The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-05-05

have been q DulSduCey ne ohlu duul-
bly in his growing annoyance.
aMe, too, Mack" piped up small
voice beside him.
Mccarthy turned and swore. His
oath was answered with such an EN-.
nhatic string of profanity that 1t al.
most drowned the whistle of the in
coming train.
The superintendent looked reprov.
ingly at his companion, Sanders, the
stage-driVer. The latter, nearly four
feet in height and thirteen years old,
returned the gaze unblinkingly from a
pair of wise-looking Irish-American
eyes which belied his age, meanwhile
wrinkling his freckles into mass that
served as a harmonious fresco below
his red hair. Msain he gave speech.
Most women" he said, sis like ore
wagons; take up too much room on
the trail"
The train groaned and creaked along
the rails, and came to a whining, per-
spring halt.
Sanders drove frantically through
the crowd, swearing with earnestness
as he went, and planted himself before
the platform. Down the steps surged
prospectors, miners, commercial tray
elers, and women, humping each 9TH
ers legs with bales, bundles, and bags,
and all in hurry. But. it was not
Sanders day. There was none who
knew him-and those who were at
tracted by his shrill voice crying
"Stage-line to Horne" paid small heed
to his appeal, and trafficked with his
rival He lodged to and fro to avoid
being trampled upon, and tried to gain
fare from the other stage-driver.
The rival looked the part, thought San
ders enviously, as he gazed with ami
mostly at the six feet of Drawn sur
mounted by SLOUGH hat, and listened
to the voice which came with hoarse
below
Sanders turned disconsolately to-
ward his own stage, and in emulation
Of his elders of the wilder mining
camp up in the hills from witch he
came, again swore with proficiency
Here, you, Sanders" hailed Nc
Carthy's voice from the diminishing
crowd, here are some passengers for
YOU"
The wise-looking little, old face
frightened up hopefully, and he came
forward unabashed, but colored with
selfconsciousness before the outburst
OF merriment of the most beautiful
lady he had ever seen. He recalled in
stantly a story his father used to tell
him before he went to rest back up
there in the hills, and from then on
she became to him the Dream Lady"
But it wouldn't do to blush, he
thought furiously. He must play the
part because, after all, he was a real
stage-driver. He braced his feet wide
apart, assumed a hoarse voice, and
In answer to her question, Are you a
stage-driver?" Moderated, "You bet
your damn life l am"
The Dream Lady laughed with such
abandonment that the superintend-
ents sharp reproof was unuttered.
Mccarthy led the way to the stage,
assisted the presidents wife and
laughter to a seat, and then deposit
60 MS own huge bulk beside the driv-
er's cushion.
sanders crawled up to his place,
using the spokes of the wheel as a
ladder, clutched the reins in his small /
lahds, tripped the brake with much
eaoft, and started his horses with
yep, he reasoned over the intricacies
u tne situation, and decided that he
aau peen TESTED with, Inundated, set
Spon, and ridiculed. 1t hurt because
ue Dream Lady was so beautiful and
Aau such shining eyes.
\ was too much, and as a big lump
ne suddenly into his throat. San
almost swallowed the ample
s oaeM OF tobacco that distorted the
s sJa'our OF his face. Hitherto he had
~ the pride of position. Why
~ pnoalont he joy in his independence?
A. uad always made his own way and
sra a oeen no mark for humor. Why,
st.n wneh he wanted to go into the
~ business after Old Patch, ow-
- " 100 many stops at the road
bo,s mad simultaneously lost his
iifa On the reins of horses and of
A. falling from his seat, the min
VIZ. au not treated him as a Joke.
a - great gravity they had subscrib-
bsd -, tle purchase of the outfit and
so ~ ."ilea him Mister Sanders True,
hi VI them had winked and grown
NAM . The face when they put their
tbav M : and their money down, but
q ,h naa not laughed at him broadly
e ~ Dream Lady did.
,ta Ssaaers recalled that entry into
for S sSsr with warmth in his heart
viii 'i ~ who was so outspokep
cd M NJ men and whom so many fear.
had ,a me big man. he remembered. i
exprss sao the list without a change OF :
paips eSslon and had even taken the s
said a ~ teSt his ability, or, as the boy c
renar,t uled him out" Sanders well r
tens snoered that trial. The snperin. '
sHera nae mad hailed an ore.wagon with (
By yon JIM; take this boy IN there a
dive ~ !. let him take the ribbons and n
= the bottom of the hill. watch ! u