Northwestern was beating on
them Then they took up the road again
and pushed on When they got to Lee s.
the horse whinnied, and some one came
out and lugged Higgins into the fire, and
after drink or two he was all right And
then, what with having the cold in hi,
brain and the memory OF pretty victory
in his hcart-ior he liked 10 be hero and
was glad he was alivo-he sat up AND
whooped like nn Indian So TINT the cayus,
out In the stable heard it and lifted III
ears as II his old masters were calling him
For the bride was Nell-it was Nell
with the china blue eyes and tho silly vel
low hair, and Kit, who had lovely eyes O
brown and brow like Madonna s-nul
whom Carrot jim had been thinking OF al
those awful solitary nights up on tn
rangc-Ntt was asking Higgins how h,
felt and why Carrot jim hadn't COM
with him.
They didn't want him to 20 back tina
night. They said It was suicidal, bu
Higgins had his own ideas, and he ha,
read Of D'Artognun, so he got into
slulrrelskin coat and kissed the bride an,