The Republican., 1898-02-17

Ns~STHr-T ~ settlers had de-
~ cided that it ought
@ to be done, and
the method of its
carrying out was left to committee
consisting of the storekeeper, the teach
er, and one of the leading cattlemen
who, rumor said, had once owned IL
brarY.
'fOf course it amt proving nothing
abCdt our honesty that we do this sort
of thing" remarked Borden, the rancho
foreman, but it's the right thing to
do"
Eyes, Washington was a fine old
gentleman" added the storekeeper, IAN
we Virginians always will stand by
HIM"
Mighty nice thing to be honoring
the leader of revolution" broke in
gruff voice from the rear of the store.
lit was the Englishman who was over
seeing the fencing of the Olympic Cat
tie company's new lands. He had been
a farmer over in the Cimmarron coun-
try, and was always objecting to what
ever was on foot.
"Hush up, you got too badly licked
TO talk" was the rejoinder from Bor
den; and Glade, the foreigner, sub
sided.
The celebration was to take place in
the schoolhouse out on the edge of
the tiny settlement. From its door
could De seen the haze that covered
the tops of the Spanish peaks off to
the west and also the sunken lines of
the Cimmarron. 1t was all the concep-
ton of the pretty school mistress, who
thought 20 thus raise enough money to
buy a flag for the buildings roof.
There were other inducements for the
two men who helped in the prepara
tions-Borden and Grade. The cattle
man thought there was no one like
Lizzie Dean--and the Englishman
thought the same.
"You are to be Washington" said the
director to Borden, and the part fit
ted him well.
"Al right, I'll lick the Britishers out
of their boots" he declared as he
pranced around with stick for a
sword, and cast ugly looks at Glade.
"And you shall be CORVALLIS" turn
ing to Glade. This, too, seemed salts
factory.
Night after night they met at the
schoolhouse preparing the rendition of
the play. The half-dozen actors were
determined that there should be no
ground for criticism. Spring was early
on the prairie, and the gray and brown
grasses were dry as tinder. The close
curling buffalo grass was, like that of
the blue stem, crinkling in the breeze,
and the cattle were nibbling it away to
get at the tiny spears of green be-
meath.
One night the play was nearly over
when Borden remarked, in tones that
came to the ears of the entire com
pany: eff 1 had my way, I'd order
every one of these red coats off the soil
of America"
"Mbybe you can't do any better than
did your first president at that" was
the sneer that came from back in the
flies (curtains strung on pieces of
twine) somewhere.
Borden grew angry. "Well, 1 can
try. the same as he did. He won in the
end. I believe"
The Englishman came out in the
middle of the room. II would not ad-
wise thee to try it," he drawled. The
words were not more than out of his
mouth when there came a crash OF
scenery, and along with the flies and
nearly everything portable came Bor-
den from the stage which he left with
a leap. He made straight for the throat
of his adversary, but what met his
grasp when he reached out was-NIiss
Deans hand.
"There, there, let this stop right
here. The man you represent would
never have fought in the presence of a
woman"
Borden, abashed, stood back, and
then went to the stage. But 1t did
not mean the end of the trouble-every.
body knew that. The men had a fight
after the evenings practice was over
but it settled nothing. except that they
were both very much in love with
Lizzie
The school did not amount to mucl
those days, for all the scholars were
practicing for their parts in the com
ing drama. The work on the rancho,
suffered likewise, for there w3s the
same interest among the older people
On the night before the festal day there
was a final practicing at the school
house. and again the two representa-
lives of the opposing sides in the revo
luton had their warfare of words.
In his speech the American took pain
a Insert n few words rejecting On tn,