The Gray Dawn

ast," In those days cosmetics of any sort were by most considered inventions of the devil. It took extraordinary firmness of character even to protect one's self against sunburn by anything more arti

tly in front, could be utili

a tiny parasol, about big enough for a

d with a restrained eagerness; and soft eyes rolled in the direction of the Sherwoods--keen, lithe, nervous, high-strung creatures, gently stamping little hoofs, impatiently tossing dainty heads, but nevertheless making no movement that would stir the vehicle that st

the horses. With a purring little snort they moved smoothly away. The gossamerlike wheels threw the light from their swift spokes. Sam, half choked by the swirl of dust, gazed after them. Sherwood, leaning slightly forward against the first eagerness of the animals, showed a strong, competent, arresting figure, with his beaver hat, his keen grim face, his snow-white

h sure!" said Sam

aught glimpses of huge warehouses--already in this year of 1852 men talked of the open-air auctions of three years before as of something in history inconceivably remote. The streets, where formerly mule teams had literally been drowned in mud, now were covered with planking. This made a fine resounding pavement. Horses' hoofs went merrily _klop, klop, klop_, and the

enced or covered these. Private facetiousness had labelled most of them with signboards. These were rough pictures of disaster painted from the marking pot, and

g against wet planks; horsemen threaded their way; nondescript delivery wagons tried to outrattle the omnibuses. The din was something extraordinary--hoofs drumming, wheels rumbling, oaths and shouts, and from the sidewalks the blare and bray of brass bands in front of the various auction

paddy" to distinguish it from the "hand paddy"--out of Cork or Dublin. It rumbled by on its track, very much like juggernaut in its calm indif

ay by small shacks, in which were offered fowls, fish, vegetables, candy, refreshments. Some of them were tiny saloons or gambling houses. But by far the majority were the cubicles where the Jew

nscious pride of silver-mounted harness and curled or braided manes, rose above the ruck as their ancestors, the warhorses, must have risen in medieval battle. The crowd parted

geneous crowd--miners in their exaggeratedly rough clothes, brocaded or cotton clad Chinese, gorgeous Spaniards or Chilenos, drunken men, sober men, excited men, empty cans or cases kicking around underfoot, frantic runners for hotels or steamboats trying to push their way by, newsboys and cigar boys darting about and miraculously worming their way through impenet

holly absorbed in his task. Suddenly up ahead a wild turmoil broke out. People crowded to right and left

ring, picking their way daintily. Sherwood spoke again. They stopped. The runaway hurtled by, missing the tail of the buggy by two feet. A moment later a grand crash marked the end of its career farther dow

ive, she had looked on it all as one quite detached from possible consequences. The little parasol did not change its angle. Only, quite delib

l, nervous, docile horses, the calm and dominating man, and the poised, dainty creature at his side. One drunken individual cheered her person

again filling the air with lamentations, claims, appeals for justice. Sherwood did not even glance toward him; but in the very act of tooling

of which has never elsewhere been seen plying for public hire, brightly painted, highly varnished, lined with silks, trimmed with solid silver. The harnesses were heavily mounted with the same metal. On their boxes sat fashionable creatures, dressed, not in livery, but throughout in the very latest of the late styles, shod with varnished leather, glov

the entertainment for which the crowd had gathered; for which, indeed, the Sherwoods had made their excursion. Each individual received his meed of comment, sometimes audible and by no means always flattering. Certainly in variety both of character and of circumstance they offered plenty of material. From wild, half-civilized denizens of Louisiana's canebrakes, clinging closely to their little bundles and their long rifles, to the most polished exquisites of fashion they offered all grades and intermediates. Some of them looked rather

he, "just carry th

ted the fifty cents, dove into

them both to the traveller, "t

down the gangplank had ceased. The crowd began to thin. Sherwood gather

he cried, her voice thr

ld not have heard Mrs. Sherwood's exclamation of pity, she happened to look up at that instant, revealing a pair of large, dark, and appealing eyes. Her figure, too, dressed in a plain travelling dress, strikingly simple but bearing the

eak," commente

kably pretty," added Sherwo

always boyish type; and the removal of his hat had revealed a mat of close- curling brown hair, like a cap over his well-shaped head. The norma

the young man glanced directly toward him, disclosing the colour and expression

girl, he was looking up and down the wharf. Not a vehicle remained save the heavy drays already backing up to receive thei

a thistledown she floated to the little group at the foot of the gangplank. The steward instantly gave way to her evident intention. She passed her arm around the girl's waist. The

rking in the depths of his eyes, qui