St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-22

Pueblo, and the postmaster stated at the
Arcade that he had received large and
thick letter. but he was a little misty as to
the postmark. That night Simpson de-
parted. Some people thought he rode a
little to the northward and took train at a
small station. A theory that he secreted
himself in freight car also found support
ers. But one individual, and he was halt
inebriated. had suggested suicide, and he had
been promptly elected from the saloon by
the force of public opinion.
Months and months had passed. and
Simpson had not appeared. Wonder grew
as to his whereabouts; much curiosity was
engendered as to the condition and feelings
OF his family. and no little effort was made
| to crafty this curiosity. Whatever the
wife and daughter, thus seemingly deserted.
may have felt. however, they gave no sign
to visitors. No one was there half so often
as Jack Reynolds and there was general,
if unspoken, sentiment abroad that this was
as it should be, also that it would be alike
| improper and futile to seek for any in
formation about Simpson from him. No
better test indeed, could there BIZ of the
esteem in which he was held than his rare
self-abnegation.
Again several months passed. and still
there appeared no Simpson. His neghbors
were more puzzled. more curious more
hopeless in the dark, than ever, and they
| began to feel aggrieved. BrOncho Sam had
been voicing this sentiment, in conversation
with his assistant, when he made the dec
| laratiOn with which this story opens, and
which was preceded by another.
Il jest tell yer" said he, that when a
man lights out and leaves sech good-ap-
pearin' wife on sech pooty little gal ez is
up to Simpsons, an don't send 'em no
word, it's playin' it down pretty low on EN-
onIess he's got blamed good reason for
doin' 500
That he would discuss this point with
Jack was highly improbable. They talked
Of cattle and the seasons prospects, and
there was no word of Simpson during the
plain. supper or the placid pipe-smoking
which followed. When they turned in, !"
the sky was overcast, and during the night
there came gale of wind which almost
shook the house. 1t was in the gray of
early morning that violent knocking at
the door brought all three men to their
feet alert in an instant. Jack was first at
the door, and opened it. A man stood
there holding the bride of painting horse.
His words were few and to
the point There had been a
storm and cloud-burst in the mountains;
the great reservoir which fed the irrigating
bitches was in imminent peril; there would
be terrible ''wash-out'' in the valley.
''Have you warned them at Simpson's?"
asked Jack, breathlessly.
mo. | came the other way"
Br0ncho Sam had his eye on Jacks face,
ane saw the color leave it. He rose to the
occasion in an instant.
Yer kin do it. my boy" said he; shut
jest yer ride like Jehu. Git yer boots on
an I'll have the saddle on Comanche'
In five minutes Jack, with his head bent
to the blast. was squirting his horse wildly
up the valley.
There was nothing esthetic about the ex-
ternal appearance Of Simpsons ranch. The
architecture of the house was of the early
cowboy period, with suggestions of that Of
the mining camp. There was a severe
simplicity about the roughly hewn logs
which made up the walls. and although the
freaks OF fashion bring many queer things
into popular use. the plastering of crevces
with adobe has not yet been naturalized
in polite neighborhoods. Never however
should the wise traveller in the west and
southwest judge of the kernel by the she'll
or the interior by the exterior. Both Mrs.
Simpson and her daughter possessed the
rare and charming gift of practical man
agement," which Hawthorne has ascrib ed
to little Phoebe, in The House of Seven
Gables. 1T is kind of natural magic"
he says, ''that enables these favored ones to
bring out the hidden capabilities of things
around them; and particularly to give look
of comfort and habitableness to any place
which for however brief a period may hap
pen to be their home"
So did cheap and simple material take
new character and virtue from their hands:
so were rough walls hidden by chintz of
tasteful pattern and homogeneous tint; so
did refinement supply the place Of costly
equipment. Jack REYNOLDS realized all this
the first time he entered the building. To
be sure, he saw it under favorable circum-
stances.
The daughter of the house had come out
to meet him as he approached When she
saw it was her own favorite horse he had
brought home, her face was Lighted up by
smile which went straight to his heart. Be-
fore his visit came to an end he discovered
that her name was Edith. What more he
discovered aboat her no one but himself
would know; but it could not have been
otherwise than pleasant, for he arrived at
his home in the highest of spirits. He
counted the days until he thought he might
call again, and he made them as few as he
possibly could. 1t was strong evidence of
BronchO Sans partiality for his young
friend that he took but mild exception to
what must surely be distraction to an9em-
bryO cowboy; but then Sam himself had
seen the young lady, and her grace and
sweetness had made an impression on even
his caSe-hardened SenSibliteS.
THAR amt no kind O. use in talkin' about
it," said he; ''it's human natur. Pm an
old man now, but was young once myself,
an know. He's fellow thets got sand,
an she's real good-appearin' gal. an al
low it amt no ones business but theirs"
The road up the valley was narrow and
rough; one side was often much higher
than the other; the prickly cactus bushes
trenched on it; and many burrows and holes
lay as pitfalls before the rider. All riders,
however, had not such horses as Comanche.
He knew what was expected of him. With
splendid stride he went over the difficult
path as if over English turf, clearing this
treacherous gully with spring, swerving
to avoid the pile of earth washed down by
the evenings rains, leaving one landmark
after another behind in his headlong course.
They talk to this day Of the time in which
he made the distance.
Jack sat him like the good horseman he
was. His excitement was intense, but every
faculty seemed under perfect control. One
thinks and remembers at such times with I'M
wonted quckness and vividness Not know
ing what duty or peril awaited him, nerved
for whatever it might be, he still found him
self wondering whether Sam and the other
man could get the horses to place Of safety.
Then he thought, for what seemed to him a
long time, but was probably a few seconds.
of his far-away home. Then the absorbing
theme of what he must soon encounter took
the nlaca of all else The horse began to