The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-09

|
to the beds of a road ranch or because
| she was young or Il girl, led the way III
triumph to her own bedroom, and. In
| dicat!ng an imposing affair with Pill
| low shams, she detied Miss Carmichael
| to find a more comfortable bed ''in the
east"
| In the unaccountable manner OF
these desert conveyances that creak
and groan across the arid wastes with
an apparently numbering inconse-
quence, the stage that brought the trav-
elers to the Dax ranch left ut sunrise
to pursue a seemingly erratc career
along the North Platte, while Miss Car
michael and the fat lady were to CON
tinue their journey with one Lemuel
Chugg, who drove stage northward
toward the Red desert when he was
sober enough to handle the ribbons.
Breakfast was largely devoted to
speculation regarding the approximate
condition of Mr.. Chugg-would he be
wholly or partially incapacitated for
bis Job? Mrs. Dax. flirting feather
duster In the neighborhood of Miss
Carmichael In d futile effort to beguile
her into giving n reason for her soltta-
ry Journey across the desert, took
gloomy view of the situation.
But Miss Carmichael kept her own
counsel. Not so the fat lady. Falling
into the snare ingenuously set for an
other, she divulged her name. place of
residence and the object of her travels,
which was to visit son on Sweetwa-
ter But loNuacity apparently, like vir-
tue. Is its own reward, for the landlady
scarce vouchsafed a comment on this
dismal recitative, while Miss Carmi-
chael remained the object Of her per-
sistent attentions.
But there seemed to be no topic Of
universal interest but Chugg's condi-
ton, Mrs. Dax finally asserting, ''Be-
fore I'd trust my precious neck to him
I'd get Mr. Dax to shoot me-"
Meditating on this Spartan state
ment Mary and the fat lady became
aware for the first time of a subtle, ST.
lent force in the domestic economy.
But so unobtrusive was this influence
that one had to scrutinize very closely
indeed to detect the evanescent person
ality Of Mrs. Dax's husband. Leander
was his name, but 1t is safe to say that
he swan no Tablespoons for the mas
terful wife Of his bosom. Otherwise he
was slender. willowy, bald. If he ever
stood straight enough to get the habitu-
ally Apologize crooks out Of his knees
he would be tall, but SO in the habit
was he Of repressing himself in the
ifol M T on n1or &C NJ
for middle height. He waited on the
table at breakfast with the dumb sub
missiveness Of trained dog that has
been taught to give pathetic limitations
of human servility.
But no sooner had his lady left the
room than Leander be~an quite bra
zenly to call attention to himself MS
man and an individual. .Iughing.
rattling his dishes and clearing his
throat. Mary and the fat lady out
I Of pity responded to these crude sig
nails with overtures equally frank. and
Leander ventured finally to inquire II
they aimed to spend the night at his
brothers ranch, it being the next mess
box between here and nowhere. They
admitted that his brother $ ranch was
their next stopping place, and Lean
der went through perfect contortions
of apology and self effacement be
fore he could bring himself to ask then
to do him favor.
Tell him l send my compliments,
he whispered. and, looking about hin
furtively, he repeated the blood cur
ding request
"Is that all?" asked the fat lady, n
no pains to conceal her disappoint
ment
IT'S enough, il 1t was known, t.
raise war whoop and stampede thi.
yere family" His glance at the doo
through which his wife had disap
peared was pregnant with meaning.
Family troublesT asked the ia
lady, as gourmet might say ''trufhes.
Looks like it." said Leander dismal
ly. Me and Johnnie don't ask fo
nothin' better than to bask in eacl
others company. but our wives insist.
on keepin' up the maneuvers Of a wa
dance the whole endoorin' time"
49," said the fat lady, as a gourme
might tell Of a favorite way Of pre-
pairing trufties, 'it's case Of wives? 2
"Yes. marin, an teeth an nails an
husbands thrown in, when they ge
sight Of each others petticoats"
"I've known sisters-in-law not t,
agree" helped on the fat lady, by wa,
Of an encouraging parallel.
''While 1 deplores usin' such a com
parison to the refinin' and softenin' in
fooence Of wimmen, the meetin' o.
the Dax ladies by chanst anywherel
has all the elements of danger and ex
element that accompanies ah Injur
uprisin'.''
The travellers looked all manner OF
encouragement
You see, my wife's a great house
keeper; her talent lies"-and herr
Leander winked knowingly-'1n man
agin' the help"
Lands sake" interrupted the fat