The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-19

the Half Way house and the brunette
from over the range. AS the night
wore on S. B. Bates answers on the
subject of crops grew noticeably curt,
and finally, when Bill Barnes asked
her if she had a bull calf for sale. she
told him in voice which made Bill
stare that she talked business at her
ranch" Just before coffee was served
at II, S. B. Bates announced that she
was going. Stout, his mouth open in
ecstaey, was whirling with the girl
from the Half Way house, and did not
see his neighbor walk past him with
blazing eyes, accompanied by Uncle
Sam Boucher with the lantern.
Stout, faded and yawning, drove
home at daylight. He was half asleep
when he came to the pOle-bridge, but
he awakened to a state of alertness
which was like the wakefulness of in
somnia when he saw sign fastened
to several poles which blocked the en-
trance of the bridge. The sign read:
THIS BRIDGE IS CLOSED.
s. B. BATES.
As Stout with numb fingers labor
icusly removed the interlaced poles in
the gray dawn, a slow wrath began to
burn in his bosom. He did not cOmpre-
bend the cause, but he realized that S.
B. Bates had turned on him. He drove
home and, after caring for his horse,
printed a sign which read:
THIS BRIDGE Is OPEN.
w. STOUT.
He attached it to his end of the
bridge and, with a feeling of satisfac-
ton and pride in the neatly printed
letters, returned to his shack to sleep.
Refreshed by his slumbers, he start
ed late in the afternoon TO demand an
explanation from S. B. Bates. "S. B."
saw him coming and was waiting for
him on the pole which marked the ex-
act center of the. bridge Stout felt
himself shrink before her blazing eyes
This bridge is closed" said IS. B."
Her lips were a straight line.
This bridge is Open" replied Stout,
trying to force determination into his
wavering voice.
81 am armed" said S. B. Bates, and
from the folds of her skirt she pro-
duced a formidable pair of wire clip
pers. take one step forward and
shall use this weapon"
Stout, with his foot poised in mid
air, hesitated. S. B. Bates unspoken
| threat to remove his flesh from his
bones in pinches rang true. He knew
also that she could do it,
Il will not fight a lady," he replied
Il wouldn't advise you to-" answered
S. B. Bates mOckingly.
That same afternoon it chinooked.
| The soft, warm wind melted the snow
/ in the mountains and gulches with in
| credible Tapidity. and a yellow stream
| began to rush through the dry bed of
Paint river.
In the morning the yellow stream
was a torrent, and il looked as though
/ the bridge might go out before night.
He followed the creek down to see
| if the flood had taken out the wire
fence he had strung across his prop
erty to that of his neighbor's. The
| fence was still intact, so he returned
to his shack and seated himself discOn-
| solately on the doorstep.
Now that Stout's wrath had subsidized
somewhat he realized that the with
drawal of S. B. Bates friendship was
| a more serious matter than it had al
| first seemed. That horse with the dis
| temper-"S. B." had thought she could
cure it. He had talked of buying a
| CARPETS. B." was going to sew il
| for him. He meant to purchase Mel
dOn's water rights on Sage creek-if IS.
B." thought well of it. But he was
going to miss most of all her cOmpan-
| ionship; she was surely very compan-
I lOIldDle. one ndu DStn patient VIII
/ him in his verdancy, and her kindness
| had been unfailing. Her volcanic out
| burst puzzled and bewildered him. As
he brooded the clatter of hOofs fell on
/ his ear. He arose and looked around
the corner to see the girl from the
Half Way house gallopfng down the
road on her blue roam.
1.-The upper bridge has gone out" she
said, pulling up at his doorstep, land
1 had to ride back to cross here. Is il
| safe?"
well, you See the b-bridge is
closed" stammered Stout, distinctly
/ embarrassed.
/ Closed? What's the natter"
| 'W-W-Why, S. B. Bates, you see
IA" He CROPPED wildly for some
plausible explanation, and while he
/ floundered he saw the stout figure OF
| s. B. Bates striding from the house on