Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-09-25

extraordinary gift,f drew around her.
evening afesr evening. tpet. only he
trancientglee but the resident villace
people. Her duets with Mr.. Harry
Barton became famed. Even the girls
who secretly. adored that "splendid
fellow" and who suffered keen dread
OF the strangers potent fascination.
yielded to its spell, and grouped them
selves admiringly around. AS for Har-
ry Barton himself, it was rumored that
his light heart, free and glad as a bird
AMI hard to win, was already drawn in
to this ensnaring charm.
What Harry Barton really felt of at
traction to Mrs. kinaldo was brought to
proof one moonlight evening, when he
walked home from FRIDAY lecture
with the beautifulwoman, who now, as
they entered the willow-arched lane
leading from the high-road, in moon.
lit solitude, changed from her usual gay
mood to one so sad that no chilalric
heart, least Of all the kind and manly
heart of Harry Barton, could have been
unmoved.
She spoke of the sorrow of her life,
the lonely widowhood, and with such
simple pathos dwelt upon her devotion
to her little crippled boy, that Harry
Barton pressed her hand and sighed
audibly.
Unwrapping his unresisting burden
the paternal heart of Absalom Alger
was moved with compassion when he
saw, PROSTATE and fainting, a beautiful
girl, delicate and innocent-looking as a
lily. He listened to the explanations
of her travelling companions, one of
whom had himself set and bandaged
the broken arm which caused the girls
faintness, and was Che result OF the over
turning of the coach during the storm
that day. Her history he knew already
from the sharpvoiced lady: "a child's
governess accompanying family to
California, and left now at Ayers, to
await the arrival of friends who would
follow the same route two weeks later,
and who, as no doubt the girls strength
would be recovered by that time, could
bring her the journey west with them.
Alger called his two daughters from
their sleep and committed the girl to
their care, while he conducted to the
cabins spacious loft the weary men.
When the next morning at breakfast
time these weary men refreshed came
down from the loft, they found them
selves preceded from the same slum-
berous locality by other "mighty hun
ters," who, like themselves, made AL
gers Ranch the centre of excursions
into the vast plain, prolific at that sea-
son Of game.
One OF these dodgers, andthe earliest
to make his appearance, was remark
ably noble-looking young man, whose
air of native refinement was of Just that
spirited sort which the hunting cos
tune enhances. Jane Alger, the elder
daughter of the house, met this "splen-
did fellow" who was no other than
Harry Barton, with a peculiar express
sion of sly pleasure.
II have some news to tell you," she
said, as she followed him to the door
step, where he stood with his bright
eyes peering into the blue aerial space
washed clean to brilliancy by the nights
storm, and drew deep breaths of the
free vitalizing air.
We have had miraculous arrival"
said she. "
"Of what?' asked Harry Barton,
somewhat abstractedly, but pleasantly
too, for he had great respect for Miss
Alger, under whose admirable house
keeping auspices and ministrations he
had dwelt for three months.
The prettiest woman you ever saw
in your life," said Jane Alger, intently
watching her auditors face. She had
a theory about this young man, and
she fancied that her sentence would be
the fitting key in the mysterious lock.
So it proved. Harry Barton's whole
expression changed. His kindled eye
lost brilliance at once, his heaving chest
shrank; something like a sheer marred
his frank lip. "a
"a miracle" he said, "that detest."
What do you detest 2" asked Miss
Jane.
"A pretty woman. Is she coming to
breakfast? If so, please give me my
coffee at once"
r" Oh, no; it will be some days before
she comes to breakfast"
Then all l can ask is" said Harry
Barton, that, as you care for my ap-
petite, Miss Jane-and you have shown
much kind consideration for lido not
withdraw your kindness; keep the
miracle out of my sight
:" Just as | thought" reflected Miss
Jane, as she retired to the kitchen with
the gentle air of conscious Success
" kill or cure"
Out of his sight the pretty woman was
kept, but not out of his hearing; for SO it
happened that on the Sunday evening
he heard, aoLens uolens, the miraculous
arrivals" voice.
On the wild plains Sabbath service
had hardly won q Thought and soma Of