Eugene daily guard., July 21, 1906, Image 3

C.v,- ' HAMLIN GARLAND I
I " COPYRIGHT. 1005. BY HAMLIN GARLAND
tr 11
r.K XVll CU.STINCIOJ
f H u
3 mood sank n nrtie. "Don't
ulsjudfc'e nie. It s not so clear in my
jjnil as when i met you ui me i:oor.
fines help you know It does.
It extends a maj power; It makes
ki.r. iJective foK6ood, If good Is In
U"" -
him. I nas a rilncut'r wbeu I"0" net
. we stood lu a different relation
from that which we occupy uow. Isn't
Unit trui-' : ...
"Yes." sho slowly answered, "but It
Isn't because of your mine."
"What is it because of V"
It Is because you have been kind
md considerate of my brother."
He leaked disappointed. "Is that tili?
I hoped you liked me for mywlf."
I do-like you." she answered.
"Cau you not love nie'"
"Do not press me." She spoke sharp
ly, a lias'' f resentment in her eyes.
"I didn't intend to do so," he Jnmii:y
rpnlicd. "I feur 1 ve mime a nie '-s ot it.
ost t
have with nil the re t of my
H(e. But tins morning n n e un
covered Unit vein It seemed as though
I bad a chance to recover my place in
tie world. I've wasted ten years of
my life masquerading here and there,
but that Is finished. Since I saw you
lite began to be serious business with
me. You smile, but you know what I
mean, and If you would only give nie
time I would make you proud of me."
He paused and looked about him. The
mist seemed lightening, as if infiltrated
with a golden vapor. It was in motion
also, and far to the westward small
patches of blue sky showed momen
tarily. "It Is clearing." he said lu a
quiet voice, though his eyes were wet.
"Ilie west wind is setting lu."
The beauty of the girl as she faced
Mm there in the mist was shining, nil
conquering In Its pulse uud glow. "I
love you, and I want you to know it.
Borne time 'I will ask you to be my
wife."
You must not do thnt," she cried
out. "You will only lead up to disap
pointment. Don't you see how impos
sible It is? You are of the west, I am
. city dweller. I not fitted to help ,
you. My whole life nnd training have
been such that 1 nm totally unfitted for j
the life you would lead. 1'Iease do not
misread me. It is not a question of j
your wealth or your poverty. It's my j
own way of life, my own niiud. I j
don't want to hurt you, but I must tell
you that it is Impossible to think of :
quite impossible:" nnd she turned away i
toward the cabin, now half disclosed, j
The door was oiieti nnd Kelly and j
the two lads were ou the floor picking i
lit a small sack or ore. Mrs. Kelly
looked up at Ann. laughing, with tears ;
on her cheeks. "I don't believe It, not j
one word of It! A'Ait if it's true, Rob, j
I want you to keep it for us."
"Yes," said Kelly, "I've been of use
to you In finding it; now do you be of
use to me In keeping it."
"I will, Mattl" said Raymond, nnd
the two men shook hands on a new
compact. Both Matt nnd Norn were ;
too engrossed with their new found !
riches to observe the deep sadness of I
Raymond's face.
"Sow," said Kelly, "watch out for
Curnm. He'll bate us out of it if he
can. I depend on you to stand off the
lawyers and the gamblers."
"The mist Is rising," called Anu
from the doorway.
As she spoke a tremendous report I
arose from the obscurity where the fog
still clung.
"Now, what was that?" queried Matt,
M nil stood transfixed with surprise
and vague apprehension.
Another and duller report followed
one that shook the ground. Kellv rush- '
"I litx I
; Vu, nnd r want iou to know it."
"i thc door ! i ,t . .f
will-joa shnped cloud of smoke rise ma-
f i ni in
th,ti";'"'v alwve the mist, bulging Into
ttf I'lue nky nbove.
i Ui.-yve done it:" he called In a
fc ""'? ' , rt'e"c;ive tone that was al-
"What wits matr asked Ann
"Some crazy illvil under cover of the
nii una dynamited the Red Star shaft
Even
as they waited II stntl!lin
faint cries, the wind swept the hillside
Clear, and Kelly's fears were verified.
mist has dynamited the lied Star shaft
nouse aud mill lav scattero.1 n i.
dump, and toward It the whole cumn 1
seemed hastening.
uu. me miliuly jackiissos!" mutter-
e(l Kolly. "They've opened the Uoor to
the witches now. Come. Iloli. v
may be the next to suffer." ;
CHAPTER XVIH.
T
IITE blowing up of the Red star
mill and shaft house shook the
entire district with lis possibili
ties of further violence and nm.
cealed beneath Its dust and sm .he the
rich discovery In the Kelly mine. The
partners had time to calculate chan. es
mid plan for the buy lug lu of the prop
erty. The din of controversy was deafen
ing. The labor leaders disclaimed all
knowledge of the outrage and roundly
condemned it for the f ih'-'ily di'stni'.--tive
act It really was. Kelly matched
In among them like a grizzly bear and
stormed thunderously. "Yon are re
sponsible," he growled, "You sit here
and send out appeals to the world
while these hounds work their will.
Where was Monro and his reulat jrs'r"
"They can't be everywhere," ex
plained Carter. "No one supposed
Biicb a thing could happen lu the day
light." "Ye're all a set o' chicken heads.
Ye've created a power ye can't cantrol.
I give ye notice that If ye don't go
after the thieves that did this work
I'll organize n vigilance committee and
take charge of the whole gang of yez."
Ami he strode out of the room, leaving
the otncers of the unlou disgraced and
angry. He confessed to ltaynioud on
his return that it was a foolish action,
i "It was. Malt. You couldn't have
done a worse thing. A large number 1
ot these dago miner. i
I us their enemies, aud this will confirm
them. We might as well take steps to-
night to get our party of the third part '
In some sort of organization
All this excitement and worry aided
Raymond in tiding over the day, but
I when midnight came nnd the commit
tee had slipped away Into the night his
; Reuse of loss and u feeling of loneliness
took possession of him. Ann had an
; nounced her Intention to return to the
' Springs at the eud of the week, 'and,
' though she had vaguely promised to
; visit Hie peak ngnln, ltaymoud was not
: deceived.
"She's quite right," ho admitted to
I his better Judgment. "A mining camp
Is no place for her or for Nora. Since
the destruction of that mill it Is even
less desirable than before as a place
1 of residence."
i While ou his way to the bungalow
the following afternoon he met Munro
accompanying a stranger, a big, blond.
handsome fellow in a gray traveling
gut n,i soft hat. Ills face was plump
and his brown beard close clipped, and,
though he realized that he was more
or less lu durance, his eyes were smil
ing. Munro called out, "Rob, do you kuow
this chap?"
'I do not."
Munro turned to his prisoner. "I
thotiRlit you were lying."
: The stranger remained untroubled.
"I didn't say I knew Mr. Raymond. I
j merely said that I wanted you to take
' mo to htm. Mr. Raymond. I inn
Wavne reahody. an old time friend of
Miss Rupert. Will you please explain
to this knight of the hills that I am
! in nowise Interested In his strike?"
Raymond looked at him keenly. So
: tills 'was the eastern lover this fat,
i fair man. "I think I have heard of
you," he began slowly.
Louis' arrival relieved tV awkward
ness of tire tno:a.t:t. "V. '-' Mi'. 1'ea
i bodv. how did you get here?"
i ip!ibmlv eniiL'ht at the boy's hand. '
I "Well, well, Louis, I'm glad to see you. I
You saved my life. How Is Ann?'
....... ..... .. ..
Flno! You ought to see her work, j
She's brown as oak. Come on, I II tune
you to her. CJee, sne il be giao 10 see
vou
As Tenbody excused himself and
I made off, Munro, wltli a workl of
meaning In Ids voice, softly swore.
"Well, if I'd known that, I would have
killed hfm nnd laid hlin away under a
little rock. She turned me down flat
the other day, and It hurt It hurts I
worse now that I ve seen in ou h .
man, i reunj ooii ,vu ,
ner" . - . .. I
"Shes out oi our norm, u.i.,
plied Raymond, and a large pan o . ms
resentmeui oi ...u...v .
vanlsh.il witn tne Kuowieug
wns a fellow sufferer In despair
Munro went on
gravely: -sue mm
Why, I stopped
me going, sure mm. ....... .
driiiklng-just ns I toiu you i
.n.i i , nt off r a re My. iiy. mm
was a i-evere Job! She ri-l dust for
.1.1 r or two. but when Ihe q u-.'U of
heaven gave me my Jolt I sa.d, 'Wat
the good?' nnd slippe-i ini.i ii
ways. Think of us sUrtm.W ..
the parade ground In front of 'ihe
of the vi-ilnrs' wilh Int. nt to : 'i
old emit, and I-""' n: 6 ! "' I
I'M
,:.J
.it
. . V 1
r a-woodrrruot. TVuat a fall U
there, my brother:1 "
RayuioOj did not enjoy Munro's tone
and changed the subject. "What are
you going to do now?"
Muuro ceased to luugh. "I am going
to cinch this whole camp a little tight-
er from this on. I'm going to turn back
oerj- noliuniou miner. All you fellows
!: are friendly cau itj m wurVn-
j"i me sumo, j.ftt vour men mut nut
tuomselves ou record. 1
Raymond's faee settled Into stern
lines. "Jink, I don't want to be mixed
up In another man's tight. We are on
flood terms with our hands they're a
lot of cantankerous American citizens
anyway and can't be coerced. I wara
you not to monkey with our plant."
.vunro laughed, "in tivi!it shv. old
man - K as I
m concerned, but these
lagoes and Poles are getting watoh
CVOtl. liml tf tllill' ctllmno l.. ),..,. -It
ovvr somebody. You don't believe In
H" and my .-owhoya, but the time may
"' w''en you'll see that I'm about
the onlv mmmnn,i..r I- i.i.
"I see that now. Jack. That's whv
, I'm talking to
on a Hue of action tbut mvhwa war
wftl organized society. You had no
call to loin those wh- lin
Mackuy out of camp. It was none o j
,'ir iiuicrai uao notuiug to do with 1
the question of wage:
Muuro grinned.
"He was such nu
npe."
"Yes, hut It smrted you wron. Now,
I don't know who blew up the th:ift
h.ni-n. hut If ymi do your best plan is
tj out ihoe outlaws out uud turu them
Lack to the authorities."
I don't know a tlilug. Of course the
union had nothing to do with it. It
was done by a lew hotheads full of
peaches. These mine owners have got
to give up their ulne hour scheme.
We've got 'em dead to rights, for I
n,n it i .....
you Is, have your'num march up uud j
sign our rolls duuble quick."
"They can do as they please about
that. 1 will bring no pressure to bear
on them, but I'd like to ask you as a
friend not to make it any harder than
yon cau help fjr Kelly iV Haymond.
We've gut all wo can Mugger under
now, and the worst thing that can hap
'U to us is delay. We've opened our
vein, and we're g!ng to buy in our
mine Inside of &ix weeks if uothiug
prevents."
Haymond wallied on to his cabin
with a heavier heart than he had car
ried since he left Harnett's lume. Part
of this was due tj Munrxs warning,
but the larger part of It Strang from
his meeting with I'enbody. who was i
not at all the sort of citizen he had
pectod Ann's eastern lover to be. He
" ."ISl.Xl lllert I
cision, not an erratic Idler like liarnett.
and his air of quiet authority sprung
from a strong personality securely
placed In the world.
Louis came bad; to the cabin with a
sly smile on his face. "What fl t you
The ttvo men ahouh bunds,
think of Mr. Peabody? Darn him, he's
here to get Ann to go hack to New
York. I dou't go, I tell you that:"
"Maybe she won't go?"
'Tin' afl.ild she v,-!l!." the bov gloom
ily replied. "lie's g it some kind or a
'drag' on her. Ile a been trying to get
. . . ,,.
i!nvmon,r9 voice wns enlm as he ask
fi(jt " mil. IB IllO Uliaiu..0 ,
..Ijlwvi;r, ijt.'9 rieh too. Ann wants
ug bulu ,0 over t0 thc Kellys' to
dlnllpr j aou't want to go. Do your'
She's the captain," answered Ray
mond. . "I reckon we'd better spruce
up a bit."
"It makes me tired," the boy weut on.
"I wanted her to marry you, and then
we could all live out here."
t kal hmip lntor Ann knocked. Tfl
nt nonier
Ravmon(1 flung opcn the door. "We
nrp n nf hom( ..
Ann introduced Peabody. who stood
i. hcr ,, the t,, men B10ok
wh(, ,be mld to
iymond: "Can yon tnke care or Mr.
j.y for the night, and will you
dinner? You need have I
enmU. n
no more scruple, now thnt Woo Is
kM) UJ ,
,nWo Ann t,1(1I,i ,ne
two ne n wilh highly amused Interest.
PcalKKlv, cav. iis-nred and calmly tol-
erant. did the talking, while Raymond
lift ). a l"t! illicitly it seamed to
Ann. .
iriir.'iiiie
Xf iv Y"i-!:cr win most no
lo hi" consideration for Mrs.
,i i.i, !.,.,,...;( o-o-ytjdnit
n and vet he d!d not stir the
' . '' - "'. 1
nt I.'
nil
P"" cTOmOiiimtre T.i anil Was con-
Plcuously so here ou the mountain top.
reabody did not attempt to conceal
hl" lutimate relationship with Ann. and
ever'r ,,"" of hl volc wheu addressing
ner WM ,""ure t0 Raymond, who be-
B!1" "'lk Bt ,!,st lQ " ,lof,'"9e. 1-
UI""""B mmseu lo aire, ieny as uis
l"""'. leaving Ann free to listen uu-
"er eastern sunor. jue
fir I understood this mood lu Hon, and
It touched her.
As they all ro-entorod the bungalow
Pen body rubbed his hand together lu
delight, "liy Jove, this U something
like! This cliliuney carries mo back
to my hunting lodge lu the Maine
( woods." lie was In the midst of a
etory when a kuock at the door au-
( uouiufd a visitor.
( "Como lu!" sboutetl Iiayinond, and
t Munro entensl, entirely at his ease,
graceful, jocose, making no account of
the looks of surprise on the faces of
j Haymond and his guests.
I "Remain where you are!" he called.
The house Is entirely surrounded and
uo nonunion laborer will be allowed to
escape."
Haymond mechanically gave him a
chair, while Kelly iimbled curtly. Ann
, bowed ami said, ".!ood Evening, Cap
tain Monro."
Pen body alone snii'el. "Ah, you
!were my guide up the hill! My guard
jiM well as guide, I take it."
j "I'd rather have been your execu
tioner." I "For what reason?"
"Had I known ynu were coining to
get the queen of the peak your blood
had stained the heather.'
"(iood heavens, what an escape! Am
I quite safe uow 7" lie asked of Kelly.
This fooling over, they took seals,
uud the uomer.sution ran to the pros-
' pects of the camp, and Pea body, with
a ftv!:i;:' th:-.: K ":y v;ii ib in:m of
'richest experience, persuaded him to
tl?I1 M wonderful career
us 11 iiuiii-r oi Niu-ii I'm n u
liaymoud sat lu sllen "o. while Aim !
awoke to a delicious excitement in the
Eltuation. Hcfore her sat three very j
direct und forceful lovers reardiin;
each oilier like liters, Instinct with j
hate, yet masking It, pretending to
honor and good will while bitter Jeal
ousy raged beneath. She provoked
Munro to the most audacious sayings
merely to see I'eabody stare, and she
tlung nu appealing word at ltaymoud
now and again as if valuing Ills opin
ion above all others, though he made
but curt answers, returning to his fire,
mystified by her gayety and by her
subtlety of byplay. Muuro, so far from
being depressed by Teaboily's pres
ence, was carried quite beyond Ills
usual self, and his reckless compliments
hu(1 a k(,01 ei0 , ,he enj Vln rc
T"e" ""r ( "ia
dnclty.
Raymond's guests rose at Inst, nnd
Ann and I'eabody went away together.
This cut deeper than all else, and
Louis, who took a very pessimistic view
th" ' Yde affair, did not comfort
Liiii. .'.:.c'il go ! ..' i: v!:h him. I can
see that," he said. "And she'll want
me to go, too, but 1 won't."
Munro went away outwardly Jocular,
but inwardly sadder than he had ever
been In his life, for his love for Ann
was mingled with respect for her mind,
her character. Her culm and kindly at
titude toward hlin that night had been
a revelation to him.
Peabody on ills return found Ray
mond sitting alone by his lire.
Louis
was deep lu slumber.
"That man Muuro is nil interesting
fellow. What do you know about hlui ':
asked the lawyer.
"Not very much. He's rather secre
tive. He emtio here from Sylvanite, 1
believe."
"Ills Jokes about getting under my
ribs were u little grewsoine. He struck
me as Just about mediaeval enough to
do it under proper conditions. Tell me
nbout yourself. Ann has only praise
for you. 1 want to thank you most cor
dially for your kindness to her and to
the boy. He's much Improved less
nervous and more manly."
"I doubt if lie can be persuaded to
l"ve. lie told me tonight that he
'.VO ll'.i'l't go.-'
"Well, I'm :: I met you, Mr. Ray
mond. I shall feel easier about the boy
in case we do go east without him."
These cordial, , frank and iiianly
words struck uu Icy chill to Raymond's
heart. It was all over thou. She had
consented to go, and his life was laid
waste. lie rose unsteadily.
"You must be tired. Shall I show you
your liunkV" he asked.
"I believe I will turn In." responded
Teabody.
When the young miner returned to
bis sent beside the fire a big lump of
pnlu filled his tliront, and he owned a
boyish desire to (ling himself down on
i injf inu uvnt, v ill liiiifs iiin.ovi. uunu u
I the floor and sob, lie lost all shame of
his weakness at length nnd went out
Into the night to be alone Willi the
deepest grief of his life.
CHAPTER XIX.
AYMONI) did not see Ann at
breakfast next morning, hut
sent word by Louts that Im
portant work In the mine dc-
J tnlned him, and the girl was hurt by
the neglect It wa not a cheerful go-
i g nt t-,t, for Mrs. Kelly wns broken
i hearted and frnnhlv nesslmlstlc.
Voij'll never come back," she said
KMytJml.n for5Pt
0,
you ever lived In a log hut and Bwept
floors."
"Why, Nora, Pm only going to Valley
Springs. Maybe I'll come back, and
oon."
"You soy so, but you ore going fnr.
I have two eyes, and I enn see. You'vo
. broken Rob's heart too. I know why
i he Isn't here tills morning ho couldn't
t Lear to see you go, and no more can I."
I The tears came to Ann's eyes. Never
1 had such sincerity, such directness of
affection, touched her. "I'll come back.
1 1 proinipe you I'll cone back unless
'r '.. " p. to C'O !'ii.-Ji;;'to
folilt Taili!"" sTTouti'u' Kellv, who
baJ mWn-d the door. " hi-, sure
Mufe, slie cau.t kwp ,wu. lYye
friuk Louis Is going to leave the peak?
Not for Umg lu, ,, Jus, lHVU u,nhlg
nu wlK,u to exHH.t ,,,,.. somehow
Kelly's tone helped Aim as well as
Nora.
"I am not going back to New Y'ork
till spring."
"Let ine tell you something." Kelly
resumed, with ponderous eiTort at be
ing confidential. "Your Wall street
lawyer Is nil right. lie's a man of
substance, but Kid) Is going to sluice
a stream of gold out o' this hill that'll
make the lawyer chap look like a worn
dime."
They reached the Spring without ac
cident, and were greetth! as if they had
escaped from u robber's cave. Mrs.
Itarnett and her friends were all great
ly excitiil over the events of the high
country, which had been dlstortisl,
magnified by the shadows of the
clouds, till they were of the most mon
strous proportions. Munro was already
a bogy a sort of cowboy Napoleon
mid Ann laughed at the nuesilons hurl
ed at her head by the Itaruetts when
they found he had known and liked
the captain of the patrol.
"Not at nil." she replied. "I found
him very amusing. No, he was not
drunk, and I never saw any weapons
upon him. Mr. ltaynioud considers
him a dangerous force because of his
r.eal to serve the miners. Yes, it Is
true that Mr. T.'aymoiid is the leader of
the free- miners and that he and Mr.
Muuro an friends. Y'es, Kelly and
Raymond have made a strike, bitt they
are unable to get the men they need to
work their mine."
Harnett came home looking hard and
worn,
hn gr
itiite unlike bis tovhtl self, but
Jol Vim w nn! "I atn glnd I
to see y.n
hero. I want to know all j
s up there. Where is Tea- '
nlwiMliItiK
Mrs. Harnett replied: "Dre-sslnn for
dinner. Hurry, lion; you're late."
After he left them Ann remarked to
Mrs. Harnett. "He looks worried."
"lie is worried to death, lie Insists
on trying to be the head and front of
this citizens' commun e of safety. He's
chairman of It and is away all hours
of Ihe day and night. lo you know
the whole city Is patrolled?" j
"Patrolled: What for?" !
"So that the miners cannot coino i
rushing down hero some night and ;
burn us all up." I
This amused Ann. "How silly Why
should they do that?"
"I'.ecause we mine owners live here.
It is not 'a laughing matter to us.
Word has come to us through reliable
sources that your nice friend Muuro I
has planned a rnlfl, and every young
man In the town has been enrolled lu
the 'home guard." "
Ann laughed outright at this. ".lenn
nette, you people have bei u eating loo
much lobster salad and he creaiu.
You're nil suffering from iilz'.itm.ire.
There Isn't n word of truth In what
j you've been saying.
When Don euine down she continued 1
to mock, and all through dinner sho
perversely defended Muuro and listen- '
cd to Itaruett s boastings uf what they j
were going to do to open their mines
with entire lack of sympathy. i
"I don't pretend to comprehend what
you men cull business," she said, "but I
it seems lo me that rather than waste
minimis on a useless war I would ul-
low the miners a fe-v more cents pay
I just as a mutter of ei opomy.'
Hut it's the principle of the tiling.
We don't Intend lo be dictated lo by
these 'rod neckers.' They must come
to our terms. I've been deceived lu
Rob. He and Kelly are playing a two
fuced game wilh us."
"I beg your pardon, they me not!"
she hotly answered. "They lire doing
Just what you ought to do. They're
paying their men good wages and
treallng them properly."
Peabody put In a word. "If I might
venture. 1 don't know u thing alioiil It
except what Munro and Raymond told
me, but It seems to me Ann is right.
As I understand It, these chaps are con-
tcndlng that In making tins change
from three shifts of eight boms each
you shouldn't lay off a lot of men ami
put the rest ou two shifts of nine hours
each at eight hours' pay. Isn't that It
"Well, yes; but. you see, It's really a
new system altogether."
Hut lu the change you don't Intend
to accidentally pay ) cents or r0 cents
or whatever It may be for that extra
hour?"
"The pay for n day's wo-k will re
in" '.n as it is now."
Peabody smiled. "A nice :,!:.:..:..
Come, be flunk. You fellows linvo
i fixed up a new deal In which thc cards
go ngalnst the miners. They protest,
i R - - -
and now It is a matter of 'gun play, as
you say out here.
Mrs. Harnett looked relieved. "I
wish you'd talk him out of It, Wayne."
I'eabody, with a lawyer's pleasure,
went on with his nnnlysls. "Hut there's
a third party hero which Is of more In
terest to me than either you or the un
ionists, nnd that Is Raymond's party
of the third pnrt. They are standing
clear for the present, but If you crowd
them to the wall they'll take hold, anil
then, as Kelly said, 'you'll have a wild
cat by the mil.' I wish I could wait
ami see how you come out, hut I've got
a big enso on for the 10th and must be
In Washington.
The whole thing will lie settled In a
duy or two." declared Harnett. "When
wo go up there again it will bo with a
tbmisnnd men and fully armed "
That is a harsh arbitrament" ant 1
renoon,. w, i. . Kr". ." - -
... ,.mn IV ! Wnlllll flllvlsn VOU
most solemnity. "I would advise you ,
to settle this case out of court"
Ann interposed. "I think you both
tnke too serious n view of the whole ,
tiling. Mr. Raymond laughs over It." '
"Mr. Raymond wns probably trying
to kep you niiahirineil," answered I'en
body. "And no-.v that you are out of
It I ill Hit .V-'l '-;I t ,r cllher yJ
or Louis to return To'Tr"
Louis uttered Indignant outcry. "Oh.
ee here! I've got to go back. I'm help
ing Raymond."
"I guess he'll have to stagger along
without yon, Iuils." replied ltnrneit.
"You better not go Into this mlxup
again."
"I'll p back whenever I please."
The dinner was tlnNheil with a pleas
auter topic, and when the nun were
alone wilh their cigars Peiilsnly cure
li ssty remarked: "I'm going to take
Ann back with me if she'll go. I don't
j Mke the Idea of this youngster dragging
I 'it Into all this filthy turmoil. Why. 1
j found her living in a log cabin with an
I Irish family- nice people, hut no place
I for her."
"That's the singular part of it. Clio
seems to cn.loy It. She wrote .leannette
1 from up there pretly reguhirly, and she
out and out said slie ll!;id it. And sho
Is gay us a bird she's lost some of her
fat- 1 never saw her looking fitter."
l'ellhody mused. "Slie is changed. I
can't quite make out why or how. She
was like a schoolgirl for spirits last
night. Ho you suppose it's the high
allltlldo?"
"My dear chap. I suspect It Is a mau,
aud I fear it Is Muuro." said Harnett.
"1 hope iiuf, for her sake."
"I do, too. and for your sake: but I've
seen too many women go to pieces In
that way to feel any assurance. It
wouldn't have been so bad If she'd tak
en up wilh Raymond, for he Is a line
fellow aside from his present stand;
but there, again, he was too respeclful.
tin near h.r own type. It neeihsl n
wild devil like this cowboy captalu to
stir her lmagli'Htlon."
Peabody's cigar was broken between
his lingers, "lion, you scare me:"
Harnett, having fairly crushi'd his
friend, now tried to comfort him. "Ail
this may be a wrou iIiliis n N, and I
hope it is, but if 1 were you 1 would
go to her and use words that would
startle her, Sho needs (lie strung
band."
Peabody rose, all the quizzical Hues
of his face lost 111 a plexus of doubt
and hesitation.
Ann wondered at the change in Pen
body, but had uu chance to spenk to
him for some uiluiilcs, for it couple uf
young men were detailing their stern
plans for invading SUylown.
'Ihe large library was soon tilled
with people who had heard of Ann's
return from the peak, ami iho girl was .
profoundly amused to Hud herself tak
en for a fount of wisdom concerning;
the miners' war and their demands.
The feeling against the camp was sav
age, uud the men were loud lu denun
ciation of the governor of the state,
who had refused to order out the mili
tia. "He is as bad as Muuro, an ab
solute anarchist," declared one mini,,
whose strident voice dominated all thu
others.
line by one the guests dropped away,,
and nt last only the Hartuitts and Auu
aud Peabody were left in the library.
At a signal from Mrs. Harnett lion
sauntered out of the room as if on
some errand and forgot to return. X
few moments she, too. begged lo be ex
cused "for a moment" and was seen
no more.
Roth Ann and Peabody understood
these actions, but us he was intent ou
making nu appeal to her and slie knew
there was no escape from It they faced
each oilier wilh a tensity of einnllon
which seemed Impossible a moment
before.
Ann broke the silence. "How Indel
icate of them!"
"How considerate, say I, for I want
to talk with you," he hurried on. "I
want you lo go back wilh me, Ann, as
my wife. I can't go back alone. I
have missed you horribly. Hear girl,
answer me, are you ready to go?"
Ann rcmulmit silent, her mind run
ning over for Ihe huiidreillh lime the
advantages, the duties Involved, while
his plea proceeded, earnest ami manly,
but leaving her cold. It permitted her
lo calculate, to criticise, lie had much
to give her. He was a man of large
Income, of unquestioned power, and his
home was spacious. She Plied him.
,.(,s,,(.t,., i, , , , vt.ry highly, she nd-
j Illlm, hilUi bm
()mim w,ls ,t jUt faded
0R uf 1(r Hljuli Hllu Uupcd'-fiiluliy,
, f01)llslll.. ,pcd-fur u return of the
glow, the mystery, the Hooding, trans
forming power of a love that was inori
than respect, more than honor and ad
miration. Sho found herself saying: "I know,
Wayue, we seein suited to each other
all our friends woii'd say so but I'm
not so sure of It. It is silly lu me, bill
I :.::i s:ii' -v.-.r:. ! i-.:-e. I m'i
C1.1U liil' io U. 1 to 1 u.-
kMr B nchoolglri: I know what lunr-
rit,KC menus, unci unless I enn feel dif
ferently from Iho way I uo now i snnu
not marry."
"Have you met nny one else who
rouses tills other emotion?"
She tliihed. "I dou't know. I am
not sure."
He sank back In Ida chair, heavy and
Inert. The muscles of his check droop
ed, giving li I in the aspect of a man of
lifiy. "Hon't throw yourself away.
Ann, for flod'a sake, assert your com
mon sense! If you cannot come to my
home, don't waste your beauty, your
culture, on some savage. It hurts me
to see you out here living among these
sordid men"
She interrupted him. "Thoro Is au
other Inexpllcnblo tiling. Tills life has
I interested me. It has developed In ine
a rapacity for physlcul effort that I
didn't know I had. It will wn ab-
, ; , h rown , tove
, (o' 1(int Ko,ly , ,ke
, , ,,, MnU , ku le rulIe
, ...
and the 'liMiidmado stoves, as Matt
calls the fireplaces"
"And the tnll young miner?" Pea body
suddenly Interrupted to ask. nnd. lean
ing toward her, n Hash of Insight In
his eyes, "Or Is It the handsome, dare
devil Jti'iro?"
:n... Ti.i ".e.:d
O
o
o