Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-08-03

handle. But 1 was not easily fright
ened then; / did not know what fear
was. l could not remember ever hav-
ing been hurt in all my life. l had
never been i'll or unhappy.
We few over the snow, one behind
the other, until we came TO the fall. 1t
is fall in summer Then it was only
frozen precipice. the edge of the rocks
covered with snow, and the branches of
tie great trees all covered with icicles.
One branch fell as We dashed up. 1t
frightened the horses. They swerved;
the sleigh turned over; that 5 all know
about it. Afterward I came to myself
down on the rocks. horribly hurt and
cold-sO cold l could not stir; and l
knew | was freezing to death.
l did not know what had happened to
Charlie. Perhaps he was lying near by
somewhere, dead The sun was going
down, and far up above saw the cliff
over which had fallen and the great
icicle that showed where the water came
down. ! thought of mother, and faith
er, and everybody. and it seemed very
hard to die. o. Charlie must be dead,
l thought, or he would have come down
to me. 1t was all kind of dream by
that time. but just as the last red gleam
faded away | saw 4 man coming down
the rocks. A rope was around his waist
and staff in his hand. He came near
er and nearer. and at last he was beside
me.
1t was not Charlie 1t was larger
than he.
lis 1t father?' l asked. through my
frozen lips.
NO" was the answer. mo, dar-
ling. Father is up on the rocks there.
1t is - and knew it was DIR. Garcia.
don't know how he got me up. but
he did it somehow. | was in little
roadside hut, in bed between blankets.
aching in every limb. but at least not
out in that fearful cold. heard father
tell Dr. Garcia he had saved my life,
and | tried to thank him. And it was
mother who told me Charlie was safe. l
had not dared to ask. Afterward L
found that the horses had run away.
and the rest OF the sleighing party had
gone on, knowing nothing of the acci-
dent: and that Mr.. Charles Constant
had arrived at my fathers in 4 farmer
sleigh, to tell them l was dead at the
bottom of the Falls.
II should only have killed myself if
I'd gone after her." he had said, seven
if had not been SO bruised and hurt"
That was true enough. and did not
blame him. although / thought that |.
woman as was. would have got to him
somehow. But, you see. called him
Mr.. Constant. He was never Charlie to
me again. | had been very much hurt.
and after weeks and weeks had passed
away l began to know that l was not
likely to be myself again asked DIR.
Garcia to tell me the truth.
Gould you bear it if it was sop he
asked.
81 begin to think we can bear any,
thing" l said, land you need not say
any more"
After THAT, the next day. / sent for
Mr.. Constant. don't want to tell YOU
what passed, but when he went away he
had my ring again. and knew he had
never loved me. 1t was very hard to
bear. dear, very. very hard; but. as
said. We can bear anything that can be-
fall us.
Summer came slowly. When it was
warm 1 began to sit up again and to try
to knit little; and then DIR. Garcia be-
gan to take me out to ride He used to
lift me in and out of his little carriage
like a baby. and he petted he like one.
l am sure he spent half his fees in buy
ing books for me. He was the only one
of the young men who troubled them
selves about me now. and do you Won
der | began to love him. used to cry
TO think that had not felt in that way
when l was the sort of girl that could
hope to make a man happy by loving
him. If he could do all this out of pity,
I /, I l..