The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-17

Dechert made q proposal. He had
mohey and Maure land. Why not
unite the two2 Why not stock the ranch
with the money and run it as joint pro-
prietors? r#a 5r@tf44 !
: Mature agreed on the spot. He said
he had now found the Something else,
before the ranch. OF course, they soon
found that, and from that time forth
they prospered. Maure's ill-luck had
been turned into another channel by the
steadfast obstacle Of his determined
Will lssSs t3I;sg5A,v. d.. 4
Out ;there in the Wildernesssthey grew
iilp$to be friends i'm no common sense.
Y \ hey ivedseft,l his own life, near his
4 fellow, hSitsIie crowd him. Eaoli
knew Other kept bacl K something,
and ted JIG ts Each asked of His own
'heart alone & all kindly sympathy
and $honor97s What woman darkenaed
his life2 bat neitherSof them mentioned
the maine of the woman he held sacred.
If the winds had just sans@efed the
question: ....
EigE years went by, and: one year
azEIsosy romance was rounded to Fort
'n 'anne's hand :s5' IS 6iis<%!aGsEs dfs <%aGEs gift. g
Life III the communlty OF T'Wiinieh y Wiifc.s..tshey they
formed the heart and center was "life
in the wild West" at its best and at its
worst. Its worst, and the steady COM
batting it, had raised Maure to the dig
nifty OF captain, with no empty honors.
More than once he had led his men into
danger and Unto the jaws of death" for
purposes of defence and succor. At last
there came a time when he carried
back from victory over lawless OF the
senseless body of friend, and heard
those cruel jaws grinding and gnashing
beside him through long, long days and
nights OF nursing and waiting. But the
day came when the poor lips feebly
obeyed the first intellige Of the wide,
dark eyes. "Maure, send for Madeline, -
they begged.
She was his only sister. Maure sent
for her at once, and as soon as wind and
wave, steam and steed, faith and cour-
age, could vanquish space, Madaline
Dechert crossed the threshold of the
Texan ranch, where Captain Maure
anxiously' awaited her. They had
known each other in the old days, and
the years OF separation were bridged by
the cares Of that almost hopeless bed
side}' He only Wondered now and then
ta 6sasher so little sl;s ,s; fsS;;srr
anogS Il ws;s 50 long since he had !,
spoken with woman such as those
among whom hisi;youth was spent, that
this one seemed doubly sweet, In. How 1t
all came back to himl'S #.s:IR
1t came back more and more as Dech-
ert improved. She had brought with
her an old servant friend--such as are
left to few households-and between
them they made new kingdom for
themselves Of the wild ranch. Grad
ually this Kingdom touched, it over
reached, 1t neared to the very center Of
Maure's round Of duties and scant pleas.
ures. He fell more and more into the
habit Of sharing his daily life with her,
now at Dechert's bedside. now on the
long gallery before the house, now under
the quiet evening sky. She was so
sweet a creature that any man. might
have loved her for herself alone, but
Maure loved her only for the sake Of
that long-ago love. ." q ;,.@.'. .,s...
The time came when they spoke Of
it. ';'.. q. ,''-.S .
They had been apart all day.. for he
had ridden off at dawn and had just re
turned. They were slowly pacing arm
in-arm beneath the lovely night, and
had been talking Of many things dear to
both. With that softened mood upon
him, born, Of the season and the
scene," Mature spoke Of Dechert and
their years together-spoke oven his
hidden thoughts of Dechert's hidden
past. = '>'+ ..' = T. -. -, ! -
.:'The woman who did not love him
when he loved her must have been blind
or q fool have never quite determined
which," :.'
."Do you know who she was2" -.
II do,not, indeed"
. IDO you hllV" why olo 1oAuSSO ululI
II know nothing, Madeline. He has
told me nothing, but saw--wlth spirit
eyes, perhaps that his story. ran irsuch
aschannel..'!'. >{{ay.%s siJ,s GIs .as.
There was dead silence, and he felt
his companion tremble on his arm. Bur-
prised and alarmed, he looked down at
her and stood still. She laid her hand
on his breast, .as though to steady her.
self and him, and, said quietly: -.
"She was .Rosamond Give. She re-
fused him because she loved--has al
ways 1oved---youl'.' ~ .gss4t,.
Captain Mature had never had such o
shock in his life. : But. he answered, as
quietly: ........
'"Yon do me too much honor. Nine
years ago---it is a long time, but you
may remember--Miss Give sent me-
whistling down the wind after my lost
fortune." "!.ri%;."1
* "Neverl 1t was ALA mistake. She
never cared for your fortune. She cared
only for you--penniless or prince"
"Can 2 man make sStipistake' where
it meansShis whole llifes" ID. asked,
OF