The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-07-11

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street and disappeared around 8 corner.
Once ont Of their sight, she dropped
the pail on the ground and dew as II
with winged feet to whore she knew
the county officers were located, hith-
erto forbidden ground to her feet. She
caught at the arm Of the first man she
met.
"Oh, for the.love Of Godn-she used
an expression whose meaning she had
never grasped until that moment
Save him.
The man was . stranger, just arrived
from tho East. He looked down upon
her ss upon some new and curious Gre
alton, whose type had failed to be pre-
sented to him heretofore. He turned
to . friend who had just left his side:
Look here, Burnham. What does
all this meant"
The gentleman he addressed was one
Of the county officials. He came quick
" to the spot. r. . -
ut is your sheriff. they have him
down by the Two-mile House not
wait, or IL will be too late" She wrung
her hands ina fearless anguish.
Fact, Cap" asserted bystander.
mot ten minutes ago some one came
and told Houghton there was row at
the Two-mile House, and he went of
alone-the crazy fool" In his excite
ment he sought the most natural relief
that Of abusing the subject of his
anxiety.
The eastern man, secretly somewhat
elated at the opportunity thus afforded
him by witnessing what promised to be
episodes Of frontier lie, insisted upon
accompanying the posse Of men who
speedily organised for the rescue. He
witnessed with exultation the short,
sharp, decisive contest, and admired
the cool courage OF the man whom they
found helplessly awaiting his fate at the
hands Of these modern brigands. The
sun had long sank below the southwest
ern horizon, but q glow in the western
sky that was like 1urid flame, cleaved
the gathering darkness and touched
with mischievous fingers the various
physiognomies of the captured rouRhs.
There were faces which, in their dusky
tones and abandoned villainy, reminded
an observer of canvas Of Velasquez;
others partook of certain rugged type
which only missed the heroic by having
too great an infusion of the brute;
whil0 Q few wou1d nave DBen rair sra
prepossessing, but for certain tell-tale
pencilings about the eyes. Fooled in q
serious purpose, they were ready to
treat the whole affair as huge joke.
As some of the men prepared pinon
torches to light their way back to town.
and the prisoners were marshaled into
line, the Eastern man turned to his
friend: "Wllo is the woman 2-his wife?"
"Not much" The speaker laughed
carelessly, then added, in graver
tone, Zone OF those unfortunate alli-
ances 20 common throughout New Mexi-
co-unhallowed by either marriage,
sacrament, or priest, which prevent
man from asking ON honest woman's
hand in wedlock, and cut him entirely
aloft from family and friends"
An undertone of irritation might have
been detected in the gentleman's voice.
A fine impression the event Of this day
would leave on the mind of this friend.
. man ofinfuence, whose good will he
unu U0cn bgEAVulk W oul1bt III tu0 luG0f.
est of their little town.
Another ear caught the words. The
color leaped like flame into the wom-
ans cheek, and burned there con.
Stunning fire. For the first time in her
life, sense Of what she had forfeited
swept over her in one great wave of
agony. She drew her shawl about her
head, half-hiding her face in the folds,
and was stealing away, when q hand
detained her, and voice, altered from
its customary tone of command into q
certain indefnable tenderness, checked
her.
Tom Houghton had been doing some
hard thinking in thel hour. Ont
wardly calm and collected, and resigned
to the wretched fate before him, the
glimpse of his dusky face over the
bank Of tho ravine had appeared to
him like o symbol Of hope.
"Dont 60 home yet. shall be r eady
in moment"
"Not home. II is not there I am 60
ing"
She spoke with the quaint precision
acquired in the use Of q foreign tongue,
but the undertone Of pain did not es-
cape his attention.
"What does this mean? Would you
leave me?"
They had passed out of hearing Of
the rest, and stood, two dark figures,
. ilhouetted against the sunset sky.
"Oh, Tom, you know-you must
know, !" mosned the girl, drawing her
breath in short, hard gas ps. like some