Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-06

apNANA ~ ouNf hMA Wutn kno stage WIONN |
up to headquarters tent, that spring morn
ing. and Len Mason helped her out, little
Put called her Angel. just on the strength
Of general appearances, and the name chung.
II was a FIRST Impression. one Of the
spocialties OF Piety Flat was FIRST impress
sions. Sometimes they we're vivid. There
was once a man who rooe In from some
where. He wore an alpaca coat. carried a
kodak and looked at Piety Flat through
eyeglasses. One day he kicked a 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 die9" asked Angel. and fhe regret
and marvellous tenderness OF her gray eyes
made little Put hunger after the slaughter
Of thu kodak man, that he might tell the
tale Of CORY vengeance, and see her weep.
NO." be said, regretfully. w dropped
him easy. I did It myself, the same way
he did the dog. you know. He Just had to
take another way back home. That was all.
II was a good dog"
Flung out into the heart OF the wilderness
war ar extra ridge Of wilder wilderness,
with the giant cacti upspringing on the
edge Of the desert like a thorny barrier, be-
tween Il and the outer world. A few men
had ventured beyond the barrier and
pitched their tents on the ridge and called
It 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 q sunset so glorious that It made little
Put get out his mandolin and 20 mad until
star time came and we put him to bed
gently. There was the stage from Florence
three times a week. Sometimes there was
a sudden fash 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 new run and was
celebrating. The celebrations usually
lasted ten minutes. then we woke up again
and went back to grubbing. The stage and
sunsets were perpetual. The celebrations
were accidental. So was the Angel.
Put said she was beSutiful tnat 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-
Sh3A CoAOar just HunI anu uuQeCiQeQ, ana
the deep soft brown gold that the frost
brings to the cottonwood 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 SsS never thought 10 wear blue rib
bons. 1t was another impression, but we
were glad little Put had called her Angel.
Isn't JacS Raymond here?" she asked,
and somewOy she looked at little Put. We
felt for HIN. II was the toughest PROPOSE
tion he lad ever faced. At that moment
he bore all Piety Flat on his shoulders and
answered for It.
H was here" said little Put encourage
ingly.
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. A little pursuing up Of the special
center nerves. a little wistful dropping Of
the side curves ana the deed was done.
Piety Flat beheid and bowed in alteration.
30 did little Put.
Blu he will be back3'
Put rallied, and there was the red light
Of battle in his eye. We knew he would
carry his colors to the death.
ANY day at all. Just struck out a little
LorInOr WEST 10 see now the lhnQ iHy.
How long has he been gone3"
Put swallowed back the lump in his
throat and smiled re6ectively.
ABOUT a week or So"
The Angel set her alligator satchel on
the ground and pondered.
Its awfully queer" she said at last
He knew ! was coming. l wrote him two
weeks ago, and he sent back word Just when
to come, so / came Of course"
Put laborfously 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, Of course not. I'm Jacks sis
ter, Dolly. don't you know? Dorothy Ray
mead"
The sand star was obliteratNd swiftly.
81 suppose" she added a tribe nervously,
81 shall have to stay, now I'm here. And
he may be back any day. 1 think I had
better go to his-his. has he a tent or any
thing special where / could stayt"
20, 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 nat TO where
there was a rise Of ground eastward and a
lone cottonwood spread struggling boughs
AEuNt NnG IO0kh OSAhNe
''That's his place." he said, In . tone OF
triumphant pride. which only Piety< Flat
could understand. You'll aud all his
things there. and it's yours just the same
you know"
aust as he left itf"
'Yes'm, just exactly" Put said earnestly.
1--WE didn't disturb a thing. ! guess things
are kind Of mixed up and muddled. maybe
for YOU"
"oh, I'll soon straighten that out. / shall
love to DO that for him. He won't know
how badly he needed me until he sees how
It all looks when he comes back. Tomor-
row, did you sayf"
ANY day. Miss Raymond. any day at all.
said Put solemnly. and we watched her IN
silence a. she walked slowly toward thu
new shack under the cottonwood.
There Was a counsel OF state held thai
night. and little Put made a speech
Speeches we're one OF his strong points
Piety Fiat held that he had many. HI
stood on a wooden box up at Eddie Bar
tons tent. We chose that one because 1
was farthest from the shack. It was
great speech. Eddie told him II he woui'
write Il down for him 70 learn by heart he''