The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-22

anxiety than he himself felt, such was
his confidence in himself and his faith
in the sweet, fair girl he had chosen,
but 1 knew Mrs Anterior. had
known her as a silly school girl. and
l had seen her grow up to be 9 silly.
proud, naughty woman. with false
ideas and foolish aspirations.
l shall never forget the agony OF that
night, when Jack came in from the
city, and flinging himself down at my
feet. and resting his head in my lap,
while l covered his brow with kisses,
told me the story Of his disappoint-
ment The Athertons were rich, Jack
was not sufficiently eligible in many
ways, Phyllis had other lovers that
were more promising, she must not
sacrifice herself to a foolish, childish
fancy. etc., ETC., so the mother had
given him to understand. He had seen
Phyllis only to bid her goodbye and
she had not seemed to care, he said.
O, they were dreary days for us
when my poor dear boy struggled with
his first great grief struggled so hard
and I could not help him. He came
home one day looking more tired and
ill than usual, and going into my study
stood long while before the picture
of the old Bailey ranch. gazing at it's
waste of dreary sands and bare
pasture.
II am going out there, auntie," he
said, after moment, when l went to
find him. Il have enough 10 buy the
old concern and shall stay there till
l work off this interest or-she-
marries-or something. ! cannot stand
it here. Do not tell me this is unman-
ly. l know it, but must 60"
In two weeks he was ready to start.
He had some law business that would
detain him in Ell Paso a few days and
he would then push on to California.
I went into the city and to the depot
to tell him good bye. As the train
pulled out and he leaned out the
window of the sleeper to throw me
last kiss, saw a quick change come
over his face, and turning suddenly I
saw Phyllis Atherton standing on the
pla torn beside me.
''What are you doing here?" began
almost fiercely, but the misery on the
sweet, young face stopped me.
Where is he going?" she cried.
20, he must not leave me!''
She had just come in ON the south
bound train. They were not expecting
her at home and no one was come to
meet her, so took her home with me.
''They knew he was going off," she
cried, when T told her about Jack,
land they sent me away that l might
not find out. O! do they not know that
1 cannot live without him that it was
only b ecause thought we could wait
for each other that ever let him leave
me? Did they not know that some
day I meant to 60 to him and put my
hand in his and tell him that l loved
him-loved him? And now he is gone
and I shall never see. him!'' She sank
down upon the rug at her feet.
I took her to her mother the next
day and the sweet strength of the girls
love seemed to touch the W oman, for
it was she who bade me recall Jack.
Phyllis was with me to meet him as
soon as he came, and, it was beneath
the little picture over there that he
clasped her little lhands in his strong
ones, the last fading: rays of sunlight
lighting up his face and hers and giis-
tening upon the dead gold of her hair.
The years have flown swiftly since
then. Father and mother and I are
still left at the old home, happy in each
other and in the happiness of our low
ed ones, and we and Philip, and Mary
and Phyllis and Jack can say now, as,
we have said so often before:
"God bless the Bailey ranch"
PATIENCE ORR Ell.