The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-03-23
WILD BILLS ROSE.


The sun was setting in sea of rain
bow hues behind the tall, gray-peaked
mountain tops. whose sombre Jagged
ness, here and there, glinted brightly
where the golden shafts of diaphanous
sunbeam kissed them. The lurid glow
of the light of the setting sun filled the
atmosphere with wierd, fiery haze:
the grayish yellow sand of the earth
cleaned more golden. and the dark
olive of the outrageous trees shone
of brighter green. A group of men
are clustered lounglngly about the door
of Gruff Rock tavern.
ut amt nuthin' to none of us, one
of the miners Is saying, "exceptln' that
what hurts Bill hurts us.
IF Master David means wrong by
the girl" another says. and his fists
clinch incidentally.
Hole on. Buck, some one inter
rupts him. IF In all the white-faeed
aristocracy there's one gentleman, It's
Master David"
GOSH | wonder If Bill knows2
shut up, comrades, here he Is.
A form, uncommonly tall. stalwart
as an oak. straight as n pine, advances
toward the group lie strides to Il va
cant chair in silence. There's nothing
repossessingly handsome about this
gruff Westerner, excepting the gentle
ness that turks about his mouth Bill
had perceived the seemingly mutual
Partially OF his little Rose and the
pale-faeed stranger. Yet. why had
every one perceived It?
When young Lodding, stalwart
STRIPPING, had come to Pawnee Bill to
tell. In his honest faltering eloquence
the story of his love for little Rose.
Bill shook the boys hand with kind.
heartedness.
Lord" Bill said, Il love my little
gal better nor anything else on earth,
but you're worthy of her. lad. Go ask
the chit and my heart and godspeed
go with you.
LoddnE never preached the subject
to Bill afterward, but his eyes lower
ed and his lips twitched painfully
whenever the great blue eyes of BIZ
met him. Rose never mentioned Lod's
name now. while there was time
when she would run to BIZ with o
merry laugh to exhibit the rare noun.
tain stone or brace of game that Iod
had given her. That was before there
had been a question OF love, but now
well NOW II was dIffereut
Among the miners all conversational
desire seems to have fed, and each
engaged with his own thoughts, seems
not to be conscious OF the long silence
Some distance eastward, silhouetted
against the transparent blue OF the
evening sky. two forms are visible
meanderlng slowly along the rocky
powders and low-lying cliffs The fig
ure OF "A girl, from the wide rim OF
whose hat floats IA tangle of sunny
eurls. smile lights the comelnesf
of her youthful countenance as she
places one slender hand In that OF her
from where he stands on a juttlnp
rock a little beneath her.
His lips part In genial smile, as
though he had said something amusing
or pleasant, and the girls smiling
face breaks into ripples OF laughing
smiles. Pawnee Bill has turned and
gazes at the tableau In silence He
utters no word-rising silently. he
moves slowly from the still companion
ship OF his comrades AS he moves
from his comrades, they look at him
In silence What harm could come to
Pawnee Bits Rose? What would
that aristocrat be in Pawnee BIlt
hands? A helpless atom, a reed-why
nothing at all.
DO let us stop here. I'm tired Mas
ter David"
Rose, why do you persist in calling
me Master David? DO you not like
David just as well?"
Yes, but-you see-eyerybody here
calls you Master David, and why
should l be different from anybody
else?"
you cannot help being that Rose
AT least, not to me. Now, to please
me, let me hear you say David"
She looked at him, half tlmldly al
first; then, fixing her glance firmly OF
his, she says, clearly and sweetly, 'Da.
vid."
"Brayely done! But | have not YET
finished. Gould you not say dear Da.
vid'?"
The long lashes are lowered now
and her face Is crimson flushed
Couldn't you, Rose?" he pleaded
She strives to meet his gaze as before
but her eyellds seem to droop involun.
tarily, and her lips falter perceptlbly
as she says. Dear David" She Is
too confused to notice that both heI
hands are held In his. and when she