The record-union., 1897-03-26
"Ihe Company Of Paygravel Gulsh.
tW1tttem for the Record Union" by s.
P Lionberger)

+. LlonDerger.)
Times were hard at Paygravel Gulch.
There was no use trying to disguise the
fact, as both Lucky Smith and BOD
Daniels, the storekeeper, said When
they talked the matter over and ex-
changed news. Times usually were
hard at Paygravel Gulch, a flush season
being the exception. Others besides
the two mentioned may have known OF
the prevalence of hard times and the
scarcity of dust back in the gulch, but
they We're far too busy to talk about It,
Lucky Smith was one of the many
mortals in the world whose nickname
gave an entirely opposite hint at the
actual his i'll luck being proverbial, and
had it not been for the thrift of The
Company the flour might often have
been low in the sack and no slab of
bacon graced the wall She baked
such bread. and demanded such exor-
bitant prices for it, that tears often
forced themselves into the eyes of the
purchaser, though whether caused by
the thoughts of home it recalled, or of
the perceptible shrinking of the PUCK
skim did not appear on the surface.
One thing, though, was apparent, ana
that was that her art in both directions
allowed her nuSDdHU 10 SpSlIO Ills llihC
following the lead in search of the long
expected, long-deferred pocket. Lucky
Smith. miner like. declared in public,
that he was not looking for pocket at
ALL but was merely following up the
lead with hopes that it would pan out
better at the top. THE Company" who
was Mrs. Lucky Smith, smiled grimly,
when at the end of a long day Lucky
h a1yat
signs We're thickening up and that
they wuz shore to crop out before
long" But just what she thought of
the prospect, even Lucky himself new
er quite found out.
THE Company" was neither young
nor handsome, but she was a woman.
Not only that! she was the only woman
in the camp; which fact probably ac
counted for the many sales of home
made bread. Though her temper was
somewhat crisp, and her hair somewhat
rusty; though her nose and chin showed
decidedly sharp points, and though
she was tail and angular and had an
ardent inclination to limp, there was
many man in Paygravel Gulch who
envied Lucky Smith his wife, and
would have relieved him of his re-
sponsibility at moments notice, had
THE Company" turned a willing ear to
their many and varied plants and pro-
testations. If THE Company" men
toned the matter Of suitors to Lucky
(Which l am inclined to doubt, he gave
it no second thought or laughed it
away as he did many other imaginary
evils.
But there was one thing that Lucky
pected by any other man in the camp.
He loved his wife, regardless of her
sharp face, sharper temper, and rusty
hair. If he knew she was not beauti-
full and was no longer young, he knew
so only in dazed sort of way; and if
he noticed her shrill voice, it was but
to remember that it had once been soft
and musical. He was not sentimental
was Lucky Smith; at least if he was he
did not know it; but he was, in his
way, proud of The Company" and,
laboring under delusion common to
many other husbands, always spoke of
her as the Little Woman" though she
lowered above him a head and shoul-
ders.
But times were hard in Paygravel
Gulch. The channels were nearly all
worked out, and, contrary to eXpecta-
tions and precedent, had grown poorer
near the top instead of richer AS the
daily cleanups diminished, the custom
ers of The Company" became less
numerous, and while the usual number
came around to chat, admire, sigh, in
sinuate or openly make love to her,
the light spongy loaves went begging
for some one to eat them
PaygraYel Gulch was past excitement
of the 40 variety, but for all that
mild hum arose upon the arrival in
camp of Speedy John, the handsome,
gentlemanly engineer, miner and gam.
bier. He had both pockets loaded down
with slugs, which he had extracted
from the boards of the denizens Of
Pokerville and American Flats drought
his way by means of a beautiful hold
ouD, and such a bountiful supply of
camp whisky was turned loose upon
the citizens of Paygravel Gulch that
even Bob Daniels was forced to ad-
NIT, grudgingly that times wuz
loolIin' up'ards.'
Speedy John shone resplendent in a
starched shirt and shiny boots. but
when approached as to the motive of
his visit, always declared that he had
''nothin' on the string and wuz only out
f'r the good NV his health The wise
acres of the camp, however, stated to
confidential friends that he was on
hand as the agent of a syndicate with
long name, and advised them to raise
the prices on their claims, and in op-
position tC the usual CUSTOM let il be
understood that the output was far
above, rather than away below the
average. The advice of the wise ones
was followed, and THE Company"
wondered, for some time. why CUSTOM
ers did not crop up under the present
impetus of business
Speedy John, however. staid on and
nothing came Of it: but it was not long
before he discovered that the center of
attraction was The COMPANY" He
became at first a regular customer;
then an ardent admirer, and finally got
to the pass of making violent love to
the Widder, as he called Mrs. Lucky
Smith
It's not" said the sport to a half
dozen miners who had gathered at Job
Fetersons $ saloon at the noon hour;
Its not as there's anything extra fine,
q en- sec, about The Widder, but it