Evening journal., 1904-07-25

By c. 3. LEWIS
Copyright, iso1, by c. p. Lewis
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lMNAN WIS nNN NAN HhNNNAAA'A w
ahght at Snow Hin, on the Southern
Pacific road. and IN the cattle and In
dian country. and that was Miss Bessie
Vaughn Of Chicago. Her schoolmate. /
Nettie Long, whose father owned and /
managed the big Long ranch and who |
was now living with him out In the /
wilds. had written that person would /
meet Bessie at Snow Hill with a buck |
board and bring her safely 90 the /
ranch The person" proved TO be a
young man OF twenty-five, dressed as
cowboy, but having rather a distin-
guishcd look about him. While he |
was Fastening along the platform and
yet thirty feet away the girl acSnowl- |
edged 20 herself that his features were
/ good and that his face showed charac-
ter aud ambition. Perhaps It was for
/ these reasons that, while he was Gov
erlng the other thirty feet Miss Bessie
suddenly decided that he ought to be
snubbed
"This is Miss Vaughn Of Chicago, l
presume?" he said as he lifted his hat
and smiled a welcome.
What right had he to presumel by
what right did he smile welcome and
seem ready to shake hands? The girl
looked coldly az him and slightly nod
ded her head, and that was snub No. !.
The young man took It so; but. though
he colored up, he did not lose his smile.
You will give me your checks,
please, and / will put your trunks
aboard. and we will be OF"
There was a touch Of authority In his
tones that nettled the girl. and she
turned away aud delivered up the
checks with her own hand. She would
also have loaded the trunks on the
vehicle II she had been strong enough.
Snub No had followed fast on the
heels Of snub No. /.
1--WE have fifteen miles TO drive. and
the road is rather rough" observed the
young man as they got seated.
No reply. Snub No. @.
'I take II that you have never visit
ed this section before" was remarked
after the silence had lasted for a mile.
mo"
"But I trust you will find novelty
and pleasure"
Miss Bessie looked straight ahead
and shut her teeth hard. What was
Il 10 one Of Colonel Longs hired men
whether she enjoyed the west OF not?
The man was presumptuous and she
, meant her silence 10 be another snub.
whether Il was so taken or not. II was
not more than flve minutes before a
voice which had touch Of the paternal
IN It remarked:
, "You don't look overwell, and n cou-
pie OF months Of this bracing atmos-
. phere Will do you n world OF good"
. "sir, are you practcing physicianT'
asked Miss Bessie as she turned tC
=, look the young man square in the eyes
"Well, no." he slowly replied.
! "Then you need not bother TO take
charge Of my health"
That was what the boys would have
:, called a settler, and it hung the younl
:. man up for the next ten minutes
= When he spoke again. however, It wat
as If nothing had happened.
" 1T was on that hill over there" h,
:, quietly said. as he pointed with his
:, whip. "that four Of our men were sur
= rounded by fifty Indian warriors two
: years ago"
!. Miss Bessie deliberately turned e
: look in the opposite direction, and she
felt that he was smiling as he con
tnued:
zone Of the boys was killed. but they
killed twelve Indians and held theil
- ground all day"
= What was It to her whether one o.
" the whole four cowboys were killed
ie Indeed she found herself almost wish
W ing that all had been wiped out Sh,
II hadn't the slightest interest In th'
:, affair-not that day.
'i And over there in that valley Il
~ where drove OF steers ran over an,
T. trampled the life out OF two OF on
men last spring. We didn't even fn'
their boots"
Il Miss Bessie looked straight ahea,
e. and made no reply.
li- "And you wouldn't believe. wouh
tn you that this Insignificant creek W
TO are crossing was a mile wide and tel
ne feet deep last May7 We lost a thou
ad sand head OF stock in that flood"
Still no reply. IL was snub afte
snub, and she meant to tire him out
This time the silence lasted for ifteel
1t minutes, and she il was who broke
lei at last The horses had SHE'D at
as coyote lodging for cover and starte'
he away on a tearing gallop. The youni
di- man kept them on the trail, but mad
Pr not the slightest effort to check IN
zee pace On the contrary, he hummed
'pt popular air as they laid down to thei
work. The visitor stood II as long a
she could, and then turned and ez
claimed:
lrr Cant you see that the horses ar
IRE running awayp
rs Il have seen It for some time past,
Ith he quietly replied
TO "Then why don't you stop themi"
zee 81 will II you so wish, but a run o
ng a few miles won't hurt them any"
She did wish It from the bottom q
her heart, for the vehicle was jumpin
like a goat, and il took both hands {
ar hold her hat on her head, but she gri
ice ted her teeth and decided 10 be smasl
oy' ed into Jam before she would prefe
aur the request. The horses ran for thre
ut OF four miles and then sobered dowi
or and the young girl felt that she ha
snubbed the young man again by NJ
being afraid.
"Who is that man you sent 10 Il
nv dprof offpr mp9n ahQ ockod Of hi