Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-07
.<ssss<s,<<>> s. xxx * 60: ss<SS> > s<ss sssss
THE STORY OF TIE MARQUIS

BY Lynn Roby Meekins


The guests settled themselves for the
story and the marquis continued.
My desire for travel bordered an the
insane and when l came into possession
of the small property of the familysI had
it invested SO that l might spend the
balance of my days in gadding. And I've
been faithful to my ambition. And l ex-
pect to go until the end. Well, when I
started out l was thin and beardless and
l suffered. You must pardon the vanity
of thes "details because they are necess-
airy to tn estory. l suffered about as
badly as my friend Smithson who went
tiger-hunting in India. Owing to an ac-
cident h ecould not use his gun but, from
pure sport he wanted the excitement of
seeing the beast shot. So he told his
chief attendant to fire when he gave the
word. TIL etiger came. Smithson began
to give the word and the tiger stood
there and wondered at the nervous repe-
titions of tiff, ending finally. Mn
never m-mmind. he's gone
Again the diners laughed.
Il had read about the Rocky noun
tains and the wild life and wonderful
scenery and l decided to begin there. SO
l came over and took the first train west
that was twenty years ago. l got out
there and bought a gorgeous equipment
and hired some men and then struck for
the UNEMPLOYED wilderness. l found that
the men liked the comforts of the camp
better han the joys Of exploration. and
with my new zeal l left them one day and
went alone. They warned me not to do
it. but l had two things-a compass and
| confidence. and so tn ehero sailed forth.
a sthe story says. He went until he sue
ceeded in getting beautifully and unan-
J imously lost. He was there in the Wilds
with arifle in his hands. and two big re-
volvers in his belt and with a large knife
for emergencies-and suddenly he fell
and in his fall broke the compass into IL
reparable fragments. Then he was zap
py-in fact, very happy"
The marquis paused for appreciation
which promptly came.
When 1 tried to get up he. con-
,tinued, II found that l had sprained my
ankle. The pain was not so bad but it
was nextto impossible to hobble over the
stones of that extremely rough noun
tain side. So 1 sat down and considered
what a sublime fool l was. I thought of
firing off my arsenal to attract any wan
dering sympathy there might be in the
neighborhood and l thought of other
things, but nothing seemed practical. So
I sat there. Suddenly l heard a noise
the music of voices-and looking up l
saw a young giant bringing down a per-
feet venus in his arms
Now. Marquis, you ars getting inter-
esting,' intepolated tn usual bright
young man, without whom 40 dinner par
ty is complete.
Thank you. And they were bearing
directly in my way. Well, not to make
this too long, the young lady had also
| fallen and sprained her ankle. and the
! Young man was carrying her. Ih2y
stopped as they reached me and l en-
planned my predicament. What do You
suppose he did? He made me get UP
on his back while he carried her in Els
arms, holding her as if she We're a IT.
tie doll baby. l never saw such strength.
Well, I. looking over his shoulder, could
get a full view of her face, and if there
was ever life or beauty or health or han-
piness it was there. All. that face! mat
face"
Marquis, do You happen to know
the excursion rates to Colorado? ask
ed the young man again. =
Twenty years ago, my friend, twenty
years ago. Well, to go on. with the story
the giant gave all his attention to- the
lady, saying such things which I tried
not to hear but which We're mainly In
auiries as to whether she was feeling bet
ter. She seemed to be feeling better all
the time-in fact, quite comfortable a.
though she gave me some looks as il to
say tina she would be pleased if l had
sta yed on the other side of the ocean or
some other place. I never appreciated in
my life the old saying about three being
a crowd as I did then. After we had gone
some distance 1 thought I would take
part in the conversation, and I began to
stutter out something, when the giant
remarked to Venus, with a laugh, I'D
forgotten that there was anything on the
roof and then to me he said, Say, you,
up there, send it by mail; it'll get down
quicker"
The marquis was getting along very
we'll, and his story got it's applause as
it proceeded.
We finally reached a rough log home
in the wilderness. and around 1t was a
clearing, in which were some flowers and
vegetables. A most delicious spring was
near. An old colored woman was in
charge. 1t seemed that the head of the
house-the father of the girl, had gone
to Denver for machinery. The young
giant was a miner who was prospecting
in the neighborhood. They were kindness
itself to me, but did not have much to
say to me. And ! did not blame them.
Surely l shall never forget such beauty.
But for the time l did not think very
much of the man, because he made SO
much fun of my outfit. Sonny he said,
the mex time you venture forth have
more nerve in YOU soul or get a wagon
to carry your guns And when I tried
to thank him when I was we'll enough
to walk and he took me to the point from
which l could easily reach my camp, his
parting words We're: Now, young man,
you'd better recollect that guns always
invite trouble and you'd better have an
auction sale l got back, about as FOR
lorn a hero as ever walked-and ] founl
that the men had made away with most
of my goods. Gradually / reached a rail-
road station-and from that time on l