Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-25

WA/N a s' ip': and ds s%sss
CO bins. marked his progress up the Hnouh-
tain side trestled chute OF unprece-
denied length and height mad ehaoieo
him to reach virgin forest hitherto III
accessible to the rivc ges OF man. al. OH
this hot afternoon Hogans Mills, the
tom. wore a deserted aspect because
Hogan's mills Themselves were running at
i. II force. even the Chinese COOK having
been pressed into service Mrs. y bvrhe
and Mrs. Monaghan. the FEMININE eie-
mcnt in the place, We're resting IN theH
cabins on the uope- fill. In front or the
boarding house, ccolir.g their bare Feet III
the dust. sat Maggie and Terry O'Byrne.
the sole representatives of idleness and
youth in the camp.
Almost an hour had passed since theJ
had seen. down il the valley, the spiral
cloud of dust that heralded the approach
of the stage: now they knew 1t was crea <
ing slowly up the mountain road; In
moment they would hear the crack OF
Meters whip. the rattle of harness. and
tearing around the corner in last des-
perate rush would appear the leaders, the
vheeIers and then the weather-beaten,
dust begrimed stage.
This vehicle itself was a matter of 40
Importance to the children. No passengers
ever came to the Mills at the end of sum-
mer, and the weekly mail and loads or
provisions did not interest them. but there
was, nevertheless, momentous question.
" ould Meters have the white or the
brown leaders?
The white" asserted Maggie.
Brown contradicted Terry, just to
take the other side.
1t was the brown last week.. remem-
bered Maggie
Yes, and it will be the brown this
week. persisted the boy.
Their sharp little voices clashed and
their ewes shot wrath and defiance. Final
~ Terry, putting his hand into his pocket
and searching among the treasures there
in, said:
III it's the six it's the brown, sure as
l,e.
\ small ivory cube distracted from the
sweepings of the barroom appeared in his
dirty little hand. and six half-obliterated
dots we're visible. Now there was good
and suificient reason why these six spots
did turn up, and the same reason &C
counted for the thing having been swept
Lawrence, the starter, who had left the
Mills so suddenly. might have enlightened
Terry on the subject. But the boy knew
nothing about the small cubes except
that important questions were decided
through their agency, and he had hea-d
the triumphant shout over the six 50
often that naturally it stood for success
in his small mind, or at least. If not sue
,{y90u cy03n
as he desired or expected.
There. Didn't / tell you?'' And he
staggered with masculine bravadO.
What do girls know about horses?"
Maggie, though inwardly admitting the
augury. yelled even louder than before.
Il tell you it's the white. just the
same"
And there might have been an OByrne
the less at Hogan's Mills IL Meters had
not cracked his whip at the very instant
when Terry. standing over Maggie in un-
governable rage. was ready to annihilate
her with words or weapons.
But the long lash sang through the
air, the dusty white leaders spurted for
ward to the boarding house. and then set
tied dejectedly down into their harness as
though their work In life was over. Be-
yond the horses the children did not look,
but Magge's triumph was short lived, for
Terry, lodging the flicking end of the
lash with which Meters greeted him, saw
In the stage a passenger. two passengers,
Il man dark, stern and forbidding and,
lying beside him on the seat a child with
a white, drawn face and big black eyes.
.Hooray." shouted Terry in greeting,
but the little face was turned resolutely
away and the lips did not move.
Where's Sin?" demanded Meters as the
stranger descended from the stage.
over at the chute" answered Terry.
And both the wimmen lazyin' as usual,
j suppose"
Never mind" interrupted the man
roughly. You can give me a hand. can't
you?''
Meters, climbing down from his high
seat, took from the top of the stage d,
thing half stretcher, half reclining chair.
On this they put the little crippled LAD
and carried him into the dining room OF
the boarding house.
'Old Sin ought to be here grumbled
the driver. Where's your mother?" he
asked, turning to Maggie. his voice rough
ened by sympathy for his accomplishing
little passenger.
She amt my mother" Terry said, soto
voce, but aggressively. My mothers in
heaven"
Mrs. O'Byrne's at the cabin an
swered Maggie. looking at the little boy
with hungry motherly eyes. But she
amt much good. Meters. l can do more
than she can
My mothers in heaven. too.'' half
whispered the child the chair. this
bond of sympathy seeming to draw him
toward the tousled little girl. Meters
answered Terry's challenge, but spoke to
the stranger.
THE boys right. Their own mother
is dead. and lie married this one last
spring. | guess she amt much good.
Then. in response TO Maggie's womanly
interest. he added: This is Mr.. Harris,
Bob Harris. He's come 20 work at the
mills. and he's going to live in the empty
cabin under the slide. Perhaps you can
help him some
But Mr.. Harris took no notice Of Mag
gle. lie was unloading packs and bundles
from the back of the stage. and. shoulder
irs all he could carry. he started of ~