Hearts Desire | Page 7

position
of host, when McKinney had finally placed his platter of screeching hot
steaks upon the table. "Now, then, grub pi-i-i-i-le!" He sang the
summons loud and clear, as it has sounded 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
ease and safety, wherein one might place his six-shooter back of the bar,
in sign that he was in search of no man, and that none was in search of
him. It was not good form to eat in a private family in Heart's Desire
with one's gun at one's belt.)
We sat down and McKinney uncovered the cake which had been made
by the wife of the man from Leavenworth. It appeared somewhat
imposing. Curly wanted to cut into it at the first course, but Dan
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 oysters for each
man, any quantity of wholesome steaks and coffee, with condensed
milk if one cared for it, and at least enough champagne for any one who
cared for precisely that sort of champagne.
It was nightfall before we were willing to leave the little pine table.
Meantime we had talked of many things; of the new strike on the
Homestake, of the vein of coal lately found in the Patos, of Apache
rumors below Tularosa, and other matters interesting to citizens of that
land. We mentioned an impending visit of Eastern Capital bent upon
investigating 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 ourselves. Nor should it be denied that there was
talk of the new inhabitants across the arroyo. The morning promenade
of the man from Leavenworth had been productive of results; add to
these the results of so noble a feast as this Christmas dinner of ours,
and it was foregone that our hearts must expand to include in welcome

all humanity west of the Pecos.
After all, no man is better than the prettiest woman in his environment.
As to these girls from Kansas, it is to be said that there had never
before been 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 these things gradually or swiftly
dawning upon your personal horizon. Yet this was the way of Heart's
Desire, where women and law and property were not.
It was perhaps the moon, or perhaps youth, or perhaps this state of life
to which I have referred. Assuredly the street was again flooded with a
grand, white moonlight, bright almost as a Northern day, when we
looked out of the little window.
Dan Anderson was the first to speak, after a silence which had fallen
amidst the dense tobacco smoke. "It cost us less than fifteen dollars a
plate," said he. "I've paid more for worse--yes, a lot worse. But by the
way, Mac, where's that other can of oysters? I thought you said there
were four."
"That's what I said," broke in Tom Osby. "I done told Mac I ought to
bring 'em all down, but he said only three."
"Well," said McKinney, always a conservative and level-headed man,
"I allowed that if they would keep a month, they would keep a little
longer. Now you all know there's goin' to be a stage in next week, and
likely it'll bring the president of the New Jersey Gold Mills, who's been
due here a couple of weeks. Now here we are, hollerin' all the time for
Eastern Capital. 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. Looks like you all didn't have no public spirit.
Are we goin' to give this here Eastern man the things he's used to,
kinder gentle him along like, you