In truth Morse looked very well the next morning as he stood beside
Kelley and watched the High Line train come in over the shoulder of
Mogallon and loop its cautious way down the mine-pitted slopes. His main
uneasiness was caused by the thought that his mother might ask some man
on the train if he knew her son, and he was disturbed also by a number
of citizens lounging on the platform. Some of them were curious about
the change in him: "Hello, Fred! Going fishing, or been?"
The boy was trembling as he laid his hand on Kelley's arm. "Ed, I feel
like a coyote. It's a dang shame to fool your old mother like this."
"Better to fool her than to disappoint her," answered Tall Ed. "Stiffen
up, boy! Carry it through."
The little train drew up to the station and disgorged a crowd of Italian
workmen from the smoker and a throng of tourists from the
observation-car, and among these gay "trippers" Kelley saw a small,
plain little woman in black and a keen-eyed, laughing girl who waved her
hand to Fred. "Why, she's a queen!" thought Kelley.
Mrs. Morse embraced her son with a few murmured words of endearment, but
the girl held her brother off and looked at him. "Well, you _do_ look
the part," she said. "What a glorious sunburn--and the boots--and the
hat, and all! Why, Fred, you resemble a man."
"I may resemble one," he said, "but here's the real thing. Here's my
partner, Tall Ed Kelley." He pulled Kelley by the arm. "Ed, this is my
mother--"
"Howdy, ma'am," said Kelley, extending a timid hand.
"And this is my sister Florence."
"Howdy, miss," repeated Kelley.
Florence laughed as she shook hands. "He says 'Howdy' just like the
books."
Kelley stiffened a bit. "What should a feller say? Howdy's the word."
"I told you she'd consider you part of the scenery," put in Fred. "Well,
now, mother, we're going to take you right up to our mine. It's away on
top of that hill--"
"Oh, glorious!" exclaimed Florence. "And is it a real mine?"
"It is. But Kelley is boss, so I'm going to let him tell you all about
it. He's the man that found it."
Mrs. Morse looked up at the towering hill. "How do we get there?"
"A trolley-car runs part way, and then--we'll take a cab. Come on," he
added, anxiously, for he could see some of his saloon friends edging
near.
The trolley came down almost to the station, and in a few moments they
were aboard with Kelley seated beside Florence and Mrs. Morse fondly
clinging to her son, who seemed more boyish than ever to Kelley. The old
trailer was mightily embarrassed by his close contact with a sprightly
girl. He had never known any one like her. She looked like the pictures
in the magazines--same kind of hat, same kind of jacket and skirt--and
she talked like a magazine story, too. Her face was small, her lips
sweet, and her eyes big and bright.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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