Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-04-28
N

~ tanning the wife ana
NJ" daughter Of the president.
~ Mccarthy disliked the
U>V waste Of time n the role
~ of entertainer for
Most of the women l have KNOWN
have been a nuisance" he said audi
bly,, in his growing annoyance.
me, too, Mack" piped up q small
voice beside him.
Mccarthy turned and swore. HIS
oath was answered with such an en-
phatic 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
s~tage-driver. The latter, nearly four
feet in height and thirteen years old,
returned the gaze u~nblinkingls from a
pair of ~wise-looking Irish-American
eyss which belied his age, meanwhile
wrinkling his freckles into a mass that
served as a harmonious fresco below
his red hair. Again he rave speech.
Most women" he said, "is like ore
wagons; take up too much room on
the trail"
The train groaned and creaked along
tho rails, md came to q whining, per
spring halt
Sanders drove frantically through
the crowd, swearing with earnestness
~ he went, and planted himself before
tho platform. Down the steps surged
prospectors, Miners, commercial traV-
slers, and women, humping each 9TH
sr's legs with bales, bundles, and bags,
and all in q hurry. But 1t 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 tranicked with his
rival. He lodged to and fro to avoid
being trampled upon, and tried to gain
q fare from the other stage-drlver.
The rival looked the part, thought San
ders %enviously, as he gazed with AMI
mostly at the six feet of Drawn sur
mounted by a SLOUGH hat, and listened
to the voice which came with a 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 which 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
brightened up hopefully, and he came
forward unabashed, but colored with
self-consciousness before the outburst
of merriment of the most beautlrul
lady he had ever seen. He recalled in
xtantly'a story his father used to tell
him before he went to rest back up
there in the hills, and from Their on
she became to him the Dream Lady
But it wouldn't do to blush, he
thought f%uriously. He must play the
part. because, after all, he was a real
stase-driver. He braced his fee wide
lv apart, assumed a hoarse voice, and
in answer to her question, Are you a
staKe-driver?" vociferated. you BET
your damn life I am"
The Dream Lady laughed with such
abandonment that the superintend-
ants sharp reproof was unuttered.
Mccarthy led the way to h stage,
assisted the presidents wife n
daughter to a seat, and the deposit
cd hi. 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
hands, tripped the brake with much
e1ort, and started his horses with a
vein. He reasoned over the intricacies
81 the situation, and decided that he
had beer tested with, Inundated, set
upon, and %ridiculed. It hurt because
the Dream Lady was SO beautiful and
had such shining eyes.
It was too much, and as a big lump
came suddenly into his throat, san
ders almost swallowed the ample
chew of tobacco that distorted the
contour of his face. Hitherto he had
felt the pride Of position. Why
shouldn't he Joy in his independence?
He had always made his own way and
had been no mark for humor. Why,
even when he wanted to go into the
stage business after Old Patch, ow-
INK to too many stops at the road
house, had simultaneously lost his
hold on the reins of horses and of
life by falling from his seat, the min
ers had not treated him as a joke.
With great gravity they had subscrib-
co 1OT Lu0 pu1 Va S"S
had called him Mister Sanders" True,
some Of them had winked and grown
red in the face when they put their
names and their money down, but
they had not laughed at him broadly
As the Dream Lady did.
Sanders recalled that entry into
staeedom with a warmth In his heart
for Mccarthy, who was SO outspoken
with all men and whom SO many fear
ed. The big man, he remembered,
had read the list without a change OF
expression and had even taken the
pains to test his ability, or, as the boy
said. tried him out" Sanders well
remembered that trial. The superin-
tendent had hailed an ore-wagon with
"aere, Jim; take this boy up there
BY you, let him taxi the ribbons and
drive to the bottom of he hill. Watch