Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-02-04
SNOW BOUND AT EAGLES
BY BEET HARTE.
copyrighted by Houghton, Mif1in & Co., and
published by arrangement with theml

her own room. As maneuver to avoid
meeting Mrs. Hale, it was scarcely neces-
sary, for that lady was already in advance of
her on the staircase, as if she had left the
parlor q moment before they entered the
house. Falkner, too, would have preferred
the company of his owl thoughts, but Lee,
apparently the only unpreoccupied, all per-
vading and boyishly alert spirit in the party,
hailed him from within, and obliged him to
present himself on the threshold of the par
lor with the hare and hawks wing he was
still carrying Eying the latter with affected
concern, Lee said gravely: ''Of course, l
can eat it, Ned, and 1 dare say it's the best
part of the fowl, and the hare isn't more
than enough for the women, but l had no
idea we were so reduced. Three hours and
half cunning, and only one hare and
hawks wing. It's terrible"
Perceiving that his friend was alone, Falk-
ner dropped bis burden in the hall and strobe
rapidly to his side "Look here, George, we
must-I must-leave this place at once. It's
no use talking; can stand this sort of thing
no longer"
"Nor can l, with the door open. Shut it,
and say what you want quick, before Mrs.
Hale comes back. Have you found trailF'
"No, no; that's not what meann
"Weu, it strikes me it ought to be, if you
expect to get away. Have you proposed to
Beacon Street, and she thinks it rather pre-
mature on a weeks acquaintance"
No; butt
ssBut you will, you mean2 Don't, just
yet"
''But l cannot live this perpetual lie"
THAT depends. don't know how you're
lying when I'm not with you. If you're
walking round with that girl, singing hymns
and talking of your class in Sunday school,
or if you're insinuating that you're million
aire, and think of buying the place for
summer hotel, l should say you'd better quit
that kind of lying. But, on the other hand,
| don't see the necessity of your dancing
round here with shot gun, and yelling for
Harkins' blood or counting that package OF
ereenbacks in the lap of Miss Scott, to be
truthful 1t seems to me there ought TO be
something between the two"
But, George, don't you think-you are on
such good terms with Mrs. Hale and her
mother-that you might tell them the whole
story! That is, tell it in your own way; they
will hear anything from you and believe It,"
"Thapk YOU: but suppose don't believe in
lying either"
you know what | mean! You have a
way, d--n it. of making everything seem like
a matter of course, and the most natural
thing going"
"Well, suppose did. Are you prepared
for the worst"
Falkner was silent for moment and then
replied, YES; anything would be better than
this suspense"
81 don't agree with you. Then you would
be willing to have them forgive us"
81 don't understand you"
81 mean that their forgiveness would be the
worst thing that could happen Look here,
Ned. Stop a moment; listen at that door.
Mrs. Hale has the tread of an angel, with the
pervading capacity of a cat. Now, listen! l
don't pretend to be in love with anybody
here. but if 1 were should hardly take ad-
vantage of a woman's helplessness and soil
tude with sensational story about myself.
It's not giving her a fair show. You know
she won't turn you out of the house"
NO" said FallSner, reddening; "but l
should expect to go at once, and that would
be my only excuse for telling her"
$50! where? In your preoccupation with
that girl you haven't even found the trail by
which Manuel escaped. Do you intend to
camp outside the house and make eyes at her
when she comes to the Window
because you think nothing of flirting
with Mrs. Hale" said Falkner bitterly, "you
care little"-
"My dear Ned" said Lee, "the fact that
Mrs. Hale has a husband and knows that she
can't marry me puts us on equal terms.
Nothing that she could learn about me here
after would make Irritation with me any
less wrong than it would be now, or make
her seem more victim. Can you say the
same of yourself and that Puritan girlP
'sBut you did not advise me to keep aloof
from her; ON the contrary, you"-
Il thought you might make the best OF the
situation and pay her some attention, because
YOU could not go any further"
"You thought was utterly heartless and
selfish, like"-
aNedp
Falkner walked rapidly to the fireplace and
returned.
"Forgive me, George-I'm fool-and an
ungrateful one"
Lee did not reply at once, although he took
and retained the hand Falkner had impul-
sively extended "Promise me-" he said
slowly, after pause, chat you will say moth
ing yet to either of these women. ask 1t for
your own sake and this girls, not for mine
If, on the contrary, you are tempted to do SO
from any Quixotic idea of honor, remember
that you will only precipitate something that
will oblige you, from that same sense Of
honor, to separate from the girl forever"
81 don't understand"
"Enoughp said he, with quick return of
his old reckless gayety. "Shoot-off- -his-mouth,
the beardless boy chief of the Sieras, has
spokenl Let the pale face with the black