The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-11-02
THE PRINCEToN UNION: THURSDAY, NOV EMBER q 1905

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stOutly carried so unspeakable a bur-
den. But she could not speak Of her
new knowledge to Leander.
There amt man in t';'s Gawd
forsaken country wouldn't 10, ,e at the
chance to die for her-but the vim
men,! Lenders pantomimic indica-
! ton of absolute feminine antagonism
was conclusive
''The Wimmen treats her scabby-
just scabby. Don't you SO to thinkin'
she amt good girl on that account.
If Judy wasn't good girl these boys
about here would just materially be-
come extinct shootin each other upon
account OF her. And something like
an attitude of chivalrous protection
Strengthened the apologize crook in his
craven outline.
"Are the women jealous of her?'
tits her independence that rifles 'em.
They take on awful about her ridin'
In pants, and it certainly is a heap
more modest than ridin' straddle in a
hitched up caliker skirt same as some
Of 'en1 do
| "Leander! Leanderv' came in ac-
cusing accents from the kitchen.
"Runv'' gasped Mrs. Dax's hand
maiden. Don't let her catch US
| chinnin'.''
| Mary Carmichael ran round one side
OF the house, as she was hidden, but,
like Lots wife, could not resist the
temptation Of looking back. Leander,
with incredible rapidity, grabbed two
clothespins off the line, clutched dish
towel and shook it. Comm! Com
in'!' he called as he went through the
farce of rehanging it.
The consequences Of plain and foot
hill, the utter lack of the human ele-
ment that gives to this country it's
character of penetrating desolatiou.
had been changed while Mary Carmi-
chael foregathered with Leander by the
clothesllne. From the four quarters of
| the compass men in sombreros. flannel
shirts and all manner Of strange habit
lments came galloping over the roads
| as II their horses were as keen Oh
reaching Dax's as their riders. The lit
tie pintos, buckskins, bays and chest
nuts dashed to the door and stopped
short in full gallop. AS a bit of STAG
cato eQuestrianism it was superb.
And then the wherefore of all this
dashing horsemaNship was apparent.
judith Rodney had opened postofice.
She had changed her riding clothes, OF,
rather, that portion of them to which
the ladies took exception was now
concealed by long black skirt. Her
wonderful braids of black hair had
been twisted high on her head. She
was We'll worth a trip across the alkali
| wastes to see. The room was packed
With men. One unconsciously got the
impression that fire, a fight or some
crowd collecting casualty had hap
pened.
| judith managed them all-cow punch
ers, sheep herders, prospectors, freight
ers-With an impersonal skill that suy-
gested little solitary exercise in the
bowling alley. The tenpins took their
tumbles in good part-no one could
congratulate himself on escaping the
leveling ball-and where there's a uni
Versai lack of luck doubtless also there
will be found sort of grim fellow
ship.
That they were all more or less in
love with her there could be no doubt.
AS a matter of fact, Judith Rodney
did not depend on the scarcity of wom-
en- in the desert for her pre-eminence in
the interests Of this hot headed group.
Her personality-and through no con-
sclous effort Of hers-would have been
pre-eminent anywhere AS it was. in
THIS Woman-forsaken wilderness she
| might nave stirred up modern edition
| OF the Trojan war at any moment.
That she did not, despite the lurking
suggestion Of temptation written all
| over her, brought back the words of
Leander, IF Judy wasn't a good girl
these boys would just materially be-
come extinct shootin' each other uDon
account of her,
ana yet What woman she was! It
| struck Miss Carmichael as she watched
Judith hold these warning elements in
the hollow of her hand that her interest
might be due to certain Temperament
| tai fusion; that there might lie at the
essence Of her being a subtle combina-
| ton Of saint and devil One could fam
cy her leading an army on a crusade
or provoking barroom brawl. The
challenging quality Of her beauty, the
vivldness of color, the suggestion of en-
durance and radiating health in every
line We're comparable to the great
primeval forces about her.
At present neither pole Of her charac-
ter, as it had been hastily estimated,