The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-30

tie contents of her portfolio and start
ed up with much the feeling a ma
rooned sailor might have on hearing
a sail has been sighted. At this par
ticular stage of her career Miss Car
michael had not developed the philos-
olhy that later in life was destined to
become her most valuable asset. Her
sense Of humOr no longer responded
to the vagaries of pioneer life. The
comedy element was coming little
too thick and fast She was getting
q bit heartsick for glimpse Of her
own kind, word with some one who
spoke her language. And here, at last,
was the woman who had written. such
charming letter, who had SO gracious
ly intimated that there was room for
her at the hearthstone. Mary was, in
deed, eager to make the acquaintance
of Mrs. Yellett
To the end Of her life she never for
got that first meeting-the perfect con-
fdence with which she followed Eu-
dora to the open room, the ensuing
blank amazement, the utter inability
to reconcile the Mrs. Yellett of the let
ter with the Mrs. Yellett Of fact The
lamp on the table, burning feebly,
seemed to burst into thousand shoot
ing stars as the girl struggled with
her tears. Home was so far, and Mrs
Yellett was so different from what
she had expected! And yet, as she
felt her fingers crush in the grip of
that hard but not unkindly hand, there
was in the woman's rugged personal
ity sustaining quality, and, thinking
again Of Archie's prospects, Mary was
not altogether sorry that she had come.
You be a right smart young NAV
erick not to get lost none on this long
trail, and no one to pint you right if
you strayed," commented Mary's pa
troness affably. But we won't roomi-
nate here no longer than we can help.
It's too hard on old Ma'am Rodney.
She's just bout the color Of withered
cabbage now, long Of me havin' you"
While she talked Mrs. Yellett picked
up Mary's trunk and bags and slowed
them in the back of the blackboard with
the ease with which another woman
might handle pasteboard boxes. One
or two Of the male Rodneys offered to
help, but she waved them aside and
lashed the luggage to the blackboard.
handling the ropes with the skill of an
old sailor. The entire Rodney family
and the suitors Of Eudora assembled
to witness the departure. "It's heap
friendly Of you to fret so," was the
parting stab of Sarah Yellett to Sally
Rodney, and she swung the blackboard
about, cleared the cactus stumps In the
Rodney dooryard and gained the noun
tain road
"Ai-yir' said old Sally. whats this
country comm tor
"A few more women, thank Godw
remarked Ira. Eudora had just snub-
bed him, and he put wealth Of mean
ing into his look after the vanishing
blackboard
They had gone good two miles be-
fore Mary's patroness broke the silence
with: ''Nothin' plumb stampedes my
temper like that Rodney outfit old
Sally buckin' an pitchin' In her rockin
chair same as II she. was breakin' q
broncho. an that Eudory always coral
In, deceivin' an 1iltin' one outfit Of
men after another. II she was daugh-
ter Of mine I'd mcclure her length
across my knee, full growed an court
Cd though she is. The only one of the
outfit that's wuth while is Judith, an
she amt old woman Rodney's girl nei-
|. ther. You hyeard that already, did
your Well, this yere country may be
lackin' in population. but its handy a.
q sewtn' circle in dtstributtn' news"