The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-26

i never 10 q EaN4N INNS ia -ANA ~ al 49,
kind one.
Miss Lansham had entered the Porters'
d~rawing-room after the greater number or
the guests had arrived, and she turned from,
her hostess to listen TO an old gentleman
with a passion for golf. a passion in which
he had for a long time been endeavoring 10
interest her. She answered him and his en-
thusiasm in kind, and with a. much appar-
eut interest as she would have shown IN a
matter OF state It was her principle 70 be
all things 10 all men, whether they were
great artists, great diplomats or great bores.
II a man had been pleading with her 10
leave the conservatory and run away with
him.. and another had come up inuOceatly
and announced thai il was his dance, she
would have said: oh. Is it," with As much
apparent delight rs though his coming had
been the one bright hope in her life.
She was growing enthusiastic over the de-
lights OF golf and Uuconsciously making 81
livery beautiful picture OF herself In her in
terest and forced vivacity, when she became
lJconsciOus for the first time of a strange
/ young man who was standing alone before
the fireplace looking At her, and frankly lis
tening TO all the nonsense she was talking.
She guessed that he had been listening FOR
sometime. and she also saw, before he
turned his eyes quickly away. that he Was
distinctly amused. Miss Langham stopped
gesticulating and lowered her voice. but cpr-
tinued to keep her eyes on the face OF the
stranger. whose own eyes were wandering
around the room, TO give her, 50 she
guessed. the idea that he bad not been list
eninE, but that she had caught him at u IN
the moment he had FIRST looked az her. He
was a tail, broad-shUu.dered youth, with a
handsome face, tanned and dyed, either by
the sun or by exposure 70 the wind. 10 n
deep rudy brown, which contrasted
strangely with his yellow hair and mus
tache. and with the pallOr Of the other faces
about him. He was a stranger apparently
TO everyone present. and his bearing sug-
gested, in consequence that ease Of manner
which comes 10 q person who Is nos only
sure OF himself, but who has no knowledge
Of the claims and pretsusions 10 social dis
] tinctiQn OF those about him. His most at
tractive feature was his eyer. which seemed
{ TO observe all that wus golas on, not only
what was on the surface. but beneath the
surface. and that not rudely or covert!y
but with the frank quick look OF the
trained observer Mrs L1ngham found Il
an interesting face 10 watch, and she did
not look away from IL. She was acquainted
with every one else In the room. and hence
she knew this must be the cowboy Of whom
Mrs. Porter had spoken. and she wondered
I how any one who had lived the rough lie
OF the West could still retain the look when
in formal clothes OF one who was IN the
habit OF doing informal things in them.
Mrs. Porter presented her cowboy simply
as MI. Clay, Of whom I spoke 10 YOU"
with a significant raising CT the eyebrows,
/ and the cowboy made way for King. who
took Miss Langham in. He looked frankly
pleased, however. when he found himself
next TO her again. but did not take advaut-
age OF il throughout the first part OF the
dinner. during which time he talked to the
young married woman on his right. and
Miss Langham and KIM continued where
they had left of n their last meeting. They
knew each other vel enough 10 joke Of the
way in which they were thrown into each
others society. and, as she said, they tried
TO make the best OF il, But while she
spoke, Miss Langham was continually con-
sclous OF the presence of her neighbOr, who
picued her interest and her curiosity in dif-
ferent ways. He seemed 10 be at his ease.
and yet from the manner in which he
glanced up and down the table and listened
! to snatches Of talk on either side OF him
he had the appearance OF one to whom It
was all new. and who was seeing It for the
FIRST time.
There was a Jolly group al one end Of the
long table. and they wished TO emphasize the
fact by laughing a little more Historically
lat their remarks than the -humor OF those
witticisms seemed to Justify. \ daughter
n-law OF Mrs. Porter was their leader in
this and at one point she stopped in the
middle Of a story and waving her hand az
the double row OF faces turned in her d.
r~ection, which had been attracted by the
loudness OF her voice. cried gayIy. DOME
isten- This Is for private circulation. 1t Is
not a jeune-dlle story" The debutantes at
the table continued talking again IN steady.
even tones, as though they had not heard
the remark or the first OF the story. and
the men next 10 them appeared equally IN
conscious. But the cowboy. Miss Lancham
noted out OF the corner q her eve, after
a look Of polite surprise, bcamed with
amusement and continued TO stare up and
down the table as though he had discovered
a new trait in a peculiar and interesting
animal. For some reason. she could not
tell why, she felt annoyed with herself and
Y it'll her friends, and resented the attitude
which the newcomer assumed toward them.
Mrs. Porter tells me that you know her
son Gcorgc?' she said. He did not. answer
her al once. but bowed his. head in assent.
with a look Of Interrogation, as though,
50 il seemed 10 her. he had expected her,
when she did speak, 20 say something less
/ conventional.
yes he replied. after a pause. "he
Joined US at Ayutla- II was the terminus
Of the Jalisco and Mexican RsilToad then.
He came out over rhe road and went in
from there with an outfit after mountain
lions. / believe he had very good sport
THAT IS a very wonderful road. I am
told said King, bending forward and in
PRODUCING himself into the conversation
with q nod OF the head toward Clay; quite
a remarkable feat OF engineering"
1T will open up the country I believe
assented the other ndiderently.
y know something OF it." continued King
because 1 met the men who @ere putting
il through at Pariqua, when we touched
there in the yacht. They shipped most OF
III PAM ~ AsA@N 49, N11 -
good deal OF them They were-a very jolly
4 lot. and they gave me a most interesting
account Of their work ana It's ditticulties-
ClE was looking at the othes closely. as
though re was trying TO hn1 someth'nS
back OF what he was saying but as his
glance seemed only 20 emharrlss King he
smiled freely again III assellt and gave
him his FUN attention.
There are no men to-day, Hiss Lang
I ham," King exclaimed, suddenly, turning
toward her, 10 my mind who lead as pic
turesque lives as do civil. engineers And
there are no men whose work is as little
appreciated"
Really" said Miss Langhan. eneOurag-
ingly.
Now those men ! met" c0ISnued King,
settling himself with his side 8 the table,
were all young fellows OF 81 or there
abouts, but they we're leadingCthe lives Of
pioneers and martyrs-at least, that's what
I'd call IL. They were marcrng through
an almost unknown part OF Mexico. fight
ing Nature at every step and c5Srying civil
ization with them. They were s1otng better
work than soldiers. because folders de-
stroy things, and these chaps wsre creating
and making their way straight They had
no banners either, nor brass ! fnds. They
fought mountains and rivers. a d they We're
attacked on every SIDE by fever ana the lack
sit down around a campfire a. night and
calculate whether they were 70 tunnel a
mountain. or turn the bed OF a river or
bridge IL. And they knew all &c time that
whatever they decided to do cut there in
-