The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-12
Continued from Last Sundays News
CHAPTER xxx
,MARCK ANNE ARRINE


AS has been limited, the outward and
visible signs Of prosperity had to some
extent increased the feminine popula-
ton of Copper Creek. Molly Lafond had
long since lost the distinction of being
the only woman in camp. Some of the
newcomers were blessed with wives,
one or two were favored with daugh-
tiers. All told, there were perhaps IF
teen or twenty of the genter sex scat
tered among the new and old log cab
ins of the valley.
But from them Molly had little to
fear in the way of rivalry. The older
women We're either buxom and decisive.
representing the sturdier pioneer race,
or dyspeptic and drawing, as typical
of the effects of a high altitude on
nervous and underfed organizations.
The young girls were angular, awk-
ward and shy, especially so when in
the presence of Miss Mollys breezy
self-possession. They would all make
good filling" at the new dance-house
ball, but they would never obtrude into
the foreground.
Then Bismarck Anne came to camp.
She conceived the idea quite suddenly,
late one afternoon, and without so
much as a word to anybody she strap
ped her most becoming ball-gown in
side a ponchO and rode across from
Spanish Gulch on her little pinto pony.
bismarck Anne was at that time in
the heyday or her youth ana prosper
ity She was OF the dark-skinned. black
haired, black-eyed type, so common"
when IL fails just snort OF attractive
ness, but so abundantly vital when, as
In the present case, II does not fall
snort. bismarck Anne was instinct
charged with lite. Into everything she
did she threw a verve and abandon
that carried the adventure well through
with something TO spare. And she was
afraid of nothing. She denied the pos
sibility of nothing.
About o'clock of the afternoon she
galloped il. A number of men recog-
nlzed her and ran to help her down
from her horse. Everybody knew her
by sight or reputation, but few had
ever dared attempt her acquaintance
for ordinarily Bismarck Anne chose
her coterie from the powerful and
wealthy. Now, however. there seemed
TO be little cause for anxiety on that
point. Bismarck Anne had come over
for good time and she was going to
have it. If the men who surrounded
her on her arrival felt any momentary
restraint or trepidation, they were al
most Immediately set at ease by the
warmth of her manner.
1t was Old Mizzou, l believe. who
steadied her stirrup, and Dave Kelly
who helped her from her horse and
held her a moment longer than was
necessary, and, to his vast astonish-
ment instead of being slapped was
heartily kissed for his temerity. There
was breathless element of unexpect-
edness in this which appealed to the
miners sense of humor, and they all
laughed consumedy and felt good
comrades at once. Old Mizzou mentally
added another exception to his sweep
ing rule about grass widders and
school ma ans" There sprang up a
rapid fire of good-humored joking back
and forth in which no man was ia
Vored, where each had a chance to en-
ter the lists and in the course of
which each conceived an inner convic-
ton that all he needed to win OUT
was a chance unhndered by the crowd
Bismarck Anne stood in the center of
the group, flashing her black eyes back
and forth from one to the other and
showing her white teeth in a series of
dazzling smiles.
and Molly Lafond, returning from one
of their numerous expeditions, caught
sight of the animated group near the
hotel, and naturally turned aside to in
vestigate its cause.
Bismarck Anne faced toward them.
''Why. Harry" she cried. holding
out both hands you here? l didn't
know you'll hung out in this camp.
You look just the same as ever. 'Spose
you're goin to take in tn dance to-
night. Yes. that's what l came over
for: that an nothing else. Wen have
to stir this camp up a bit and make
her seem like old times I'm afraid YOU
boys have been getting a little slow, ="
she flashed good humoredly at the 9TH
ers. Harry you ought to have seen
them when I kissed that boy over
there, just for a kid, you know.
don't believe you've got girl in this
camp who knows beans. and it's about
time you did I'm mighty glad to see
you. But you got to watch out, though
This is pretty good-looking lot Of
boys, and you'll have to hustle to hold
your job" She said this still holding
both his hands in hers, and alternately
smiling now at him. now at the men
about her She had taken rapid stock
of Molly-whom she now ignored for
the moment-and had as rapidly come
to the conclusion that il a rival were
TO appear at all, ii would be Harry's
companion. She hoped her speech would
at the same time attach Harry to her
self, and render assiduous his devo-
lions by fear of rivalry.
you bet we will" cried Harry His
manner was enthusiastic. not so much
with JOY over seeing Bismarck Anne
as with instructive relief from the ten
sion of his rather sentimental interview
with Molly. He remembered the latter
and performed some sort of an intro
duction.
The two women looked each other ir
the eye.
How do you do?" asked Molly cool.
ly. without moving an inch.
VERY well. my dear" replied Bis.
marck Anne smiling, land very glad
TO get here
The endearing epithet relegated Mol
ly at once to the category of little girls
The conversation continued for somt
moments longer. the men standing al
silent spectators. Molly continued yer.
reserved. The newcomer did not APP
pear to notice it, but chartered on un
concernedly in a light-hearted fashion
appealing to the other just Otter
enough to convey the idea that Their
was nothing noticeably repellent in he
manner. In fact she did II so we'll tina