The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-04
THE EVENING STORY
Partners,
by Donald Allen.l

Doc6use sue hau learned telegraphy
that she might support a widowed
mother-because she had applied again
ana again to the r. & P. road for a
sltuat1on-because the road had had
hye different agents and operators at
Fedora Junction in year-they sent
Miss Gladys Shaw to fill the place.
A shanty hotel, a store or two. three
gambling hells, and country so God
forsaken that even the gamblers would
not stay for long. A shanty of a sta
ton with only two rooms, and Miss
Shaw could cook and eat and sleep in
| the smaller or board at the hotel, She
| chose the former course.
The arrival of a girl at Fedora juno
tlon-"a starving-looking girl''-was an
| episode. 1t was more than that. 1t
was an event-an epoch. Gamblers,
cowboys and all others walked down
TO see her. She was greater than the
president of the road in his private car
AS she stood in the door of the depot
4 the men gathered in single line and
| marched along and each asked for a
| shake of the hand and got it-and a
smile in the bargain. When the last
man had passed the girl was given
three cheers and a tiger. and it was
Montana Bill who stood on the plat
form and said to the crowd below:
| mo funny business will go here. The
| coyote that tries it on gets a rope and
a limb. If 1 don't treat her as if she
| first one to swingi'
That settled the status of Miss
| Gladys Shaw. When there was a far
edge to civilization in the Great West,
there were knights among the toughest
| of men. No matter how many notcleS
| their pistol butts carried, each standing
for a dead man, they were gallant men
| to good women. 1t was so until there
| was no more far edge. Miss Shaw was
| safer at Fedora Junction than in the
/ GfrnPte- nj on
We'll give her a week." they said
| at headquarters, and as month pass
| ed and her work gave perfect salts
| faction they wondered about it. Every
| night some gambler came down to the
depot to see that no tramps were hang
| ing about. Every morning some man
who had reputation for being light
ming on the draw came down to walk
| into the Office with his hat in his hand
and respectfully ask:
rs everything all right this morn
ing, Miss Shawn
Eyes, all right, thank you"
M"Can get anything from the store
| for your
| Thanks, but I have just telephoned
my ORDER
| Maybe you want some one hustled
| cut of town or shot?"
"Oh, no, no, noi''
eff you do. just say the word, ana
| it's DONE
miles away, Jest to get a good look st
| that GIRL They would come to the
depot and ask about trains and ship
ments with sober faces, but the girl
knew the real object and smiled at and
| talked with them.
| She sometimes asked questions to
| draw them out as to their lonely lives
| and hardships, and there was never a
| day that she did not make new friends.
After three months she had her salary
raised, and learned long afterwards that
| it was because of a petition that was
sent in from the town, with a threat to
| tear up the rails for a mile If the in
| crease was not granted.
| One day there came into the office
stranger, who was different from the
| other strangers she had seen about. He
| had a manly face and figure, and she
| liked his appearance and voice at once.
| She sized him up for a college man.
His tan-his callous hands-his rough
suit bespoke the prospector.
The man asked for a telegraph form,
| and stood at the rude desk and filled 1t
| out and read it over to tear it up and
| 90 the same with a second. The third
| he handed to her over the railing and
| asked:
would you send it or not?"
| It was addressed to prominent man
| in Boston, whose name she had fire.
| quently seen in the papers. 1t read:
1T has turned out as you said I'm
! failure and have got to walk home I'M
less you pay my fare. Gilbert
Holding the telegram in her hand,
| Miss Shaw looked at the young man for
a long minute before replying:
You graduated as what?'
"A geologist."
! And disagreed with your father?"
He wanted me to become a broker
and banker"
And you came west to-to-?''
izn u 11a a Ing
and find gold and silver he replied,
with a laugh. i've found about every
species of rock known to man, and
some iron and coal. The gold and sill
yer haven't come my way, and I'm on
my knees to Dad.
Miss Shaw laid the telegram aside
and picked up her sewing, and she had
piled the needle for five minutes before
she said:
You are about "a years old. You are
rugged and healthy. take 1t you are
a fair geologist. But, because after
season in the hills you have not dis
| covered a Golconda you are ready TO
cry quits. Your father, it appears, pre-
dicted your failure, but that doesn't ap
peal to your pride now. You are will
ing to eat humble pie. wouldn't think
it of you.''
The young man took a quarter of a
dollar from his vest pocket. and ex-
tending it on his palm. asked:
| HOW Is IldI IOF d ETuUSldk0.
didn't leave the mountains until I was
down to this. One must eat up there,
| and one must have at least a pack
horse. This telegram to the old man
| is the last straw. I'd rather have an
| arm chopped off than send it,
You might come in two hours la
| ter she said as she got a call on the
| instrument.
| Fifteen minutes after he had bowed
/ and departed Montana Bill got a tele-
| phone call at his faro parlors, and ten
minutes later still. he entered the de-
pot with a revolver in his hand. and
| exclaimed:
| 'sWhar's the villain? 1 won't give
| him time to say his prayersl"
Its not that" laughed Miss Shaw.