Desert Dust
By Edwin L Sabin '**-•
Author of “How Are You Feeling?" etft ""***.>
Couldn’t she understand that
I was no longer a fool—that I had
wrenched absolutely loose from
her and that she could do nothing
, with me f So in wrath renewed
by her poor estimate of my com
mon sense I was minded to tear
the pole to fragments, unread,
and contemptuously scatter them
Had she been present l should ’
have none so, to show her.
L Being denied the satisfaction
i saw ftb profit in wasting that
modicum of spleen, when 1 might
double it by deliberately reading j
her effusion and knowingly cast
ing it into the dust. One always
can make excuses to oneself, for
curiosity. Consequently I halt
ed, around a corner in this ex
hausted Benton; tore the en
velope open with gingerly touch.
The folded paper within contain
ed a five-dollnr bank note.
That was enough to pump the
blood to my face with a rush. It
was an insult—a shame, first
hand. A shody plaster, applied
to me—to me, Frank Beeson a
gentleman, whether to be viewed
as a plucked grenhorn or not.
With cheeks twitching I manag
ed to read the lines aeepmpany
the dolo;
Sir:
You would not permit me
to explain to you to-night, there
fore I must write. The recent
affair was a mistake. 1 had no
intention that you should lose,
and I supposed you were in more
funds. I insist upon speaking
with you. You shall not go away
id this fashion. You will find me
at the Elite Cafe, at a table, at ten
o’clock in the morning. And in
case you are a little short I beg
of you to make use of the enclos
ed, with my best wishes and
apologies. You may take it as a
loan ; I do not care as to that. I
am utterly miserable.
To Frank Beeson, Esquire.
Faugh ! Had there been a sew
er near T believe that I should
have thrown the whole enclosure
in, and spat. But half uncon
sciously wadding both money aud
paper in my hand as if to squeeze
the last drop of rancor from them
I Swung on, seeing blindly,
ready to trample under foot any
last obstable to my passage out.
Then, in the deserted way,
from a lane among the straggling
gardod it, only to hear it patter
shacks, a figure issued. I disre
ing behind me and its voice:
“Mr. Beeson! Wait! Please
wait.”
I had to turn about to avoid the
further degradation of acting
the churl to her, an inferior. And
as I had suspected, she it was, ar
riving breathless and cloak in
wrapped, only her white face
showing.
, “You have ray notet” she
‘panted.
There were dark half circles
under her eyes, pinch lines about
j her mouth, all her face was vild
jly strained. She simulated dis
tress very well indeed.
“Here it is, and your money.
• Taka them.” And I thrust any
| unclosed fist at her.
“No! And you were going T
| You didn’t intend to reply t”
“Certainly not. I am doue
j with you, and with Benton
i madam. Good-morning. I have
! business.”
i Bhe caught at my sleeve.
“You arc angry. I don’t
i blame you, but you have time t«
ttalk with rac and you shall
talk." She spoke almost fiercely.
(“I demand it, sir. If not at the
cafe, then here and now. Will
you stand aside, please, where
,tbo whole town shan’t see us; or
go you wish me to follow you on t
na risking already, but I'll risk
more."
I suddenly stepped aside,
i Around the corner of a sheet-iron
‘groggery (plentifully punctured,
, I noted, with bullet holes) not
vet open for business and faced
, by the blank wall of a warehouse.
“t ve been waiting since day
light,” Bhe panted,’“and watch
ing the hotel. I k-new yon were
•till there; I found out. I was
I afraid you wouldn’t answer my
note, so I slipped abound and cut
in on you. Where are you going,
alrt”
“That, madam, is my private
affair," I mplied. “And all your
* efforts to influence me in the
1 slightest won’t amount to a row
, of pins. And as*I am in a hurry,
; X again bid }oii goou-monjing. I
auvise you to get ifaek to your
husband and your beauty sleep,
in order to be fresh for your Big
Tent to-night.”
“My husband? You know?
Oh, of course you know.” She
gazed affriglitedly upon me. “To
Montoyo, you say? Him? No, no!
I can’t! Oh, f can’t, I can't.” She
wrung her hands, she held me
fast, “And I know where you’re
going. To that wagon train.
Mr. Jenks has engaged you. You
will bull-whack to Salt Lake?
You? Don’t! Please don’t
There’s no need of it.”
“I am done with Benton, and
with Benton’s society, madam,”
I insisted. “I have learned my
lesson, believe me, and I’m no
longer a ‘gudgeon.’ ”
“You never were,” said she.
“Not thut. And you don’t have
to turn bull-whacker or mule
skinner either. It’s a hard life;
you’re not fitted for it—rnever,
never. Leave Benton if you will.
I hate it myself. Aild let us go
together.”
“Madam 1” I rapped; and
drew back, but she clung to me.
“Listen, listen! Don’t mistake
me again. Las| nighj, jrgs
enough. T waul to go. I must go.
We can travel separately, then; I
will meet you anywhere—Den
ver, Omaha, Chicago, New’ York,
anywhere you say—anywhere—
_t )
“Your husband, madam,” I
prompted. “He might have ob
jections to parting with you.”
“Montoyof That snake—you
fear that snake f He is no hus
band to me. I could kill him— I
will do it yet, to be free from
him.”
“My good name, then,” I
taunted. “I might, fear for my
good name more than I’d fear a
man.”
“I have a name of ray own,”
she flashed, “alhough you may
not know it.”
“I have been made acquainted
with it,” I answered roundly.
“No, yon haven't. Not the
true. You^know only another.”
Her tone became humbler. “But
I'm not asking you to marry
me,” she said. “I’m not asking
you to love me as a paramour,
sir. Please understand, Treat
me as you will; as a sister, a
friend, but anything human.
Only let me have your decent re
gard until I can get ’stablished
in now quarters. I. can help
you, ’ ’ she pursued eagerly. * ‘ In
deed 1 can help you if you stay in
the West. Yes, anywhere, for I
know life. Oh, I’m so tired of
inyself; I can’t run true, I’m
under false colors. You saw’ how
the traiu-men curried favor all
along the line, how’ familiar they
were, how I submitted—I even
dropped that coin a-purpose in
the Omaha station, for you, just
to tost you. Those things are ex
pecteu of me and I’ve felt oblig
ed to play iny part. Men look up
on me as a tool to their hands, to
make them,or break them. All
they want is rhy patronage and
the secrets of the gaming table.
And there is Montoyo—bullying
me, cajoling me, watching me.
But you were different, aftej I
had met you. I foolishly wfsiied
t> help you, and last night the
play went wrong. Why did I
take you to his table! Because I
think mjrself entitled, sir,” she
said oh, Upiiiling a little
defiant of my "gaze, “Jo pro
mote my friends when I
have any. I did not mean
that you should wager heavily
for you. Montoyo is out for large
stakes. There is safety iu small
and I know his system. You re
member I warned you! I did
warn you. I saw too late. You
shall have all your money back
again. And Montoyo struck me
—me, in public! That is the end.
Oh, why couldn’t 1 have killed
him! But if you stayed here, so
should I. Not with him, though.
Never with him. Maybe I’m
i talking wildly. You’ll say I’m in
I love with you. Perhaps I am—
I quien sabet No matter as to
that. I shall be no hanger-on,
sir. I only ask a kind of partner
ship-the encouragement of some
docent man near me. I have
money; plenty, till we both get
a footing. But you wouldn’t livo
•n me; no! I don’t fancy that oY
you for a moment. I would be
gla'd'merely to tide you over, if
you’d .let iae. And Ji—I’d be
willing to wa'di floors iu a restau
*aant if I might be free of insult
You, I’m sure, would at least
protect me. Wouldn’t you!
Von would, wouldn’t you! Say
something, sir.” She paused,
put of breath and aquiver.
“{•Shall w* got Will you help
met” r ■
J^or an instant her appeal, of
swimming blue eyes, upturned
face, tensed grasp, breaking
voice, swayed me. But what if
she were an actress, an adven
turess t And then, my parents,
my father’s name! I had al
ready been cozened once, 1 had
resolved not to be snared again.
The spell cleared and I drew ex
ultant breath.
“Impossible, madam,” I ut
tered. “This is final. Good
morning.”
She staggered and with mag
nificent but futile last flourish
clapped both hands to her face,
(taxing back, as I hastened, Isaw
her still there, leaning against
the sheet-iron of the groggery
and ostensibly weeping.
Having shaken her off and re
sisted contrary temptation I
looked not again hut paced rapid
ly for the clean atmosphere of the
rough-and-honest bull train. As
a companion, bettor for me Mr.
Jcnks. When my wrath cooled
I felt that I might have acted
the cad but I had not acted the
simpleton.
The advance of the day’s life
was stirring all along the road,
where under clouds of dust the
four and six horse-and-mule
wagons hauled water for the
town, pack outfits^^of ^lonkeys
and plodding* minm^weiuled one
way or the other, soldiers trot
ted in from the military post, and
Overlanders slowly toiled for the
last supply depot before creaking
onward into the desert.
Along the railway grade like
wise there was activity, of con
struction trains laden high with
rails, ties, boxes and hales, puff
ing out, their locomotives belch
ing pitchy black smoke that ex
tended clear 1o the ridiculous
little cabooses; of wagon trains
plowing on, bearing supplies for
the grading camps; and a great
herd of loose animals, raising a
prodigous spume as they were
driven at a trot—they also head
ing westward, ever westward
under escort of a protecting de
tachment of cavalry, riding two
by two, accoutrement flashing.
The sights were inspiring.
Man’s work at empire building
beckoned me, for surely the wag
oning of munitions to remote
outposts of civilization was very
necessary. Consequently I trudg
ed best foot forward, although on
empty stomach and with empty
pockets; but glad to be at large,
and exchanging good-natured
greetings with the travelers en
countered.
Nevertheless my new boots
were burning, my thigh was chaf
ed raw from tho swaying Colt’s
and my face and throat was
parched with the dust, when in ,
about an hour of the flag of the
military post having been my
landmark, I had arrived almost
at the willow bordered river and
now scanned about for the en
campment of my train.
Some dozen white-topped wag
ons were standing grouped in a
circle upon the traraplod dry sod
to the south of the road. Figures
were busily moving among them,
and tho thin blue smoke of their
fires was a welcoming signal. I
marked women, and children
The whole prospect—they, the
breakfast smoke, the grazing ani
mals, the stout vehicles, a line of
washed clothing—was homy. So
I veered aside and made for the
spot, tO1 inquire my way if no
thing more.
First I addressed a little girl,
tow-hcaded and bare-legged, in a
single cotton garment.
“I am looking for the Captain
Adama wagon train. Do you
know where it iaf”
She only pointed, Anger of oth
er hand in her mouth; but as she
indicated this same camp I press
ed on. Mr. Jenks'himself came
out to meet me.
“Hooray! Here you are. I
knew you’d do it. That’s the
ticket. Broke loose, have you!”
“Yes, sir. I accept your offer
if it’s still open,” I said.
We shook hands.
“Wide open. Could have fill
ed it a dozen times. Come in,
come on in and ait. You fetched
all your outfit T”
“What you see,” I oonfesaed.
“I told you my condition. They
■tripped me clean.”
He nibbed his beard.
“Wail, all you need is a blank*
et. Reckon l con rustle you that.
You can pay for it out of your
wages or tun it in at the end of
the trip. Fust I’d better make
you acquainted to the wagon
boss. There he ia, yonder.”
He conducted me on, along tha
groups of Arcs and bedding out
side the circle, and baited where
a heavy man, of face smooth
shaven except chin, sat upon a
wagon-tongue whittling a stick.
“Mornin’, Cap'll. Wall, I'm
filled out. I've hir^1-1 ' 1
and can move whenever you say
the word. You- tie a
at me. “What's your name, you
say f ’ ’
“Frank Beeson,” I replied.
“Didn’t ketch it last night,”
he apologized. “Shake hands
with Oap’n Hyrum Adams,
Frank. He’s the boss of the
train.”
Captain Adams lazily arose-^
a large figure in his dusty boots,
course trousers and flannel shirt,
and weather-beaten black slouch
hat. The inevitable revolver
hung at his thigh. His pursed lips
spurted a jet of tobacco juice as
he keenly surveyed me with
small, shrewd, china-blue eyes,
squinting from a broad flaccid
countenance. But the counte
nance was unemotional while he 1
oA’ered a thick hand which prov
ed singularly soft and flatulent
under the callouses.
“Glad to meet you stranger,”
he acknowledged in slow bass.
“Set down, set down,”
He waved me to the wagon
tongue, and I thankfully seated
myself. All of a sudden I seem
ed utterly gone; possibly through
lack of food. My sigh must have
been remarked.
“Breakfasted, stranger!” he
queried passively.
^ Not yet, sir. I was anxious
to reach the trsin.”
“Pshaw! I was about to ask
you that,” Mr. Jenks put in.
“Come along and I’ll throw to
gether a mess for you.”
'‘Nobody goes hungry from
the Adams wagon, stranger,”
Captain Adams observed. He
slightly raised his voice, peremp
tory. “Rachael! Fetch our
guest some breakfast.”
“But as Mr. Jenks has invit
ed me, Captain, and I am in his
employ-<” I protested. He
cut me short.
“I have said that nobody, man,
woman or child, or dog, goes
hungry from the Adams wagon.
The flesh must be fed as well as
the soul.”
There were two women in view
busied with domestic cares. I had
sensed their eyes cast now in my
direction. One was elderly, as
far as might be judged by her
somewhat slatternly figure drap
ed in a draggled snuff-colored,
straight-flowing gown, and by
the merest glimpse of her feat
ures within her faded sun-bonnet.
The other promptly moved aside
from where fihe was bending
over a wash-board, ladeled food
from a kettle to a platter, poured
a tin cupful of coffee from a pot
, simmering by the fire, and bore
them to me; her eyes down, shy
ly handed them. „ ,
(To Be Continued.) J
• ■ ' " 1 --
Here’s Champion
Oyster Consumer
Eats ’Em for Appetizer, A*
Main Entree, Then Eats
’Em For Dessert
Los Angeles.—The champion oyster
eater has been Yound.
WiUlm Edgar McKee, president of
the Los Angeles Harbor Board, who
recently returned from the at nual
convention or the American Associa
tion of Port Authorities, at New Or
leans, has laid claim to being the
< world’s greatest oyster eater and
challenges all contenders to defend
their honors against' him any time
at any place.
According to President Boyle
Workman, of the Los Angeles City
Council, who attended tho convention
with McKee, the harbor board presi
dent has a just claim.
“McKoe,” said Workman, ‘‘ate on
the overage of ninety ovsters a day
while he was In New Orleans.
“He started the day with a dozen
or so oysters for his breakfast. For
lunch hs would eat half a df.z>n as an
appetiser, then a couple of dozen to
form the meal, and he always insisted
on oysters for dessert.
“Fojr dinner there were mors oy
stors, and there were even oysters In
between meals. He ate them raw.
scalloped, stewed, pickled, boiled and
fried.’’
X-RAY SUCCEEDS
TAR METHOD FOR
DISEASED SCALP
Athens—Favus sufferers breathed
a sigh of relief on learning the dis
ease ean now be treated by X-ray.
Hitherto, favus—a widely prevalent
scalp disease caused by undernourish
ment and filth—was treated by coat
ing the scalp with tar. This was al
lowed to remain until it dried and
hardened. It was then pulled off.
taking a liberal quantity of hair with
It. The process was excruciatingly
painful.
The X-ray treatment was discov
ered by Near East Relief physicians.
It has been succeesfutly applied In
a large number of eases.
Why You IriMMfoal Trenspsrtstlom
May Need— jHjggigf
Then are three main group* of prospective buyers of
Chevrolet automobiles and commercial cars.
First, are all who know from comparisons or through the
experiences of friends tha : Chevrolet provides the utmost
dollar value in modern, economical transportation of
people or merchandise.
Second, the large group of people with modest Incomes
who have the false impression that so good a car as
Chevrolet is beyond their means.
They do not realize that due to engineering excellence and
full modern equipment, Chevrolet operating and mainte*
nance costs average so low that during the life of the car, it
delivers modem, comfortable, fast transportation at the
lowest cost per mile, including the purchase price.
Third, the smaller but very important group of car owners ~
of ample means, only a small percentage of whom as yet
realize that Chevrolet as an extra car virtually costs them
nothing, due to the reduction In their transportation
expenses effected by it.
We respectfully suggest consideration, Investigation and
comparison of Chevrolet with any other car at any price.
Chevrolet Motor Company, Detroit, Michigan
Division of Qencral Motors Corporation
Prices f. o. b. Flint, Mich.
Superior Roadster . . $490 Superior Sedan ... $795
Superior Touring . . 495 Superior Commercial Chassis 395
Superior Utility Coupe . 640 Superior Light Delivery . 495
Superior 4'Passcnjer Coupe 725 Utility Express Truck Chassis 550
Ancients Believed Man*s
Glory Was His Beard
There was a deep-rooted belief
among the ancient peoples of the East
that a man’s glory was his beard.
Compulsory shaving and the close
cropping of hair were signs of degra
dation. This is borne out by Assyrian
sculptures, which always show kings
with beards and long lmid and slaves
with close-cropped hair and clean
shaven faces.
The Egyptians, however, had differ
ent ideas. They considered that hair
was a source of dirt and shaved both
face and head. Their slaves and serv
ants were compelled to do the same.
The early Greeks and Homans
shaved off their beards because they
gave the enemy a good hold in hand-to
hand fighting! It Is recorded that Al
exander the Great ordered his soldiers
to shave for this reason.
It was the custom among Romans
to shave off the beard at the age of
twenty-one and present It as an offer
ing to the household gods. A beard
was grown after that nge only as a
sign of mourning.—London Tit-Bits.
Eternal vigilance is the price of lib
erty and there is a great scarcity of
eternal vigilance.
African Ruler Devises
Language of His Own
A few years ago Njoya, king of
Fouinban, In the Cameroons, became
Jealous of the particularly good set of
secret languages of neighboring tribes,
and Invented from French, English
Jnnd German words a code tongue of
his own which is reserved for the ex
clusive use of the “cabinet” and upper
administrative officials.
The Interesting feature of this state
language, which was discovered and
studied by a Frenchman, Lieutenant
Glapot, is that, Instead of meaning -
their usual equivalent, the European
words have entirely different code slgf
nlflcatlons. “La mission,” for Instance*
means “to see,” and “franc” mean#
“the king.” “Ordnung” means “we,*
“savant” means "an egg,” “lemon**
means “a hill,” “left” means “which*
and “English” means “a head.”—Mat*
Chester Guardian.
Largest Waves
From a series of observations am da
of waves of the Atlantic, Puclflc and
Indian oceans by a French naval offi
cer, It was found that the largest
wares occurred in the Indian ocean,
where thirty different waves averaged
i 29 feet, the largest being 37 feet.
•Til Take ,1
"i
a Chance!”
:|
THE thought that goes with the *
cup of coffee at the evening meal i
is a disturbing one. “It may keep me I
awake tonight!”
(
The something [caffeine] in coffee
that keeps so many folks awake nights, {
is entirely absent in Postum—the de- J
licious, pure cereal beverage. Thedif- ^
lerence means a full night's rest and
a bright tomorrow. Y
f
Postum |
for Health ?
“There’s a Reason
IWtaa awn hi twoiorm*.
Instant Powvun [in Am] pet
pned Astenriy iaStn cap by
din addition of botiAg Water,
ffeetum Cereel [A package)
forthoeewhn pnt% theHavor
brought out by boiling fully
30minute*. Theca** of either
form A about oanuH ecu a
cap,
Atimcannwywhen
*-_
