The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-01
rarely saw Eben, sending him her re-

quests by her sister, and Eben went on
at his inventions feeling as if every blow
of his chisel drove piece out of his
heats core. And, although he would
have scorned the idea, Eben had grown
wonderfully haggard and pale, with
great dark circles under his eyes since
DR.. Ormsby had introduced Edgar Ney
to the Leighton's. 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
why he did not. One day he was seized
with fit of trembling. He was prun-
ing pear tree when he looked up and
saw Barbara before him, in her habit,
switching at the notified butterflies that
Suffered on the hollyhocks, and around
Ebe1's brown hands.
Chow pale and i'll you look, Eben." "
1t was the least she could say, and it
was the truth.
Eben's heart beat madly for moment,
and then went ON slowly.
81 am not one to get i'll, Miss Bar
bara am not Drowned so much as US
ual, perhaps"
His "Miss Barbara" sounded oddly,
and his looks belied his words. She
looked down at the ground and said ner-
vously:
81 hope you will not argue with me
this morning, Eben, but I've set my
heart on riding the old colt Tam
O'Saanter to the falls l am not in the
least afraid"
"But l am" said Eben, calmly. l
cannot permit you to risk your life with
that vicious colt"
"Mr. Ney will take care of his
vicit usness," Barbara answered, trife
insolently.
"Mr. Ney may ride OShanter, and
welcome, but l cannot consent for you
to-"
"Then l must do it without your COIL
sent BE so kind as to have the colt
around in quarter of an hour"
Eben finished hia pear tree and went
into the shop to wash his hands of
blood. He had cnt himself to the bone.
Barbara and Ney sat on the porch read
ing from the "Princess," when the
horses appeared. The colt SHED and
reared when Barbara sprang lightly Ill
her saddle. An ad nirable horsewoman,
she held her own finely, and Eben stood
as if rooted to the ground until turn
in the road hid them from sight, then
like deer he set off down foot path
toward where the railroad crossed the
road as with horror he remembered that
the morning express would come down
in ten minutes The riders had stopped
by the way to permit Mr.. Ney to dis
mount and gather the first cardinals for
Barbara. AS 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
sprang away from the other hose and
darted down the cut road toward the
train. With hoarse shout to "sit
firm" Eben rushed out from the copse
and 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 drop like log
Some woodchoppers came to the rescue,
and AS they lifted Barbara oft, the train
thundered by. Eben was picked up for
dead, and even Mr. Ney declared he
was a "brave fellow"
In an agony of giief and remorse
Barbara hung near him all those tedious
DAYS. when Eben's mind wandered and
he muttered troubled incoherent SEN
fences, in which, poor fellow, he told all
his hopes and fears. He was now in
deed haggered and ghostly pale, with AN
ugly scar in his temple, and his hands
Law weak and nerveless on the coverlet.
The fist moment of sanity and con-
sciousness W. ich made him sigh and
wish that ne had remained oblivi' US to
life and its miseries. 1t was Barbara
who leaned over him while her great
brown eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Eben, how can you bear to look
at mel You can never forgive me !"
"You would not say that IT you
knew what is in my heart"
"Can not you tell me, Ebene l am
so wretched."
81 am sorry for that must not tell