239
or yourself, either by stayin concealed. He may
love you beet; an' if he does, he'd not be actin' right
if he married her."
" I can not view the matter as you do, Mrs. King
ston," DesB said, gazing gloomily into tho depth of
the great fire. " At all events, my mind is firmly
fixed, and you will render me a kind Bervice by with
holding my secret at least, until after they are mar
ried." The old trapper was silent. He could not advise
the girl, and, though he was grieved to know that she
was suffering, he lacked words to express the great
depth of his sympathy. At length, in order to divert
her thoughts from her new trouble, he branched off,
relating all the incidents connected with tho Oak
Dale massacrf, their subsequent pursuit and encoun
ter with the savages, how Mortimer Qray was wound
ed and how he lay for several weeks disabled, being
unable to join the volunteers in their warfare against
the savages. Then he relate the incidents connected
with the affray in which George Watson had received
an arrow wound in the left arm, and how they had
subsequently caused the savages, except a small rem
nant, to yield up their arms and go on the reserva
tion. He told how they had searched for Watumni,
and how Hotiti, who had assured them that Watamni
was dead, had maintained ignorance as to tho fate of
the white captive. The narration was a lengthy one,
and it was late in the night when the throo sought
their beds if not to sleep, to think over the strange
events which had happened within tho space of a lit
tle more than two years.
" It's almost like a story," Mrs. KingHton said,
while the old trapper wondered what ho could do or
say that would make pretty Doss look and talk as sho
had looked and talked before hearing of tho unfaith
fulness of the man whom she had loved so tenderly.
Dess, from very exhaustion, soon Ml into a deep,
troubled sleep, in which she fancied sho hi Mabl
arrayed in her bridal robo of spotless white Hho
had never seen anything half so beautiful as Ma
bel; and oh, how happy, how joyous sho appeared!
What surprised the dreamer most, was tho unnatural
appearance of the bridegroom. Ho was handsoinn,
happy, and there was something familiar in hii fac-;
but it was not the face of Mortimer dray. Burpriwd
and bewildered, she looked about the room forM-rti-mer,
but he was nowhere to be seen. Hho iw tho
ceremony performed, the brido and groom rongratu
lated, when she awoke to find herself env 1"H
hot, clammy perspiration, and her t-mpl"- tl.ml.MriK
and aching fearfully. . .
It was late next morning when hi." ar..-, m..i,
ter making a hasty toilet, joined the old tl 1 14 r '
his wife at the breakfast table, Kho mui t" I
sent a very cheerful faco to her host aud bottom,
though it cost her a great effort to do so. Hut Penile
Watson was not the one to grieve over the inevitable,
if possible to avoid it; and sho tried hard enough to
banish Mortimer Gray from her heart, and to bo glad
that he was happy in a new lova. After breakfast,
she penned a neat little note to her brother, tho sum
and substance of which was as follows:
My 1kah Hiiotiikk:
You nmiit M faint with y, ih'u when you harn (lint
your alitor, w hum y ti liavn long immrnril m ilrat, it living,
nl w lilie lo mine to ymi at miro, 1'lnmi mmuI itilllriiMii luinU
to uy my rit)Mi to your Im'iio. KkiiipiiiImt tint I :lo li"t
want any mio it Oak Pain, vo Trapper I 'an an-t hi family, In
know that It liiw pli'iivl tho Almighty pMtmt nm from tho
fli'ii'lUli h.iv.ik''. I have iim h lay ( ymi, hut nil wilt
until I run nit hy ymr nil inl trll ymi nil. Al lrr your rl
ter to lUn Kingntmi, uml not to Your loving alitor,
Pm Vaion,
" Now Mr. Kingiton," said tho girl, as aha en
closed tho missive in an envelop and sealed it, " I
will got you to address this letter to my brother, ami
then you will oblige mo by putting it in tho oflloa
some timo to-day."
" I'll do it, Dosiio," the old trappor said, taking
tho pen in his great, rough hand, M but tho mail don't
go out agin for nigh onto a week. Li's sw, today's
Thursday-no, it 'II not go out agiu uutil next Wed
nesday moruiu'."
80 tho old fellow wrote th superscription on tha
letter, and then put it in tho imldn picket of hi grrat
overcoat, which hung againit the wall.
Scarcely had ho dono so, era a light rap wu heard
on th door, and in an iuitant Doaa had dart! Into
an adjoining room, almost draggiug old Uruuo aftor
h'r.
" My gracious! If it aiu't Miss Uan.UII!" Mrs.
Kingston exclaimed, as tho vUitir Piitured. " Tako a
seat, dar, and-dear m child! I bavtn't uotirad afore
how white you am You ain't alck, li you?"
"Oh, no, not sick," D-'M heard tha vliltorsay,
and ih fancied her voica was not so low and swet u
it was in tho days gono by, " though you know I liavs
not lu real well for a long tlmo put," tha girl avid
rd, with a ligh.
" Yea, I kuow; but I thought, Mo as yu u
g..in' to git married purty soon, you'd chwf op a bit,
an' in- bby git healthier. I'm powerful glad you'rs
P-iu' to g't s good mn, IJilk You couldn't V dona
Utter 'u to tako Mortimer."
No," MM answered; and thn, m if tag. to
clang tha convention, commenced talking about
)UifthinK
Mrs- Kingston wu astonish), a few minute lat.
,t, wh"n her yoangit boy approached MaUl, and,
liking hr straight in tha far, said: M A tuw and