The sun was more vexatious,
being an hour lower, when we
bravely entered Benton’s boiling
main street. We made brief
halt for the finishing up of busi
ness ; and cleaving a lane through
the pedestrians and vehicles and
animals there congregated, the
challenges of the street gamblers
having assailed us in vain, we
proceeded—our Mormons gazing
straight ahead, scornful of the
devil’s enticements, our few Gen
tiles responding in kind to the
quips and waves and salutations.
Thus we eventually left Ben
ton; in about an hour’s march or
some three miles out we formed
corral for camp on the farther
side of the road from the rail
road tracks which we had been
skirting.
Travel, except upon the tracks
(for they WQre rarely vacant)
ceased at sundown; and we all,
having eaten our suppers, were
sitting by our fires, smoking and
talking, with the sky crimson in
the west and the desert getting
mysterious with purple shadows,
when as another construction
train of box cars and platform
cars clanked by I chaneed to note
a figure spring out asprawl,
alight with a whiffle of sand,
and staggering up hasten for us.
First it accosted the hulk Den
ial, who Was temporarily out on
herd, keeping the animals from
the tracks. I saw him lean from
his saddle ; then he rode spurring
in, bawling like a calf:
“Pawl Pawl Hey, yu-all!
Thar’s a woman yonder in
britches an’ she ’laows to coma
on. She’s lookin’ for Mister
Jenks.”
Save for his excited stuttering
silence reigagij, a minute. Then
in a storm - of rude raillery—
“That’s a hoss on yon, George!”
“Didn’t know yon owned one o’
them critters, George,” “Does
she wear the britches, George?”
and so forth—my friend Jenks
arose, peering, .his*, whiskered
mouth so agape that he almost
dropped his pipe. And we all
peered, with’the Women of the
caravan smitten mote but H in^
tenSely'curtous, while the solitary
figure, braving our stares, came
on to the fires.
“Gawd almighty!” Mr. Jenks
delivered.
Likewise straightening I men
tally repeated the ejaculation,
for now I knew her as well as he.
Yes, by the muttered babble
others in our party knew her.
It was My Lady—formerly My
Jjadyr-clad ia embroidered short
Spanish jacket, tlghtish velvet
pantaloons, booted to the knees,
pulled down upou her yellow
hair a black soft hat, and hang
ing from tho just-revealed belt
around her slender waist, a re
volver trifle.
She paused, small and alone,
viewing us, tier eyes very blue,
her face very white.
“Is Mr. Jenks there!” She
hailed clearly.
“Damn’ if I ain’t,” he mum
bled. He glowered at me. “Yes,
ma’am, right hyar. You want
to speak with me!
“By gosh, it’s Montoy o’s
woman, ain’t it!” were the com
ments.
“I do, sir.”
“You can come on closer then,
n^a’am,”- he growled. “There
ain't no secrets between us.”
y Come on she did, with only an
nt’i hesitation and a little
u-essiou of the lips. She
t our group fearlessly—her
£’as crossed mine, but she be
yed no sign.
j“I wish to engage passage to
Salt Lake.”
't 4With this hyar train!”
gasped JenTrs.
“ Yes. You are bound for Salt
Lake, aren’t you!”
“For your health, ma’am!” he
stammered.
She faintly smiled, but her eyes
were steady and wide.
“For my health. I’d like to
throw in with your outfit. I will
<*ook, keep camp, and pay you
well besides. ”
“We haven't no place for a
woman, ma’am. You/d best take
the stage.**
“No. ThereTtbo no stage out
till morning. I want to make ar
rangements at once—w’ith you.
There are other women in this
train.” She flashed a glance
around. “And I can take care
of myself.”
“If you aim to go to Salt Lake
your main holt is Benton and the
stage. The stage makes through
in four days and we’ll use thir
ty,” somebody counseled.
“An’ this bull train ain’t no
place for yore kind, anyhow,”
grumbled another. “We’ve quit
roarin’—we’ve cut loose from
that hell-hole yonder.”
“So have L” But she did not
turn on him. “I’m never going
back. I—I can’t, now; not even
for the stage. Will you permit
me to travel with you, sir?”
“No, ma’am, I won’t,” rasped
Mr. Jenks. “I can’t do it. It’a
not in my line, ma’am.”
“I’ll be no trouble. You have
only Mr. Beeson. I don’t ask to
ride. I’ll walk. I merely ask
protection.”
So do we,” somebody snig
gered ; and I hated him, for I saw
her sway upon her feet as if the
words had been a blow.
“No, ma’am, I’m full up. I
wouldn’t take on even a yaller
dog, 'specially a she one.” Jenks
announced. “What your game
is now I can’t tell, and I don't
propose to be eddicated to it. But
you can’t travel along with me,
and that's straight talk. If you
can put anything over on these
Other fellers, try your luck.”
“Oh!” she cried, wincing.
Her hands clenched nervously, a
red spot dyed either cheefc as she
appealed to us all. “ Gentlemen 1
Won’t one of you help me? What
are you afraid of ? I can pay my
way—I ask no favors—I swear
to you that I’ll give no trouble.
I only wish protection across.”
“Where’s Pedro? Where’s
Montoyo?”
She turned quickly, facing the
jeer her two eyes blazed, the red
Bpots deepened angrily.
“He? That snake? I shot
him.”
“What! You? Killed him?”
Exclamations broke from all
quarters.
She stamped her foot.
“No. I didn’t have to. But
when he tried to abuse me I de
fended myself. Wasn’t that
right, gentlemen?”
“Right or wrong, he’ll be after
you, won’t he?”
The question held a note* of
alarm. Her lip curled.
“You needn’t fear. I’ll meet
him, myself.”
By gosh, I d©E t mix up in no
quarrel ’twixt a man and his
woman.” And—” ’Tain’t our
affair. When he comes he’ll
come a-poppin V’ Such were the
hasty comments. I felt a peculiar
heat, a revulsion of shame and in
dignation, which made the pres
ent seem much more important
than the past. And there was
the recollection of her, crying,
and still the accents of her last
appeals in the early morning.
“I thought that I might find
men among you,” she disdainful
ly said—_a break in her voice.
“So I caine. But you’re afraid
of him—of that breed, that vest
pocket killer. And you’re afraid
of me, a woman whose cards are
all on the table. There isn’t a
one of you—even you, Mr. Bee
son, sir, whom I tried to be-friend
although you may not know it.”
And she turned up6n me. “Yon
have uot a word* to say, I am
never going hack, I tell you all.
You won’t take me> any of you !
Very well.” She smiled wanly.
“I drift, along, gentlemen. I’ll
play the loue hand. Montoyo
shall never seize me. I’d rather
trust to the wolves and the In
dians. There” be another wag
on train.”
“I am only an employee ma
dajpi,” I faltered. “If I had an
outfit of my own I certainly
would help you.”
She flushed painfully; she did
not glance at me direct again, •
but her unspoken thanks enfold
ed me.
“Here’s the wagon boss,”
Jenks grunted, and spat. “Mebbe
you can throw in with him. When
it comes to supers that’s his say
ao.o I’ve all I can tend to, myself,
and I dou’t look for trouble. I’ve
got no love fqr Montoyo
neither,” he added. “Damned
if I ain’t glad you gave him •
dose.”
Murmurs of approval echoed
him as if the tide were turning.a
little. All this time—not long,
however—Daniel had been sit
ting his mule transfixed and
gaping, his oddly wry eyes upon
her. Now the large form of Cap
tain Adams came striding in con
tentions, through the gather
ing dust.
“What’s this!” he demanded
harshly. “An ungodly woman!
I’ll h*v« no rafficking in my
0 - .
train. Get you gone, Delilah.
Would you purue us even here!”
"lam going, sir," she replied.
"I ask nothing of you or these—
gentlemen.”
"Them’s the two she’s after,
paw,: Jenks and that greenie,”
Daniel bawled. "They know her.
She’s follered ’em. She aims to
travel with ’em. Oh, gosh! She’s
shot her man in Benton. Gosh !”
His voice trailed off. "Ain’t
she party, though! She’s dress
ed in britches. ’ ’
"Get you gone,” Captain Ad
ams thundered. "And these
your paramours with you. For
thus saith the Lord: There shall
be no lusting of adultery among
his chosen. And thus say I that
no brazen hussy in men’s gar
raets shall travel with this train
to Zion—no, not a mile of the
way.”
Jenks stiffened, bristling.
“Mind your words, Adams.
I’m under no Mormon thumb,
and I’ll thank you not to connect
me and this—lady in ary such
fashion. As for your brat on
horse-back, he’d better hold his
yawp. She came of her own
hook, and damned if I ain’t be
ginnin’ to think—'—”
I sprang forward. Defend her
I must. She should not stand
there, slight, lovely, brave but
drooping, aflame with the help
lessness of a woman alone and
Insulted.
“Wait!” I implored. “Give
her a chance. You haven’t heard
her story. All she wants is pro
tection on the road. Yes, I know
her, and I know the cur she’ get
tig away from. I saw him strike
her; so did Mr. Jenks. What
were you intending to do ! Turn
her out into the night f Shame on
you, sir. She says she can’t go
back to Benton, and if you’ll be
humane enough to understand
why, you’ll at least let her stay in
your camp till morning. You’ve
got women there who’ll care for
her, I hope.”
I felt her instant look. She
spoke palpitant.
.“You have one man among
you all. But I am going. Good
night, gentlemen.”
“ No! Wait 1 ” I begged.1 * You
shall not go by yourself. I’ll see
you into safety.”
Daniel cackled.
* ‘ Haw haw! What’d I tell yu,
paw! Hear himt”
“By gum, the boy’s right,”
Jenks declared. “Will you go
back to Benton if we take yout®’
he queried of her. “Are you
’feared of Montoyo! Can he
shoot still, or is he laid out!”
“I’ll not go back to Benton,
and I’m not afraid of that
bully,” said she. “Yes, he can
■hoot, still; but next time I
should kill him. I hope never to
see him again, or Benton either.”
The men murmured.
You ve got spunk, anyhow,”
said they. And by further im
pulse: “Let her stay the night,
Cap’n. It’ll be plumb dark soon.
She won’t harm ye. Some o’the
woman folks can take care of
her.”
Captain Adams had been
frowning sternly, his heavy face
unsoftened.
“Who aro you, woman!”
“I am the wife of a gambler
named Montoyo.”
“Why come you here, then!”
“He has been abusing me and
I shot him.”
* * There is blood on your hands !
Are you a murderess as well as a
harlot!”
“ Shame 1” cried voices, mine
among them. “That’s tall lang
uage.”
Strangely and yet not strange
ly, sentiment had veered. We
were Americans—and had we
been English that would have
made no difference. It was the
Anglo-Saxon which gave utter
ance.
She crimsoned, defiant; laugh
ed scornfully.
“You would not dare bait a
man that way, sir. Blood on my
hands! Not blood; oh, no I He
couldn’t pan out blood.”
“You killed him, woman!”
“Not yet. He’s likely fleecing
the public in the Big Tent at this
very moment.”
“And what did you expect
here, in my train!”
“A little manhood and a little
chivalry, sir. I am going to Salt
Lake and I knew of no safer
way.”
“She jumped off a railway
train, paw,” bawled Daniel, “I
seen her. An ’ she axed for Mist- •
er Jenks, fust thing.”
“I’ll give you something to
stop that yawp. Come morhin’,
we’ll settle, young feller,” my
friend Jenip growled.
“I did,” she admitted. “I
have seen Mr. Jenks; I have also
seen Mr. Beeson; I have seen,oth
ers of you in Benton. I was glad
to know'of somebody here. I
rode on the construction train be
cause It was the quickest and
easiest way."
"And those garments!" Cap
tain Adams accused. "You wis^
to show your shape, woman, to
tempt men’s eyes with the
flesh?"
She smiled.
"Would you have me jump
from a train in skirts, sir? Or
travel far afoot in crinoline?
Put to soothe your mind I will
say that I wore these clothes un
der my proper attire and cloak
until the last moment. And if
you turn me away I shall cut my
hair and continue as a boy.”
“If you are for Salt Lake—
where we are of the Lord's
choosing and wish none of you—
there is the stage,” he prompted
shrewdly. "Go to the stage.
You cannot make this wagon
train your instrument."
"The stage?" She slowly shook
her head. "Why, I am too well
known, sir, take that as you will.
And the stage does not leave un
til morning. Much might hap
pen between now and morning.
I have nobody in Benton that I
can depend upon—nobody that I
dare depend upon. And by rail
way, for the East? No. That ia
too open a trail. I am running
free of Benton and Pedro Mon
toy o, and stage and train won’t
do he trick. I’ve thought that
out." She tossed back her head,
deliberately turned. ‘ ‘ Good
night, ladies and gentlemen.
Involuntarily I started forward
to intercept. The notion of her
heading into the vastness and the
gloom was appealing; the inert
ness of that increasing group,
formed now of both men and
women collected from all the
camp maddened. So I would
have besought her, pleaded with
her, faced Montoyo for her—
but a new voice mediated.
“She shall stay, Hyrumf For
the night, at least! I will look
after her.”
The Captain’s younger wife,'
Rachael, had stepped to himj
laid one hand upon his arm—her
smooth hair touched ashine by
the firelight as she gazed up into
his face. Pending reply I
hastened directly to My Lady
herself and detained her by her
jacket sleeve.
“Wait,” I bade.
Whereupon we both turned.
Side by side we fronted tha
group as if we might have been
partners—which, in a measure,
we were, but not wboly accord
ing to the lout Daniel’s cackle
and the suddenly interrogating
countenances here and there.
(To Be Continued.)
Then the Fun Started
Prom the Kansas City Star.
Mrs. Guaherly: “May I alt beside yon,
Mr. Bashfulboy? I Just offered to sit be
side th*.t wretched Mr. Nettleton and ho
said he was particular about the com
pany he kept."
Mr. Bashfulboy: “Did he reallyT Ha
ha! Tes. certainly sit right here. I’m
not a bit particular."
THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS AND
THE VALLEY ROAD
Suffer hardship with me as a good
soldier of Christ Jesus—II Tim. 2:3.
Remember that In this world every
mountain top of privilege is girdled
by the values of lowly duty.
Remember that the transfiguration
of the soul is but the preparation
and encouragement for the sacrifice
of the life.
Remember that we are not to
tarry in the transitory radiance of
Mount Hermon, but to press on to
the enduring glory of Mount Zion,
and that we can only arrive at the
final and blessed resting place by
the way of Mount Calvary.
Remember Peter's words In thO
full experience of the School of
Christ
For the spirit of Jesus was In him,
and taught him what to say, when
he wrote at the close of his life:
“Beloved, think it not strange con
cerning the fiery trial which la to
try you, as though some strange
thing happened unto you."
“But rejoice. Inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings, that
when his glory shall be revealed ye
may be glad also with exceeding
Joy."
The Touch Test.
From the Boston Transcript.
-rJ'/ohnnyt ??ur needs washing.
Did you look at it in the glass this
morning?’’
“No mother, but it seemed all rlghs
when I felt It."
111 —-■ — - —
Open sugar bowls are prohibited tn
public eating places In Akron. Ohio, on
the ground that they are unsanitary
and a menace to health.
The Salutation ef the Dawn
From The Independent.
Listen to the Exhortation of the
Dawn!
Look to this Day, for It la Lite.
The very Life of Ufa.
(n Its brief course lie all the
Verities
And Realities of your Existence;
The. Riles of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Besuty:
For Yesterday Is but a Dream,
And Tomorrow 1s Only a Vision;
But Today well lived
Makes every Yesterday a Dream
of Happiness ,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of
Hope.
Look well, therefore, to thle Dayl
Such Is the Salutstloa ef the
Dawn.
. .. I II ■ .Si
fit
To you—he's worth
$2,500 in Prizes
THB da Pont Company is offering $2,500 in mer
chandise prizes for team and individual scores in an
International Crow-Shooting Contest. Sportsmen in the
United States and Canada are eligible.
The crow is a destroyer of growing crops and of game
birds. He is a menace and a nuisance. Get him I
Send for two, free booklets telling all about the crow.
It costs you nothing to enter the contest. Write today
for full information.
Owners of Coffee Rooms
Thrown Into the Sea
Coffee came first out of Arabia and
Abyssinia, according to the best Infor
mation available. The first reference
to It in literature was made by Avicen
na, a Mohammedan physician,,who died
in 1037. “It fortifies the members,” he
wrote; “It clennses the skin and dries
up the humidities that are under it and
gives an excellent smell to all the
body.”
The “kaveh bnnes” of Mecca were
the first coffee houses. Kair Bey, the
governor, discovered that those who
met in the coffee houses discussed poli
tics and religion, sometimes critically.
So he ordered the kaveh kanes closed.
The sultan at Cairo disapproved of the
governor’s Indiscreet zeal and had him
executed.
But in Constantinople, where plots
lgalnst the oppressive government
were hatched over the coffee, the pub
lic houses were closed and reopening
meant that the proprietor was sewed
Vi a sack and thrown into the Bos
porus.—Detroit News.
Oversight
Brown was making n business trip
on a branch railroad and was not due
at his destination until shortly before
midnight.
Accordingly, he settled back In hts
seat and attempted to sleep. Tt was
quite a struggle for a while, and he
had just dozed off comfortably when
he was awakened by some one taking
hold of his arm and shaking him.
Brown looked up to see the con
ductor standing over him.
“What’s the Idea?" he demanded.
“Ticket,” demanded the conductor.
“Why, I gave you my ticket a long
time ngo, just after we left the junc
tion,” Brown explained.
“Well," replied the conductor, “If
you had told me that I wouldn’t have
bothered you."
Scarce Variety
“Are you fond of entertaining call
ers''”
“Vis, hut, dear me! so few of them
are.”
A Standard for 90 Year*.
As n laxative anil blood purifier there
is nothing better than Brandreth Pills.
In use throughout the world.—Adv.
Russian Chemist Makes
Strong Wire From Sail
A wonderful discovery lias been
made by a Russian scientist, whe
claims to have found a method of male*
ing wire stronger titan gteel out of
common rock salt. His discovery is
the result of a series of extraordinary
experiments in the mutability of
metals by structural chemistry.
The scientist found that by submit
ting the rock salt to high heat pres
sure before the elementary crystals be
gan to decay he sweated the decay by
changing the structural arrangement
of the atoms and molecules, and ihhQ
change increased the durability and
ductility of the substance 300 times,
says London Tit-Bits. He is continu
ing Ids experiments with other metal
substances.
If this discovery can be applied to
metals it will revolutionize the world.
It will mean, amongst other things,
trains capable of running 200 milea
an hour and turbine steamers thaft
could reach Australia in ten days.
Where /* Cave of Nativity?
It is a winding cave in Betldeitetn.
beneath tlie Church - of the Nativity,
btdlf over it liy the Km press Helena,
nnd tlie Kmperor Constantine. This*
cave is the supposed birthplace of
Christ. Tlie supposed position of th<k
manger and tlie precise spot wher^
Christ was born are marked. The*
grotto is beautiful with marbles nn<t
candies are constantly kept burning.
“They Can't
Put You in Jail
for That!9*
“Can’t, eh?” said the man, “Well, *
Pm here!” »
Alter your sleepless night from .
coffee drinking and your friends say
it’s all imagination, remember the *
sleepless night.
Also remember that Postum, the
pure cereal beverage, contains nothing
that can interfere with sleep. It has
every desirable quality of a mealtime
drink—cheering warmth, delightful
flavor and wholesomeness that makes
for health.
Postum
for Health
**There’s a Reason"
Tour grocer mile Poetum la
two format laamnt Poetum
0* tin*] prepared kutantly fa>
the cup by the nddfefou of *■
boiling water. Poetum Cereal
[in package.] for (hoes who
prefer the flavor brought out
by boiling fully 20 minute*
The coat of either form it
•bout one half cent a cup.
'
