Omaha daily bee., 1874-05-02

$50 ores Is about as light here rs
on the Ridge. Well, 1 reckon
they'll come up before the rains.
Good night" Mr.. McClosky took
the hand that his host mechanic
ally extended, shook it gravely, and
was gone.
When Mr.. McClosky, a week
later, stepped again upon his own
veranda, he saw through the French
window the figure of q man in his
parlor. Under his hOspitable roof
the sight was not unusual, but for
an instant a subtitle sense of disap-
pointment thrilled him. When he
saw it was not the face of Ashe
turned toward him he was relieved,
but when he saw the tawny beard
and quick passionate eyes of Henry
Rancho he felt a new sense of APP
prehension, so that he fell to rub
bling his beard almost upon his very
threshold.
Jenny ran into the hall, and
seized her father with a little cry of
Joy. "Father," said Jenny, in a
hurried whisper, don't mind him
indicating Rance with a toss OF her
yellow braids-"he's going soon,
and I think, father, I've done him
wrong. But it's all over with John
and me now; read that note, and
see how he insulted me-" Her lip
quivered, but she went on ats
Ridgeway that he means, father,
and l believe it was his hand struck
Ridgeway down, or that he knows
who did. But hush now; not a
word"
She gave him a feverish kiss, and
glided back into the parlor, leaving
Mr.. McClosky perplexed and irresO-
Lutte with the note in his hand. He
glanced at it hurriedly and saw
that it was couched i'm almost the
very words he had suggested. But
a sudden apprehensive recollection
came over him; he listened, and
with an exclamation of dismay he
seized his hat and ran out of the
house. But too late; at the same
moment a quick, nervous foOtstep
was heard upon the veranda, the
French window few open, and with
a light laugh of greeting, Ridgeway
stepped into the room.
Jenny's finer ear first caught the
step, Jenny's swifter feelings had
sounded the depths of hope, of joy,
of despair, before he entered the
room. Jenny's pale face was the
only one that met his, self-possessed
and self-reliant, when he stood be-
fore them. An angry flush suffused
even the pink roots of RANGES
beard as he rose to his feet; al ON
inous fire sprang into Ridgeway's
eyes, and a spasm of hate and scorn
passed over the lower part of his
face and left the mouth and jaw
immobile and rigid.
Yet he was first to speak. ~ owe
you an apology" he said to Jenny,
with q suave scorn that brought the
indignant blood back to her cheek,
'tfor this intrusion, but l ask no
pardon for withdrawing from the
only spot where that man dare con-
front me with safety"
With an exclamation of rage,
Rance sprang toward him. But as
quickly Jenny stood between them,
erect and menacing. "There must
be no quarrel here" she said to
Rance. awhile l protect your right
as my guest, don't oblige me to re-
mind you of mine as your hostess"
She turned with a half-deprecatory
air to Ridgeway, but he was gone.
So was her father. Only Rance re-
manned, with a look of ill-concealed
triumph on his face.
Without looking at him she passed
toward the door. When she reached
it she turned. "YOu asked me a
question an hour ago. Come to me
in the garden at nine O'Clock to-
night, and 1 will answer you. But
promise first to keep away from Mr..
Dent; give me your word not to
seek him-to avoid him if he seeks
you. Do you promise? 1t Is well.
He would have taken hsr hand,
but she waved him away. In an
other moment he heard the swift
rustic of her dress in the hall, the
sound of her feet upon the stair, the
sharp closing of her bedroom door,
and all was quiet.
And even this quietly the day
wore away and the night rose slow
ly from the valley and overshawed
the mountains with purple wings
that famed the still air into a
breeze, until the moon followed it
and lulled everything to rest as with
the laying on of white and benedic-
tory hands. 1t was a lovely night,
but Henry Rance, waiting i'm
patiently beneath a sycamore
at the foot of the garden,
saw no beauty in earth or
air or sky. A thousand suspicious
common to ajealOus nature, a vague
superstition of the spot, filed his
mind with distrust and doubt. "If
this should be a trick to keep my
hands off that ~insolent pup" he
muttered, but even as the thought
passed his tonge, a white figure slid
from the shrubbery near the house,
glided along the line of picket fence,
and then stopped, midway, notion
less in the moonlight.
1t was she. But he scarcely re-
cognized her In the white drapery
that covered her head, and should
ers and breast. He approached her
with a hurried whisper. "Let us
withdraw from the moonlight. Ev-
erybody can see us here"
ITO BE CONTINUED