, 1886-06-08

ODI1tNOW there seemed n curious
change in their relations.
The swift ponies knew the firm little
hands holding the reins. The trail was
smooth as a floor, and the five miles van
ished behind them. In the clear dark
ness of the west burned a low, red
light.
There's your train. The station is
just ahead. l shall wait here till | see
that you get away" 1t was the first
word that had been spoken.
She pulled her horses down to a walk.
Il hope" forcing herself to improve
the occasion, that you won't do it
again
Get caught for n h~orse-thief?r pleas
antly. Il certainly shall try to avoid it,
1t did not sound penitent. Miss ALI
son experienced a revulsion of feeling.
you had better get down here she
said, severely.
He alighted slowly and with difficulty.
Then he turned toward her, and she saw
his face pale in the shadow of Toms
slouched hat.
Il do not want you to think hat / do
not know that you are saving my life,
and that not II woman in a thousand
would have had tle nerve to do what
you have done" There was no question
of earnestness in his voice now.
Il hope you will mend your ways
then"
"Will you tell me your name?" not
needing her speech.
"Mary Allison"
~Thank you" He turned and took a
few steps away. Excuse me-" diff
IDENTIFY, forgetting his abandoned charac-
ter. lie was at her side again. Have
you have you" desperately ANY
money!
Very little quietly. Take this,
them dropping a purse into his hand.
And l wish you'd tell me-" with a sud-
den impulse, did you take the horse!r
Upon my word, no."
She bent towards him.
Goodbye" putting out a bare white
hand.
He took it with frank earnestness,
ness swallowed him up.
Miss Allison sat and waited. The low
rumble grew more and more distinct
the red light came sliding towards her
out of the gloom with an awful I'M
swerving certainty in its advance. She
saw the pause-the signaling swing of
the conductors lantern as the scarce
checked motion began again, and turned
her horses head toward home.
If Miss Allison lives a hundred years,
she will never forget that drive. Now
that she was free from the companion
ship of a desperate character, and behind
a pair of thoroughly broken, swift-paced
horses, with Toms revolver really loaded
beside her, and not one chance in ten
thousand of wanting it, she was fright
ened. The air was full of starshine; in
the east a faint white glow just indicated
the coming dawn. The ~awfulness of the
night oppressed her beyond endurance.
She cried all the way home, sobbing con-
vulsively while she embarrassed her
ponies and restored everything to order;
after which, with her cold little feet in
the stove-oven, she drank a cup of still
hot coffee, and then went to bed and to
sleep, where Tom found her at 8 o'clock
the mex morning.
A month later Tom wanted that coat
and hat, and failing to find them, raised
the usual masculine whirlwind about
their disappearance.
Molly Allison, you're responsible! If
the country produced im%age-venders, l
should say you had been making a
trade!"
She shook her head, but with the color
mounting in her face.
"Trampsl" he said, accusingly; and
poor Molly shuddered to think how
much, much worse it really was. you
wouldn't like it, | dare say, if l should
go encouraging pauperism with your
frocks and things" he g%rumbled, trying
to reconcile himself TO another garment.
He came back from the station that
night with news.
"Visitors coming, Molly"
"Who and when?"
Rob Mckenzie. You don't know
Rob. He was a classmate of mine. He's
coming mex week to spy out the land.
l haven't heard of him since | came out
here"
Rob Mckenzie alighting at the small
sunny signal station m day in the next
week, found n stylish apparition in white
dress and pretty garden hat waiting on
the platform.
you are Mr.. Mckenzie" n pleasant
voice said. Il am Mary Allison. Tom
sprained his ankle last night and couldn't
come"
Mr.. Mckenzie seemed rather Il quiet
young man. Miss Allison drove her
ponies and chartered away in the unre-
strained delight of having a stranger to
talk with-or rather to-and some one
fresh from the good times that seemed
doubly good in recollection.
81 suppose everybody here shoo;s more
or less. Are you an expert with fire
arms, Miss Allisonl'
They We're sitting within-doors in the
slight chill of the October evening. Tom
answered for her.
"Molly says she can, but l don't be-
lieve it. An awful little coward is
Molly"
us shes" quietly. l shouldn't think
it,"
Somebody opened Il door incautiously,
and in hes strong draft the light went
out. 1t was Mckenzie who relighted
it, and in the faint glow he bent over re-
kindled lamp his face came out with an
odd effect against the dark background.
"Oh. myg' in a gasp from Molly's cor
ner.
Mckenzie turned toward her as the
lamp famed up. She was staring at him
with wide eyes full of %perplexity.
Are you civilized beyond lynch law
YETI he asked, ~irrelevantly.
why? A private grudge against any
oney'
One likes to see all the peculiar insti-
tutions of the country. Do you ever