The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-06-18

looked so animated aud beautiful as
now. She rarely saw Eben, sending
him her requests by her sister, and Eb-
en- went on at his inventions, feeling as
if every blow of his chisel drove ont a
piece OF his hearts core. And although
he would have ecorned the idea, Eben
bad grown wonderfully haggard and
pale, with great dark circles under his
eyes since DIR. Ormsby had introduced
Edgar Ney to the Leightons. He took
little pride in the knowledge that he
was the better man of the two, but he
did know that he could crush Ney with
one hand into limp, shapeless mass,
and he wondered sometimes why he
did not. One day he was seized with
trembling. He was pruning pear
tree when he looked mp and Barbara
stood before him, IN her habit, switching
at the mottled butterflies that fiuttered
on the hoilyhocks, and around Eben's
brown hands.
"How pale and i'll you look, Eben."
It was the least she could eay, and it
was the truth. Eben's heart beat mad
ly for a moment and then went on
slowly.
81 am not one to get i'll, Miss Bar.
bara am not Drowned 90 much as
usual, perhaps."
His tMlss Barbara sounded oddly
and h,s looks belied his words. She
looked down at the ground and said
nervously
81 hope you will not argue with me
this morning, Eben. but I've set my
heart on riding the colt, Tam O'Shanter,
to tie falls. am not in the least
arraid.''
"But / am," said Eben calmly. s'I
cannot permit you to risk your lite with
that vicious colt''
"Mr. Ney will take care of bis vicious
ness." Barbara answered q trifle inso-
lently.
"Mr. Ney may ride O'Shanter and
welcome, but cannot consent for you
to-"
"Then must do it without your
consent. BE so kind as to have the
colt around III quarter of an hour"
Eben finished his pear tree and went
into the shop to wash his hands of
blood. He had cnt himfelf to the bone.
Barbara and Ney sat on the porch
reading from "Princess," when the
horses appeared. The colt SHED and
reared when Barbara sprang lightly
in her saddle. An admirable horse.
woman, she held her own finely, and
Eben stood as If rooted TO the ground
when a turn in the road hill them from
SIGHT, then like deer he set off down
tootway toward where the railway
crossed the road as with horror he re-
membered that the morning express
would come down in ten minutes. The
riders had stopped by the way to per-
nit MIR. Ney To dislnount and gather
the first cardinals for Barbara. Az
they trotted sharply down the road, the
roar of the train was heard just beyond
the curve. Maddened with terror, the
wild young horse Barbara rode reared,
plunged and rprang away from the
other horse and dsrted down the cut
toward the train. With hoarse shout
to 'Eit fiTm," Eben rushed out from the
copse ard flung himself under his hoofs.
He caught the bit in his hands and
pulled the colt on his launches, and
then a violent kick made him fall like a
log. Some woodchoppers came to the
rescue, and as they lifted Barbara off
the train thundered by. Eben was
picked up for dead, and even Mr.. Ney
declared he was "brave fellow"
In an agony of grief and remorse
Barbara hung near him all those tedious
days, when Eben's mind wandered and
he muttered troubled, incoherent Gen.
tences, in which, poor fellow, he told
ali his hopes and fears. He was now
indeed haggered and ghastly pale, with
an ugly scar in bis left temple, and hia
hands lay weak and neryeless on the
coverlet. The 6rst moment of sanity
and consciousness which came made
him sigh and wish that he had remain
ed oblivious TO life and its mireries. It
was Barbara who leaned on him while
her great brown eyes filled with tears.
sob, Eben, how can you bear to look
at me You can never forgive me l''
"You would not say that if you
knew what was in my keart.''
"Cannot you tell me, Eben? ] am
SO wretched."
SCI am sorry for that must not tell