Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-28
A SLIP OF THE PEN.

John Thomas saddled up old Hornet,
put on his chaps and rode out across the
range to get the mail. John had Il lot to
do, as be would have told you himself, for
he was to be married on Christmas day,
and that is why he was so regularly riding
twice IL week to the postoflce.
Over at Antelope the telegraph OPERATOR
who acted also as station agent and post
MASTER was sitting alone in his little of
fice-except the section house, the only
house in sight-thinking of home and
Mary Brand. Home was away down east
and Mary Brand was just black eyed
girl who did not care for him one bit, as
he well knew, for he had asked her about
it before he started west But there is no
law against thinking of a girl, even if you
cannot get her. So the operator thought
of Mary Brand, believed himself to be
very miserable and piled more Goals on the
fire, though the little stove was already
redhot.
just when darkness succeeded the dull
daylight snow began to fall, and with the
first flakes came John Thomas. He got
his letters and sat down by the operators
fire to read them. He was big, comfort
able fellow, in marked contrast to the dis
contented looking telegrapher, and so tho
latter thought, for he broke the silence
with:
~ say, you seem pretty well satisfied
with yourself How do you manage it in
hole like this?'
"Young fellow" said John, "the plains
is the finest place on earth and the only
place left where a man can get start
Look at me. Came out nine years ago
without cent, worked four years on the
trail and three for old Baxter learned to
carry branding iron in my chaps and to
rope anything my horse could catch, and
terest in trail herd What's the matter
with me?"
you're all right" admitted the boy.
"But you couldn't do it again, now Tom
Adams has got his maverick bill through
the Legislature"
"Don't fool yourself" said John. "Any
maverick my horse can catch is going to
get my brand on. Do you know how
many mavericks were sold for the benefit
of the school fund on the fall round up in
this district? I'll tell you. One. He
fetched rs cents Oh, the law is all right.
The operator was interrupted in his
smoking by the click Of the instrument,
and when he had takep train order, the
pipe was out. Picking up an envelope
John had thrown down he thrust it into
| the GOALS, and as it hared up he noticed
| the postmark.
"Hello" said he, Bangor is my town.
| Do you know any body in Bangor?'
"You bet do" said the cowboy. "I'm
going to marry the incest girl in that
| whole town, and her name is Mary Brand.
If old Hornet outside the door had not
| got tired of standing there, Is miles from
| his supper, so that John at that moment
| made rush to catch him, the operator
dismay would not have escaped notice.
His jaw dropped and the beautiful pipe
fell to the floor.
John caught his horse and headed away
toward the ranch through the falling
snow The operator went to the key and
telegraphed for a pipe to be sent up on the
first train. Then he went to bed. He had
bad night.
| John hummed a tune as his horse am.
bled along through the dark. Not an oper-
attic air, but one of those hymn tunes all
cowboys use on dark nights. He was GER
tainly happy, for he didn't hurry his horse
or spur him when he stumbled. One of
those letters was from Mary Brand She
wrote she was leaving Bangor for her un-
cle's home in Denver on that day and that
John was not to come down until Christ
mas eve because there was much to do and
| he "would be in the way" The other let
ter was from broker in Denver, and said
"Think we have customer for your trail
cows, and have engaged for you to meet
him here some day next week. Will ad
wise further soon." Snow was still falling
when John reached home and turned in,
rejecting upon the futility of all maverick
laws.
Snow was still falling next day. The
railroad was blockaded and he could not
| get to Denver on the day appointed. The
wires were down, so there was no tele.
| graphing. Christmas was spent in the
telegrapher's office, and for once John
looked as discontented as the operator.
The latter took no interest in coloring the
new pipe, and wrote out his resignation,
! ready to dispatch as soon as the line should
be open, announcing that he was going
back to Maine by the first train.
One of the first things sent when the
| line was open was Johns message to Mary
| Brand at Denver, to the effect that if the
| railroad wasn't shoveled out very soon he
| should start down on foot.
That operator was q good boy, and he
sent the message straight, and when an
hour later he was called up by the Denver
office to receive the following message to
John Thomas about his trail cows: "You
need not come down. Engagement off.
Culver Bros, >" he was still without guile.
But his heart was full of Mary Brand.
All day the wires had been singing Mary
Brand The key had been clicking Mary
Brand. Small wonder when he took the
pad of yellow paper and wrote out the
message he made one small slip. He really
didn't do it, 1t did itself.
"You need not come down. Engage
ment off. Mary Brand" is the way it
read when John received it.
If this were not true story, it might be
written that John went in person and de-
manded an explanation. What he really
did was to write note suggesting the re-
turn of his letters. And Mary being a
black eyed girl, he got them by return
mail.
Mary Brand went home. The ranchman
returned to the winter vocation of riding
the pastures and waiting for spring. The
operator took an early train for down
east. If he ever knew what he had done,
he kept his own counsel and renewed his
suit.
So Mary married the operator, and, be-
ing black eyed girl, she makes him q
e.