The Prescott daily news., 1908-04-03
Sanders and the
 Dream Lady
By ROY NORTON
(Copyright.)

Mccarthy, superintendent of the Golconda, big. bluff. and burly, was unhappy. He stood at the station wait ing for the belated train that was to bring with 1t the special car contain ing the wife and daughter of the pres ident. Mccarthy disliked the waste of time and the role of entertainer for women.
 Most of the women I have known have been a nuisance" he said audibly, in his growing annoyance.
 Me, too. Mack" piped up small voice beside him.
 The superintendent looked at his companion, Sanders, the stage-drlver. The latter, nearly four feet in height and 13 years old, returned the gaze unblinkingly from pair of wise-look- ing lrish-American eyes which belied his age, meanwhile wrinkling his freckles into mass that served as a harmonious fresco below his red hair.
 The train groaned and creaked along the rails and came to whining. perspiring halt.
 Sanders dove frantically through the crowd and planted himself before the platform. Down the steps surged pros pectors, miners. commercial travellers, and women, Jumping each others legs with bales. bundles, and bags, and all in hurry. But it was not Sanders day. There was none who knew him and those who were attracted by his shrill voice crying: 'Stage-line to Horne" paid small heed to his appeal. and trafficked with his rival.
 Here. you. Sanders" hailed Mo Carthy's voice from the diminishing crowd. here are some passengers for you"
 The wise-looking little, old face frightened up hopefully, and he came forward unabashed, but colored with self-consciousness before the outburst of merriment of the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. He recalled in- stantly story his father used to tell him before he went to rest back up there in the hills, and from then on she became to him the Dream Lady"
 Mccarthy led the way to the stage, assisted the presidents wife and daughter to a seat. and then deposited his own huge bulk beside the drivers cushion.
 Sanders crawled up to his place. us- ing the spokes of the wheel as lad der, clutched the reins in his small hands. tripped the brake with much effort, and started his horses with yelp.
 Mccarthy had always thrown all the patronage to Sanders line that he could. Mccarthy never laughed at him. and Mccarthy was a big man. A real superintendent who worked many men and who was king up there where all those men worked. Mccarthy was trump.
 The stage-driver's mind went ram- bling away to the stories he had read in the ten-cent books he had secured from the miners. where the heroine was always beautiful young lady who always fell in love with the hero, who, if not stagedriver, was a brave young detective. They always mar ried, and, as far as he could recollect, lived happily ever after.
 It really seemed like very short drive that day, and when the stage rolled up to the front of the superin- tendent's office, which had been pre- pared as temporary home for the visitors. Sanders was quite surprised at the speed they had made.
 The days changed for Sanders. There was no longer a weariness in the drag uphill from the American to the Golconda. This was because of the Dream Lady
 There was something odd about 1t all. he pondered. Mccarthy took more shaved every day. and had new hat that he wore when not going through the mine. The Dream Lady too, showed signs of the summers progress sion. She looked at the superin- tendent differently, and there was something in the look that led San ders to know that she saw in this white-hatted, silent man master or men and things. An. he could love her for that
 The Dream Lady didn't seem to be as happy as she had been, and there was trouble between her and her mother The boy wondered at that, and spent his idle time in vain specu- lations. True, he had heard but little. but 1t was a certainty that the Dream Lady and her mother were not on good terms. So he hated the mother.