Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-09-19

the eastward The coach used had
partition run through it. and, as
soon as the busy trainmen discovered
ladies on board, they unceremoniously
drove the more bibulous passengers
protesting. into the forward compart-
ment. This left Hope in comparative
peace, her remaining neighbors quiet
taciturn men, whom she looked at
through the folds of her veil during
the long, slow. exasperaing Journey
mentally guessing at their various &C.
equations 1t was an exceedingly tedi-
Gus, monotonous trip, the train slack
ening up and jerking forward, appar-
emily without slightest reason; then
occasionally achieving full stop,
while men, always under guard, went
ahead to fix up some bit of damaged
track, across which the engineer
dared not advance. AT each bridge
spanning the numerous small streams,
trainmen examined the structure be-
fore venturing forward, and at each
stop the wearied passengers grew
more impatient and sarcastic, per-
feet stream of fluent profanity being
waited back whenever the door be-
tween the two sections CHANGED to be
left aiar.
Hope was not the only woman on
board, yet a glance at the others was
sufficient to decide their status. even
had their freedom of manner and loud
talking not made 1t equally obvious
srxk, = rrofC q a
for one of the same class. she re
NAMED in silence, her veil merely
lifted enough to enable her to peer
out through the grimy window at the
barren view slipping slowly past This
consisted OF the hare prairie, brown
and desolate, occasionally intersectec
by some small watercourse. the low
hills rising and falling like waves t
the far horizon. Few incidents brok'
the dead monotony; occasionally
herd of antelope appeared in the dis
lance, silhouetted against the sky
line, and once they fairly crept for al
hour through a mass Of buffalo, graz
ing so close that a fusillade OF gun
sounded from the front end of tn
! II.
glimpse of a troop of wild horse
dashing recklessly down into she
cering ravine Yet principally a
that met her straining eyes was ste
lie desolation. Here and there grea
ugly water tank reared It's hideou
shape beside the track. the engine
ways pausng for fresh supply. 81
side it was invariably a pile of Goa
, a few construction cars. a hut ha
buried under earth. loop-holed an
barricaded. with several rough me
loafing about heavily armed and il
> ouisitive. A few of these points he
", once been terminal. the surroundlr
= scenery evidencing past glories
> piles Of tin cans. and all manner
: debris, with occasionally a vacal
u shack. left deserted and forlorn.
n Wearied and heartsick, Hope turne
:, away from this outside dreariness
Il contemplate more closely her neig
II bors on board, but found them scare
" more interesting. Several we
I playing cards, others moodily staril
ont of the windows, while few we
D. laughing and talking with the cir
T their conversation inane and punct
ated with profanity. One man W
k figuring on a scratch pad. and Ho
n decided he must be an engineer e
W ployed on the line; others she class
ID as small merchants, saloon-keepe
O. and frontier riff-raff. They wou
glance curiously at her as tn
TO marched up and down the narr'
n. aisle. but her veil. and averted fa'
N prevented even the boldest ire
of speaking. Once she addressed
as conductor, and the man who was I
IN uring turned and looked back at h
I'd evidently attracted by the soft nc
III of her voice. But he made no eff
ID at advances, returning Immediately
of his pad. oblivious to all else.
to ITO M CONTINITEDl