Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-05-30


that. looking at the opposite wall. her
glance was caught by a large clock
to which she drew her fathers atten-
ton:
"Half-past nine! How fashionable
we are! And when are you going to
get US up to Antelope. Mr.. Mcveighf"
McVeigh studied the clock ponder
ingly as he felt in his breast pocket
for his toothpick.
WELL" he said, "if we leave here
at ten and make good time the hull
way@it's up hill pretty much with
out break-Ill get you there about
midnight"
She made little grimace.
And 1t will be much colder, won't
it?"
Colder n 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"
III 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
Aist idySr OIL WAr-pAlnt!
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 wonder II it's worth while
getting into that thing and having
all the bother Of going to this ball.
On the evenings when l go 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 its meaning. and
| with the quick tact of delicate ma
| ture. said:
ITS Mrs. Cornelius Ryan in San
Francisco. She has ball tonight
and was going. but l came up here
with papa instead. l don't care for
balls"
Sort OF late to be primping up for
ball." said McVeigh, restoring the
toothpick to his pocket and pushing
back his chair. "I1l 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 of over the board floor, said
to his daughter:
II wonder II Dominick RyanM be
| there-at the ball. mean. His moth
| er's made up her mind not to recog-
| nize the woman he's married, and to
freeze her out, but l wonder II she'll
have the nerve not to ask her to-
night"
Il 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 n
knowing wag of his head. You don't
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 Virginia
| City. She was good deal OF a wom-
an then. a strong. brainy woman. and
she's the same to-day. but hard as
nails. I'll bet a hat she hasn't asked
Dominick's wife to that ball."
What do you suppose he'll do?"
asked the daughter, somewhat aghast
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. l 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.
Dominick out. She doesn't seem TO
have dono 1t. 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. 'It 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. 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
held the trio before their arrival at
Rocky Bar again fell on them.
Wrapped in overcoats and rugs, Bill
Cannon appeared to slumber, every
now and then-as the wheels jolted
over a piece Of rough road-bed-shak.
lnfn QrQxripr xIraLo&,dxa.. L.