Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-11
CHAPTER v.
In Honor Of Miss Spencer. Z

MI. Jack Moffat, president of the Bachelor
Miners Pleasure Club had embraced the
idea of a reception for Miss Spencer with
unbounded enthusiasm. Indeed, the earliest
conception of such an event found birth
within his fertile brain, and from the first
he determined upon making 1t the most no
table social function ever known in that
portion of the territory
Heretofore the pastime of the Bachelors
Club had been largely bibulous. and the
| members thereof had exhibited small In
clinatiop to seek the ordinary methods of
social relaxation as practiced in Glencafd
Pink teas. or indeed teas Of any conceiv-
able color. had never proved sufficiently at
traetfve to wean the members from the
chaste precincts Of the Occidental or the
Miners Retreat while the mysterious pleas
ure OF Hunt the Slipper" and "Spat In and
spat OUT had likewise utterly failed to In
veigle them from retirement. But Mr, Moi
fats example wrought an immediate MIR
acle. SO that. long before the fateful hour
arrived, every registered bachelor was la
boring industriously to make good the
proud boast of their enthusiastic president.
that this was going to be ''the SWEETEST af-
fair ever pulled off west of the Missouri
The large space above the Occidental was
secured for the occasion, the ohstructing
subdivisions knocked away, an entrance
constructed with an outside stairway lead
ing up from vacant lot, and the passage
connecting the saloon boarded up. Incident
ally. Mr.. Moffat took occasion to announce
that IL "any snoozer got drunk and came
UP them stairs he would be thrown bodily
out of window. Mr. Mcneil. who was OBJ
| serving the preliminary proceedings with
deep interest from q pile of lumber oppo-
site. sarcasticalIy intimated that under such
circumstances the attendance of club mem
bers would be necessarily limited. Mr.. Moi
fats reply it Is manifestly impossible to
quote literally. Mrs. Guffy was employed to
provide the requisite refreshments in the
palatial dining hail of the hotel. while Buck
Mason. the vigilant town marshal. popu-
larry supposed to know intimately the face
of every "rounder" in the territory, agreed
| to collect the cards Of Invitation at the
| door. and bar out obnoxious visitors.
These preliminaries having been duly at
| tended to, Mr.. N.offat and his, interchangeable
| committee of arrangements proceeded to
master the details OF decoration and enter
| tainment, drawing heavily upon the limited
resources of the local merchants, and even
invading private homes In search after
identifying material Jim Lane drove his
blackboard one hundred and sixty mies to
Cheyenne to gather up certain needed arti-
cles of adornment the selection OF which
| could not be safely confided to the inartistc
| taste of the stage driver. Upon his rapid
return journey loaded down with spoils
| Peg Brace, cow-punoher in the Bar o.
gang, rode recklessly alongside his speeding
wheels for the greater portion OF the dis
| lance. apparently In most jovial humor.
and unusually inquisitive as to make Mr.
! Lane, as he later expressed 1t, plum tired.
The persistent rider finally deserted him.
however. at the ford over the sinsiniwa.
| shouting derisively back from safe dis
| lance that the Miners Club was lot of
chumps, and promising them severe ''5olt'
In the near future.
Indeed 1t was becoming more and more
apparent that-a decided feeling of hostility
was fast developing between the respective
partisans Of Moffat and Mcneil. Thus far
| the feud merely smoldered. finding occa-
! sional expression in sarcastic speech. and
the severance of former friendly relations.
! but 1t BODIED more serious trouble for the
near future. To loyal henchman. Moffat
| merely condescended to remark. glancfng
| disdainfully at q knot Of hard riders discon-
solately sitting their ponies in front of the
| saloon door, We've got them fellers roped
ace-high with the ladies Of this camp after
our fandango is over with. We're holdtn
! the hand this game, an It simply sweeps
1 the board clean. That duffer McNeils the
! sickest looking duck I've seen in year
| an the whole blame bunch Of cow-punchers
Is corra1led SO tight there can't steer
among 'em get a nose over the pickets.
He glanced over the waiting scene of fes-
tivities with intense satisfaction. From
/ bare saualor the spacious apartment had
/ been converted into scene of almost gor-
| geous splendor. The waxed floor was
| perfect marvel Of smoothneSs; the numerous
1 windows had been heavily draped in red.
! white and blue hangings; festoons of the
| same rich hues hung gracefully suspended
| from the ceiling. trembling to the least cur
| rent of air: oil lamps, upheld by almost in
| visible wires. dangled in profusson; while
within the far corner, occupying slightly
| raised platform later to be utilized by the
| orchestra was an imposing pulpit chair lent
! by the Presbyterian Church. resting upon
| a rug of skins. and destined as the seat of
| honor for the fair guest of the evening.
| Moffat surveyed all this thoughtfully, and
| proceeded proudly to the hotel to don q
| ''boiIed' shirt, and in other ways prepare
! himself to do honor to his exalted office.
| Much to the surprise of Mcneil. lounging
| with some cronies on the shaded porch, he
nodded to him genially. adding hearty
| Hello there. Bill" as he passed care
| lessly by.
! The invited guests arrived from the
| sparsely settled regions round about, not a
few riding for a hundred miles over the
/ hard trails. The majority came early. arr
/ rayed in whatsoever apparel their limited
/ wardrobes could supply, but ready for any
i wild frolie. The men outnumbered the
gentler sex five to one. but every feminine
representative within a radius OF about fifty
| miles. whose responsibility could possibly
| pass muster before the investigations of a
not too critical invitation committee. was
4 present amid the throng, attired in all the
! fnery procurable, and supremacy and Sc
renely happy in the assured consciousness
| that she would not lack partners whenever
| the cnticing music began.
| The gratifed president of the Pleasure
| Club had occasion to expand his chest with
| Just pride Jauntily twiring his silky mus
| tacheS, ne puSneQ MS way through the jos
| ting. good-natured crowd already surging
| toward the entrance of the hall and stepped
briskly forth along the moonlit road to-
| ward the Herndon home, where the fair
| queen Of the revels awaited his promised es-
| cort. It was his hour of supreme triumph,
| and his head swan with the delicious in
| toxication of well-earned success, the piau-
dts of his admirers, and the fond anticipa-
| ton of Miss Spencer's undoubted surprise
and gratitude. lis, therefore. was the step
| and bearing Of conqueror, Of one whose
4 cup was already filled to the brim. and
4 running over with the joy of life.
The delay incident to the completion Of
I an elaborate toilet, together with the seduc-
i tive charms of stroll through the moon
j haunted night beneath the spell of bright
i eyes and whispered words. resulted in q
4 later arrival at the scene of festivities than
| had been intended. The great majority Of
the expected guests had already assem-
bled. and were becoming somewhat restless
/ No favored courtier ever escorted beloved
queen with greater pride or ceremony than
that with which Mr.. Moffat led his blush
Ing charge through the throng toward her
1 chair Of state. The murmuring voices, me
admiring eyes. the hush Of expectancy. all
contributed to warm the cookies Of his
heart and to color his face With the glow