Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-07

base of the knoll, he picked up Win
his horse and rode On to the farm
house. Smoke was rising from the
chimney, and he was quickly in con-
versation with a nervous, slender
young man, who, he learned, was only
a tenant on the ranch. How large
was 1t? A matter of one hundred and
eighty acres, though 1t seemed much
larger. This was because 1t was so
irregularly shaped, Yes, 1T included
the clay-pit and all the knobs. and its
boundary that ran along the big can
yon was over q mile long. Oh, yes,
he and his wife managed TO scratch
a living without working too hard.
They didn't have to pay much rent
Hiliard, the owner, depended on ths
income from the clay-pit. Hillard was
well of and had big ranches and vine.
yards down on the fat Of the valley.
The brickyard paid ten cents a cubic
yard for the clay. As for the rest OF the
ranch, the land was good in patches,
where 1t was cleared, like the vege.
table garden and the vineyard, but the
rest of it was too much up-and-doWn.
you're not q farmer" Daylight
said.
The young man laughed and shook
bis head.
mo; I'm telegraph operator. But
the wife and I decided to take two
years vacation, and here We
are. But the times about up. I'm
going back into the Office this fall
after I get the grapes Off"
AS Daylight listened, there came to
him sudden envy Of this young fel.
low living right in the midst OF all
this which Daylight had travelled
through the last few hours.
what in thunder are you going
back to the telegraph Office for" he
demanded.
The young man smiled with GER
tain usefulness.
Because we can't get ahead here
;" The hesitated an Instant,
"and because there are added ex.
penses coming. The rent small as II
Is, counts; and besides, I'm not strong
enough to effectually farm the place.
II I owned 1t, or II were a real
husky like you, I'd ask nothing better.
Nor would the wife" Again the visit
full smile lowered on his face. "You
see, we're country born, and after
bucking with cities for a few years.
we kind of feel We like the country
best. We've planned to get ahead,
though, and then come day we'll buy
a patch of land and stay with It."
Daylight could not persuade him.
self to keep to the travelled roads
that day, and another cut across coun.
try to Glen Ellen brought him upon
a canyon that 30 blocked his way that
he was glad to follow friendly cow
path. This led him to q small frame
cabin. The doors and windows were
open, and a cat was nursing litter
OF kittens in the doorway, but no one
seemed at home. He descended the
trail that evidently crossed the can
yon. Part way down, he met an OLD
man coming UP through the sunset.
In his hand he carried pail Of foamy
milk. He wore no hat, and in his
face, framed with snow.white hair and
beard, was the ruddy glow and con.
tent of the passing summer day.
Daylight thought that he had never
seen so contented looking being.
How old are you, daddy?" he quer.
led.
"Eighty-four," was the reply. ayes,
Stree, eighty-four. and spryer than
most"
"You must a taken good care OF
yourself" Daylight suggested.
ri don't know about that. I amt
loafed none. walked across the
plains with an OK team and At Injuns
in 81, and I was family man with
seven youngsters. I reckon l was as
old then as you are now, or pretty
nigh on to it."
"Don't you find It lonely here"
The old man slifted the pail OF milk
and reflected.
"That all depends" he said oracul.
arly. IT amt never been lonely ex-
cept when the old wife died. Some
fellers are lonely in q crowd, and I'm
one of them. That's the only time
I'm lonely, is when go to Frisco.
But don't go no more, thank you
most to death. This is good enough
for me. I've been right here In this
valley since '54-one Of the first set
tiers after the Spaniards."
The old man chuckled, and Day
light rode on, singularly at peace with
himself and all the world. 1t seemed
that the old contentment of trail and
camp he had known on the Yukon
had come back to him. He could not
shake from his eyes the picture OF
the old pioneer coming UT the trail
through the sunset light. He was Ger.
tainly going some for eighty-four. The
thought of following his example en-.
tered Daylight's mind, but the big
game of San Francisco vetoed the
idea.