Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17

r uaIE-PAsr j. O'Clock the Junction was
n about to undergo its brief daily stir of life
~ Smoke from locomotive on the branch roau
was be ascending from beyond the SAND
hills the desert: another moment the train would
The station agent appeared on the platiorl
a hundred yards away on the hotel Verahoa' s'o
Carrick hotel keeper. his daughter Caroline. ana
the Chinese boy who helped in the kitchen
From the train. when it had pulled in. ahShted
some thirty persons mostly They took their way
across the glaring. sandy stretch to the hotel
They were dusty and tanned, they wore feit hats
and soft they just such people as car
ricks daughter had been accustomed to welcome every
day at this bid farewell TO the next morn
ing She looked them without interest and without
anmosty. Her father who was still new to the duties
host greeted them with nervous hospitality RMS
way gentlemen: this way please" and with little
cough, which weary. rather than important. he
inside and standing behind his desk. pushed
forward the hotel register.
daughter Caroline stood by with the keys ana
assigned the guests their rooms. She tall and
young and picturesque in her felt hat and khaki
with the Mexican red sash one Of the men stood
the watching her while she dealt out the keys
she turned TO him at last.
Here's yours" she said. Eighteen is the last
room o the right-through that door,
The looked at her oddly and seemed in
take the key. Caroline narrowed her eyes;
his look dsquieted and displeased her Yet the
was handsome-tall 1.-the. with black hair. straight
and unstreaked by gray. long black eyelashes and
straight black mustachei his nose. MS mouth his
chin of fneness rather remarkable in that
region. AS he walked away Caroline watched him
with certain admiration for his bearing and figure:
she turned to the register and read his
David Temple. Then passed of her
She mad the kitchen and dining room,
did him again until supper.
He facing her the table and he looked at
her somewhat wistfuy. But only half hour be-
fore. the train from Los Angeles had brought her
letter which rendered unconscious of ID
servers pleasantly preoccupied The happy light in
her eyes. the quiet contentment of her lips, which
intma ted and then abstractedly the beginnings
of a dreamy smile. made her still charming to
the
The flies thrummed the window screens the m
shaded kerosene lamps gowed hot from their brackets
against pine walls. the old fashioned fly
fans rotated lumberingly above the long tables
Most Of the men had taken off their and hung
them over backs of their chairs: they in
their shrt-seeves with colored garters about their
arms; of them had their napkins tucked in at
their necks utilized them at intervals to mop
their perspiring faces
On all sides talk of the Valley, from which
-Sanguine talk about Its wonder
fertility, crops. What had made in
onions. another in asparagus third in cantaloupes:
would be selling for in two three years
when its adaptability for oranges had been fully
demonstrated-these were themes discussed in eager
voices. 1t the sort of talk, the excited.
confident prophetic talk which Caroline had heard
daily for six months every who passed through
the Junction seemed to perfect assurance that
wealth ahead Of him. For the first month it had
interested amused Caroline, then it had embt-
tered her. She her father had bright pros
poets in this new country
After supper she seated herself the writing
table the office proceeded the letter
which the afternoon train had brought The trav-