Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-07-09

good, kindly joke. She shook hands
with her male admirers and smacked
the cheeks of her female friends with
an air of modest depreciation. ''Oh
you don't mean it." was one of her
phrases. She enjoyed this display of
affection, but it seemed not to touch
her deeply, and her impartial, humor-
GUS acceptance Of the courtship of the
men was equally charming, though
this was due, according to remark, to
the claims of some rancher up the
line.
She continued to be the theme Of
conversation at the dinner table and
yet remained unembarrassed and gave
back quite as good as she received.
''If I was Cliff" declared one lanky
admirer, "I'd be shot if let you out
Of my sight. II amt safe"
She smiled broadly. 81 don't feel
scared"
"Oh. you're all right! It's the other
feller-like me-that gets hurt"
The northbound coach got away
first, and as the girl came out to take
her place Norcross said, won't you
have my seat with the driver"
She dropped her voice humorously.
mo, thank you. can't stand for Bills
clack."
Norcross understood. She didn't rel
ish the notion of being so close to the
frankly amorous driver, who neglect
ed no opportunity to be personal.
Therefore he helped her to her seat
inside and resumed his place in front.
Bill, now broadly communicative,
infinitely detailed his tastes in food,
horses, liquors and saddlers in mono
logue which would have been tiresome
to any one but an imaginative young
eastern student. Bill had a vast
knowledge of the west, but distress
ing habit of repetition.
In this informing way some ten miles
were traversed, the road climbing ever
higher and the mountains to right and
left increasing in grandeur each hour,
till of sudden and in a deep valley
on the bank of another swift stream
they came upon a squalid saloon and
a minute postoffice. This was the town
of Moskow.
Bill, numbering down over the wheel,
took bag of mail from the boot and
dragged it into the cabin. The girl rose,
stretched herself and said: "This stag
in is slow business. I'm cramped. I'm
going to walk on ahead"
"May l go with your" asked Nor
cross
"Sure thing! Come along"
AS they crossed the little pole bridge
which spanned the flood the tourist
exclaimed: what exquisite water!
It's like melted opals."
Comes right down from the snow"
she answered, impressed by the poetry
of his smile.
He would gladly have fingered, lis
tening to the song of the water, but as
she passed Oh he followed. The oppo-
site hill was sharp and the road stony,
but as they reached the top the young
easterner called out, "See the savinsv'
Before them stood a grove of cedars,
old, gray and drear, as weirdly impress
sive as the cacti in a Mexican desert.
Torn by winds, scared by lightnings,
deeply rooted, tenacious as tradition,
unlovely as Egyptian mummies, fantas-
tic, dwarfed and blackened, these I'M
accountable creatures chung to the
Lodges. what do you suppose planted
those trees there?
The girl was deeply impressed by the
novelty of this query. II never thought
to ask. l reckon they just grew"
mo, there's a reason for all these
paintings" he insisted.
"We don't worry ourselves much
about such things out here" she re-
piled, with charming humor. 1--WE
don't even worry about the weather.
We just take things as they come"
They walked on talking with new in
timacy. Where is your home? he
asked.
"a few miles out of Bear Tooth. You
are from the east, Bill says-'the far
east we call it."
From New Haven. I've just finished
at Yale. Have you ever been in a
city?"
"Oh, yes! l go to Denver once in
awhile, and | saw st. Louis once, but
was only yearling and don't remem-
Der much about it. What are you do
ing out here, if it's a fair question"
He looked away at the mountains.
II got rather used up last spring, and
my doctor said I'd better come out here
for awhile and build up. I'm going up
to Meeker's mill. Do you know where
! that isW
II know every stovepipe in this park,
she answered. Joe Meeker is kind o
related to me-uncle by marriage. HI
lives about fifteen miles over the hill
from Bear Tooth"
This fact seemed to bring them still
closer together. Pm glad of that" he
said pointedly. perhaps | shall be
permitted to see you now and again
I'm going to be lonesome for awhile
I'm afraid"
Don't you believe it! Joe Meeker's
boys will keep you interested" she as
sured him.
The stage overlook them at this poin
and Bill surlily remarked, IF you't
been alone, young Teller, I'd "a give
you chase" His resentment of the
outsiders growing favor with the CIR
was ludicrously evident.
AS they rose into the higher levels
the aspen shook its yellowish leaves Ii