Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-10-03
A FRIEND IN NEED.
by JOHN IT. RAFTERY.

GOllQ from NulCdSO 10 0dDIlSi, AllHs, W
teach school "for her health" looked like
u very fascinating proposition to Miss Den
by-until she had spent II hours OF swell
tering daylight in the cars which snail from
FL Paso across the binding, baking desola-
ton of the border desert to Ortiz, where
she was to leave the train. There her
trunk was dropped at twilight on dusty,
| tenantless platform; there, stiff, half-choked
with fine sand, fcverish, dirty and un-
speakably lonesome, she alighted and looked
about her. Across the dusty road, the fad
ing daylight in their faces, she saw two
glowering Mexicans too lazy or too indifier-
ent to approach the passing express train.
Far up the red, wide passage that might be
"Main street" she saw the first gimmering
lights of 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,
q pony came galoping toward the station.
| Upon its back a mana white man.
The advanced to the edge OF the warped
platform to watch him. He was galloplng
| by. But something of the utter loneliness
of the girl may have struck him, for, jus as
he had come to the water tank he refined his
pony and came ambling up to her.
Gould you kindly tell me where is Ga.
briel-from here" she asked as he dis
mounted.
"Seven miles by the bottom trail" he an
swered, looking frankly at her, ten by the
mesa
Thank you" ..esitati ngly.
He was a broad shouldered, sun-reddened
dust-begrimed young man, with solemn
looking dark eyes anu gentle voice. lie
tugged at his pony's cincA, leaned across
the saddle for an instant, and then, with odd
diflidence-for a man-coughed, removed
his sombrero and said:
Odd you wish to get to Gabriel, miss
"Yes. sir. I'm to have the school there,
and Id 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 very nice place,
and | don't know whether l ought to stay
here all night. Perhaps You know, sir?'
at wouldn't do, miss" he said, simply,
and, dropping his bridle he picked up her
telescope" and led the way into the dingy,
lamp-lighted waiting-room "Will you sit
here for few minutes. miss?'
Thank you, sir" She sat down and
waited. listening to the hoof beats of his
pony drumming away in the dust. Pre-
emily She heard the grind OF wheels, and
then he came in and said:
IF You like, miss, Il drive YOU over 10
Gabriel.
She smiled with tired eyes and lips, but
said nothing, only followed MIN out to tine
weather-beaten blackboard that now stood
beside the platform. They went away
through the dust to the hot dust toward the
49, 81 L.. -.la,. Il 80.
south. She was very tlred, put When 'he!
had passed across some barren stretches OF
glazing alkali she said:
Il don't know how to thank YOU, >1r 1t
seems very lonely country about mere. |
daresay there may DC Indians, too. l should
have died OF fright there
He smiled silently after looking once into
her face. and for awhile there Wa, no sound
but the chirr of wheels in the day land and
The Groom of the warm breeze ,itiiu- the dust
into a cloud about them.
81 .,,,,oso Won live in Gabrielle she said