The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-03-19
CHAPTER XVI.
Sally q. Leads the Wagon Train.

no later. She served as good a break
fast to Mr.. Croker the next morning
as IL the hotel routine had been un-
broken.
The little town was full of confusion,
and the center of 1t was the hotel. Tho
dining DON was overlooking. Added
TO the crowd of the night was a gang
of men just arrived and clamoring for
breakfast before they were hustled on
the Front. There was none of the ex-
p~ectant quiet Of the supper hour in
the green-embowered room And Sally
b. was everywhere, generating the sit
uation masterfully.
There was meager time for dream
ing, yet the heart of Stella dreamed
on, though her head bent faithfully
to its tasks at the Office desk. The
night In fairyland had passed. still Its
visions held. Across the gulch tender
hands she knew were preparing the
dead for burial; but often rs her
thoughts strayed there to death, still
ness, mystery, she whipped herself
back again to the hustle and hurry
around her. This she could endure,
float serenely over, with Alfred's eyes
eve on her own, his kiss still thrilling
her lips. Nor would she think of him
as flying from her. Plenty Of time to
vision him far away, his mind occupied
with alien concerns. Plenty of time
to count off the days. the weeks
would it be months before she should
see him?
Before oon a man came in from
the east with two wagons and a six
Sally b. 1t was an old newspaper,
crumpled and dirty.
Just look a here!" Sally b. said
excitedly. as she entered the office
and held the paper out to Stella. II
go to go to Bill humpin' quick-ter-
morrer, if l can git away. BY COLL!
it'll beat the ole Harry for me to git
ready"
Stella took the ~unsavory paper and
looked vainly for Sally BIS message.
The only noticeable thing was a string
Of crosses on the margin.
"Oh, | forgot. o. course. you can't
read Bills letter; nobody but me can
See them two crosses first there?
Close together? Tnsm means he's
well. See them four with lines yer
n under? That say he's struck 1t
rich. Blamed rich. Lines under'd
mean pretty good; but lines on top,
too, means w%hoppin'i Them three
,,.en eya,,J;r' a,a.t tb.p,', ,,r,h
There's a dot over each; that's all
kinds. There's a line under 'em; that
means lots of it. Oh, Bits hit a big
lead this time, no doubt o. that; an
he's layin' out TO work it on the jump,
an with all the men he kin git" She
quickly back TO the hieroglyphics.
Here's one big cross standin' alone;
that's me; an the line under it means
come"
What does the picture OF q pen
mean?' Stella asked, c%uriously.
Sally b. looked a little conscious.
"Oh, you know, ! kin read, an make a
fair stagger at writin' SO when Bill
has any very important business that
goes by way of ink | have to help him
out
But how can you leave in this busy
season." Stella asked.
Its right smart pestersome,, but I
got ter. | got you, an vi. an Vic.
Grandma'am'll have ter-what's that
word Al Vincent used the other day?
shapper-shapperon you ALL"
Stella smiled half-heartedly. DO
you think we can manager" She did
not shrink from responsibility, but
from the horde of men. Travellers,
strangers, men of the town, all would
make pretexts for lingering in the
Office or wherever they could find
either girl; not from ~rudeness, but be-
cause of the woman-hunger, the long
ing for all that a good woman stands
for to men of the frontier. And Sally
b. would not be there for refuge and
court of appeal.
"Of curse you can manage. You
got to. Sabe? Don't get skcered fore
you begin. I've got jimmy Dart staked
out by telegraph. She's the best
dinin' room gal In Placer county. She'n
Vic ii run the eatin' end O.. X. All
you got ter do, Stella, is to boss the
whole ~consarn.'' Sally b. whisked OF
to make her preparations, which began
with a telegraphed order for goods
that kept several clerks in Sacramento
busy sll hat afternoon.
Toward supper time the three wom-
en- were In the corral" where Sally
b. had put through" a tremendous
cleaning. The room was long and
bare, with rows OF neat beds, an oc-
casional chair, several rough tables
and a forest of nails uphanging various
pieces of mems apparel.
Now you'n Viola amt to touch
them beds, but just ha'nt that Chiny
limb o. Satan, Wing, an see I he does
EN- right. I'm goin' to make Shack
Newbegin boss of the corral, an he'll
look out for any GUS that gifts on a
bender. He'll make him take leg bail
too quick!"
Shackelford Newbegin had taken
Gideon's place at the bar and had
proved exceptionally trustworthy.
"Doggone EN-. Some of 'em sleeps
in their boots. drunk or sober" Sally
b. continued, her mind still on the
beds. She scowled reiectively. her
neat soul outraged by memories of
back aching seasons of blanket-wash-