The daily Alaskan., 1907-06-18
Miss Baker s Choice.
IOrigtnaL

! engaged by man namol Do6son to go with him from Julesburg to Denver 1 with a couple of wagons loaded with groceries. Julesburg was at the time the terminus of the Union Pacific rail road. and there was no railroad be- tween Julesburg and Denver. Dobson and I were to take the teams through alone. he driving one, the other. Just as we were starting young woman came to Dobson and asked # he would take her along. She was about twenty three years old and comely. Dobson granted her request willingly.
 Women In those days in Colorado, especially respectable women, were at a premium. One saw only the rougher vlsages of men, and when the more delicate features of a woman appeared the contrast was far greater than In the east, where the sexes are more nearly divided. It was plain to me from the first that DObsOn was bent on monopOlizlng the girl, who called her self Betsy Baker and 1t was equally plain that Miss Baker did not object to being mouOpOlized. We were several days making the journey, and as We camped at night the two had plenty of opportunity to enjoy each others com pany. During the day Mss Baker would sit by DobsOn as be drove, and In the evening after We had fed our selves and the stock they would sit by the campfire flor the nights were chilly and do a lot Of billing al cooling.
 As for me, l couldn't quite make the girl out She didn't make lt plain why she was there-didu't say what she was going to Denver for or what she was g0lug to do when she got there. l didn't doubt that she was perfectly re- spectable. but could see that she was conceuIlug something. For thIs reason l felt perfectly satisfied that DOOsOu should monOpoI.za her. didn't wish tO get eutungled with her myself
 The second night out, after Miss Baker was aaleep in one of the wag- ous, a man rode Into our camp. He was short, thick set fellow with a sJubble beard, not very prepOssesslug but looked as if he wouldn't be a good man for uu enemy tO tackle. He and Dobson talked together for awhile, the man telling DObson that he was taking a good deal of risk In driving wagons on the plains with but one man to help him. l didn't quite make out whether It was Indians or road agents that were to be feared, though Indians were not numerous On the plains as late as 1887. At any rate, DobsOn en- gagged the man to go on with us. Even a party Of three was not numerous in case of attack, but three were one more than two.
 The next morning Miss Baker was rather late getting out of her sleeping place In the wagon, and when she did and came to where we were eating breakfast I saw the stranger look at her in an odd way.
 'You hereG" be said
 Miss Baker didn't look especially pleased to sec him and made no reply.
 Do you happen to know the lady" asked DobsOn.
 "I ought to know her, seein' I'm en- gagged to her"
 Singularly enough, he didn't say an other word to her, nor did she speak to him during our breakfast cs bacon and corn bread, washed down with a cup Of coffee boiled over our campfire. When breakfast was finished and we were ready to move on, the stranger took the lead, while Miss Baker got up, as usual on the seat with DobsOn. Once or twice the stranger turned and rode back to say something to DObson, while the girl be claimed to be engag- ed to was sitting beside DObsOn In an evidently friendly manner. Her lance didn't seem to object to her doing so and after few words of inquiry or information rode on ahead again. When We came within dozen miles of Denver, he came back, and heard him tell DObsOn that be was going to sheer of to the west just before reach ing our destination and so up through Golden City to the stamp mills above on Clear creek.
 All this time the fellow paid no at- tention to Miss Baker, and Miss Baker didn't favor him with a word. Neither did she discourage DobsOn's attentions on account of the others presence. What passed between her and DobsOn on the subject of the stranger 1 never knew. It occurred to me that the an nOuucement that the latter was going to break away from the party must be very welcome to the girl. If he had been a fine looking, attractive fellow, might have thought 1t 8 lovers quarrel but that shabby, hairy crea- tura-lt was impossible.
 A short distance out from Denver we stopped for a noon meal. noticed for the first time that Miss Baker looked nervous. The stranger didn't notice l her any more than he had noticed her before and the moment the meal was 1 finished mounted and rode on.
 Presently we came to a fork in the
 road, one fork leading up to the can .r.v .Ah.- -E,.- Tr.hA .-r- ~ T0a--vr.D s