uch,"
thinking that some larger flower--but still a flower--might have been
more apt.

"Nobody seems to have slept in these," said she, stepping down; and on
learning that even the tramp avoided Separ when he could, she exclaimed,
"What lodging could be handier than this! Only it would be so cute if
you had a Louavull an' Nashvull car," said she. "Twould seem like my old
Kentucky home!" And laughing rather sweetly at her joke, she held
the lamp up to read the car's lettering. "'D. and R. G.' Oh, that's
a way-off stranger! I reckon they're all strange." She went along the
train with her lamp. "Yes, 'B. and M.' and 'S. C. and P.' Oh, this is
rich! Nate will laugh when he hears. I'll choose 'C., B. and Q.' That's
a little nearer my country. What time does the stage start? Porter,
please wake 'C., B. and Q.' at six, sharp," said she to Lin.

From this point of the evening on, I think of our doings--their
doings--with a sort of unchanging homesickness. Nothing like them can
ever happen again, I know; for it's all gone--settled, sobered, and
gone. And whatever wholesomer prose of good fortune waits in our cup,
how I thank my luck for this swallow of frontier poetry which I came in
time for!

To arrange some sort of bed for her was the next thing, and we made a
good shake-down--clean straw and blankets and a pillow, and the agent
would have brought sheets; but though she would not have these, she did
not resist--what do you suppose?--a looking-glass for next morning!
And we got a bucket of water and her valise. It was all one to her,
she said, in what car Lin and I put up; and let it be next door, by all
means, if it pleased him to think he could watch over her safety better
so; and she shut herself in, bidding us good-night. We began spreading
straw and blankets for ourselves, when a whistle sounded far and long,
and its tone rose in pitch as it came.

"I'll get him to run right to the corrals," said the agent, "so the
sheriff can tell the boys he's not after them."

"That'll convince 'em he is," said Lin. "Stop him here, or let him go
through."

But we were not to steer the course that events took now. The rails
of the main line beside us brightened in wavering parallels as the
headlight grew down upon us, and in this same moment the shootings at
the corrals chorused in a wild, hilarious threat. The burden of the
coming engine heavily throbbed in the air and along the steel, and met
and mixed with the hard, light bea