The Nome daily nugget., 1934-12-31
CHAPTER III-Continued

old eyes.
 "She-well, she said Jack wa too impresslonable. guess sh thought work on a ranch-goin, round all day with rough men ant boys would-would spoil his man ners."
 Cousin Columbine stiffened.
 Did she, indeed? And wha about yourself?"
 e@ These frank cross-questions wef, disconcerting; but the girl sai( honestly: "She thought I'd be homesick, and I dare say she: right; but as Mother pointed out things wouldn't be very thrilling al Edgemere. You see, I've alway. spent winters in the city; and this year
 "Well?" prodded the old lady, as she paused.
 "I only mean," Nance hesitated thinking it might sound foolish to an inhabitant of Pine Ridge, Colo rado, that If Dad hadn't lost his money I'd have made my debut this winter"
 ''Well. his losses saved you from that, anyway" was the brusque re- ply. Here come the boys at last. Mark Adams, did you can those peaches yourself7 You've been gone long enough"
 Not only canned, but picked 'em," he retorted. "Why didn't you let Matt cart this stun, Miss Colum- bine7 I'll have to tie 1t on the run ming board"
 "You'll do no such thing! Put it right in here and I'll set my feet on it. Therel I'm comfortable as can be. Truth is. I intended ask ing Matthew to get this box, but 1t slipped my mind when I saw he was fin such a hurry to get away from us. Did you boys have a soda at the drug store7 You must have been somewhere this twenty min utes?"
 ''It was only polite for, me to give your company treat, Miss Columbine," explained Mark as he started the engine. What next7 Do we head for homer"
 At once; and don't attempt to leave everybody else behind, even if you are the best driver in Pine Ridge. understand you told Juanita Tubbs that you could drive up Ute pass with one hand and blindfolded into the bargain. I was surprised, Mark Adam, to find you'd added boasting to your other sins"
 Mark laughed and answered: "You know me better, Miss Colum- bine. That was only for Juanita's benefit. Since her cousin from Denver won the motorcycle race up the Peak last fall. that girl has put on airs"
 Shell be putting on black most likely, if he attempts to win an- other year," sniffed Miss Columbine. "Such races ought to be prohibited by law. We're headed right into the mountains now, Nancy. This part of town was settled before the Springs, and the territorial legisla- ture met here in 1862 with nothing but a log room for their house of representatives"
 "Was there any hotel for the men to stay at?'' questioned Jack, for whom the details of United States history held lure.
 "Only tavern made of logs, not nearly big enough to accommodate them. Some had to sleep on the floor of the assembly room; and one member brought his family and set up housekeeping in a tent"
 How'd they get here If they came from distance?" put in Jack. "On horseback?"
 Most of them; but they came in wagons, too, or in old-fashioned overland stage coaches drawn by mules One member tramped over | hundred miles through the moun- tains, and arrived here with a boot on one foot, q brogan on the other, and wearing an old slouch hat he'd slept in, with the brim half gone"
 What was he supposed to repre- sent?" Mark Adam asked over his shoulder. "A rummage sale?"
 Tt doesn't matter" replied Miss Columbine briskly. because he was elected speaker of the house; and those who heard that speech never forgot 1t. A fine orator was George Crocker; and he came from Massa- chusetts, I believe. There was something thrilling about the strug- gle of those old days which you young folks'll never realize. See those tall red cliffs over to the right, Jack? That's the entrance to the Garden of the Gods"
 "It isl"
 In his excitement the boy would have stood up for q better view, but Nancy's bag across his knees prevented him.
 T remember my father bringing me down on horseback when was