Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-06-26

just as the ruffian's "vast and filthy hand'
has reached his assailant's throat, an i'm
mensity of reserved force on the part of
Dalgrish sends him rolling over on his
back, pinions him powerfully between
wrist and forearm, and so turns the tables
with mingled entirety and permanence.
"You needn't struggle, you devilm
presently roars Dalgrish. It's of no use.
I've good mind to choke the life out of
you before l get up. However, I'll give
you one other chance of being of. l
don't think you'll show much more fight,
now that you've found out who is the bet
ter of us two"
With this he springs nimbly to his feet,
his eye fixed, keenly watchful, on the fallen
man. 1t was correct prophecy. There
is no more fight shown-nothing further,
indeed, than the slow erection Of that
gaunt body, the picking up Of a red
bundle, and the skulking descent down
an adjacent hill-slope.
When fifty good yards lie between him
self and his late antagonist, Dalgrlsh turns
to look for Miss Martel. He seee mass
of whitish drapery glimmering close by
at the foot of a little rocky eminence. 1t
will not require severe penetration en- the
readers part to infer that this whitish
drapery is in some manner connected with
the object of his search. He believes at
first that she has tainted, but on drawing
near he makes the discovery that she has
merely resolved herself into the most
crouching attitude conceivable by wo-
man, and has buried her drooped head in
both hands.
Dalgrish makes rapid work Of placing
himself In a position very similar to her
own "Miss Martel," he murmurs, excit-
edly, Gillian" Then he stops Short
and colors "a little at his own boldness,
while she shows him an ashen-pale and
tear-stained face.
The next moment she has caught both
his hands in both hers.
"Oh, you dear, splendid, brave man
Don't think that I've been doing this all
the time; | only got down here and began
making a fool of yself when / was sure
it was over and you were not much hurt.
Are you much hurt?" she rattles on with
the incest kind of feminine logic, a sob
now and then breaking her pell-mell SEN
tences. at was all my fault. If l hadn't
said what l did say, that wretch would
never have behaved SO horribly"
Don't let us talk about the wretch"
Dalgrish answers. His palms are tingling
where her warm hands press against
them The tears she has shed because
of his danger made her, in her sympathetic
woman's weakness, divinely beautiful to
him.
"Have you forgiven me?" she questions
tremulously.
'Pshaw. what is there to forgive?
didn't think honestly l didn'tD that you
cared enough about me Toto"
"Well?"
"To mind much what became of me-
| he finishes, with lipSA close against her
ear, as though unwilling that even the
silence and solitude shall hear him.
| She lowers her face, where the color
makes rosiest riot; she tries to draw away
her hands, but he holds them firmly
Lillian" he whispers, Lillian Martel,
l have no right to tell you that love
! you"
Even with her face aflame as it is, she
| lifts it then. "HOw no rlght?" she fal
| terS.
mo right in worldly sense. For in a
worldly sense | am not your equal"
Not my equalm
He drops her hands abruptly and starts
| to his feet She rises also, an instant
later Silence. One of the distant cows
| lows melodiously; light wafture OF
scented breeze sets little sisterhood OF
| daisies just between them quivering in
every fragile cluster
Good heavensl" he apOstrOphizes
| ''you must know; everybody knows; i,
| has followed me like my own shadow ever
since it happened. Miss Heath must have
| told you"
| She shakes her head as though asking
| herself whether his late gladiatorial ac'
tions have had some melancholy mental
effect upon him. Il don't understand you
bit, Mr.. Dalgrish."
| He laughs oddly. "WiU you have plain
English? I'm as poor as church mouse
once had quite fortune, you know, bu,
| it's all gone now"
of bombshell to her. II am very sorry,''
| she presently comments with calmest com
| miseration.
Whereupon he gets bolder. "Of course
| for this reason, seem wholly without the
| right, Lillian" knowing to her side through
| the daisy punches while he speaks), "oi
saying that want you for wife You
are really beyond my reach. All your
| will believe that covet not you, darling
| but your fortune
"My fortune!" She opens upon him
| tllC WltuCSt Go VI dludLCuiCHl- w lO Ou
earth told you that had more than few
| hundreds year,"
He finds voice enough to answer, and no
| more than to answer:
Mrs. Heath"
He sees strange look cross her face at
this. Then she suddenly turns her back
upon him and walks away with head ben,
| groundward.
He does not follow her for some little
time, but remains with eyes fixed in one
straight-ahead stare, both hands tugging
industriously at his moustache. After a
while he moves toward the spot where she
| is now standing. He is very close to her
| before he speaks her name.
Lillian"
| She half turns He discovers that her
| face is set and hard
"Well." she responds, neither coldly
nor cordially.
II guess, though am not sure, that you
and l have both been thinking very much
the same thoughts"
No answer Presently he continues: "a
mean we have both been thinking tha
Mrs. Heath"
Here he pauses.
She faces him then, murmuring
quickly:
Well What about Mrs. Heath?r
''She is a good hater; that is all. d.
you agree with me?''
A rapid and bitter laugh leaves the girl:
| lipS ayes She hates mo hecauSe sh.