New Orleans Republican., 1877-01-14

drew him to her, and his resolution was
gone to the winds.
Then the weeks sped by again, only too
quickly. Margaret thought of him,
dreamed Of him, lived her very life in his
life, and felt that before she had existed,
but now she lived indeed.
He came often to the black cottage with
its wreathing rosebush, and fingered long
within it; and the gossips OF Last Chance
diggings laughed or sneered, as they were
good or ill-natured.
As for Gomez, he smoked his cigarettes
still where he could see into the kitchen,
and looked upon Ralph Cranbourne with
an intense hatred burning in his deep set
eyes; but Gomez kept his own counsel,
and perhaps thought his day would come.
Cranbourne lavished upon Margaret all
the loving epithets, all the winning, ten
der ways of which he was master; and
she, who had lived all her life in country
towns of which Last Chance Diggings
was fair specimen, who had seen honest
miners by the hundred and vulgar-refned
men by the score, whose lovers had been
too devoted and too familiar, was en-
thralled; she did not think, or care to
think, how many times the poor play had
been rehearsed before. She felt a vague
wonder sometimes, when he would speak
of their marriage, but she never distrusted
him; she was sure that it was all right; he
knew best; she would not even allow her
heart to ask "why?"
But there came a day-it was barely
three months since their first meeting
when Margaret's unquestioning faith was
rudely broken. He told her O pitiful
story, perhaps true, perhaps false, of
heartless wife to whom he was tied; he
promised to claim her as soon as he
should be free, and whispered, "Trust
me, my pearl. Can you not trust me?"
Her love was SO thoroughly trusting, so
generous, so self-forgetting, and-who
shall say it was she WHO fell?
But as weeks went by the bloom paled
on her rounded cheeks, the eyelids we're
heavy and dropping, the clear eyes dim
with the shedding OF too many tears the
gossips looked at her and whispered that
Margaret Lily didn't seem to be SO ter
ribly happy with that air new lover Of
bern.
To Margaret it seemed that she was
living all her years in the hush before the
storm. ''If he had but gone away and
left me with my dream"
| Again the vigilance committee gathered
its forces, and again Ralph Cranbourne
came to say ''good-by" the night before
they started.
But Margaret was bitter-she who had
never been bitter in her life and he said,
as he held her limp hand in his at the
gate, "You would not care if you never
saw me again, would you, darling2"
81 wish never had seen you, she said,
snatching her hand away and covering
her face.
He caressed her, soothed her, Gained
away the present sense Of trouble; for she
loved him, woman like, not less but more
for her sacrifice.
And all the time q pair of deep-set,
wicked-looking eyes watched them through
a paling in the dilapidated fence Once
Cranbourne started, and fancied that he
heard sound not made by the night
wind, but he was not given to borrowing
trouble, and cast the thought by.
They were gone four days, and came
back with three most vicious-looking pris-
| oners.
''You kin bet your pile we'll git the rest
on 'em next time, said McKintry.
| Ralph and another man had been
wounded; indeed, the committeeman de-
clared that had Cranbourne not been a
/ blAhAkEA IA tAAObO BdAto lucy WOOA0 AdNE
believed that one of the bandits-they
were all masked-had a spite against him,
for he followed him up continually, even
after he had been once wounded.
Margaret's heart was full of tenderness
when she went to him; all was forgotten
save that he was suffering.
elias Gomez come regularly, lately, " he
asked.
Margaret shook her head: "TIe disap-
peared the day that you started, and
have never seen him since"
| Cranbourne looked at his broken arm
'Pve seen him, said he
The next afternoon she went again tC
see her wounded lover, but he had gone
'sPacked up bag and baggage just artel
you left yesterday, and skedaddled thil
morning, said Mr. Holmes. Margaret
face paled in spite Of her, but her clear
sweet voice betrayed no change.
son the stage2" she asked.
'fYesr said Matte; 'tOh, Margaret,
think he's an awful man; just hate him.
ssDon't, Matte" she answered With {
little shudder
As she went out ''greaser" passed tht
door; she knew him, not very favorably
as friend of Gomez.
He looked in her face, and went in al
opposite direction; five minutes after sh,
met him again.
eff you want to hear about him, point
ing over his shoulder toward Mr.. Holmes
house. ''go up to Wainwright's to-mor
row.
Then. as if to avoid questioning, he
took rapid departure.
Margaret had a peculiar and invincibI
dislike toward Mr Wainwright, but his
wife was one Of those placid, good enough
women who would live peaceably witt
either saint OF a demon.
Margaret would have gone, however
almost anywhere to have seen or hears
from CFanbourne; perhaps q letter wa
there; perhaps he was there; what hopes
dreams, and wishes crept through he
heart. pen could hardly tell.
They breakfasEed early, earlier evel
than usual, and Margaret shook the Pill
lows, and made her mothers position
comfortable with more than usual care
! her mother had locked ct her Of late yer.
wistfuIly, but she had asked no questions
and Cranbourne's nane was hardly men
toned between them.
t'Good by, mother dear, she said, kiss
ing her Withered cheeks and then her lips
''Ill be back soon; I'm going up the canoi
toward WRinwnghts."
'Good by, daughter"
Il was the aildest Of fall weather, warn
and pleasant; and Margarets step gre,
lighter and her tall form straighter as sh
walked She he'd an easy, graceful Walk
those who loved her liked to watch her.
AZ MainWriRhks, not Ii the house, bu
/ near L, eha met Gomez