New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-02-06

Landlord Benny" Sharp of the
Crystal Palace hotel lounged in an
ample chair and regarded lovingly
three friends of his on the shelf be.
hind the bar. These three were
brandy. rum, and gin, all so disrepu'
table and time-stained as to label that
Sharp alone knew one from the 9th.
ers.
Turning from an inspection of his
three cronies to that portion of kiOwa
junction visible from the window. Mr..
Sharp was confronted with a less hap
py picture. In The merciless blaze OF
the Arizona sun. the town seemed to
crInkle and turn UP round the edges,
The false fronts of the shacks anna
bly, referred to as business blocks
dropped as II weary of the p~retense
they preserved the squat red station
crOuched close. seemingly for protec-
tinn, to the redder water-tank. The
scattered adobe houses lay blistering
IN the heat.
Inevitably this scene of parched
desolation drove Mr.. Sharp back to
mis- liquid friends on the shelf. Sigh
ing heavily. he pried himself from his
chair and toddled behind the bar.
Il say, it's hot" he muttered, pour
ing out that which would make him
hotter.
Doe Haywood, doing in his &C
customed corner, displayed his usual
animation at the sound of tinkling
glass.
Hot" he sympathized. IT'S hot
ter than Tophet." And then. his dis
corning eye noting no second glass on
the bar. he dropped back into a stu
por.
Thus fortified, Landlord Sharp re-
turned to his chair and faced again
the dusty prospect from his window.
From time to time his thick lips
moved in whispered protest against
the heat.
Mr., sharp was a sight at which the
gods might weep, B~eelzebub, flung
from heaven. could have fallen no fur.
Their. His face was that deep shade
of red that emotion readily converts
40 purple. The fire through which he
had passed had singed away his eye
brows, leaving mercilessly defenseless
before the world a pair of watery eyes
long ago washed destitute of color. In
hat dollhouse climate his nose bios
somed the year round, regardless of
the seasons Sole testimony of his
ancient state, his hands remained thin .
and girlish, with long. slender fingers,
Mt the sudden sight of which men
about to play the faro layout in the
corner had been known to restore
their money to their pockets and turn
away
As mir. Sharp gazed duly out at the
eun-struck town. a bob-tailed train
crawled into view and paused wheel
lily at the station. From this a husky
young mar alighted, and. after a word
with the station agent. climbed the
burning street toward the Crystal Pal
ace hotel.
MIR, Sharp made no move to rise
and, in his capacity of landlord. wei
come a possible guest. Instead. as the
young man mounted the steps. he
called out to indicate his whereabouts,
and listened as the stranger pounded
down the hallway. past the hideous
ladies parlor," to appear finally in
the barroom doorway.
What can | do for you?" Mr.. Sharp
inquired.
The young man sank into a chair.
Benny Sharp noted that he was big
and good to look at, with the manner
of n who has spent his days in the
open fields of Gods country"
Nothing" he answered. You cant
do nothing. take the 2:lO train back
East
1T don't stop here" grunted Mr..
Sharp. parsimonious OF words.
They'll flag it to slow down. and !
can grab it, | guess. Yes-I'm goin'
blackjack home"
The laws Of hospitality seemed to
Of Mr.. Sharp some slight in.
Where's that" he inquired Ian.
Indiana returned the boy with
Say, don't you ever get to
longing for a snow storm out in this
furnace? Don't you banker for a chill
Iy morning. when the wagon wheels
rreak and your breath's white with
he frost?"
II was a disconcerting picture. Mr..
Sharp ran his fingers through his hair
dirty gray in color.
Now and them he admitted. so ,
re from Indiana. hey? I've knowed
4 good many from there In my day
The boy leaned Onward quickly.
Maybe you can help me-" he said
hopefully. You're my last chance.
out here TO find a man who left ,
fifteen years ago. I've tracked ,
lin from Seattle down here. and now
trail leads up to Oregon. and my ,
moneys gone. So ] got to go back ,
Without him. ] got to go to her s
He sat gazing unhappily out. past ,
he huddled shacks of the Junction to a
he silent desert beyond. Regularly /,
rom the corner came the snore of the ,
Haywood. In sympathy with \
his s~omnolence. Mr.. Sharp yawned. \
What's the fellows name2" he in
n
Stubs was the answer Henry
He's from Greensburg. Indi h
ma q
Mr.. Sharp crossed his fat legs. and y
hen. as IL he had done il merely to n
that the trick was still i'm his v
epertoire. uncrossed them again. O
Seems to me I wouldn't go very
ar he remarked facetiously. ito find q
man with a name like Stubs" h