usiasm 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. Ar