Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-02

She came to Blazes in the spring of the
year.
Ii was totally unexpected and sudden
for Blazes Twice a week the stage made
the trip from Blue City with mall and pro-
visions. and once in a while a passenger,
but there never had been a woman pas
senger in the history of Blazes. and the
nearest woman neighbor was over at
Logan's Wash, where Mrs Logan in a
faded pink sunbonnet upheld the dignity
of her kind. as the sole specimen of femi-
ninity for a radius of sixteen miles.
Everybody crowded up on the fiat that
morning after mail and papers. and when
she stepped out and touched the dust of
Blazes with her precious feet, there were
no references required. We just worship
&c, and shut up, and turned over a new
leaf on the etiquette of life in general.
She wasn't so beautiful, but she had a
way that was fearfully winning After a
few years of Eveless wilderness, stand
ards of beauty take on a certain preju-
dice. That was why Mrs. Logan had been
deemed somewhat out of the common. al
though with Logan In the background and
forty-seven years farther behind her than
Logan, even the beauty of the picture in
the foreground was impressionistic, SO to
speak.
But Miss Evelyn-she told us to call
her Miss Evelyn-had no background.
She was the whole picture. When she
stood in the sunshine that morning in
front of headquarters tent, all dressed in
gray, with a little sole make-believe SOM
brero on her yellow curly hair, and her
eyes smiling at us in a friendly way she
just naturally gathered up the composite
heart OF Blazes' male population. as If 1t
had been a loose nugget on a pile of sand.
May be she's teacher" Seth Moray
said on the side. Bob Tucker took the
hint as heaven-sent clue. and dropped
his hat to his chest
I'VE amt got no schoolhouse in Blazes
yet maam," he announced pointedly.
She smiled happily, and began to take
off her gloves, while she sat down on the
stool Humpy Hicks had dug up from
somewhere
Thank YOU but I'm not school teach
err she said, and she laughed at us, but
In a friendly way. mighty friendly. Have
you restaurant or hotel?
to spring grub joint on us with home
made stuff
1--WE amt got any yet" Bob was eau
uous, but terribly polite and hospitable in
"a sort of encouraging way. But we do
need something OF the sort badly. Did
you bring along any-er-cooking outfit,
ma'am?"
She leaned back her head, and laughed
this time. and Blazes felt beat.
mo, indeed, l haven't, she said. II
don't want to start in the cooking bust
ness. gentlemen, but it's a rather long
ride from Blue City, and l would like to
get breakfast somewhere"
Breakfast. LORD Harry Johnson, DeIore
she could wink her eyes half dozen times
she had breakfast enough around her for
a whole roundup outfit. 1t was Just break
fast-time, and everybody rushed to his tent
and dragged out his breakfast she could
take her choice. And she favored Bob
fuckers. Wheat flapjacks and a can Of
maple syrup and a bottle of ounce jelly,
and coffee with evaporated cream. Swell?
Well, / should say Bob was swell. We
never knew where he got tastes, but he al
ways kept a store of canned goods on hand
that would make college girls picnic look
like hearty meal.
She had brought trunk and come to
stay but we couldn't find out thing about
what she wanted in BlaZes After making
inquiries. she decided to go down to Lo-
gan's, half mile or so over the river, and
board with Mrs. Logan. That showed her
intentions were all we had been led to sup
pose by her appearance.
LOgans grew popular. Bob went regu-
larly every evening, and undertook to carry
Logan's papers over to him, and anything