Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-11-19
CHAPTER I.


prairie From behind TIE green striped
curtains of the berthS now the sound
Of restless turning and now Il long
drawn sigh sgnifed the uneasy slum-
Der due to Sitting air and discomfort.
The only passenger stirring was a
girl whose youth dropped under the
unfavorable influences of foul air, ia
tigue and Il strained anxiety to come
t. the end of this fateful journey. She
had been up while it was yet dark. and
her hand luggage. locked strapped and
MS pitifully new at the art of travelling
as the girl herself clustered about the
hem of her blue serge skirt like chicks
about hen. The engine shrieked but
n it's voice sounded weak and far Off in
y that still ocean of space; the girl tight
!, ened her grasp Oh the largest of the
4 satchels and looked at the approaching
porter tentatively.
"We're late twcnty-fi' minutes,' he
u reassured Eer. with the hopeless pa
n tience Of one who has lost heart in
NJ curbing travellers enthusiasms.
ID She turned toward the window
II pair of shoulders plainly significant Of
8 the burdclsome last straw.
M -Four days and nights in this train
Id they We're slower in those days-"and
~ now this extra twenty-five minutes!
III MY dear. My dear '-a head in
~ crimpers was thrust from between the
S curtains of the section opposite-"1ve
" been awake half the night. 1 was so
IN afraid wouldn't see You before you
IN got off.
The head was followed almost in
81 stlnctively by n hand travelling furtive-
8 ly to the crimpers that gripped the Ia
ss fy's brow like harnacles clinging to q
VI keel
@ Mary expressed a grieved aprrecia-
III ton at the loss of rest in behalf of her
early departure and conspicuousiy for
M bore to glance in the direction of the
# barnacles. that being first principle
as between woman and woman.
MD Again the locomotive shreked. ag lin
as the girl mechanically clutchea the sui.
8 case, as presenting the most difficult
M item in the problem OF transportatloh
"a and this time the shrek WAS not a :
al idle forlnality. The train slowed down
@@ the uneasy SleeperS behind the green
,7@ striped curtains stirred restlessly With
ssM the lesSenir" motion of their uncOuth
s;# cradle. The porter came to help he
lS& with the chastencd mien OF one whose
N& hopes of largrsS are small, the lad.,
8M with the barIlaclcS called after her re
s@ Gundant fareVctlS. and u moment late
ss2 Miss Carmichael was standing on the
3ss station platform loolling he!plesS.y aft
sss@s er the train that toled aud puied. We
zs seemed, in that crystalline atmo tphHrc,
ss@ still within arms reach. She watche,5
M8 it till its floating pennant OF smoke
sS was nothing but a gray feather blow
M ing farther and farther out of sight OF
M the fiat prairie.
aM The toWn-it would be unkind to
~ mention it's name-had made merry tn"
night before at the comprehensive in
vitation of sheepman who had just
SS disposed of his wool clip and who said.
ka by way Of general summons, whats
Z. the use Of temptin' the bank "Iown,
sg therefore, when Mary Carmichael hrs'
~ made it's acquaintance. was still sleep
sG ing the sleep of the unjust. Thos"
sM among last nights rOiStererS who nae
& had to make an early start for thei!
A camps We're we'll into the foothills by
3 this time and would remember with eX,
%# hilaratiOn the cracked tinkle or the
@ dance hall piano rs inspiring music
A& when the lOnesomeness of the desert
Ss menaced and the young blood again
NH clamOred for it's own.
mi "Town"-it contained in all some two
II dozen buildings-was very unlovely III
& slumber. 1t sprawled in the lap of the
prairies, grimy faced urchin, will
the lines Of dismal sophistcation writ
deep. Yet where in all the health re
sorts of the east did air sweep from
the clean hill country with such re
viyifying power? 1t seemed glat
world Of abiding youth. Surely "ToWn'
was but dreary illusion, mirage
that hung in the unmapped spaces o
this new world that God had made
and called good, an omen of the abom
nations that men would make Whel
they grew blind to the beauty Of Cod
world.
Mary Carmichael, with much the
feelings of cat in strange garret
wandered about the sluggard town
and presently the blue and white sig1
of telegraph office with the mytho
logical figure of a Fastening messen
ger, suggested to her that reassur
ing telegram was only Aunt Adelaide
due. Whereupon she began to rap OF
the door of the Office scared pianssl
no. which naturally had little effec
on the operator who was at home ant
asleep some three blocks distant. Bu
the west is the place for woman If sh
would be waited upon. No to
ratio of the sexes has tempered tn
chlvalry Of her sons of the saddle. !
ioltering something in a sombrero saw
rather than heard the rapping. and.
the sight, went in quest of the dream
ing operator without so much as EN-
parrassing Miss Carmichael With n
oner Of his services. And presentl