The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-03-26
nAAPrER MNl.

no later. She served as good a break
| fast to Mr.. Crocker the next morning
as If the hotel routine had been un-
! broken,
The little town was full of confusion,
| and the center of It was the hotel The
dining room was overilowing. Added
! to the crowd of the night was gang
of men Just arrived and clamoring for
| breakfast before they were hustled or
| the Front There was none of the eX-
pectant quiet of the supper hour IN
| the grcen.embowered room. And Sally
y. was everywhere, generating the sit
uation masterfuly.
There was meager time for dream
! ing, yet the heart of Stella dreamed
| on, though her head bent faithfully
to it's 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 as her
thoughts strayed there to death, still
ness. mystery, she whipped herself
back again to the hustle AID hurry
around her This she could endure
float serenely over, with Alfred's eyes
ever 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 noon a man came in from
the east with two wagons and six
horse team, bringing a message for
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. Il
go to go to Bill humpin' quick-ter-
morrer, if | can git away By goll!
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 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? Them means he's
well. See them four with lines over
N under? That says he's struck it
rich. Blamed rich Lines under'd
mean pretty good; but lines on top,
too, means whoppin! Them three
crosses standin' apart, them's grub.
There's dot over each; that's all
kinds. There's a line under EN-; that
means lots of it. Oh, Bills hit a big
J 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
looked at Stella exultantly, but turned
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 pen
mean?' Stella asked, curiously.
Sally B. looked little conscious
oh, you know, kin read, an make
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
got ter. | got you, an vi, an Vic.
Grandma anil have ter-what's that
word Al Vincent used the other day?
happer-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 course you can manage. You
got to, Sabe? Don't get skeered fore
you begin. I've got jimmy Dart staked
out by telegraph. She's the best
dinin' room gal in Placer county. Shen
Vic II run the eatin' end o. X. All
you got ter do, Stella, is to boss the
whole consarn." Sally b. whisked off
10 make her preparations, which began
with telegraphed order for goods
that kept several clerks in Sacramento
busy all that afternoon.
Toward supper time the three wom-
en- We're 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 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
'em right, I'm goin' to make Shack
Newbegin boss of the corral, an he'll
look out for any cuss that gifts on a
bender. He'll make him take leg bail
too quick"
Shaekelford Newbegin had taken
Gideons 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 seowled rehectlyely. her
neat soul outraged by memories OF
back aching seasons of blanket-wash.
ing, of eeaseless strife to keep the cor
raj from "smellin' wuss'n a pig-penl"
When strangers wants beds, you
two gals come together to show 'em
nm an have Wing hrInO IN fha car