The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-06-25

no rain for Il month, and the stage
driver said there was trouble all along
the line from Failing Deer.
"There's man on the front seat"
Jerry Holmes said when the white
covered wagon came slowly up Main
street. Main street was broad and
dusty, and Tom Holmes yellow dog
was sprawled out full length in Its
center.
There's something else, too" added
Mrs. Holmes, shading her eyes with
her apron, "tumbled over in his lap"
The wagon drew up five minutes
later beside the yellow dog.
Got any water?" called the stranger.
We've come out from Nebraska"
lie lifted the tumbled something ten
derby In his long, thin arms. A little
| pink sunbonnet fell In the dust of the
road, and Toms yellow dog strolled
over and smeled of 1t interestedly.
Land, it's II baby girlr cried Mrs.
| Holmes stretching out her arms hun.
grily.
Coggins lifted his head from the
water pail Tom had brought lie had
| drunk In deep drafts, like horse.
~ had to leave her mother down
yonder," he replied as he bent over the
tangle of moist light curls that lay
back YEARLY on his shoulder.
"There was another one. too-boy,
little bit of skinny fellow, bout two
months old She'd never been just well
since he came but we thought maybe
| the trip would do her good. So we sold
out and came up from West Chipco.
and there wasn't any water, and the
baby got sick"
He stopped and looked off over the
way he had driven.
'Then what" asked Tom bluntly.
| staring up ut the stranger with the
| frank curiosity OF ten years.
'"rhen one night they both died." re-
turned Coggins gently, clown there
near the river, bout thirty miles or SO.
I'd have stayed there, too. IL 1t hadn't
been for this one He twisted II
loose curl around his finger thought
fully. Names Sue" he added
Mothers name too"
SO Sue came to Rainbow Valley, and
she and her pink sunbonnet We're loved
more than Tom and his yellow dog.
In ten years the boom struck the val
ley. Old Jerry Holmes found the vein,
and they call him the copper king In
New York now. BY the time the full
news of the discovery reached the
country he owned every acre Of the
claim and was buying town lots OF
Main street. From end to end the val
Iey niieu, ana fortunes were easy. q
hotel rose where Holmes general stor,
had Stood and there came also Il rail
road and theater and three churches
and n public fountain with red gerani
UNI beds around 1t, splashed In th'
center of Main street where Toms
yellow dog had sprawled.
But the little Coggins shack on tht
side of Big Eagle remained the same
and from end TO end of the town Sue
and her pink sunbonnet were known
| and loved. 1t was larger sunbonnet
now AID plnker one, and the face be-
| meath was rosy aud round checked and
dimpled, but there were the same loose
| blond eurls and the brown eyes That
| had belonged to the tired baby girl who
| had come up from Nebraska long ago.
Cogglns was quiet and nonprogress-
| i've as ever. When the electric car
| was put on between the mines and the
| foot of Main street, he went to Holmes,
| got the running Of II and was content
| ed.
Every day when the motor car made
| It's noon trip dot Of bright pink
! flashed out ut one window. There was
| II little stool which stood beside the
controller box, and there Sue would
perch, watching Coggins AZ he worked
the lever with steady hand while ho
whistled "Dixle Land" and ali the
| way from the mines to the depot the
men would raise their heads to watch
for the fash of pink. and they called
her Sunbonnet Sue.
The big strike came In the fall of
1890. When 800 workers faced old
| Holmes with the demands of distant
ring of labor agltators, he laughed and
told them they had quit for good, 30
| far as he was concerned. That was
| after they had tried to fire the mines
] and had burned the freight sheds al0ng
| the track When the rumor spread lat
er that gang OF Swedes and Poles
had been wired for from the cast. the
old crowd started for the mines to find
| Holmes.
| When the long line Of men passed
| out Of town, Sue stood watching tho
| dark masses fade away into the pur-
| pie hill distances. Over in cane seat
ed chair, tipped back lazily against the
| kitchen wall, sat Coggins, smoking.
'They won't hurt any one, will they,
father" Sue asked anxiously.
| isn't any one there for them to hurt"
replied Jack contentedly. II guess they
haven't any dynamite anyway. They'll
| just walk around and talk"
Sue turned from him thoughtfully.
| The faces Of the men had looked as
though they intended doing more than
walking around and talking. All ut
| Dnce shadow fell In front OF the
kitchen door. 1t was Mrs. Holmes,
bareheaded and white faced, as she
had run down from the hotel ut the
! first alarm.
Where's your father, SueT she
asked breathlessly.
Cogglns rose.
Fright here. Mrs. Holiness" he said.
Whats upf"
ooh, I'm so gladw she exclaimed.
"Jerry's gone to meet tho troops from
Cheyenne, but there's Tom and dozen
more up there at the mines. They've
got u lot of dynamite, and the boys
don't even know they're coming. Jerry
told Tom to stand guard until he came
with the troops. There Is no way but
the motor line"
Jack looked beyond her to where Sue
stood, alert and eager eyed.
"Shc's only got me- he began, but
Sue shook her head at him reproach-
| fully.
"Do you think I'd stay here alone?
or course not" She had her snnbon-
| nor In har hand unfyfnO the tangled