Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-01-28

p~7.lY
They ,catked tcith the abstraction of people
| hearing only their oWn uoiceS.
"I don't mean to say" said Kate demurely,
"that you're to give up the serape entirely;
you can wear it on rainy nights and when
you ride over here from your friends house
to spend the evening-for the sake of old
times" she added, with an unconscious air of
referring to an already antiquated friend
ship; "but you must admit it's a little too
gorgeous and theatrical for the sunlight of
day and the public highway"
"But why should that make it wrong, if the
experience Of a people has shown it to be a
garment best fitted for their wants and re-
quirementsi" said Falkner argumentatively.
"But you are not one of those people," said
Kate, "and that makes all the difference.
You look differently and act differently. so
that there is something irreconcilable between
| your clothes and you that makes you look
| odd"
@And to look odd, according to your civil.
lied prejudices, is to be wrong, said Falkner
bitterly.
at is to seem different from what one
really ia which is wrong. Now, you are
mining superintendent, you tell me. Then
you don't want to look like Spanish brig
and, as you do in that serape. am sure ii
you had ridden up to stage coach while /
was in it I'd have handed you my watch
and purse without word. There! you are
not offended" she added with q laugh,
which did not, however, conceal certain
earnestness u suppose ought to have said
I would have given it gladly to such ro-
mantle figure, and perhaps have got out and
danced a saraband or bolero with you-n
that is the thing to do nowadays. Weul" she
she said, after q dangerous pause, consider
that I've said it."
He had been walking a little before her,
with his face turned toward the distant
mountain. Suddenly he stopped and faced
her.
"You would have given enough Of your
time to the highwayman. Miss Scott, as
would have enabled you to identify him for
the police-and no more. Like your brother,
you would have been willing to sacrifice
yourself for the benefit Of the laws of ciriliza'
tion and good ORDER
If a denial to this assertion could have been
expressed without the use Of speech, it was
certainly transparent in the face and eyes Of
the young girl at that moment If Falkner
had been less seH-conscious he would have
seen it plainly. But Kate only buried her
face in her lifted mutt, slightly raised her
pretty shoulders, and, dropping her tremulous
eyelids, walked on at seems a pity" she
said after pause, "that we cannot preserve
our own miserable existence without taking
something from others-sometimes even a
! lifel" He started. "And it's horrid to have
to remind you that you have yet to kill some
thing for the invalids supper" she continued.
II saw a hare in the field yonder."
"You mean that jackass rabbitp he said
abstractedly.
"What you please. It's pity you didn't
take your gun instead of your rifle"
II brought the rifle for protection"
"And a shotgun is only aggressive, sup
poses"
Falkner looked at her for moment, and
then, as the hare suddenly started across the
open hundred yards away, brought the rife
to his shoulder. A long interval-as it seemed
to Kate-elapsed; the animal appeared to be
already safely out of range, when the rife
suddenly cracked the hare bounded in the
air like ball and dropped motionless. The
girl looked at the marksman in undisguised
admiration. as 1t quite deadr she said
timidly.
ut never knew what struck it."
ut certainly looks less brutal than shoot
ing it with shotgun, as John does, and then
not killing it outright" said Kate. u hate
what is called sport and sportsmen, but q
rife seems"-
"What" said Faikner.
"More-gentlemanly."
She had raised her pretty head in the air,
and, with her hand shading her eyes, was
looking around the clear ether. and said
meditatively, II wonder-no matter"
"What is itl"
"Oh, nothing"
at is something" said Falkner, with an
amused smile, reloading his rifle.
"Well, you once promised me an eagles
feather for my hat. Isn't that thing an
eagle9"
II am afraid it is only hawk"
"Well, that will do. Shoot thatl"
Her eyes were sparkling. Falkner with
drew his own with q slight smile and raised
his rife with provoking elaboration.
"Are you quite sure it's what you wantl"
he asked demurely.
"Yes-quickl"
Nevertheless, it was some minutes before
the rifle cracked again The Wheeling bird