Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-13
SANDY'S GHOST.

SANDY'S GHOST.
Recommendations fer the night,
stranger2 Waal, yes; I reckon we can fix
a place fer you. Hev a cheer an set you
down."
"Thank you. Don't you find this rather
that I can sce2 How came you to settle
/ here, SO far removed from other habita-
tion?'
"Waal, perhaps it's best not ter ask too
many questions ter once"
"Beg your pardon. No offense was in
tended, l assure you. Simply idle curl
osity."
Don't say 'nuther word, stranger, but
come in an Well hey a snack fer supper.
Polly, bring on tho victu'ls. Yer jes' in
time.''
Polly at once obeyed. She was a typical
western girl-tall, 1.-THE, graceful and
limpid eyed. She was clear skinned and
high spirited, too, and in this case igno-
rant through no fault Of her own. John
Bars eyes scanned her intently, and q
flush came to her cheeks. For the first
time in her life she was unpleasantly con-
scious of her bare feet. 1t may have been
this that made her stumble and spill some
of the contents Of an earthen bow over
the guests knees as she placed it on the
table.
Her eyes flashed and q tear Of anger
twinkled on the lashes. She stopped, half
meaning to apologize, but an oath from
her father caused her to set the bowl down
heavily and to hurry from the cabin. A
moment later Barr saw a flutter of pink
calico from behind a pile of rocks. Old
Kit Robinson saw it too.
"Don't wonder at yer sayin tain right.
She's a sma't gal an a good locker, too,
an should hey been sent away frum here
ter school ter be dedicated. But she won't
leave her no count dad. I orter be shot fer
cussin her. But I amt what l use ter be.
Settin here an keepin guard makes Inc
naryous."
Bars eyes asked the question his lips
refused to speak. Supper eaten, the men
went outside and sat with their chairs tilt
ed back against the cabin. Something in
the younger man s frank face had softened
old Kit into a reminiscent mood and made
him strangely inclined to crafty an idle
curiosity.
The soft evening winds sighed through
the branches of tho tall spruce pines, and
the declining rays of the setting sun caused
the shadow of the rude home to stretch
out longer across the greensward. From
its shelter where he sat John Barr looked
out on the grand ranges of the Rockies
and wondered where in their vastness he
would find the mai he sought-the find.
ing of whom had brought him out into
this wild and almost forsaken mining
camp.
STRANGER, I've took a likin ter you.
Ye've a sumthin about you tibet reminds
me of sum one I know, an you look like
an honest chap. Say, do you blieye III
ghosts?"
He put the question very suddenly, and
q look Of disappointment crossed his face
when Barr told him that he did not be-
lieve in spooks.
"Waal, Two seen 'em!'
A thought connecting the pink calico
with something in the past came to Barr
mind.
"Can't you tell mo about it,, he asked
"I'd like ter if you'll sw'ar on yer der
ringer never ter blab. Will you sw'ar?"
:. The solitary guest started to smile, but
the smile faded at the thought Of unshet
} tears III Polly's eyes, 1t might make j
! easier for her if he hulmored the old man,
"Ill swear, " he said. And he did.
"Do you see yam old spruce at the turn
Of the trail an the cliff jes' aboyos Waal
thet's the spot I'm watchin All guardin til
+, the owner Gums ter claim 1t. I'm quicl
ter burn powder all u pretty sure shot.
i BpHnNwv n Snnpn u,nn n rAn. 1frr4 ~r -&nt
easy fooled. Waal. ter begin with, l ha,
q pardner once, an he wuz q man sur
'nough. He wuz frum the state of New
> York. I never axed him as ter how 80 fin,
r a gent cum ter be diggin an shov'lin il
|. the Rockies, though ter myself | said tina
wuz sum good reason, He had light hair
an we called him Sandy fer short, an h
wuz ies' erbout as gritty as sand. We wu'
as unlike as any two fellers YOU ever saw
He wuz quietlike an steady, an I wuz sort
or wild an reckless an liked mounting dew
t mos too we'll. Waal, when we had a lit
Q tie dust scraped together, We would divyy
an I TUX my share way down ter the sta
ton on the other side Of the cliffs an sen
g IL of ter the bank in Helena. But ! aller
left sum hid whar the gal would find 1t
Old Sandy he'd him a bank of his own the
: no one knew erbout 'ceptin hisself, al
ev'ry time we divided he'd carry part Of !
ter his hidin place an then give the rest to
mo ter send ter his boy, tibet he said WI
being eddioated in sum college way up II
Boston. He seemed ter think a heap 0
tibet boy. AFTER awhile my old womal
give out, an soon we laid her away OH tn
hillside. It wuz hard, stranger"
Old Kits voice failed him for a mt