West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-10-18

CAhpSon, out WHO WASH t-Onu he's
been In jail ever since. Course. now
that he's out. simpsons bound 10 get
peppercd. Glad Il didn't happen here.
though. 'rwould be n kind OF un.
pleasant thing 10 have connected with
eatin' house. Don't you think soY"
she inquired, with the grim philosophy
OF tho country.
Tho eating house patrons had gone
their several ways. and the quiet OF
the dining room was oppressive by con-
trast with It's late boisterousness. Mrs.
Clark. her hands imprisoned In bread
dough, begged Mary TO look over the
screen door and see if anything was
happening. ''I'm always suspicious
when It's quiet know they're In
deviltry OF some sort"
Mary tlptoed 10 the door and peepcd
over but the room was deserted save
for Simpson huddlod In n corner bit.
Ing his finger nails. The nasty thingw
exploded Mrs. Clark when she had re-
ceivcd the bulletin. "I'd turn him out
III IL wasn't for the notoriety he might
bring my place In gettln' killed in front
OF It,"
II dare say I'd better go and zee
inter my trunk; It's stlll on the station
platform" Mary wondered what her
prim hunts would think OF her for
sitting I'm Mrs Clark's kitchen, but II
had seemed so much more OF refuge
than the sordid streets OF the hideous
little town, with Its droves OF men and
never n glimpse or n woman, that she
10. IL n a. l..
self of the invitation OF the proprietress
TO make herself at home TIL the stage
left"
well. good luck 10 you," said Mrs.
Clark, wlping her hand only partially
free from dough and presenting IL TO
Miss Carmichael She had not In.
qulrcd where the girl was going nor
even hinted TO discover where she
came from. but she gave her the god
speed that the west knows how 20
give, and the girl felt better for II.
At the station, where Mary shortly
presented herself In the interest OF that
old man OF the sea OF oil travellers, lug.
gage, she learned that the stage did
not loave town for some three.quarters
OF an hour yet. The time nt her dis
posal before the stage would embark
on that unknown sea OF pralrlcs abe
spent In the delectable pnstlme OF shop.
ping. The financial and social interests
or the town seemed to converge In
Hugous & Co.'s trading store" where
Miss Carmichael invested I'm nm extra
package of needles for the mere ex-
element Of being one OF the shoppers,
though her Aunt Adelaide had stocked
tho little plaid silk workbng TO reple-
ton with every variety OF needle
known TO woman. She pricked up her
ears meanwhile Mt some OF the pur-
chases made by the cowboys for their
camp larders- -deviled ham, sardlnes
and canned tomatoes heading the list as
prime favorites. Did these strapplng
border lads live by the fruit OF the tin
alonef Apparently yes. with the so
bhistIcated accompaniment OF soda
biscuit. to judge by the quantity OF
baking powder they invested in-llt-
orally pounds OF II. Men In any other
condition Of life would have died Of
slow poisoning as the result OF IL.
There were other customers at Hu-
gous' that morning besides the spurrcd
and booted COW puncher nnd his de-
Bpised compeer. the sheep herder That
restless emigrant class whose origin
rs class lay I'm the community of its
ewn uncertain schemes OF fortune, the
west. with her splendid, lavish prom
lses, called them from their thriftless
farms In the south md their gray cab
lns In New England. They began their
iourneylngs toward the land OF prom
ise long before the Indians had ever
seen the shrleklnR fire wagon" All
day they would toll over the infinltude
or prairie, the sun that hid nightly be-
hind that mnddeningly elusive vanish
Ing point, the horizon, their only guide.
But the makeshIfts Of the wagon llfo
were not without charm. They began
to wondcr In quest OF they knew not
precisely what, and from these vague
beginnings there had sprung into exist
Snce that nomadlc population that was
once such a feature OF the far west.
but Is now going the way OF the In
dians and the cowboys
This breathing space I'm the long Jour.
ney had for them tho stimulus OF n hol.
iday making They bought their sides
Of bacOn and their pounds Of coffee as
morrily as II they were playing n game
OF forfelts, the women lingering the
calico they did not want for the 10y OF
pricing and making shoppers talk.
a red conveyance not unlike n circus
wagon halted NJ some little distance
from the trading store. and Mary saw
four Of her companions OF tho break
fast table heading toward the stage,
each with piece OF her precious lug
gage. Mary Carmichael was precipl-
tated In n sudden panic She had heard
tales Of the pranks Of these playful
western squires-a little gun play 10 I'm.
duce the terrified tenderfOOt 10 put n
little more spirit into bis highland
fling, "by request" She remembered
their meuymaking with Simpson at
breakfast What did they intend TO do
with her bclongings1 And as she re-.