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Show THE BALL AT BIO SPRINGS. JAr. OAltDNKR Ht.ATt ' I; pjrtht, leo), by Dally Story fob Co.) f ' The boya from tb X Y ranch had been busy for the falls' "round-up" at Aldllne for mouths. They were Dow about ready to depart for their winter home The cattle had been about herded In one bunch and were prepansl for the long drlva southward, south-ward, where the grass waa green the year round, ami ihe winds not loo severe to bring them discomfort Tho yearlings, hellers and steers were corraled two miles away from tho little town. At night, unless a storm aeenusl Imminent, half of tho crew would go Into Ihe railroad station and disport thcmselvea by slu siting out lights, riding horses Into bar rooms and tho like. All of Ihem ate at the Archer restaurant, not because the fond was anv better or I heauer than erred by the I'alaco. but because Estello Mcintosh. a clear eyed, etralghtllmbed girl of annie twenty summers, slung the hash and abot the beans at her sun tanned customers. She waa nl beautiful mold: her breaat moved buck and forth llko the undulating waves of the see; her arms wero round at Ihe shoulders and tapered down as gracefully as a acnlp-tor'a acnlp-tor'a model. Her eye wero blue, she waa wldi'hlppcd, with a complexion Ilk that of the underdown of a (leor-gla (leor-gla peach, Hhe could play the guitar, do fancy work, and get along fairly well with tho third reader. She rould call cow a and ride any broncho that ever pawed the rth. All the hoya were In love with her. If aha had any preference that could be perceived, It waa for Calico Jak, whose tall figure waa known to nearly near-ly every head of rattle between .he Colorado and tho Neuces. He could rhew tohniru like a Cuban negro. cut the pigeon wing, ride anything from a burned toad to a giraffe, and be had no moro compunction when It became necessary, to kill a man than a mustang would have for kicking at the man who lia.l hit him with a quirt. Hut Katelle, "Htell." as the boya called ber, made no signs that ah would bo glad to Jump over the broomstick with him. Two weeks before the contemplated departure of the X Y outfit, nearly all the boya were in Archer a. The "Doc" waa there also. He wore a staki-d and rlderea) shirt, tan shoes and toted a walking stick. He had hut recently graduated from the medical school at bl l'aso, and settling at Abilene, wber the men wore overalla and the women quite content with rallcoea. h Imagined blmsrif about ti'Mt ahead of a National llnnk. "Htell" had not liked him from the first, and she did not attempt to conceal ber feelings. As the "Doc" started to go, be naively naive-ly asked: "H'poae you are going to be the queen of the ball up to lllg Springe, next weekT "I don't know of lhat'i any of your business," she replied, somewhat warmly. "Course you'll be there aa king of the doodlebugs?" at which the cowboys ha. ha. haed until the "Hoc" waa out of hearing. That night, while the atara looked down iiimiii the boya who were now again in camp. Calico said to lltick-eye: lltick-eye: "Kay. Muck, It'll be a long time afore we get to a ball where they'll have one of these here base villlaus or wiollna, or whatever you call 'em. 'ti'pose we run up to Hlg Springs and shake our feet when the shindig romca off?" tluckeye readily consented. Then t other hoys were awakened and told of the scheme. Ijta were to he drawn as to who should remuln In ramp while the others were away. That was satisfactory and the Idea a good one. "Hut," apoka up 'Ked' I'arker, "whar the damnation la the money conilu' from." That put the others lo thinking. The next morning Ave cowhoya wen) seen tiding swiftly toward Abilene. Abi-lene. Calico went Into the Archer hotel and resluutunt alwne. After a few moiuents' conversation wllh "Htell," Ihe boys galloped over the hill. An hour's rule took them lo I'an-tr.na, I'an-tr.na, a vllluge composed of five saloons, a general merchandise estate llkhtnent, a livery sluble, fifty live souls and IN, 312 prairie dogs. They stopped at tho first place they reached, which waa known aa ibe IP' C nl I co Jak. CIibik huliMiu Hi; rut of WIum tud Ll'iuois." Tin boyi alighted wut Innide. "I.lnn up fttlU'iB and nHri your pinlni'iH Wlmt'li it lie?" ttatd JuUi in hp lul.l a flv'wMUr bill on thn i funnier. j '.!on.(MH jnire. Iinrin'ta JtihI'c llifty vflk-t nut ir. in l"". "and bo lamnad iiikk itl "n! Ii ' Am the bar- keeper, a rucon! import atlnn from ChlraK", linvlttK nt'Vr on mtm ao J loailrd down with kIx Minotera, hla L hanilH toiiihU'tl uhrn In nat Iba tint - 't 1 1 o down. Whfn ih RlRHr-pfi had bwii flllfMt Hiid miiptlttd, Cnllro ud j dt'iily liMikpd nut of tht door, - hw a piHlrif dK and hlnxrri . ; auay at It n tpilrkly that ; Ihe ImrkiM'prr untp'd thro fwt ft mil ihi ftonr Th nthcra ru.hd to thf door only to rt thr d(K wrtthlna f ' hi tb dtmt of tbn piiblir road. Mn , rnnia rtitlilfiR fnm nthrr (iitablFb- I mmta, at th aotind of tha ahota, but ' mM'iiii (but tlmrc witn nothlnti doing i "You Cash in Far Me When Yew OH to Merlin. Something la to Happen In About a Week." In the way of a man tight, returned to the doors. Meantime the barkeeper bar-keeper had counted out the proper change for Calico $4.40. "Come r runnln', boys, and look at this!" as he pointed to the silver In front of htm. "I do reckon I wonder won-der whar In thunder be thinks k conin from. How much waa It 1 glT him, itcd'T" "Twenty ? No. 1 didn't have to thing th-ing aniallern' a fifty an' that' what I handed him, wasn't It, Duck?" "Why, aure It was," aald Duck. "Well, the skunk! Hhall w kill him hete or drag him over to k.lrk Bklllet and let the dogs eat him up?" The barkeeper hastily went to hla drawer. "Heally," aald be, "yon didn't" "What a that! Didn't hey? Well, we ll Just show you a trick thai yon never heard of a lore, and witn iaai he proceeded to draw his gun. In an Instant the barkeeper's hands were above hla head. He begged forgiveness. for-giveness. It he bad made a mistake, he certaluly would rectify It then and there. "Well, ahell her out; shell her"0utr they all demanded at once. And 49 40 were laid upon the wooden bar. 1 Then thn boya went down the little street, relating their experience to al'. the other saloonkeepers, who agreed with litem that the Chicago yaukee was a crook. Alter having spent about the amount they straddled their poult s and were aoon In Abilene aguln "Htell'- set out plea and coffee, anil ber bullous ate raven- ' oiisly. When they liad finished, Call- ro took t ne w illness to ono aide and handed Iter a roll of bills. "Now then." snld ho, "wail go to lllg Hprlngs or bust up the X Y outfit." Thn evening of Ihe ball rolled aioiind. The train which left Abilene at 7 o'clock would put them there In ample time. At Ave Calico began dressing. dress-ing. Hla IhhiIb had been ahined, hla hair sprinkled copiously with Florida water, his mustache greased and bl chili shaved. Ills hat waa rocked to one side :nd a clfsr lilted upward when ho called on "Htell." Hhe eur-veyeil eur-veyeil him critically. "Tear to me," she said, "you d look slylishor If you'd lake that ulr red handkerchief from ycur neck," and oil came the rd bandana. ban-dana. "Htell" waa In a hurry. She had not begun to dreas, and here It waa cloa to IS o'clock. Unco upslalrt aba be- ; gun aiiuocxlhg herself Into a corset two sizes too small for her. Hut ahe got It fantened. Hue frlned ber hair. powdered her face, put ou a velvet J colored ill ess, tied a blue belt around I her waist and then she was ready. I The ball was a great social auccoss. To her surprise the first mau to an- f pioach her when she arrived waa j the Doc. Hut alio turned him away. J. Tliere were six inembura of til X Y f ranch that attended and after "BtH" ", l.aJ danced with each one for a set, S, she guvo her lime wholly to Calico. K There were few lights, and the barrel n oi whisky lasted until daybreak, al 1 which time the Abilene contingent f, V took Die train for home. 'i "Colli o" and "Htell" slept In the j same heal during Ihe ride, ludiffer- f cut to the rye that wero turned upon , them. As they were descending from t , the train platform at Abilene, "Call- y ' co'' lurncd lo "Hitckeye" and aald! j "You casn In for me wheu you git to Marllti. I'm gwluler stay here. Bom- Ihlug Is to happen In about a week." r Peculiar and Fatal Acoldent. ! Mrs. lor-eph Kruuiful of Altoona. V Pi-nn.. wus mill. Ing. when the cow t turned her lnud to brush off a Sy I and ran a horn Into In woman' ! In alii, through her eye, causing a fatal I Injury. I |
