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The hot days dropped, one by one, into the past like fiery beads upon a velvety black cord Miss Georgie told thehed as they slipped fro happened that could be said to bear upon the one big subject in herbusiness in the express and freight depart afternoon of heat and silence save for the asthmatic pump, fifty yards down the main track Two--this exactly like the first, except that those inseparables, Hagar, Viney, and Lucy, whoantly dubbed "the Three Greases," appeared, silent, blanket-enshrouded, and perspiring, at the office door in y chocolates which the heat had rendered a disible speech Fishing was poor--no ketchum Three--not even the diversion of the squaws to , she told herself apathetically when that third day had slipped upon the black cord of a soft, warht, star-sprinkled and unutterably lonely as it brooded over the desert

On the ue sense that so True railroader as she had coht first that there had been a wreck, and that she anted at the telegraph instrument She was up and partly dressed before the steps and the voices which had broken her sleep had reached her door

Pete Ha with excitement, called to her

"What is it? What has happened?" she cried from within, beset by a hundred wild conjectures

"Saunders--somebody shot Saunders Wire for a doctor, quick as yuh can He ain't dead yet--but he's goin' t' die, sure Hurry up and wire--" Somebody at the store called to hily in answer to the suieupon a blanket on the store platforie shuddered as she looked at hilassy under his half-closed lids He had been shot in the side--at the stable, he had gasped out when Pete found hi in the trail just back of the store Now he seeroup of section-hands, the Chinese cook at the section-house, and the Swede foreman, and Pete seemed quite at a loss what to do

"Take hi away "See if he's bleeding yet, and--well, I should put a cold compress on the wound, I think I'll send for a doctor--but he can't get here till nine o'clock unless you want to stand the expense of a special And by that time--"