The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-08-04
In Gold Time
By ROBERTA LITTLEHALE
Copyright 1895, by the Short Story Publishing Co.
All rights reserved.)


TIE WAS straight, and grizzled. and
keen of eye. He had worked
and fought, and gambled his way
through the lawlessness and passion
I of the states early life into the de-
cency and uprighteousness of a sue
cessful contractor.
| His name was Bill Bowen.
AS q civil engineer, / came more or
less in contact with him, and rejoiced in
the largeness of his mental mold, as
we'll as in the business sense Of security
he let me enjoy.
One summers night we took drive
to a distant town on the San Joaquin
! river. We were to look at stone fol
bridge building, and the blistering heat
of the day made us willing to lose our
sleep for the more comfortable travelling
by starlight.
The horses logged lazily through the
coarse, thick dust on the rivers levee
and the insects from the grain fields and
the frogs from the sloughs had things
wholly to themselves until Bill sudden.
ly interrupted.
Mrs. Chase is pretty enough yet tc
understand why she sent two fellows tc
the devil, isn't she?"
What are you talking about?" I an
swered.
oh" said Bill, pulling himself up, 81
forgot you didn't struggle with the rest
of us through those groggy days"
l knew Bill enough to let him relapse
Just so many minutes; then l said:
Judge Chase's wife is lovelier at 60
than most girls at Is, but hadn't any
idea she figured so Economically in the
early days as to send anybody over
board"
Him." replied Bill, reflectively.
The horses travelled on without atten-
ton. and l waited in patience.
You know what it was like" he be-
gan at last. Men with guns from all
over the union and gold the heaven we
sweated for. Prayers, and court, and
the gambling tables all running under
one roof, and nary woman's face show
ing up in the mass to give us courage
To be sure there were vixenish ribs o
Satan who robbed, and killed, and
drank with the worst of US; but until
81 we'd never the woman for reverence
Then, by degrees, the lawyers and
stray merchant or two aired their fam
lilies, but things wasn't dizzy till pretty
Grace Blanchard got out with her ia
Their.
Understand, she carried herself as
she'd ought to; but, understand, there
was men among us as was born and
bred to live with blood. The mass OF
us had to take our satisfaction in look
ing at her; but for two the favor in old
Blanchard's eye was easy reading, and il
wasn't long seeing the course the straw
took.
New Emory was long, lean, blonde
fellow, with a blamed fine face, and a
way that made friends of the toughest
They said he looked a swell when he
called at the Blanchards', but l never
saw him but like the rest of us-red-
shirted and overalfs, ana an angle to his
pistols than made him a joy.
George Stokes-'Shorty, we called
him-was a man with an answer that
ripped like knife, and a head that
made success of everything, because it
could work crooked as we'll as straight.
He'd been on the bench, but he'd To-
Gated a vein at Mariposa, and was over
seeing up there in 80. Naturally, he lost
opportunities, not being right on the
spot, and the danger began.
'The Blanchard house was swelled
larger than most of the cabins, and had
two long windows that opened onto q
porch. Things might never have been
so bad but for those two lidless eyes in
front.
"One fatal night Shorty Stokes rode
into the settlement-but I'm getting
ahead of affairs"
Bill tossed his cigar into the tules,
and hurried the horse into effort as the
interest of his Renaissance swept him
on.
THE girl carried herself after the
fashion Of high-steppers, and neither
fellow could swear where he stood. II
was laughter and spirit for both of them,
they said, and nip and tuck for the yield
ing. The pace was the sort that ex-
hausts men, and Shorty's brain for
lawyering cooked up a scheme for his
rescue. He was for their going together
some night before her, and, after for
NAL marriage proposal, each argue his
claim and fitness for ten minutes by the
clock, their honor at stake to stand by
her decision.
"It got about afterwards that
Emory wouldn't consent till he saw the
devil to pay in Shorty's earnestness, and
they swore with their fists in each
others to carry the thing through to
the finish. The date and hour were ar
ranged for the following Sunday night
at eight, and they drank to it with gall
in the cup.
when the evening came the clock had
already struck eight when Stokes
reached the Blanchard house.
"The lights from the room fell over
the porch, and from the shadow of the