Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-11-19


peared. much disheveled from r7aning :,
and the cursory nature of his tollel, !!
prepared to receive il message of life
and death.
The wire to Aunt Adelaide ran:
Practically at end of journey. Take
stage to Lost Trail this morning. Am
we'll. Don't worry about me. MARY.
And the telegraph operator, dimly
remembering that he had heard Lost
Trail was Il '.piZen mean country and
that it was tucked some 200 miles back
in the foothills, did not find it very
hard to forgive the girl who was ''prac
tically at end Of journey" particularly
as the dimple had come out of hiding
and he had never been called upon to
telegraph the word "practically" be-
fore. He was progressive man and
liked to extend his experiences.
After sending the telegram. Miss
Carmichael drew from her pocket a
square envelope of heavy Irish linen, a
little worn from much reading, but
primarily an envelope that bespoke ele
gance of taste on the part of her cor
respondent. and read:
Lost Trait, Wyo.
NV Dear Miss Carmicha el-Pray let me
assure you of my qualification that the
prelminarcs have been so satisfactorily
arranged ard that we are to have you
with us by the end of June. The children
are profitins from the very anticipation
of it, and it will be most refreshing to all
us isolated ones to be able to welcome an
eastern girl as a member of our family.
Although the long journey across the
continent is trying, particularly to one
who has not made it before, I hope
YOU may not find it utterly fatiguing.
Please remember that after leaving the
train it will be necessary to take Il stage
to Lost Trail. If it is possible. l shall
meet YOU with the blackboard at one OF
the stage stations; otherwise. keep to the
stage route, being careful to change at
OAK S ranch.
Unfortunately the children vary so in
their accomplishments that l fea, l can
make no suggestions as to what you may
need to bring with you in the way of
text books, but think you will find
them fairly well grounded
had j charming letter from Mrs
Kirkland, who said the pleasantest things
possible of YOU. ] am glad the wife OF
our senator was able cOnSclentiouSly to
commend us.
With our most cordial good wishes for
safe journey, believe me, dear Miss Car
michael, sincerely yours.
SARAH YELLETT.
In The meantime Town" came yawn
ing to breakfast 1t was not so prank.
ish as it had been the night before.
when it accepted the sheepman's broad
gauge hospitality and made merry till
the sun winked from behind the noun
tains. 1t made its way to the low,
shedike eating house with pre-
break fast solemnity bordering Oh sulk-
mess. \oi a petticOat was in sight tt
offset the spurs and sombreros that
filed in to breakfast from every point OF
the compass. prepared to eat primitive.
ly, joke broadly and quarrel speedily ii
that sensitive and often inconsistent
something they called honor should be
brushed however lightly.
But the eternal feminine was with.
in, and. discovering it, the temper OF
Town" was changed. 1t ate self con
sciously. made jokes meet for the ears
of ladies and was more interested in
the girl in the sailor hat than it was in
remembering old feuds or laying the
foundations of new.
In it's interior aspect the eating house
conveyed no subtle invitation to eat.
drink and be merry. On the contrary
it's mission seemed to- be that of con
founding appetite at every turn. A
| long, shedike room it was, with walls
Of unpainted pine still sweating from
the AK Festoons Of scalloped paper
! in conflicting shades hung from the
( ceiling, menace to the taller OF the
| guests. On the rough walls some one
either prompted by a latent spirit OF
| aesthetciSm or with an idea Of abet
ting the town toward merrymaking
an encouragement it hardly required
had tackled posters of shows, mainly
representing the tank and sawmil
| school of drama.
Miss Carmichael sat at the extreme
end of the long, oilcloth covered table
on which a struggling army of salt an(
pepper shakers, catchup bottles an(
divers commercial condiments seemed
to pause in discouraged march.
plague of flies was on everything. ant
the food was threat to the hardies
appetite One man summed up th'
steak with, You got to work your jaw
so hard to eat it that it amt fair t.
the next meal"
His neighbor heaved sigh. "Thi
here formation, whatever it be"-ant
he turned the meat over for better in
specton-"do shore remind me of al
ondestructible doll that an old mai'
aunt of mine Civ my sister when W.
was kids. That doll sort of challenges
me, an one day ups an has "A chav
at her. She war ondestructible. al
right. Fore concluded my sper
ments had left couple Of teeth Il
her."
"Well, discyards the steak al
draw to a pair Of aces" And the frs
man helped himself to couple of bis
cults.
Miss Carmichael knew, by the con
tinual scraping of chairs across tn
gritty floor. that the places at tn
table must be nearly all taken. and
- %x,tst