Heart's Desire

ly, the Can of Oysters, and the Gir

shed the only firecracker obtainable. Yet upon that night the very shots seemed cheerful, not ominous, as was usually the case upon that long and crooked street, which had seen duels, affairs, affrays,-even riots of mounted men in the days when the desperadoes of the range came riding into town now and again for love of danger, or for l

miles who had ever seen a Christmas tree. There was not a woman in all Heart's Desire saving those three newcomers in the cabin across t

d concluded to abide in Heart's Desire; that he was now a citizen; that he was now entitled by the length of his beard to be called "'Squire," and to be accepted into all the councils of the town. This walk along the street was notice to the pure democracy of that land that all might now leave cards at the cabin across the arroyo. One need hardly doubt that the populace of Heart's Desire was lined up along the street to say good morning and to receive befittingly this tacit pledge of its newe

ely, as he gazed after the gentleman whom he had frankly elected as his father-in-law. "He'll get it, all right. Never

e and place. At the fireplace, McKinney, flushed and red, was broiling some really good loin steaks. McKinney also allowed his imagination to soar to the height of biscuits. Coffee was there assuredly, as one might tell by the welcome odor now ascending. Upon the table there was something masked under an ancient copy of a newspaper. Outside the door of the adobe, in the deepest shade obtainable, sat two so

ough," said Dan Anderson. He was

ly, "just so she gets cold enough. I reckon I savvy wine some

was a good place and all its inhabitants were everything that could be asked. Life was y

d on many a frosty morning or sultry noon in many a corner of the range. "Set up, fellers," said Curly. "It's bridles off now, and cinches down, and the trusties next to the mirror." (By this speech Curly probably meant that the time was one of e

Anderson rebelled and coaxed him off upon the subject of oysters. There was abundance for all. The cake itself would have weighed perhaps five or six pounds. There was a part of a can of oyst

g our mineral wealth. We spoke of the vague rumor that a railroad was heading north from El Paso, and might come close to Heart's Desire if all went well; and, generous in the enthusiasm of the hour, we builded upon that fancy, ending by a toast to Dan Anderson as our first delegate to Congress. Dan bowed gravely, not knowing the future any more than our

n a real woman in Heart's Desire. You, who have always lived where there is law, and society, and women, and home,-you cannot know what it is to see all

h I have referred. Assuredly the street was again flooded with a grand, white mo

ke. "It cost us less than fifteen dollars a plate," said he. "I've paid more for worse-yes, a lot

by. "I done told Mac I ought to bring

al. What's the right thing for us to do when we get any Eastern Capital into our town? This here man comes from Philadelphy, which I reckon is right near the place where oysters grows. What are you goin' to do? He's used to oysters; like enough he eats 'em every day in the year, because he's shore rich. First thing he hollers for when he gets here is oysters. Look

id Tom Osby, "is now a-reclinin

reflectively. "I could have et one more oyster or so

, eating like lords. Now who knows what that poor family from Kansas is having for Christmas dinner? Mac, I appoint you a committee of

m Kansas. McKinney admitted that his nerve had failed, and that he dared not knock, but he said that he had summoned courage enough to look in at the window. The family had either finished its dinner long ago, had not eaten, or did not intend to eat at all. "The table looked some shy," declared McKinney. Beyond this he was incoherent

rising and knocking his pipe upon his boot-heel. "I've got a few cans of stuff up her

suggested Dan Anderson. "I believe I'll just step over an

I'll take a pasear acrost the street and have a look

nto the tobacco smoke, and indulging in a rare soliloq

st have found himself alone. The moonlight streamed brilliantly over the long street of Heart's Desire. . . .

along the fiat ca?on which debouched below the spring where lay th

ing found the spring, it was easy to locate the spot in the snowbank where the oysters had been cached. I was not conscious of tarrying upon the way, y

and forthwith they broke into peals of unrighteous laughter

, as I sat down beside the others and tried to

ney, foreman on Carrizoso, was an old range-rider, and he was right. Here was the track, plunging through the snow

'course he did, and not one of us thought of ridin'. Who'd ever think a man would

e, "and I don't mind walking back with you. It's a trifle lonesome in the hills after dar

proaching. It proved to be Tom Osby, who later declared that he had found himself unable to sleep. He had things in his poc

in at the open window. There was a sound of revelry by night. The narrow Mexican fireplace again held abundance of snapping, sparkling, crooked pinon wood. The table was spread. At its head sat the next postmaster; near him a lately sorrowful but now smiling lady, his wife, the woman from Kansas. The elder daughter

compact was first set on in

he head of the table. In the home of the girl from Kansas ther

hossophat!" said Tom Osb

Anderson, softly, as we tu