Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-01-14

dition, for he knew his man. The hot
headed Canadian would scarcely have
listened in less extremity.
"Antoine," he began, ''this is the worst
business I ever heard of. Do you know
what you have done?"
"Broken myself all into bits and pieces"
THAT is nothing; you win soon get well.
But you have forfeited one girls respect
and friendship, have triied with another
girls heart. have played the fool and the
mailman. Worst of all, you have murder
your beautiful Roland, who three times
last night saved you from suicide, and
would have carried you safely to the end,
had it been in the power of fies b and blood.
Don't you think Roland should be up here.
and you there, on the blood-stained
QUARTZ"
Antoine broke out furiously, otis no
ones business"
Antoine" said the school-master, eff I
had not known of these things, and had
not followed your tracks, you would perish
here, in unspeakable agonies of thirst and
pain. And your unshrived skeleton would
bleach white on these rocks. Do you wish
had not conner"
81 thought would rather die than give
her up" muttered the young fellow.
because you did not love her. When
man really loves woman, he wooes her
with patience and courage, more by deeds
than by words; it would be utterly impos-
| sible for him to brighten her, threaten sui
eide, dash off into the darkness and leave
! her alone in the forest. You never really
! loved Flora. You have never loved any
| one but yourself. Love is self-forgettuI-
ness"
surrendering with the completeness of his
| temperament, he looked up with his dark
| and beautiful eyes full of penitence. just as
| Martin came down the hill shouting:
They're coming, and we'n have him up
| in hurry"
"Who are coming:" asked Rawlins.
"Kester and his hired men. That's Kes-
| ter's dairy ranch, three miles from his
| farm. It's seven miles back to fathers,
| an we've rode nigh twelve miles, counting
| the turns. I met Ke ter, J" he went on as
| he came to the schoolmaster's side; The
| comes over here every Saturday-and
| told him Roland ate loco-weed, got Hsdche,
| spang crazy, sir, and run off with An
| toine.''
1t was brilliant explanation; no one in
| all that mountain land will doubt it. But
| looking at the death scene below, at the
| gathering vultures slow wheeling above
| their prey, remembering Roland's faithful
| ness to the end, this last requirement, this
staining his royal memory to shield his
| ''n,dcheh master, smote Rawlins' heart With
| pity and sorrow.
stAnd what did Kester say, Martina
| The boy laughed. ''He said Roland was
the best horse on Churn Creek, but Antoine
| wasn't no favorite of his"
| Antoiue's face flushed red. Take me
| home" he cried. II won't go to kester's. !"
you must, my dear fellow; it is the
only way" said Rawlins. Every minute
| is precious. You have lain here since
daybreak. Now, Martin, ride for sur
Down the hill they ran a few minutes
| later, six healthy, big-hearted men, kes-
| ter foremost. When he saw Antoine, the
tears sprang to his eyes and his voice
| trembled.
things I've said of ye, Antoine. Jest look
at that horse. Antoine, ye did hev an or
| full ride. Now, boys, chop off them tree
| tops, an whack up litter, an run for some
blankets; am you, Ad, skip out on the
teachers boss am bring Mary an the OBJ
up! work iiveiier. Who ever saw SO
cussed law a crowd" And Kester
pushed one of the men aside, seized a
Ratchet and began hewing path through
the bushes.
It took long time to bring Antoine to
the top of the ravine, and then he had
to be carried across the fields with great
gentleness, for the pain OF his hurts was
Increasing. Before the party reached the
| had arrived on horseback-for every one
| rides in the mountains
Mary, quiet and serious-eyed, was deft-
ly helping everywhere, bringing cool wa
ter from the spring, smoothing the pill
lows, moving noiselessly about, the model
of a nurse. look of hewilderment yet
rested in her eyes at the strangeness of
THIS sudden CALL, Uul Iht tOits5 III WHICH ohO
spoke to Antoine was serene, sympa-
thetic, judicious. She had come there to
nurse, not Antoine Michenay-not the man
she loved-but wounded and suffering
fellow mortal. The girlishness was gone;
she was a woman, and able to keep her Sc
crets.
Rawlins left Shasta at the end of that
term of school. Changes came in his
own personal affairs, and he never saw
again its green valleys, its rushing rlv-
ers, its snowy peaks, it's genial pioneers
in camp and cabin; but he wrote to hi S
old pupils, and had letters from them;
and after half dozen years, in one OF
| these letters occurred the following para.
graph:
ave have a little church now. and it was
dedicated yesterday by ministers from
Milburn and Shasta 1t is built in the
small clearing, near where that splendlo
lot of mountain lilies used to grow. Some
of the girls filed pitcher with them and
set it on the pulpit, and the minister spoke
| about them in his sermon. But after the
sermon what do you think happened? An
tome Niche nay walked over and gave his
| arm to Mary Hester; then they went right
| up the isle and stood before the minister
and were married. There were no brides
maids, but it looked as pretty as picture
| We all like Antoine better than we useC
to; he has been nicer and nicer ever since
he was hurt so, and crippled SO long; and
everybody knows Mary Kester is the bes
and prettiest girl east of the Sacramento
Antoine is building house and planting
an orchard in the big field across the rive
from the old Michenay place. Charte'
Ho,card Shina, in Overland Monthly.