El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-21
CHAPTER V.

! the resident manager, out OF the KIND
/, ness of her heart, sent special invita-
ton, urging the Ellery family to assist
at the function.
'And 1 suppose the poor woman has
not the remotest idea why we should
not go, - remarked Nelsine with an air
of despairing appreciation of her neigh
boris hopeless simplicity.
But why should we not go?' cried
| Edith eagerly. "A genuine cowboy
dance! 1t ought to be no end of fun. !"
:" 1t is-better than circus" Hugh
declared, laughing with reminiscent en-
| ioyment. I'VE took one in over at the
| Campbells' awhile ago 1t was no end
| of lark. AS to the Dennisons," glanc-
ing interrogatively at his wife, 4 should
hate to offend them.',
Yes Nelsine admitted, with
plaintive little sigh. ''They are so ac-
communicating in the matter of butter
| and eggs and chickens. But when it
comes to taking Edith to the dance
'But why not?' cried that young
woman in vigorous protest. els it not
respectable?''
''Oh, re-eminently respectable, but
as hopelessly mixed as heaven itself, -
laughed Hugh. 1.-The best society will
be there as we'll as the second best, all
pretty much alike as to gowns and
grammar, all particularly free and ag
gressively equal. -
cit is not a private party, you must
know" put in Nelsine parenthetically.
1.-The cowboys get it up among them
selves to celebrate the end of the round
up. The Dennisons scarcely do more
than lend their house. The boys hire
fiddler-and, such a fiddler!-from a
ranch some 20 miles up the country, who
packs his wife and a parlor organ along
with his own especial instrument of
torture to the scene of festivities where
he acts as master of ceremonies, - while
as she paused Hugh continued the tale,
delighting in the description: ''The
dances are sold by numbers, so cents
for each opportunity having become
the established figure. You pay your
money, but then you don't take your
choice to any great extent, for the fd-
dler, with strict impartiality, calls out
the numbers before each dance, so that
one has only to find ones partner and
in the recherche language commonly
employed Oh these joyous occasions
hoof it to the extent of his moneys
worth, whether luck happens to have
given him a reel or Il redowa This
simple arrangement has not only pecu-
mary advantages to recommend it, but
it also works like Il charm in preventing
any obstreperous COW puncher from de-
manding more than his fair share of
floor space and partners, a contingency
which has been known to lead TO en-
Darrassing results i'll this simple and
untrammeled society, where weapons are
always handy
''Ah, this is the west have dreamed
about" cried the girl delightedly. |
''Surely, Nelsine, there could be no
harm in going to look on for a little |
while?''
Il suppose it would please Mrs. Den |
nison, her sister-in-law thoughtfully |
admitted, alive to the Importance of !
conciliating so desirable a neighbor.
''But of course you could not dance"
But on tho evening in question it was
settled that only Hugh and his sister
should accept Mrs. Dennison's invita-
ton, Nelsine, even if she had wished to
make one CT the party, not liking to ask
Artaliss;i, who also had been invited,
to remain at home with the children.
Late hours for arrival We're not fash
lOnable i'll Cow Creek society, and it
was i'll the cool gray twilight that they
drove down the winding natural road
along the creek TO the l Y Bar ranch,
to find that, early as they We're, many
had come before them. Edith saw most
OF the men belonging to the X outfit
in the groups that were loung-
ing about the barns and corrals, while
fresh as rose in pink cot
ton gown, was laughing with a couple
Of women in the doorway of the low,
Imprinted frame house.
MIR. Dennison, greeting them all with
cordial hailfellow- well -metship, led
The way indoors and went to find his
wife, who was, as he ingenuously ex-
planned to Edith's great amusement,
in the leanto putting the last ticks to
he SUPPER 4 faint but unmistakable
'dor Of boiled ham pervading the place
one delicacy at least to fig
Ire at the coming banquet.
They had come into what was evil
lently the family living room. large,
ow apartment, uupainted and unplas-
cred, its walls smoothly covered with
cotton shooting which had once been ,
white, its slightly dust stained and
mOky surface now brilliantly illumi-
lated With several kerosene lamps, with
generous row of candles besides, glued ,
~ their own drippings to a small pine
hef- The room had been stripped of
most of its furniture, only few chairs I
tiffly ranged against the wall remain ,
ny, together with a bed in one corner
protected by calico curtains, which ,
edith presently discovered was a ,
thoughtful provision for the babies, ,
which were brought to the ball in num- 8
'ers simply amazing to her unaccustom- ,
d eyes Most of these plump mothers, E
,dith n1lnssed 1yere the ,,rirnS of tho =