Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27

Donnelly brought his fist down with a
crash o.
shut up yer gossipin head"
Then Mike Donnelly slammed the door
and stalked out into the night.
An hour later there gathered in the lamp
/ light of Donnelly's cabin an oddly assorted
group of men-Haines. the commissary
clerk: Davitt and Lawson. the steam shovel
engineers; Riordan. one of the straw
Bosses and Murphy, who had charge Of the
dynamite Their host looked them over with
critical. even calculating eyes. Finally
young Lawson clasped his hands around
his crossed knees and inquired curiouSly:
Il say. Donnelly. what have you got up
your sleeve? A strike? You look as mys-
FERROUS as If there was something up"
We'll. yer as likely lookin' bunch as I
could PINCH he replied dryly, AN day
after tomorry'H be yer movn' day, I'm
thinkin'. Some ones got ter keep the
Widow Hardy an we're the six ASH do It..
Tomorry bein' pay day. yez all kin settle
up with Hannigan an start fresh with the
widow. You're payin Hannigan SIS a
month. You'll pay the widow SIT, an get
yer washin' and mendin' thrown in. Most
of you amt gettin' no mendin done at all,
an not enough washin' to be decent You'll
each pay her five dollars down to show
you'll treat her decent next pay day an
I'll look after the rist at the commissary."
Young Lawson threw his head back with
a shout of laughter.
II say, Don Quixote of Riggs Gulch we
don't mind having change of pasture. for
God knows her grub can't be worse than
to all this?'
She ain't said anything yet amt told
her" The group of men stared at him.
doubling his words. But she'll do It, niver
fear She's the sort that don't argtfy
much. an, she an the. young uns have got
to live. There amt no place fer 'em to 20
TO- an she amt the sort to be beholdin' to
nobody fer her living. There wasn't a man
dared offer her as much as a sack of flour
at-Ix
Wi,in Haruy was iettin' 'em plumb starve,
I an she with hardly a rag to her back. Yez
all know that?
=. muTmur OF assent ran around the room.
| An l want to say right here an now
mat mat yez have all got to treat her white.
There amt goln' to be no kickin about the
grub. It'll take her a while 10 get used to
havin plenty to do with. an until she does
| there amt goin' to be no back talk More
s som. .! he continued, warming up to his
| TASK, the first man as comes in drunk
| loses his seat at Widow Hardy's table.
| Ihere.H be men fightin' fer yer places be-
| iore the nrst months up. so don't get gay
| Inc CHOSEN live were inclined to regard II
| all as joke, but true to Mike DonneIly's
| prediction. before the first month rolled
| around they were the envy of the entire
camp; Ihere had been days at first when
meg Hardy had faltered at her task, when
red eyes and muffied tones had dashed the
| spirits and appetites of her boarders. but
| the period or unrest and uncertainty griev-
ing and rebellion was over and Meg had
| settled down to more than resignation
| She appreciated keenly her altered cs-
| tate. and showed II in her efforts to please
| the men who contributed directly to her
| support and indirectly to their own com-
| fort Gradually the cabin took on a more
| habitabie air. Some of the furniture was
| homemade, but barrel covered with gay
| calico was better than no center table at
| all. and the excelsior mattress ordered
| through the commissary was an improve
| ment over tattered quilts. Meg rose re-
freshed for her tasks each day, and her
| children lost the hunted, frightened air
| which was their birthright.
| So came spring into the hilI-locked camp.
| The trees quivered and burst into bloom,
the birds sought their mates and the men
| smoked their pipes at night with a dreamy
| look In their eyes. And so. too, came sum-
| mer. The leaves hung close and heavy
| overhead. and the birds chung silent In
| their nests. and blood throbbed full and
| strong in sturdy veins.
| The philosophical Hannigan said to him.
| self that the time was ripe for five of tho
| truant boarders to retire In favor of the
/ favored sixth.
Regular freight trains were now runnl lg
| between Rockport and Brownsville. Rigg :
/ Gulch would soon hold nothing moro tnan
| memories of the bustling construction
| camp therefore 1t became it's temporary
| citizens to hold a Fourtfl--of July celebra-
ton. and Mike DonnelIy was appointed IN
make the trip to Rockport as purchasing