HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JAN. 27, 1927.
PAGE FIVE
BOARDMAN
A Pair of Blue Eyes
In the estimate of the affable
br&keman we were making a fair
' average of twenty miles an hour
across the greatest country on earth,
It was a flat country of far hor'
zona, and for vast stretches peopled
mainly, as one might judge from the
car windows, by antelope and prairie
dogs.
Yet despite the novelty of ouch a
ride behold me, surfeited with al
ready five days' steady travel, en
grossed chiefly in observing a clear,
dainty profile and waiting for the
glimpse, time to time, of a pair of
exquisite blue eyes.
Merely to indulge myself in fern
inine beauty, however, I need not
have undertaken the expense and fat
igue of journeying from Albany on
the Hudson out to Omaha on the
plains side of the Missouri River
thence by the Union Pacific Railroad
of the new transcontinental line into
the Indian country.
mere were handsome women
aplenty in the East; and of access
also, to a youth of family and parts'
nut nere I was, advised by the phy
sicians -to "go West," meaning by this
l ot simply the one-time West of
Ohio, or Illinois, or even Iowa, but
the remote and genuine West lying
Deyona tne Missouri.
The Union Pacific announcement!
acclaimed that this summer of 1868
the rails should cross the Black Hills
Mountains of Wyoir.in? to another
range of the Rocky Mountains, in
Utah; and that by the end of the
year one might ride comfortably clear
to bait Lake l,ityl And somewhere
:n the expanse of brand new Western
sountry, the plains and the moun
tains, I would find at least the breath
of life.
When I arrived in Omaha the tick
et agent was enabled to sell me trans
portation away to the present west
ern terminus, Benton, Wyoming Ter
ritory itself six hundred end ninety
miles west of the Missouri!
Of Benton I had never heard. But
in round figures, seven hundred
miles! Practically the distance from
Albany to Cincinnati, and itself dis
tant from Albany over two thousand
miles! All by rail.
The ltdy of the blue eyes was
bound for the same point. Ye gods,
lut she was a little beauty; a perfect
blonde, of the petite and fully form
ed type, with regular features in
clined to the clean-cut Grecian, a
piquant mouth deliciously bowed, two
ryes of the deepest blue veiled by
long lashes, and a mass of glinting
golden hair upon which perched a
revishing little bonnet.
The natural ensemble was enhanced
ly her costume, all of black, from
the closely fitting bodice to the rust
ling criroline beneath which there
l-ecped out tiny shoes. I had oppor
tunity also to note the jet pendant
in the shelly ear toward me, and the
lashing rings upon the fingers of her
hands.
Could she by any chance live in
Benton a woman dressed as she
was, as much a la mode 'as if she
walked in New York? Omaha itself
had astonished me with the display
upon its streets; and now if Benton,
far out in the wilderness, should
prove another surprise !
Indeed, the Western world was not
so raw, after all.
Half of my seat at the start had
been effectually filled by a large,
stout, red-faced woman who formed
the base of a pyramid of boxes and
parcels.
She was going to North Flatte,
three hundred miles westward. I told
her I was going to Benton.
She stared, round-eyed.
"I reckon you're a gambler!" she
accused.
"I am Beeking health in the West,"
1 said, "where the climate is high
t.nd dry."
"My Gawd!" she blurted, "High
and dry! You're goin' to the right
place. For all I hear tell, Benton is
h,gh enough and dry enough. But
laws sakes, you don't need to go that
fur. You can as well 3top off at North
Tlatte, or Sidney or Cheyenne.
They'll scalp you sure at Benton
unless you watch out mighty sharp."
"How so, may I ask?"
"You're certainly green," she ap
prised. "Benton's roarin' and I know
what that means. Didn't North Platte
roar? I seen it at its beginnin's. My
old man and me, we were there from
th fust, when it started in as the
railroad terminal. My Sakes, but them
were times! Gamblin', shootin'. and
drinkin' and high-cockalorums night
and day! 'Twasn t no place for inno
cence! Easy come, easy go, that was
the word. I don't say but what times
were good, though. My old man con
tracted government freight, and I run
an eatin1 house for the railroaders, so
we made money. Then when the rail
road moved terminus, the rest of the
crowd moved, too. You stop off at
North Platte, Nebrasky. It s healthy
and its moral."
But since I had crossed the Missou
n something had entered into my
blood which rendered me obstinate
against such allurements. For her
North Platte, "strictly moral," I had
no ardent feeling. I was set upon
Benton.
And in after days soon to arrive
I bitterly regretted that I had not
yielded to her counsel.
Nevertheless this was true, at pres
ent: "But I have already purchased my
ticket to Benton," I objected. "If I
don't like it I can move elsewhere.
Possibly to Salt Lake City, or Den
ver."
She snorted.
"In among them Mormons? My
Gawd, young man! Where they live
in conkibinage several women to
one man, like a buffler herd or other
beasts of the field? Denver well,
Denver mightn't be bad, but ain't on
no railroad, either. If you want
health, and to grow up with a strictly
moral community, you throw in with
North Plntte."
"I thank you," I replied. "But
since I've started for Benton I think
I'll go on. And if I don't like it you
may see me in North Platte after all.
She grunted.
"You oan find me at the Bon Ton
restaurant. If you get in broke, I'll
tuke care of you."
In remarkably short order she was
asleep.
Tne broktman came in later, liirht
ig the coal-oil lamps. Outside, th
twilight had deepened into dusk.
Numerous passengers were making
ready for bed; the men by removing
their boots and shoes and coats and
galluses and Btretching out; the wo
rsen by loosening their stays, with
significant clicks and sighs, and lay
ing their heads upon adjacent shoul-
cUrs or drooping against seat ends.
rabies cried, and were hushed.
Final "night-caps" were taken from
he prevalent bottles.
The bnikemnn leaned to me.
"You for North Platte?"
"No, sir, Benton, Wyoming Terri
tory."
"Then you'd better move up to the
car ahead. This car stops at North
Flatte."
Fortui.e had favored me across the
aisle from my new seat only a couple
of seats beyond, I glimpsed the top
of a golden head, sceurely low and
barricaded in by baggage.
I slept until midnight.
The train was rumbling as before.
The lamps had been extinguished
the coach atmosphere was heavy with
oil smell and the exhalations of hu
man beings in all stages of dishabille.
But the golden head was there,
about as when last sighted.
Now it stirred, and erected a little.
I felt the unseemliness of sitting and
waiting for her to make her toilet, so
I hastily Btaggered to achieve my own
by aid of the water tank, tin basin,
roller towell and small looking-glass
at the rear.
The coach was the last in the train.
stepped out upon the back platform
for fresh air.
A bevy of antelope flashed white
tails as they scudded away. Two mo
tionless figures, horseback, whom I
took to be wild Indians, surveyed us
from a distant sandhill.
Across the river there appeared s
fungus of low buildings, almost in
(listinqulshnble, with a glimmer of
canvas-topped wagonB fringing it.
That was the old emigrant road.
Whilo I was thus orienting myself
the car door opened and closed. I
turned my head. The Lady of the Blue
Eyes had joined me. As fresh as the
morning she was!
"Oh! You? I beg your pardon,
sir." I felt her diffidence was more
polite than sincere.
"You are heartily welcome," I as
sured. "There's air enough for us
both."
We tore by another freight waiting
upon a siding located amidst a wide
debris of tin cans and barren spots,
resembling the ruins from fire and
quake.
"North Plattel"
She laughed merri
ly. "Dear me, don't
mention North
Platte not in the
sBme breath with
Benton, or even
Cheyenne. A town
of hayseeds and
dollar-a-dny dorks
whose height of
sport is to go fish
ing in the Plattel
A young man like
you would die of
ennui in North
Platte."
"There is Juleburg."
"A town?" I gasped.
"The end!" She smiled. "The only
inhabitants now are in the station-
house and the graveyard."
"And the others? Where are they?'
"Farther west.. Many of them ir
Benton."
"Indeed? Or in North Platte!"
bantered.
"North Platte!" She laughed mer
rily. "Dear me don't mention North
Platte not in the same breath with
Benton, or even Cheyenne. A town
of hayseeds and dollar-a-day clerks
whose height of sport is to go fishing
in the Platte! A young man like you
would die of ennui in North Platte."
Her free speech accorded ill with
what I had been accustomed to in wo
mankind; and yet became her spark
ling eyes and general dash.
"Will you," she asged, "join me in
a little appetizer? You will find it a
superior cognac and we breakfast
shortly, at Sidney."
From a pocket of her skirt she had
extracted a small silver flask, stop
pered with a tiny screw cup.
Her face swam before me, in my
astonishment.
"I rarely drink liquor, madam.' I
stammered. ,
"Nor I. But when traveling you
know. And in high and dry Benton,
liquor is quite a necessity! You will
not decline to taste with a lady? Let
us drink to better acquaintance, in
Benton I"
"With all my heart, madam." I
blurted.
We consummated our pledges just
in time. The brakeman issued, bring
ing discord into my heaven of blue
and gold and comfortable warmth.
With a darting glance at him and
a parting smile for me she passed in
side. The brakeman lingered.
"Friend of yours, is she?"
"I met her in Omaha, is all," I
stiffly informed. "You are acquaint
ed with the lady, yourself?"
"Her? Sure. I know about every
body along the line between Platte
and Cheyenne."
"She lives in Benton, though, I un
derstand," I proffered.
"Yep. Followed her man. A heap
of people moved from Cheyenne to
Benton, by way of Laramie."
"She is married, then?"
"Far as I know. Anyway, Bhe'g not
single, by a long shot." And he
laughed.
(Continued Next Week)
Copyright by Edwin L. Sabin.
MRS. A. T. HBEEIM, Correspondent.
Mrs. W. H. Mefford was called to
Pendleton Sunday because of the ser
ious illness of her grandson. Richard
Root, who is a patient at St. An
thony's hospital. He has been quite
in with heart trouble for several
weeks following a serious operation
for appendicitis, suffering from rheu
matism of the heart, and also leak
age of the heart. He is only nine
years old and has had a hard time of
it for' the last year or so, having had
an operation for mastoid, followed by
me appendix operation about seven
weeks ago.
The worst of the flu epidemic seems
to be over and another wave of it
could not Bweep quite bo many vic
tims as there aren't many who avoid
ed the first siege. Dillons, Wilsons,
Broomes, Clarks at Messner, Mef
fords. Aliens, Gorhams, Dillaboughs,
Klags, are all gradually recovering.
Janet Gorham and Mrs. Ballenger
each had a suppuration abscess, in
other words, a gathering in the head
and Ellen Broome had some nasal
difficulty. Mrs. Broome and Mrs. Dil
lon each had a case of incipient pneu
monia, but all are well on the road to
recovery. Mrs. C. G. Blayden was
another victim who is again out after
strenuous siege.
Mrs. W. A. Goodwin of Condon fell
last week and broke her right arm.
The doctor who reduced the fracture
stated it would be a month before she
would be able to again use her arm.
Mrs. W. A. Price went to Hot Lake
a week ago to recuperate from a bad
attack of flu. She was a victim of
the flu four years ago which left her
heart in a weakened condition. Mr.
rrice took Billy to Portland to stay
witn his grandparents until Mrs.
Price returns.
Roy Fugate of the U. S. Biological
Survey spent several days in Board
man this week inaugurating a cam-
paign for poisoning the rabbits in
this section. This is an excellent
time to conquer the pests since ac
cording to reports one dead bunny
now equals ten in the spring.
Rev. Swogger came down Sunday
but no services were held because of
the extreme cold and so much sickness.
Arthur Goodwin, a former resident,
is recuperating from a serious opera
tion for hernia at the hospital in The
Dalles.
Fond memories of the winter seven
years ago were brought back very
vividly on Thursday and Friday of
last week when the thermometer
ciawled down till it reached 22 below
zero. A blizzard visited us on Wed
nesday that reminded us of "Old
Iowa" and on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday it was bitter, bitter cold.
There was no fuel shortage fortun
ately so no one suffered but every
one kept in close proximity to the
stove.
Night school opened last week in
spite of the cold weather, with a good
attendance. This is an excellent op
portunity for persons who wish to
"brush up" or take gome new subject
to take advantage of. A splendid list
of subjects is offered with three half
hour periods each Monday and Wed
nesday evening.
Burton Barnes is here from over in
the John Day country.
Boardman friends will be interest
ed to hear that Clark M. Jantzen has
accepted a teaching position in Cin
cinnati, Ohio. Mr. Jantzen resigned
his position here the first of the year
and having had a misunderstanding
with his betrothed who lives in Cin
cinnati, went to that city. Everything
has been settled very amicably and
Mr. Jantzen is well satisfied with his
new location. Mr. Goodwin received
a letter from Mr. Jantzen laBt week.
Mrs. A. T. Hereim was a guest of
Mrs. Warner Sunday for dinner at the
Highway Inn.
ALPINE.
Arthur Sepanek, son . of Mr. and
Mrs. Michael Sepanek, drove home
from San Francisco last Friday in his
new Studebaker coach. He has left
California's sunshine to enjoy Ore
gon's snow.
Pupils of high school passed
their semester examinations with
high grades.
The Sepanek family motored to
Pendleton Saturday.
Mildred Schmidt was a visitor at
the Lambirth home Wednesday night.
Thursday night proved to be the
coldest night of the season to the peo
ple at Alpine.
Margaret Melville has been absent
from school two days because of the
cold weather.
Several of the Alpine people are
planning on attending the basket so
cial at Pine City Friday.
Pupils in the grade room are in
high sports over the easy history ex
amination given this week.
Preparations are being made for a
program to be given next Farm Bu
reau night, February 6.
LOST During past summer, one
iron gray mule, weight about 1200
and one iron gray mare mule, weight
1100, each bearing brand E on right
shoulder and coming six years old.
Will pay reward of $10.00 apiece for
recovery of said animals. WEBB
BROS, Walla Walla, Wash. 44-7.
Strayed or Stolen Four or five
head of horses from ranch of B. P.
Swaggart; have no visible marks er
brands; Miss Cantata one of bunch.
Reward for information leading to re
covery. B. F. SWAGGART, Lexing
ton, Ore.
LEXINGTON CHURCH OF CHRIST.
Lord's Day, Jan. 30th. Bible School
10 a. m., preaching and Communion,
11 a. m. A welcome to you.
E. L. WOOD, Minister.
FOR A QUICK
LUNCH
Have pure, rich whole
milk.
Fresh Every Day.
Alfalfa Lawn Dairy
WIGHTMAN BROS, Props.
Phone S0F3
Central Market
C W. McNAMER, Proprietor
FRESH AND CURED MEATS, FISH
AND POULTRY
Call us when you have anything in our
line to sell.
Phone Main 652
CERTIFIED
Seeafl DSy
We have some very fine
Recleaned Seed Rye
certified to be Spring Rye
You can buy Princess Flour
from us. It is the flour that
"makes friends easily."
Corn Rolled Barley Poultry Supplies
Brown Warehouse Co.
Phones: Warehouse 643, Residence 644
EVERYBODY
COflVG
CALIFORNIA bids you
turn back the calendar
to summer and come play in
the warm sunshine.
Aa an added inducement the
Union Pacific now offer (pedal
low round trip faro and assures
you a manretoua journey on tin
finest of fast train. Connection
via Portland or Salt Lake City.
MAU TOOK KESKKYATtOMS MOW
CHESTER DARBEE, Agent
Heppnar, Or.
Brought from far off lands, right to
your table with all their sun-ripened,
nature flavored goodness. You can
depend upon our canned fruits, veg
etables and delcacies to be the very
best. We recommend them! Or
der some today. Prices reasonable.
Phelps Grocery Company
PHONE 53
OAKLAN D
Announces the Appointment of
Ferguson Motor Co.!
As Associate Dealer of
Oakland and Pontiac
We are pleased to announce the appointment
of this new local dealer a connection which
admirably reflects the high standards Oakland
has set for selling and servicing its motor cars.
A cordial invitation is extended to you to call
on our new dealer and examine the new OAK
LAND SIX, the car that is everywhere winning
and holding increasing good will.
See also its companion car the PONTIAC
SIX, the outstanding new car of the year.
OAKLAND MOTOR CAR COMPANY PONTIAC, MICHIGAN
OAKLAND (PONTIAC
fes.' - r-e?
$1025
.1295
mfrcun
COACH
or
COUPB