The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-04-30

sugRtSlou OF CtsOlyaity 10 tne WOmdl
whom he admitted to himself he loved
But, like mos, poets, he was much NOR,
true to an idea than fact, and, having ,
very lofty conception of wcmsnhoOd
with q very sanguine nature, he saw i,
each new face the possibilities of s
realization of his ideal. 1t was, perhaps
an unfortunate thing for the women
Pa. 'cularly as he brought to eA-h trial 9
Surprising freshness which was very de-
ceptive, aud quite distinct from the btdzt
familiarity Oh the man of gallantry. II
was this perennial virginity of the affac-
tons that most endeared him to the best
woman, who were prone to exercise to-
wari him chiyalrous protection-as OF
one likely to go astray unless looked after
and INDUCED in the dangerous COM
binaiion of sentiment with the highest
maternal instincts. 1t was this quality
which caused Jenny to recognize In him
certain DO, ishnees that required her
womsniy care, and even induced her TO
offer to accompany him to the cross
roads when the time of his departure ar
rived. With her superior knowledgaOi
wOOdraf. and the locality she would have
kept him from being lost. | wot not
but that she would have protected hi IN
from bears or wolves, but chiefly, l
think, from the feline Vaccinations OF
Name Robinson and Lucy Rance, who
might be lying in wait for this tender
young poet. Nor did she cease to be
thankful that Providence had, SO TO
speak, delivered him as trust into her
hands.
l. WAS lovely night. The moon
swung low and labguished softly Ga the
snowy ridge beyond. Tnere were
quaint odors in the still air, and astrange
incense from The woods reriumed their
Young blood and seemed 10 swoOn in
their pulses. Small wonder that they
fingered on the road, that their feet
climbed unwillingiy TIE hill where they
were TO part, ami that when they at last
reached It, ever the ssvinG grace OF
speech seemed to have fors4ken them.
For there they stood aloue. There
was no sound nor motion il earth or
woods, or heaven. They might have
been the one nga and woman Tor whom
this goodiy earth that lay at their feet,
trimmed with the deepest azure, was Gre
ated. And seeing this they turned to-
ward each other with suddea instinct,
and their hands met, and then their lips,
in one long kiss.
And then out OF the mysterious Gis>
lance came the sound OF voice and the
sharp CHATTER of hoofs and wheels, and
Jenny slid AWAY white moOnbeam--
from the hill. For a moment she glim-
mered through the trees, and then, reach.
ing the house, passed her sleeping father
on the yeranda, and, darting into her
bedroom, locked the door. threw open
the window, and falling on her knees
beside il, leaned her hot cheeks upon her
hands and listened. In few moments
she was rewarded by the sharp clatter OF
hoofs on the stony road, but it was only
a horseman, whose dark figure was
swiftly lost in the shadows of the lower
road. At another time she might have
recognized the man, but her eyes and
ears were now all intent on something
else, II came presently with dancing
lights, a musical rattle of harness, a cad
ence of hoof beats. that set her heart to
beating in unison, and was gone. A
sudden sense of loneliness came over her
and tears gathered in her sweet eyes.
She arose and looked around her.
There was the little bed, the dressing
table, the roses that she had worn last
night, still fresh and blooming in the lit.
tie vase Everything was there, but
everything looked strange; the roses
should have been withered, tor the party
seemed so long ago; she could hardly re.
member when sine had worn this dress
that Law upon the chair. So she came
back 10 the window and sank down be-
side it, with her cheek, a trific paler,
leaning on her hand and her long braids
reaching the iloo'. The stsrs paled slow
~, like her cheek; yet with ner eyes she
saw not; she still looked from her win
dow for the coming dawn.
1t came, with violet deepening into
purple, with purple flushing into rose,
with rose shining into silver and glow
ing into gold, The struggling line o
black plcket-fence below, that had faded
away with the stars, came back with the
sun. What was that object moving by
the fence? Jenny raised her head ant
looked in,en,ly. IL was man endea-
yoring to climb tie pickets, and falling
backward with each attempt. Sudden
ly she started TO her feet, as if the tn,
rosy fiushes CT the dawn had crimsoneC
her from forehead to shoulders, then sh
stood. white as the wall, with her hand
elasped upon her bosom. Then, with
single bound she reached the door, an,
with flying braids and fiuttering skirt
sprang down the stairs and out in til
garden walk. When within few fee
of the fence she uttered a cry-the frs
she had giyen-the cry of mother owe
her stricken babe, of tigress over he
mangled cub, and in another momen
she had leaped the fence and knelt be
side Ridgeway. with his fainting hea
upon her breast.
My boy-my poor, POOR boy! VIII
has done this?"
Who, indeed? His clothes were GOV
cred with dust, his waistcoat was tor
open; and his handkerchief, wet wit
the blood it could not staunch, fell fror
a cruel stab beneath his shoulder.
"Ridgewayl-my poor boy-tell ne
what has happened"
Ridgeway slowly opened his htav
blueveined lids, and gsZed upon her
Presently CLEAN of mischief came int
his dark eyes, a smile stole over his lip
as lie whispered slowly.
"It-wss--your kiss-did it-Jenny
dear! | hal iOrgotten-how high price
the article was here. Never mind
Jennyp'-he l-ebly raised her hand t
his white lips-''it was-worth it," an
tainted away.
Jenny started 10 her feet and locke
wildly around her. Then, with sud
den resolu ion, she stopped over the in
sensible ma i, and. with one strong ef
fort, lifted him in her arms as if he ha
been child. When her father. a mo
ment later, rubbed his eyes and awok
from his sleep upon the veranda, it wa
to see goddess erect and triumphant
striGilg toward the house, with the helT
less body of a man lying across tina
breas. where man had never lain befor
"a goddess at whose imperious mandat
| he arose and cast open the doors befor
her. And then when she had laid he
unconscious burden on the sofa, the goo
| dess fed, and a woman, helpless an
trembling, stood before him. A woms
that cried out that she had "killed him
that she was wicked! wickedw an
that, even saying so, staggered and fel
beside her late burden. And all tina
Mr.. hClosky could do was TO feebl
rub his beard, and say to himself, vague
" and incoherently, that Jenny ba
fetched him."
CHAPTER II.
Before noon the next day 1t was gen
erally believed drought Four Forks th;
Ridgeway Bent had been attacked an
wounded at Chemisal Ridge by high
wayman, who fed on the approach {
the Wingdam coach. 1t ia TO be pres
umed that this statement met wit
Ridgeway's approval, as he did not coz