The Red Cloud chief., 1888-08-24

OsCi ~ La u I'd AL LAC So<uA.S
which rose and wheeled aim,essly aboU
the darae2ing SKY. The cry was
taken up and answered far ont on the
marshes. There WAS a sudden commotion
about the barge, lanterns flashed outside,
moving about Bat she-shs was sinking.
sinking-
When she came to herself she was in her
own little roonL It was very quiet and
comfortable. Her landlady fitted in and
out with . lock OF honest concern on her
careworn face. So the world was not 50
hard. after AL. She-the Gor2on-Seemed
glad that her delinquent lodger was alive,
AID said no word about the rent overdue.
Somebody had pulled the lounge, on which
she lay, up TO the stove, and there was q fire
there. the first for many weeks, for her own
fuel had given out in February, and b had
been freezing ever since-treexing heart and
body. And what was that brewing on the
stove, that sent such . delicious fragrance
through the roeml
Now, my DEAR" said the Gorgon, pour
ting something into q clumsy earthen cup
And handing II to her, lust you take this
ccp Of coSee q bit OF hot roll. and it'll set
o up in 40 time. You've been looking
peaked and mis- able this long time. Folks
that feeds themselves don't TAX no proper
care. I've been thinking. this long while.
that if you'd Just take your living along OF
me and give pianny lessons to my Sairy
Ann-but 1 b hardly dared ask il, you being
SIGH q fine player and she having no instru-
ment unless you'd maybe let her come up
and practice times when you was il and
could watch and see she didn't dirty the
pearl keys or spite it" Homely and
rough as = was, there was a delicate flush
OF her thin cheek IS she checked herself in
her bold presumption.
Didn't dare ask it," Miss Vanderpool
would have acted As the child's nurse.
scrubbed floors, washed dishes. if she had
asked il. The backbone Of her pride Wa
broken. Blu: wha. was the woman saying
nowt
And now. II you'u let me tidy up q bit
and make things halfway decent, for the
gentienan's been waiting to see You this
long time"
The gentleman. What gentleman" Miss
Vandsrpool was not used TO callers. The
landlady answered her inquiry:
Why, who but him thai saved you! Him
that brought you here in his arms. looking
like Lead and al covered with midland q
pretty sight you were, Miss Vanderpool.
And awful work it was cleaning you up, if
you be q lady"
Wha. made Miss Van1erpools face afiame
and her heart beat sot It might De any one
of . thousand men. There was no reason.
no reason in the world, she told herself.
why il should be any particular one.
Yet. as luck would have it. it was John
Ashton. No. not luck. Chance rarely favors
such men as he. AL that they have is Won
By hard endeavor. and persistent faith. and
logged watchfulness. Luck is more apt to
bu8et them. to call out al the siunbering
forces in them and show the stun OF which
they are made. He had turned and followed
Miss Vanderpool a. . respectful distance,
that afternoon he had NET her on the street.
Il wa getting late. and he had some old
fashioned notions, now almost out Of date.
p~rejUticial 10 swoman's going about al night,
unprotected. pon the streets. When he
saw the lonely direction in which she was
tending. he had followed still more resolute-
", for he knew the character OF the men
along the waterfront better han she. And
who could tell whom h might meet in that
wretched place at such An hour! When she
stopped to look seaward he had rome down
over the marsh, both because he had some
instruction to give to his forenaa and
because he feared she would discover him in
turning back. He had been drst to hsar the
wild, beseeching cry. and 70 realize its pur-
port; to start out with . party Of men pro-
vided with lanterns, planks, ropes. every
thing neetful: to man . boat and row Herre-
" up the slough, flooded at hish-,ide, Iii
rectly to the spot where . human iife-so
precious TO him. was going out: TO throw
himself out upon the mOrass. bracing him
self on the planks they had brought. and
finally, like the true knight he was, TO
gather the unconscious girl in his arms.
covered with mud As she was. and wrapping
his coat about her. bear her to the place she
called her home.
But John Ashton was not the maj TO claim
any recompense for III service he had
rendered. The more serious her peril. the
greater the risk he had u on her behalf.
the more need that he should be delicate
and distant in all his bearing toward her:
that he should try TO make her forget he
had ever pressed any claims upon her. He
would not have come now mad he been his
own free agent. She saw that the moment
he opened the door. and shrank from her
own thoughts. He surmiseI the look upon
her face and interpreted it in his own way.
So she disliked him SO much that il CALLED
her to think that he had put her under such
obligations. Well. well, II he had had
time TO consider. il might have been better
TO have left it to oue Of the men. or. at least
to hareconcealed his own connection whit
You are feeling better, Miss Wander
poole"
There was not q note in his voice beyond
the ordinary requirements Of courtesy.
She answered him in kind.
Quite well now, I thank you. Won't you
be seated" uotioning him To a chair.
Il thank you" But he still remained
staining, his hat in his right hand. his left
hsnd-was il her fancy. or were the fingers
c.enched.-hanging easily beside him.
4 came" he said. in . matteroffact
way, about a matter Of business. I tried
to speak to you on the street to-day. You
were not willing to listen. You were right.
II was not the proper place"
You nistook. 1t wasn't that. l was
preoccupied: l couldn't have talked then
with n one" she explained. hu-riedly.
and in . low voice. He scarcely noticed
her words and did not at al comprehend
them, but went on, in q formal, business
way:
A matter Of business. was authorized
TO conduct sone negotiations with YOU
They concern the VanderpoOl estate"
Weak - she was and broken As she was,
she could not suppress . little laugh. only