Evening star., 1902-08-30

Pvt called her Angel Just on the strength
of general appearances, and the name
Clung.
II was a first impression. One of the
specialties Of Piety Flat was first impress
sons Sometimes they were vivid. There
was once a man who rode in from SOME
where. He wore an alpaca coat, carried
kodak and looked at Piety Flat through
eyeglasses. one day he kicked dog. 1t
was little Puts dog, The third day after Angel
came Put took her across the wash and
showed her where We dropped the kodak
man down into the river bed 1t was one
of the Flats first Impressions.
Did he de- asked Angel and the re
Eret and marvellous tenderness OF her gray
eyes made little Put hunger after the
slaughter of the kodak man, that he might
tell the tale Of CORY vengeance and see her
weep.
No" he said regretfuIly I'VE dropped
him easy l did 1t myself, the same way
he did the dog. you know. He just had to
take another way back home. That was
all 1t was a good dog"
Flung out into the heart of the wilder
ness was an extra ridge Of wilder wilder
ness, with the giant caCti upspringing
the edge of the desert like thOrny barrier
between It and the outer world. few
men had yentured beyond the barrier and
pitched their tents on the ridge and called
II Piety Flat. incidentally across the wash
they struck copper in the foothills and
they lived and worked and hoped with the
promise OF the future Turing them on.
There was sand and tents and more sand
and lizards and a little more sand. and
then nothing until you struck the river
and could look up at the ragged purple line
Of the foothills stretched out against the
western sky
Nothing much happened Sometimes there
came sunset so glorious that # made lit
tie Put get out his mandolin and go mad
until star time came and put him to
bed gently. There was the stage from
Florence three times a week. Sometimes
there was a sudden flash of excitement
over on the other side of the wash where
the copper diggings stabbed the hillside.
Little Put or some one else had hit a
run and celebrating The ceIsbra-
tionS usually lasted ten minutes, then we
woke up again and went back to grubbfng.
The stage and sunsets were perpetual. The
celebrations were accidental. So was the
Angel.
Put said she was beautiful that day when
she faced US all 1t had been over a year
since any of us had viewed angels and we
agreed with Put Her hair wasn't any spe-
ciai color. just fluffy and undecided, and
the deep. soft-brown gold that the frost
brings TO the CottOnwOOds on the hills in
October. There was a long. wavering knot
Of pale blue ribbon. tied sailor fashion, at
the collar Of her white shirt waist. We
wondered why all the other angels IN our
hearts had never thought to wear blue rib
bons. It was another impression, but We
were glad little Put had called her Angel.
@,
and someway she looked at little Put. We
felt for him. Il was the toughest PROPOSE
tion he had ever faced. At that moment
he bore all Piety Flat on his shoulders ard
answered for II.
He was here said little Put, eucour-
agingly
The Angels lips did not tighten or COM
press: they did a little act all their own
that would have wrung the heart OF a dead
Apache little pursing up Of the special
center nerves. little wiStful dropping Of
the side curves and the deed was done.
Piety Flat beheld and bowed in alteration.
So did little Put.
But he Will be back?'
Put rallied, and there was the red light
Of battle in his eye We knew he would
carry his c1l0rs to the death.
ANY day at all Just struck out a little
farther west to see how the land lay"
How long has he been gomez
Put swallowed back the lump IN his
throat and smiled reflectiyeiy.
About a week or So
The Angel set her alligator satcheI on the
ground and pondered.
TITS awfully queer she said a last He
knew l was coming. / wrote him two
weeks ago. and he sent back word Just
when 10 come. so I came, Of course
Put laboriOusly marked a star out IN the
sand with the toe Of his boot, then he asked
gently:
Mrs. Raymond?'
The girl flushed warmly.
Why. no. ~ course not I'm Jacks sis
ter, DOllie, don't you know? Dorothy Ray
mond."
The sand star was obIiterated swiftly
I suppose she added a trifie nervously,
II shall have 10 stay, now I'm here. And
he may be back any day. l think I had bet
ter go to his-his has he a tent or anything
special where I could stay?"
"Oh. yes indeed" Puts eyes were clear
and bright. Here at least he was on safe
ground The shadow had shifted for the
moment. He pointed over the fiat TO where
there was rise Of ground eastward and a
WOOD SfTal In bg
above the rough boards OF a new shack
That's his place. he said. IN tone OF
triumphant pride. which only Piety Flat
could understand You'll find all HIS things
there and it's yours just the same, YOU
know"
Just as he left lt?"
"Yes'm, Just exactly" Put said earnestly.
I'VE didn't disturb a thing / guess things
are kind Of mixed up and muddled, maybe,
for you"
"Oh. III soon straighten that out I shall
love TO DO that for him. He won't know
how badly he needed me until he sees how
1t all looks when he comes back Tomor-
row. DID YOU say?'
Any day. Miss Raymond any day at
all. said Put s0lenrly. and We watched
her IN silence as she walked slowly toward
the new shack under the cottonwood
There vas a council Of state held that
night. and little Put made speech.
Speeches were one Of his strong points
Piety Flat held that he had many He
stood on a wooden box up at Eddie Bartons
farthest from the shack 1t was a great
speech Eddie told him II he would write II
down for him to learn by heart he'd give
him SamEatha- Put led Samantha up 10
the door Of the new shack the next morn
Ing and gave her TO the Angel
She Isn't real handsome but you'll need
her. and she belonged to Jack"
'SAe's a dear" said the Angel lovingly
as she stood tan and slim and sweet as the
morning in the doorway and surveyed Sa-
rnantha. Are all burrOs like herr
NO. she's little more so than the rest
laughed Put, stroking Samantha's hide. It
was faded gray color. Ike the old soiled
Indian blanket ne had thrown around nar
and many trips over the hills through tn,
thoruy mesquite growth had deprived her
tail OF It's natural bushy glory and left
worn spots here and there on her gray hide
Ike the moth-eaten patches on the Indian
blanket.
But she's the best one on the Flat" he
Jack always wanted the best" she said.
n1erriy. What a boy he Is. isn't he
Mr.
Chadwick" said Put. sedately. Put
ney Chadwick anywhere on earth but here
i m Just Put the Fiat
Il don't remember the name and Jack