THE ETQHNK DAILY GUARD. FRIDAY, JANUARY 81, 1008
fled launders
By
HENRY WALLACE PHILLIPS
viumm. PHILLIP t COMPANY
"
cl vii (Continued.) erttton to the distance. 'What part
W - ' do you Uke? I mean, what's your
on away and share of each animal? and does the
.fir, J? Di Mum I"t man get the hoofa and the tatir
'par hrie' T rf i. Oh, you doj't understand,' say he.
Vinjed Into the , .rll explain It to you.' So he atarta
fh In to tell me that "stock didn't neces-
...... .nniurh so that we
Ijjit kiw horse and mn'f UJenu cruiure auu a lot
LdHijenJ ol(1 e ,, tf more things, whilst old man Ferguson,
(v former resting " onfl wh0 was putting the deal through,
,yd en0Bb a , tho road stood llBtenlng and chewing bis teeth,
lite Utter sitting in tne thmkIng t was olnff to lve our frlen(j
rL.l any Intention Ui , .
KBUV"
I,,, be matter, Mr. Saunders,
I' n,iiiio fussy nost-
.iMrtrmi""
sneer volubility and fonnit i.. ,
gust that the method didn't work Ued ii ' wor8h,P- To ,nose eyes' lied
listened most respectfully and aiwnyg WR8 318t rlKht ln evory Pnrtlcular;
replied: "Yes, ma'am bot a; likewise to Miss Mattic, who even
want that paint. Get us anno now was-filling her eyes with him
paint-bully old paint with sttck'uiu ln
It. This atuff la Ilka whitewash, only
feebler. We're going to put on a
well front up at the mill, aud we've
ot to have the right thing." And at
last the poatmUtreaa said that she
wouW. her respect for the ex-cow
panther having rtoto noUoeaoly la the
meant tm
the frolicsome hee-hee at the wind
up. But I stood solemn nnd never
even drew n smile, for fenr of queer
ing Ferguson. Well, thnt's tho proper
i,i nii way to start n company make it as
Lt s W' m" dreary nud long winded ns possible.
&sn"', h t-Vm nerfectly We nl" ' (,one llmt' nntl Pcl'haps we'll
Tnu IV - rwn lrtiA rot I ireil 1.-1 ti ft flin .11 ah
1.1W ... hrtl. .
,, hurt," sue pcn.wn.-u,
go broke for breaking the rules, and
"Now. do tell us X'" ----- -- - .. J
Kn don't rnn pot pvotlitil nlinnt- II T
be tbe nia er Vi wnnte the Snumlers fnmlly to bo rep
resented. Tretty soon tho old lnd with
the nose will be around, and you'll
mil" returned the exns-
WUI' ..T .ltl 111"
toj-punener, - nnve n ct,ance to read about the 'par-
-..,m. nave oiiin-.v, ... - fh a f .,., nn,i iQrtnj,
L-iiid they're now lu n con- Qf the pnrty, nnJ .aforesalds. nlul .bp.
mite my aiif" hlndsnlds' nnd the rest of the ynppl
ta... tt nnt mnossible: . . .. 11
mm liitu... " - them liiM-yei-s swing so iliat honest
an so wa'' men wou.t know what t!l0 devli they're
;1 horse blanket. i up to."
BSKttable mac iue ..ohi wm. Il0w can j cvor t!mnk
-ibenostmlstress ivas receded
lls Wla."'-. T1'e .a"! ' inc. it seemed a great and responsible
BimJanaKeasmiKeuou, on tQ tho a )(j lje fl
dlaiitT, nian-eu uj u ..mi. ,..,.,
;(t leg. for he had come upon i . f- ..
jnnuii "-"""" , i thine: it was tho nrldp of nlnrn.
K inroufeu on ..if TOI. Hon't know Imw rlon't tir'
W f.,rnl! l three stockholders a good feed tomor-
over m ou""1"1-1' -
: followed bis owner. Ibere
::ht in bis eye now; he looked
M He. too, limped, imo
a trickle of blood down his
My it had been a hard
imea were anxious to see the
the land as soon as possible
:-t bis place In the wagon
b. jfter tbe damages were re-
sintent to wait nntil his leg
lsre for horseback riding.
Mowed a busy two weeks
k lir. Dernllt bad some money
kd to rut Into the enterprise,
Hst valuable assistance was.
xbls thorough knowledge of
its of the country.
M an ndralnible site for tbe
a old Btone barn which hud
irmps of desolation almost
fti. Hed'B inining experience
3 Hat tbe creek could easily
'ID tie barn, nnd as that was
: objection of the others- to
s:o they wrote tbe owner of
try for a price. They were'
;:;-J when they received the fis-
taucoaie by Inheritance to
whom it was a white elo-
f the most exasperating sort,1 Six feet ttraluhUn the air.
nsglad to get rid of it fa " ., , 1 '
'Mag. They were a jubilant 'u"7 ' "
new8. it saved the cost ,
ll"ll 1Ull.U. II 1J1UBL IUIVU E1UI11C jiiih:-
fiiwr .r-rr :j' jh ir..-y
CHAPTER VIII.
mHIC work on the mill wh paah
d, and la spite of the nssal
amount of unforeseen delays It
wai ready for buslneaa by the
latter part of September. The official
opening was sot for the 27th, Utsa
Mattle's birthday, and the village of
Fnlraeld was Invited to a picnic to
be held at the mill ln honor of the oc
casion. It is needless to say that the
Fairfield Strawboard Manufacturing
company did the thing up ln shape.
Wagons loaded with strow nud drawn
by four horse teams went tho rounds
of the village collecting the guests. It
is doubtful If Fairtleld was ever more
surprised thnn at the realisation of
how much there was of her, using the
pronoun out of respect to the majority,
"when she was bunched." as lted said.
You would not have believed that
struggling, lonesome looking place held
so many people. As lted could discov
er no means In the town's resources to
provide a meal for 300 people, it was
necessarily a. basket party, which
struck Mr. Saunders as being grievous
ly like a Swede treat. He made up
for it ln n measure by having barrels
of lemonade nnd cider on rnp nt the
grounds, stronger beverages being bar
red, and by hiring a quartet of strings
"clear from town."
At half past 2 on a resplendent but
hot September afternoon the caravan
started for the mill grounds, the wom
en dressed In the most unplenieky cos
tumes Imaginable, and tho men osten
tatiously at ease in their store clothes.
Every one wna In the best of spirits,
keen for the excitement and pleasure
that v.-as sure to mark the occasion.
lted rode old I'.uc'i'-.in, who had
succumbed to the iivnir ible and only
"Jumped nronnd a little," as lted put
It, on beliiir. mounted. It was pretty
lively "jumpinf; around," but perhaps
lir. Saunders found some satisfaction
In sitting perfectly at his ease, smok
ing his cigarette, while Buck jumped
and Fairfield admired. Aud, at any
rate, Buck had legs of Iron nnd the
wind of a locomotive, carrying Red all
day and willing to kick nt anything
which bothered him when night came.
He was a splendid beast through and
trough, from forelock t tall tip, but
J8 mill, rnd, Including that,
tasas low ner acn. ns u,uw "UBB L vo
1 mold have obtained Ite 1 uoa l,icl!nsscs lnftt coula not Dray
bargain Instantly e snme class with that little old
! !rt of the business was Sont-come In. Come in! You needn't
"mnge for the disposal of S"d atfnln," A
t. and when he explained ' Tb,,S ndJure1 the ,awrer madc h,s
" flat be could reason- "I"
i"o do In that line the affair d,le and lnTolved course of law a
. U""T otnnUliil.loi. In I.-lnl,l Blmw.
nor unreality and be- " "
P Proposition, for IrfttlS ' ""nnus i-uiiijiuujr.
eirelient buslneso ,m.,.nl I Fairfield rose to activity like a very
'to mild he giaj to deal with Bma" lant refreshed. Teams and
'iWorwnrd vonmr f,.n, i thelr heavy loads kept the respect-
:'-"!il after the Biirnii,., n. ' "ble dust In constant commotion. A
to Miss Mmtio: "We Rnst mill was added to the Intended
' ",r MockholiWti' ,ll,... nlnnt tlilia nlY.irlnir nn InrliKiomoiil- tf
T Slcht. Mattle. If vnn n..i.i tbp fnrmorto rnlsi. irrnln nn.l luplilpnt.
lc bul1' girl who wears ', n'ly strnw, "So we can ketch 'em on
, I, 0 00,110 In aud both ends, too," as lied put it.
ut. old you feel erual The time seemed like enchantment to
' I Miss Mattie. As n bringer of the tid-
'""S Wit it Unit T- I In n., o,l,l.l.l.. l ,!,
""'avor in ,, fcl r u. - . ...
h t ll mums, in, duo uau riseu 10 ue u persuii ui nntur-
L w . ..wrfec,1r well there's i tancc, with the result thnt she wna
1-btii 1'" r,,pllwl Miss even more modestly shy thnn before,
ii. t pHn mlle. "How-1 although ln her heart she liked It;
but more delightful yet was the spirit
of holiday activity which Inspired and
pervaded the place.
Red had InalBted on operating on
the lines that are laid down with rail
road spikes ln tbe western communi
ties to patronize home Industries as
much ns possible. Therefore the ma-
i Mi Tpraffc
' 1'cs,
from behind tbe vantage of a broad
brimmed straw hat
At last the whole party disembarked
at tbe flat before the mill and made
ready for the official starting of the
machinery. The big doors were thrown
open, so that the comiRiny could see
within while resting outside ln the
(bade, and under the cooling Influence
of what breeie there was. The mill
wm officially started. Red dlinbed
the bank to the flume and ralaod the
at. The crowd cheered M the Im
prisoned waters leaped to freedom
with a hollow roar, raising In pitch aa
the penstock filled and the wheel be
gan to go round. Speech was called
for, and the vigorously protecting Red
was forced to the front by bis former
friends, Demllt and Lettls. Thus be
trayed by those he trusted, Red made
the best of It.
"Ladles and gentlemen, fellow citi
zens," Bald he, "the mill Is now open
to all comers. We hope to make this
thing a success. We hope to see every
horny handed, hump hacked farmer ln
the country rosin the soles of his moc
casins and shove bis plow through
twice ns much ground as he ever did
before, nud If lie comes here with his
plunder we'll give bhu a stiuare shako.
We'll pay him ns much as we dast
and not let him In on tho ground floor,
so he can crawl out through the coal
hole, as Is sometimes done. Now, ev
erybody run away aud hnvo a good
time, for I don't Uke to tnlk this yappt
any more than you like to hear it.
Kola geus! By-by!"
It was a very successful picnic.
They spent the afternoon in wander,
lng around in the usual piculc fashion,
developing appetites, until it occurred
to Red to liven the performance by
showing them tho nrt of roping as
practiced upon an old cow found lu
the woods. As a spectacle It was a
failure. The combined efforts of all
the hooting small boys could not make
that cow run. She even stretched her
neck toward lietl, as though saying:
"Hurry up with your foolishness. I
have a cud to chew and can't stand
here idle all day." So Red golloped
by nnd threw- the noose over her head
as an exhibition of how the thing was
done rather than how It ought to be
done. ' Nevertheless picnic parties are
not hypercritical In the matter of
amusement, nnd the fent received
three encores. The last tlmc.be missed
his cast through overconfidence, where
at tho old cow tossed her head nnd tall
lu the nlr nud toro off nt an elephan
tine gallop, with n bawl that sounded
to Red mightily like derlslou.
"Dunied If she nln't laughing nt me!"
ho cried. But ns a matter of fact it
was n hornet and Its unmistakable
sting that injected tills activity Into
her system.
It was all very pleasant to Miss Mat
tie, as one's Hint picnic in many years
should be. She enjoyed the crisp green
nod, the great trees standing around,
purkllke, with the sunlight fulling be
tween their shade like brilliant tat
tera of cloth of gold, while from the
ner-r distance came the tiny slioiillug
of cool waters. They hud a camp tire
at night, making tho moonlight still
more mysterious and remote by con
trast. Tho quartet of strings played'
for tho ears of those who eareil to
listen and for the legs of those who
chose to take chances on tripping their
light fantastic toes over tree roots ln
the grass..
lted loved music, and he loved the
night. The poetic side of his memo
ries of watching the Dipper swing
around rolaris while he sung the cows
to sleep camo bnck. to htm. In his
mind ho snw tho vast prairie roll on to
Infinity, snw the mountains stand out,
n world of white peaks, rising from a
sea of darkness. Again he heard tho
plidntlvc shrilling of nn Indian whistle
or the song of the hid down- creek,
ma le tuneful by the charm of dis
tance. "Having a good time, Mnttlc?" he
asked, with a smile.
"The best I over had, Will." she on-
wered, smiling back unsteadily.
Toor lady! The size of nn occasion la
bo many standards, whether the stand- !
said.
It was well the barn was dark, or he
would have seen a change wonderful
to behold como over the ex-puncher's
face. "Tho lad hns hit It." he said
to himself In astonishment; aloud he
grunted "hunh" scornfully, and
aroused Clmselt for an unnecessary
Joke or two.
Miss Mottle had noticed tbe "attack
of stillness" and Immediately tried to
fasten the blame upon herself. What
; Bad she done? She couldn't recall
anything. 81m remembered she had
aid something about the way hta hair
looked with the moon shining on it
Perhaps he had taken offense at that
The remark waa entirely compliment
ary, but sometimes people are touchy
) about each things. Still, that waa not
the least lfke Cousin Will. 8 he must
' have said or done something, though.
iWhat could It be? Oh, what a pitiful
' memory that could not recollect an In
jury done to one's best friend! She
tossed and wondered over It for a
long time before at length she fell
asleep.
Red nlso looked up at the roof and
took account of Btock. Ills face was
radiant In tho dark. "If I could only
pull thnt off!" he thought. "I must
seem nn awful rough cuss to her,
though. All right for n cousin, but
It's different when you come to tho
other proposition. My Jlnilny! I'll
take a chance In tho morning and And
out, anyhow!" said he. nnd, cased ln
mind by tho decision of netton, ho too
shook hands with Morpheus nnd was
presently dreaming.
It had never occurred to Red Saun
ders thnt he was afrnld of anybody,
j IIo oven chuckled when he got Lettls
lont of the wny wltH a plausible ex
1 cuso the next morning. Then he
strode briskly into the house, lus ques
tlon on Ills Hps In a plump out nud out
form.
! Miss Mattle looked nt him with her
Blow smile. "What Is It?" she asked.
I Red swallowed his question whole.
"I I wanted a little hot water to
shave Willi." said be. Then a fury
took bold of him. "What the devil
am I lying like this for?" lie thought.
He exhorted himself to go on ami say
what he had to say like a man, but
the other Hod Saunders refused to do
anything of the sort. IIo took the cup
of hot water most abjectly and lied
from the house. lit; had to shavo
then, and lu his hurry 1 1 ltd Indignation
he turned the operation into u clinic.
"Oh, .Ilmlny, look at that!" he cried as
the razor opened up another part of
tho subject. "There's a silt an Inch
long! If I keep on nt this gait 1
won't have face enough to Bay good
j morning, let alono what I wnnt to
do. Whnt alls mo? What alls me?
as tnongh In Bearch of some one, ana
Red felt Intuitively thnt the one was
himself.
"Here's where I ought to act aOlf I
wore long pants." snld he. "Now,
what's to hinder me from going out
there od get a-talklng?" Aud then
ho sat down hastily, more disgusted
than ever, and amote the air with
his fist "Yon'd think the nicest quiet
est woman that ever lived waa a wild
beast the way I act; yes, sir, you
would!"
Meantime the chance drew nearer.
It wsa not a pleasant looking oppor
tunity. Iti eyes, full of dread and
dreadful, peeped out from beneath a
ma'am, but v-t: don't leant thnt
jol?it."
he had learned who wns his master
and obeyed him accordingly.
It wns n uve nine ritie. inosny nnaer ; ari )B ic.hes or feet or miles. Miss ;
the simile of line old trees. The road jiutu0'8 events had been measured 111 i
wound nround the hills; here nnd there hundredths of an inch, nntl it took u j
ii itit-tiu iu mi.- ... .....v.,. ...... ...... ; KOurl ninny or mem to cover so Binan
views of rolling country, well sua peel , actlon as a successful picnic ou a
f to thenar. "T
raw. .-7. ' n ram over
""disturbed."
and pleasing, winding up grassy slopes
ln groves of verdure. Of course most
of the freshness of leaf was past yet
the modest gray green gave a silvery
sheen to the laudsenpe that brought It
Into unity.
One member of the party felt that
beautiful night. Her eyes were hu
mid; her mouth smiled and drooped nt
the comers alternately. Red felt her
happbicss with a keen sympathy, and,
aa he looked at her, suddenly nho
changed ln his eyes. Just what the
difference was he could not have told,
I W-Tou'll Mt wl(n the
L"1 "holders"- The
It k, ,, '' " lwi"t a kin- chlnery orders went through Mr. Far
forth ' ,U'r ,1,,,mv"r- tlle blacksmith, initiating thnt
-rwn.1 ? f,"lr"le! lnstl-1 worthy man Into the mysteries of
""K n IntPOTnl n,-l.l J....... .1.1....
In utahwl ui ! uiimiiig money wiiuoui uoiii nu. tuiuii
within . fnct' " '"'nor: for it, which seemed little less than a
Tim, i, miracle to him. Everything that could
i. . .. UrWll rPtortr.il Tl.J I l, l.r,,,l, I I . ,.h.
lU tile n.m ., ,u.uuu imai
Wo ,J. tnined In that way. It cost a trifle
"'.' asked more, but it brought more money Into
the plnce and enabled the villagers to
as cood partake of the enlivenuient without
1!Tn- . -1-no.l OVes
-'SB .fr,!.i.. , ,
Tv. r
loq to no! 1 I'uimivc ui uie villi Kiiuit.-iii i iLii.1111
1-1 JW i? f m-r 8,"oli- ,ne feeling that It was a Ilarmecldo
Mattip
This Is a feast. The postmistress furnished tho
"Ill Tha .. ... . I . .
ftL cmn "-K-unrion paint nnd It Is painful to nua mat
"''rt ir.. -IF0"'' f ours, she tried to furnish a No. 3 paint for
'' "t y ""J ''i1 ' 8 No- 1 Price, arguing thnt she wns a
'K-iv '" "ht to !,.,.'
s BontonVJl noslnan uncharitable world nnd that tho
1 :x f the ft, 'f'Te , incronsed profit would do her consld-
w . 1 Hork " "weneo ; ernuie giod, n view vj hlch HeJ ilia not
tf,hlt dnrn ny: "e shnrc' "e would willingly have made
i 1 d to u 1 eT8r hor " Profit of the difference, but he
i, iboot ,. 0n 1 dlda't 1 dd not In the lenst Intend to 1
. k(i . .'OT. t rhoucAl iiit nt It I... min nf trnmflh
HO-"! 10 III.. ... - . .,. iV " " -
bis honrt was very full as ho looked at nor whether It was In her or ln him.
It That was Lettls. "Blast the old j a sudden access of feeling, undeflu
office!" he kept saying to himself. ablo, unplacenble, but strong, pos
"Blast Its Blx dingy windows and the ! sensed him. There Is a critical tern
clock at the end! Doesn't this look ; perature In the life of a man, when
good, and doesn't It smell good, dust 1 no amount of pressure enn ever mnke
nnd all?" and then he'd howl nt the the more expansive emotions assume
horses ln sheer exuberance of good the calmer form of friendship. There
feeling, making the mild old brutes was something lu MIsb Mattle's eye
put n better foot of It to the front. which had warmed Red to that de
Hod cantered up beside his wagon gree, but ho didn't know- It. lie only
"Well, Lettls." he snld, "here we go knew thnt he wanted to sit rather un
for the opening overture with the full necessarily close beside her, nud thnt
strength of the company we're great he would be sorry when It came time
people tills day, ain't we?" And the to go home. And be wns very silent,
big man smiled like a pleased big Imy. lnirlng the drive back to the bouse
"Oh, what a bully old fellow you he spoke In monosyllables; he went
nre!" thought lettls ns he looked at straight to the bnrn with Lettls nftcr
hlm. Lettls was thinking of other ward, anil made no attempt to tnke
qualities than Ib'sh, but the physical the usunl frank nnd hearty good night
Red Saunders on horseback was dc- kiss.
serving of a glance from anybody: the "You're as glum as an oyster!" snld
massive figure so well iolsed; the clear i.tn, when they reached their qnnr-
cut. proud profile; the shapely nean ters. "What's tbe matter, old man?"
Wr " them
M4J t bunch of
They had a very funny debate In pri
vate, wherein the feminine tried to
dominate tbe masculine principle by
with lt crown of red gold hnlr; the
easy grace of him by virtue of his
strength-it would I a remarkable
crowd In which Chanta Scechec Red
couldn't pass for a man. Hp was ev
ery Inch of that from the ground up.
Lettls had come to bow down to blm
In adoration, with all an afTiic
"1 don't know, t.et; I feel kind of
quiet roinehow."
"Kick? Or something go wrong?"
"No; nothing of the kind, it's Just
sort of nn attack gf stillness, but I
feel durn good."
Lettls laughed. "If It wasn't yon.
Red. I'd say you were ln love," be
j Why should I be senrt of tho nicest
i woman Ood ever built? Now, by nil
the Mormon gods. I'll post right Into
the house and say my little say ns
soon ns these cuts stop bleeding!"
Cobwebs stopped the cuts, and other
cobwebs stopped lted Saunders, late
of the C'hantn Seechee ranch, LC()
pounds of the very llnost bone nntl
muscle. And the cobwebs held Mm,
foaming and holllmr with rage and
disgust, calling himself all the yallcr
pups he could t'.ila!; of. but slaying
strictly within the safe linills of tho
barn. It was a revolution to tho big
man. and not a pleasant one. How
was he to know that the most salient
"point of his apparent cowardice; was
nothing less worthy than respect for
the woman's security? That If he
would stop swearing loinj enouh to
get at tho sprlnirs of his action be
would find that be hesitated because
the new light on the matter made huge
shadows of the slips In tho career of
a strong, lawless, untrained but sorely
tempted man? IIo knew nothing of
the sort, nud tho funniest of comedies
took plnce ln tho bnrn. He would
rench the sensible stage. "Pnh! All
foolishness! Go? Of course he'd go,
nud this very minute, nnd hnvo tho
thing done with, good or bad." lie
wns quite amused at his former con
duct until he reached the door; then
he'd skip nimbly !uck again, with n
hot feeling that somebody vns watch
ing him, although n careful Inspection
through the crack of the door revealed
no one.
Red discovered anoth'T tVv-; ('-nl
tftrniin. which was u.j. !th
nervous ,vuii aie the i.eire ncrtom you
get. He j.i'o.inc.1 l.i i -I-;'.-; t Ml.-eri:
"Oholio! Thin 1 should bate seen the
day when I was afraid to a..k anybody
anythiii,;! WVil's c.iuie o.er me any
how? I i'm this duiu country, 1 be
lieve. "1'n 1 ii 't me." Then he stopped
short. "What you Billing, Red?" ho
queried, "Why don't you own up like
a man?" Tho fact thnt It nnd a funny
side struck him, nnd be laughed half
forlornly nnd half lu thorough enjoy
ment. He suddenly soliered down. f
"She's worth It anyway," sal he.
"She's the I test there U, and I ought to
feel kind of leery of the outcome.
Well, now 1 guess I won't say any
thing till there's a downright good
chance. I see I didn't savvy this kind
of business like I thought I ' did.
'Twouldn't be no kind of manners to
step up to n lady nud shout, 'I'd like
to have you marry me if you feel you've
got the time!' That don't go no more
than n Chinaman on roller skates.
Your work is good, Red, but It's a lit
tle lumpy In spots. Them two left feet
Isither you. You're good ln your place,
but you'd lioftor build a fence around
the place, d n the luck! Smothern
tlon! I think she likes m. all right
but when It conies to more'n that
oh, blast It, I'll just have to wnlt for
a rpiil g'Ksl chance! Now come, old
man. get four feet on the ground and
don't roll your eyes. Take It easy till
the chanie comes." I
Little be knew the chance wns com
ing up the street nt that moment. IIo
cmly saw Miss Mattle step out Into the
bed of flwwora. her face looking un
usually pretty nnd youthful under the
big straw lint aud start to reduce the
weed to order. She glanced around
She glanced around ns thowjh In search
of vome one.
brush of matted hnlr. A tough, ropy
foam hung from its mouth. If you
put as much of that foam as would
go on the point of n pin lu an open
cut, you would have nn end that your
worst enemy woultl shudder at, for
this was the most horrifying of dan
gerous animals a mail do,:;! l'oor
brute! As he came shambling down
the road he was the grisly mask of
tragedy.
It was near noon, Intensely hot, nnd
tho street bf l-'alrlleld was deserted.
No one saw tho dog. ami If his occa
sional rattling, strangling howl reach
ed any cars they were dead to Its
meaning.. IIo was unheeded until ho
lurched through the gate which Let
tls had left open, ns usunl, nnd. spin
ning nround lu n circle, guvo voice to
his cry.
j It brought Miss Mnttle to her feet
in an unknown terror; It brought lted
! from the barn ln a full cognizance
' he had hoard that sound before when
n mnd coyoto landed In n cnbhi full of
fairly strong nerved cowmen and set
them Bcrcochlng like hysterical wom
en before a cli.iiice shot ended him.
Red saw the brute Jump toward
Miss Mattle. Irt.-tlnotlvoly his hand
flew lo his hip, nnd Instantly he re
membered there was nothing there.
Then with great, uneven leaps he
sprang forward. "Keep your hands
up. Mattle. and don't move!" ho
screamed. "Let blm chew the dress!
Kor dud's s.'ike, don't move!"
She turned her white face toward
his. and through the dimness r.f sight
from his straining efforts, he saw her
try to smile as she obeyed him to tlle
letter, aud without a sound.. "(Hi,
bravo girl!" he thought and threw the
ground behind him desperately.
At twenty feet distance he dove like
n base runner, nnd bis bnnds closed
around the dog's neck. Over they
wont with the shock of the onset, nnd
before they were still the hands nnd
finished their work. A clutch, nnd a
, snap, and It was done.
1 The dog lay quivering. Red rose to
' bis knees, wondering at the humming
i In his bead. Ills wlls came back to
- blm sharply.
I "Hid bo bite yon, Mattle?" he cried.
Rut she had nlready caught his hands
and was looking at them with n Bav
nge eagerness one would not have be
lieved to bo in her.
"There Is no im'rk," she said. nid
lenly weak. "He didn't touch yoc?"
"Answer me when I speak to you I"
shouted Red, beside himself. "Old be
blto you?"
She nnswered him, with a sob, "No."
And then his question asked Itself,
nnd answered Itself, although, again,
he did not know It. Ho gathered her
up In his amis, kissed her llko one
rained from the dead and swore and
prayed and thanked Ood all In the
same breath.
Ills old Imperious nature came back
with tho relief. "Here!" said he, put
ting her away for a moment. "Tnke
off thnt dress that sllmo on there's
enough to kill a hundred men tnke It
right off."
Miss Mattle started blindly to obey,
then stopped. "Not hero. Will I'll go
In the bouse," alio said.
"You'll tnke It off right hero nnd
now," snld Red, "and I'll burn It up
on the spot. I'd ruther have forty rat
tlesnakes nround than Hint stuff. Off
with It! Tills Is no child's play, and
I don't care n d n what tho old lady
nest door thinks."
Miss Maltle slipped off her outer
skirt and stood a second, confused and
dainty. She took lllght to the house,
running ns lllbe'y as a greyhound.
"By Jingo!" said Red In udinlrutlon.
"l,ct'B see you bring another woman
that can run like that!"
II" gathered porno hay nnd piled It
On the dress, llrltig tho heap.
Then ho turned to his nntngonlst.
"Poor old boy! Hard luck, oh? Hut I
had to do It," he snld nnd pave him de
cent Interment nt the end of the gar
den, washed his bands carefully nnd
went Into the bouse on plensnuter
duties. O
O
'Til ask her now, by tho great hora
spoon!" snld he vnl-gntly.
Miss Mattle was Tn u curious stato
of mind. There was an after effect
from th fright which made her trein
ie, mid a rcinemltraiu'e of Cousin
Will's nctOns which made hor tremblo
more yet. When she heard blm com
ing she started to tly, nlthough now.
clothed beyond reproach, but hor knee
deserted ber, and she wna forced to
sink bnck In her chair. Rod came la
wh-istlliig blithely, vainglorious manl
Ho bad his suspicions, generated by
the peculiar fervor Mlsa Mattle bad
shown In regard to bis bands.
"Mattle," quoth he, "I'm tired of liv
ing oat there In the bnrn. I want a
respectable bouse of my own."
"Tea, Will," replied Miss Mattle, as
tonished that he should chooso such a
abject at such a time.
"Tea," he continued, "and I wunt a
wtfe too. You often said you'd like
to do something for mo, Mnttlo. Sup
pose you take tho Job?"
How much of glancing nt n thing ln
one's mind ns a beautiful Improbabil
ity will over mnke such n cold fact
less astonishing? Miss Mnttlo eyed
him with eyes thnt nnw not Speech
wns stricken from hor.
Red cnught fright. IIo spring for
ward nnd took her hand. "Couldn't
you do It, Mattle?" said he. There,
wns u world of pleading lu tho tone.
Miss Mnttlo looked up. her own hon
est self. All the little feminine shrink- .
lugs left her immediately.
"Ah, but I could. Will!" she said.
Lettls came up on the stoop unheard,
lie stopped, then gingerly turned nud
mndo his wuy buck ou tiptoe, holding
his nrms llko w-tngs.
"Well, by (ieorge!" bo murmured.
"I'll come back in a llttio whilo, when
I'll lie more welcome."
Ho spoke to Red ln strong repronch
thnt night ln the barn. "You never
told mo n word, you old slnuer!" said;
he.
"Tell you tho honest truth, Let." re
plied Red earnestly, looking up from
drawing off a boot, "I didn't know It
myself till you told me about It."
They talked It all over a long time
before blowing out the light, but then
the llttio window shut Its bright eye,
nnd the only life the midnight stam
saw in Fairfield was Miss Mattle, her ,
elbow on the casement, looking far,
far out Into the tranquil night nnd
thinking mistily,
j the F.sn.
Notice of l'lnnl Seltlenicllt.
: Estate of Wllinm A. Marshall, de
ceased. Notice Is hereby given that N. S.
Marshall, ndinlnlstrator of the es
tate of William A. Marshall, deceas
led, has filed his account for final Bet-,
itlemeutof the snld estnte, nnd Mon
!dny, tho 10th day of I'Y'hrunry, 1908,
I at It) o'clock In the forenoon of
1 said day, ut tho county court room nt
j tho court house ln Kugene, Lnno
I county, Oregon, hns been set by the
I Honorable (1. R. Clirlsnian, county
IjuiUe of said county, to hear objec-
tions to the same.
I Dated this 27th day of December,
! A. U. 1 107.
I N. S. MARSHALL,
Administrator.
3KSSK C. WKLI.S,
Attorney for said eslalu.
NOiJICK TO ('RClHTOltH.
Notice Is hci-fliy givjn that Mnry
Kllabeth Heller hns been appointed
executrix of the estnte of Philip llel
er, deceased, by tho County Court of
Lnno county, Oregon, this the 2nd
day of .liinunry, l'JOS, and all per
sona having claims against said es
tate ut'o hereby notified to present
tho same tu said Kxecutiix duly veri
fied us by law required at the office
of I. N. Ilnrbaugh, situated in Room
5 over tho First National Hank In tho
City of lOugene, Lane county, Oro
gon, within six months from the duto
of this notice.
Dated this 3rd day of .liinunry,
l'JOS.
M AltY KLIZAIiKTH 1 1 KLLKIl
Executrix. :
1. X. llarhiiugh, j
Attorney for Estnto.
Not ice to Creditors.
Notice Is hereby given that the un
dersigned has been appointed admin
istrator of 111" estate of Oweixda Pc-
pion, dece;"ied, by the county court
of Lane county, Oregon. All persons
having cl-ilms agulnst said estate will
! present, tho same, with vouchers
Iherefor, to the administrator at tho
law office of Williams & lleun In tho
McClung Building, Eugene, Oregon,
within six months from tho (late of
tho first publication of this notice.
! Dated this 3d dav of January.
1808.
L, E. BEAX,
Administrator, i
pADA!n7DEAN'r
'1 n.i Pills.
I;
9
A t'ATK, OK HTA IU ItR- I
i.irr roii niimhwiKD 1
j H.M Muri'l Hi.('()v! HiiUnrnclLm (iUHi
ntn-"i r Mnwy lWun1'il, f'iit r
tjwld rorSl.m ht box. VilliK-fnJ thi'iit
'4 trhil, lo tx jmlii for wliiiri rHllofil.
, (.-'.iiiii'li't Krir. InxIM on Kottlliff tho
4 if-enulnt', nrrcpt no PMioBtltiit!, If your
n lrinrint do- not tmyu Litem wnd Tour
A onl'-iM to tiiu
A MirkO mui CO., lot 74, lincimr,
Pi. n
jfii in Lugene bv W. i Delano
Aejnortsa Cat RiaHttroublgi.
For Sale 9 Chambers llardwure Co.
and Uerger-llean Hardware Co.