The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-05-20
TROUBLE AT SAINTS REST.
BY PAUL SHOUP.

interest to Long Jalle's story. Old man
Summers walked slowly over to the
stage road and gazed down into the val
ley.
Here she comes!" he shouted, stand
ing in the middle of the road, with his
right hand over his eyes. The listeners
sprang to their feet and FASTENED to the
roadside.
a swirl of dust appeared around the
bend, and out of it came the noise of
the rafting of wheels and the beating
of hoofs. Then a stage appeared, and
Il minute later the driver made his usual
theatrical stop before the office.
The guard, jumping lightly to the
ground, held open the stage door. Mrs.
higgins, fat, fair, and certainly more
than forty, awkwardly descended to
the ground. and then appeared Miss
higgins. Miss higgins was young and
Miss higgins was pretty. Charming
chances from her melting blue eyes ac.
companied her musical voice, while her
red cheeks and hair of gold made the
surrender of the hearts of the men OF
A'tiIIltN lNCSl ulINOIlIllbIOIldl
The last roll of blankets had found
its owner. the horses had been led away,
and the sleeping stage coach stood to
one side. The major was enthusiastic
and the group before him was atten-
tive: AT last the eye of the world
is becoming focused upon the great nat
ural resources of Saints Rest Ii is
quite evident, sub, even to a supo fetal
observer, that Mrs. higgins and her
lovely daughter have been Iured hither
by the unparalleled attractions of
Saints Rest to spend their days in
rapturous contemplation of the beau
ties of nature"
Yer mistaken, major" said old man
Summers, who had been diligently
scraping his pipe. Mrs. higgins ez
gOin' to open boardin' house"
"Who said SOP" demanded the major,
blankly.
That sage-brush pirate who pilots
the stage. Mrs. higgins told him
On the evening following the day
of Miss higgins descent upon the
peaceful camp of Saints Rest, ever
miner in the Lost Horse gulch, from
the crest of the ridge to the bed of the
wash, found that he had pressing bust
ness on the main street of the camp.
Among those who took their in
genious ways up and down the I'M
even paths was jim Bowloe. Nature
had not been niggardly with her ma
terials in his building, and Jim was
fully aware that his appearance justi-
fed the turning of heads in admiring
glances. When he stumbled on the
best claim in the gulch, he accepted the
fact nonchalantly, realizing that it was
but the due of a man of his superior
gifts, and when black-eyed 'Cencion
Joined her mother, who ran the Bonita
restaurant, the camp murmuringly rec
ognized his wight to be first in love as
we'll as in business. But now, with the
spell of Miss higgins over them all
Jim was panied and surprised to note
that about every other able-bodied man
in the gulch was obtrdsively present.
Jim Bowloc had a bunk-house part,
ner, Bob Henderson, who. being in
stature and ambition rather inSig-
nificant in comparison with his
partner, was usually referred to
as "Bowloe's partner He. too, was
with the crowd, wearing a look of con
Scious innocence, and Jim wasn't eX-
actly pleased to observe that his hair
which had not heretofore had an en-
counter with brush since he left the
states, was now comhed as nearly
straight as nature would permit.
Great changes in the social life OF
Saints Rest followed the arrival OF
Miss higgins. Every day there was
that noticeable air of dressed-up stiff
ness which had before appeared at first
class funerals only. Certain promi
nent citizens declined to get hilarious
except after nightfall, tribute to the
influence of Miss higgins, which at first
excited some uneasineGS among the dis
pensers of various eliNirs. but wheT
they found that her presence did not
prevent the scrupulous ones from re-
naming under the rule of Bacchus the
following day, they accepted the re
form with great good nature.
The partners, who lived in cabir
on the hillside, did not become guests
Of the new boarding house, partly be
cause of pride, party because of an in
disposition on the part of either tt
broach the subject, and largely because
of the very great distance of the Mig
gins establishment from their claims
But neither was long in obtaining an in
PRODUCTION to the daughter of the house
Since the junior Summers was a fid
dler whose fame stopped not short o.
two days travel from the camp. there
was really no good reason for not hav
ing a Thanksgiving ball. a commit
tee secured for ballroom the large
card annex of the Saints Retreat a re
sort with a somewhat misleading name
and the camp resolved itself into com
mittee of the whole to see that the bal
was a success. Invitations were no
issued, for in the perfect democracy
of Saints Rest the right of every sobe1
inhabitant to he present was recoE
nizcd without debate.
Old man Summers and Long JAKE dis
cussed the social situation with inter
est. 1T strikes me- said Summers
"that the favorite lightnin' rods hydr
abouts air Bowloe and Henderson"
at DO look that wac" admitted Ions