Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-06-20

ment she was Tom Nesbit's Sweetheart"
and she knew that the uneducated but
handsome lumberman loved her with his
strong heart. But her father harbored an
aversion to him; it was an aversion Dor
dering on implacable hatred. He had
long frowncd at the growing intimacy be-
tween his daughter and Tom, and he had
limited that his company was not desirable
at his cabin. Hetty knew that he thought
much OF the very man who had lately left
his hearth-Ncd Winters; but she could
not love him. He was handsome, and to
some extent learned, but not agreeable.
lie could hate man for nothing; he could
forgive but not forget.
Hetty's admission that she loved Tom
Nesbit, was equivalent to a refusal of mar
riage in the eyes of Ned Winters.
He ground his teeth and clenched his
hands when he left the girls home and
sauntered toward the only inn that the
village contained
An hour later he returned to Hetty's
home and found the person he desired to
sec-her father, the old lumberman, Eben
Wade. Hetty retired to her room directly
over the apartment that contained the
hearth before which she left the two men
engaged in discussing the lumber market.
She sought her couch in the dark, as
had been her custom for years, and the
voices below grew into confused and I'M
ineligible murmur.
But all at once the mention of name
startled her from the doze into which she
was falling, and she listened intently with
her ear near the loose boards that formed
the floor. Yes; her father and Ned Win
tiers were talking about her lover.
atom Nesbit," she heard Ned say, as if
in answer to question from her father.
"Oh, he's built his last raft"
''His last raft What do you mean,
Nedl You know never liked him. His
ways don't suit old Eben Wade"
Hetty saw Winters glance inquiringly
toward her chamber; buther father voice
treasured him.
"Oh, Hetty's asleep, Ned! You needn't
be afraid to talk. She amt troubled with
waking spells; the crash of a lumber raft
d hardly waken her. What about Tom
Nesbit?'
"Why, the fever's took hold on i'm an
guess he's dead by this time" said Ned
Winters, with an expression of triumph
which he could not conceal. IL left him
day before yesterday, an he was as low as
he could be an live. He wouldn't admit
that he'd have to pull off, an wanted
doctor; but where's the use, Wade, of
sendin' doctor to dead manl He was
"a perfect skeleton when | left, an babe
him good bye forever"
''You left i'm day before yesterday, you
say? Where had you been!'
~ went down to draw my pay. l came
here about an hour ago. Oh, he's dead
nowm ~
A smile of satisfaction settled on Eben
Wade's face" =.
II said that Tom Nesbit was foolish to
hunt wolves alone up here, an now he's
paid for it, he said.
"Yes."
Every word of the above conversation
struck like dagger to Hetty Wade's
heart.
She arose and dressed herself in the
weird light of the winter moon that now
stole in the room. She put on pair OF
wolf-skin leggings, and fastened warm
hood about her face. Then she selected
some fever medicine from a quantity of
bottles that filed the only shelf in the un-
couth boudoir, and took pair of deli
cate but serviceable snow shoes from the
wall. A rifle and some ammunitioncom
pleted her equipment, and leaving the
house by means of a ladder that rested on
the snowy sill, she faced the wintry blast
Twelve miles away, in dreary valley,
not far from the ice-blocked kennebec,
stood the lonely cabin of Tom Nesbit.
wilderness of snow and spectral pines
blotted it from her sight, and the wind
warned her of the danger that lurked In
her way.
She was treading new path, but she
know where the cabin stood. Tom had
told her so often. -,
Resolutely she pushed on through the
long shadows of the cracking and signing
pines. The thought of the lie which Ned
Winters had breathed into her ears, and
of the terrible truth which she had over
heard, neryed her to the uttermost, and
the warnings of the winds was Undecided
Would she find him deadl All! would
she ever return to Cascoi
The first question troubled her; OF the
last she never thought.
Five, six, seven, eight miles OF that
SNOWY road were traversed in safety, when
a sound brought the daring girl to sud
den halt. -,
Over the long gray pathway which she
had travelled came the howl OF the gaunt
gray wolf!
Was the terror of Names forests on her
trail2 ~,
A chorus of bowls answered ner' 49,.
ooh heaven! let me reach him alive J.
she cried. casting an imploring glance to-
ward the cold stars, as she started forward
again. -. ou. h,t
thu wolves were on her track, and two
weary miles vet stretched between ner ana
her lover. She crossed the frozen kenne-
bec and Mt length saw a moving mass OF
darkness on the snow behind ner.
The wood wraiths were in sight 81
Nearer and nearer; but at last CRY Oh
ioy broke from her lips.
She saw the cabin in the lonely Vaiiey
and started forward with new speed
Down the sides of the knoll which she
had inst vacated dashed the lupine hordes,
and ri the very door Of the hut they
brought their noble quarry to bay;
she turned without cry but with COM
pressed lips. -, a;,c;uo
the rifle to her shoulder and the next mo-
ment the foremost wolf sank in the snow.
The others rushed upon him, and while
thcv fought for the carcass Hetty wade
threw herself against the door.
It Welded, and she found herself IN