The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-23
Ranchman Of the Mesquite.

IFTOm the chicago flecOfu-f1efalQ.l
Going from Chicago to Gabriel. Ariz-,
to teach school for her health looked
like very fascinating proposition to
Miss Denby-until she had spent twelve
hours OF sweltering daylight in the cars
| which snail from Ell Paso across the
| binding, baking desolation of the bor-
der desert to Ortiz, where she was to
leave the train. There her trunk was
dropped at twilight on dusty, tenart-
less platform; there, stiff half-choke1
with fine sand, feverish. dirty and I'M
speakably lonesome, she alighted and
r osd the O fading dayliehtin their faces,
she saw two glowering Mexicans too
lazy or too Indifferent to- approach the
passing express train Far up the red.
wide passage that might be = Nam
lights of q groveling village OF adobe
| huts. The station agent, the only
American in sight. stared at her as
though she had dropped from another
planet.
She would have sat down, on her
trunk to cry. but Just then. in a whirl
of lurid dust. a pony came galloping
toward the station. Upon. its back was
| the edge of the warped platform to
watch him. He was galloping by. But
something of the utter loneliness of the
girl may have struck him. for, just as
refined his pony and came ambling up
| to her. sst
Gould you kindly tell me where is
Cabriel-from here?" she asked as he
| dismounted. "a y
"seven miles by the bottom TRAIL" be
answered, looking frankly at her, ten
by the mesa"
| He was a broad-shouldered. sum
Redeemed, dust-begrimeds young man.
with solemn looking dark eyes and a
gentle voice. He tuggedoat his pony's
cinch, leaned across the saddle for an
instant. and then. with sodd diffidence
for a man-coughed, removed his
| sombrero and said:
| Did you wish to get Ito Gabriel.
miss 2"
Eyes, sir. I'm to have the school
there, and I'd like to get there as soon
as possible. I've come all the way from
Chicago and. and I've got place to
stay in Gabriel This place-it doesn't
look like a very nice place, and don't
know whether ought to stay here all
night. Perhaps you know. sir?"
1T wouldn't do. miss" he said sim
ply, and, dropping his bride, he picked
up her telescope and led the way into
| the dingy, 1amp-lighted waiting room
win you sit here for few minutes.
miss?"
sNThank you, sir" She sat down and
| his pony drumming away in the dust
Presently she heard the grind of wheels
and then he came in and said:
IF YOU like. miss. I'll drive you over
| She smiled with tired eyes and lips,
but said nothing, only followed him out
| to the weather-beaten blackboard that
now stood beside the platform. They
went away through the hot dust toward
| the south She was very tired. but
when they had passed across some bar
rem stretches of glazing alkali she said:
IT don't know how to thank you, sir.
1t seems a very lonely country about
here / daresay there may be Indians.
| 7 CD 6ou died n fright there -
He smiled silently after looking once in
her face. and for awhile there was no
| sound but the chirr of wheels in the
dry sand and the Groom of the warm
| breeze sitting the dust into a cloud
about them.
st suppose you live in Gabriel?" she
said at last, hoping to lead him into
conversation, but he only said, mo.
and was silent till they came to the lit
| tie struggling town of Gabriel He
drove to the house of Judge Poultney,
who had employed her, and as he
helped her down at the gate, she said !:
II hope I'll see you again. sir 1t
was awfully kind of you, and-I'd like
| to see-that is, Thope I'll have a chance
to-I mean I'd like to reciprocate some
way
.'Oh, it was nothing, miss" he said,
quietly, standing in the semi darkness.
his hat in his hand and his voice very
low and musical. I'm paid already,
miss. IL was a pressure
She gave him her hand, and he took
it reverently in his mighty palm. Then
she went into the house and was very
lonesome till she went to sleep, although
the judge and his wife were very kind
and her little room was clean and even
cheerful. But in the long days which
followed, days of work among sullen,
half breed pupils and scarcely less ami
able white children, her heart was
borne down and wearied with the
empty glare of the sandy reaches about
i her, her head was du1led and dizzied
Z with the blaze of the incessant sun and
the chatting buster of the hot, blisterine
4 dust She looked always for him, whose
: name she did not know, but in whose
simple, gentle kindness she had read the
old. new story of inherent chivalry, ten
4 derness and romance. In the hope Of
4 seeing him again she endured the DESC
Fl lation the drudgery and the tedium OF
happen in Gabriel except dismal ser
mon and = brief service in the sQuaH6