The Raymer enterprise., 1913-06-05

Bill Cannon. then a miner in the
Freeoe-O Out, had wooed and won her.
1t was toward the end Of the meal.
that. looking at the opposite wall. her
glance was caught by large clock
to which she drew her fathers atten.
'ton:.
"Halt-past nine! How fashionable
we are! And when are you going to
get US up to Antelope, Mr.. McVeigh"
McVeigh studied the clock ponder
ingly as he felt in his breast pocket
for his toothplck.
Well" he said, III we leave here
at ten and make good time the hull
way-its up hill pretty much with
out a break-I'll get you there about
midnight"
She made little grimace.
And 1t will be much colder. won't
it?"
Colder m colder. You'll be goin'
higher with every step. Antelope's
on the slope Of the Sierra, and you
can't expect to be warm up there in
the end Of January"
IL you hadn't wanted to come" "
said her father. you'd have been
just about getting ready for Mrs. Ry-
ans ball. Isn't this about the magic
hour when you begin to lay on the
first layer Of war-paint?"
The girl looked at the clock, nod.
ding with faint, reminiscent smile.
Just about" she said. I'D have
been probably looking at my dress
laid out on the bed and saying to my
self. Now l wonder II it's worth while
getting into that thing and having
all the bother Of going to this ball.
On the evenings when 60 out
there's always a stage when that hap
pens"
Mcveigh, with his toothpick in full
operation, looked at her, admiring and
half comprehending, for the first time
feeling himself an outsider. She
caught his eye, read It's meaning, and
with the quick tact Of delicate na
ture. said:
TITS Mrs. Cornelius Ryan in San
Francisco. She has a ball tonight
and was going. but came up here
with papa instead. l don't care for
balls"
Sort Of late to be primping up 10,
ball." said Mcveigh, restoring the
toothpick to his pocket and pushing
back his chair. "Ill go and have a
look at the horses. And. Governor
II you'll be ready In fifteen minutes
I'll be round at the porch waiting"
Cannon nodded. and. as the driver
clumped on over the board floor, said
to his daughter:
Il wonder II Dominick Ryan1l be
there-at the ball, l mean. His moth
er's made up her mind not to recog
nize the woman he's married, and tc
freeze her out. but wonder II shell
have the nerve not to ask her to
night"
II don't see how she could do that,
said the girl. This is one Of the
largest balls ever given in San Fran
cisco. She can't leave her son out
and she couldn't ask him without his
wife,"
Couldn't she?" said the old man
with a narrowing Of his eyes and q
knowing wag Of his head. "You dom,
know Della Ryan. l do. I've known
her forty years. ever since she was
first married and did washing on the
back porch Of her shanty in virginiq
City, She was good deal of wom
an thsn. a strong, brainy woman, and
she's the same to-day, but hard as
nails. I'll bet hat she hasn't asked
Dominick's wife to that ball."
What do you suppose he'll do?'
asked the daughter. somewhat aghas,
at this glimpse at the Ryan family
skeleton.
Don't ask me such conundrums
I'm glad I'm not In 1t, that's all
know. When two women lock horns
I'm ready to step quietly down and
out. never to my knowledge saw
Dominick's wife. but I've heard about
her. and take 1t she's a pretty hard
kind Of proposition. They say she
married the boy for money and posi-.
tion. and hasn't got either. Della
who has the money. hasn't given them
cent since the marriage; made up
her mind. people say. to force Mrs.
Dcminick out. She doesn't seem to
have dom It, and ! guess it's been
sort Of aggravating to her. Just the
same I'd like to know II she's had
the nerve not to send the woman an
invitation to the ball. That would be
pretty tough"
i've never seen either Dominick or
his wife," said the girl. 1T seems odd
when know Mrs. Ryan and Cornelia
SO well. But he married the year !
came back from Europe. and he's
never been anywhere since. I don't
believe he ever goes to his mothers.
There's Mr.. Mcveigh In the doorway:
we'd better be going"
Once again in the carriage they
were soon clear Of the last struggling
shanty. and speeding along the pale,
ascending road. The silence that