Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-09-25

| 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 the result of the over
turning of the coach during the storm
that day. Her history he knew already
from the sharpvoiced lady: GA child's
! governess accompanying a 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, and the earliest
to make his appearance, was q remark
ably noble-looking young man, whose
air of native refinement was of lust 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. .. .......,...
q 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 a miraculous arrival"
said she. -t
"Of what?' asked Harry Barton,
somewhat abstractedly,I but pleasantly
too, tor he had great respect for Miss
Alger, under whose admirable house
keeping auspices and ministrations he
had dwelt for three months :i.'a -.
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 fancled 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 q sheer Inarred
his frank lip. "1'i'i 'gae =. a... +" p.
CA miracle" he said, that detest."
What do you detest?" asked Miss
Jane.
" A pretty woman. IS she coming to
breakfast? If SO, please give me my
coffee at once"
oh no; it will be some days before
she comes to breakfast. d sIio"@ ...'
Then all | 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 l thought" reflected Miss
Jane, as she retired to the kitchen with
the gentle air of conscious success
kill or cure" .'a''o.@ .s '..' ..a".. ..9.
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 7Ole'as uolens the " miraculous
arrivals" voice.
On the wild plains Sabbath service
had hardly won a thought, and some Of
the hunters had even at morning made
sallies out on the plain in search of
antelope; but, as day declined, there
came that indescribable calm which we
] associate with the day of rest, and at
sundownall the members, of the house
hold We're at the ranch. 70, After supper
the men lounged in attitudes of non
Pchalance or repose on the greensward
that spread under the cottonwood-trees
to the riverside before Ayers door,
There it was that the voice reached
thenl-the voice of a girl singing, in
j fresh, sweet tones, q familiar. hymn.
I AS verse followed verse the mems talk
ceased;a subdued and thoughtful air
i fell on all. AS for Harry Barton, before
the hymn was half through, he had
shaded. his eyes with his hand, and
Isgiven himself, to reyerie.
IfdBy one of those condolences that
sometimes occur IN the crices Of mems
4 lives, marking them with the "white
] stones of fate's intent, rothe hymn-a
4 grateful and trustful ~ mploration of
heaven's help---Was one that Harry
Barton's mother had called her favorite.
1t brought back to him his aboyhood's
! pas it., particularly one Sunday evening
:, an his uncle's house. whittier the moth
I er in her JWidoWhood, and in fatal. de-
tc1ine of health, had brought her son
and committed him to her brothers
care. The whole scene passed before
his shaded eyes-the open window, the
lovely lawn, the summer sunset the
gentle figure in, the armchair. He
held, he remembered his mothers hand
while she sang the hymn, and she
.! leaned forward and kissed his fore
head at its close. All this. and more
revisited in the wilderness Harry Bar
TOMS thought, and wrought him a
strangely tender mood. b p.a,al.| gaL1I
Ask her to sing rmore, osa the men
clamored; and as through the window,
clear and distinct, the sweet voice sang