The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-21

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1t aOGs the young tsOentor from the ,chcGt
ranch.
In her desire to be alone and to evade the
now significant attentions of Emile she
took advantage Of the hustle that followed
the hurried transfer of furniture and
articles from the house to escape through
the garden 20 the outlying fields. Strik-
ing into one Of the dusty lanes that she re-
membered, she wandered on for half an
hour until her progress and meditation
were suddenly arrested. She had come
upon long chasm or crack in the soil,
fully twenty feet wide and as many in
depth, crossing her path at right angles.
She did not remember having seen it be-
fore; tho track of wheels went up TO its pre-
cipitous edge, she could see the track re
peated on the other side, but the hiatus re-
manned, unbridged and uncovered. 1t
was not there yesterday. She glanced right
and left; the fissure seemed to extend like a
moat or ditch from the distant road to the
upland between her aud the great wheat
valley below, from which she was shut Off
An odd sense of being in some way
prisoner confronted her. She drew back
with an Impatient start, and perhaps her
bind her, which she at once recognized,
scarcely restored her calmness.
you can't get across there, miss"
She turned. IL was the young inventor
from the wheat ranch on horseback, and
with a clean face. He had just ridden out
of the grain on the same side of the chasm
rs herself.
But you seem to have got over" she
said biuntly.
YES, but it was further up the field. !
reckoned that the split might be deeper
but not SO broad in the rock outcrop over
there than In the adobe here. found it so
and jumped it."
He looked as if he might-alert, intelli-
gent and self contained. Yet she said moth
ing. He fingered a moment.
Pm afraid you must have been badly
shaken and little frightened up there be-
fore the chimneys came down"
NO" she was glad to say briefly, and
she believed truthfully; II wasn't fright
eced. / didn't even know it was an earth
quake"
"Ah," be reflected, that was because
you are stranger It's odd-they're all
like that. / suppose it's because nobody
really expects or believes in the unlocked
for thing, and yet that's the thing that
always happens. And then of course that
other affair, which really is serious, startled
you the more"
She felt herself ridiculously and angrily
blushing. Il don't know what you mean"
she said icily "What other AFFAIR."
"Why, the well"
"The well3" she repeated vacantly.
Eyes, the artesian well has stopped.
Didn't the major tell youg"
"No," said the girl He was away.
haven't seen him yet"
well, the flow of water has ceased com
pletely. That's what Pm here for. The
major sent for me, and I've been to examine
it."
And is that stoppage so very impor-
tantf" she said dubiously.
1t was his turn TO look at her wonder
ingly. "If it's lost entirely it means ruin
for the rancho" he said seriously. He
wheeled his horse, nodded gravely and
trotted off.
Maj. Randolph's figure Of the ''life blood
of the rancho" flashed across her suddenly.
She knew nothing of irrigation or the
costly appliances by which the Californian
Rgriculturist opposed the long summer
droughts She only vaguely guessed that
the dreadful earthquake had struck at the
prosperity Of those people whom only a
few hours ago she had been proud to cal.
her friends. The underlying goodness OF
her nature was touched. Should she let a
monetary fault--if it were not really.
after all. only a Misunderstanding
between her and them at such a moment?
She turned and hurried quickly toward
the house.
fastening onward she found time, how
ever TO wonder also why these common
men-she now included even the young
inventor in that category-were all so rude
and uncivil to her. She had never before
been treated in this way; she had always
been rather embarrassed by the admiring
attentions Of young men-clerks and col
legians in her Atlantic home, and of pro-
fessional men, merchants and stock brok-
ers in san Francisco. 1t was true they
were not as continually devoted to he and
To the nice arr and etiquette Of pleasing as
Emile-they had other things TO think
about, being in business and not being
gentlemen, but then they were greatly su-
perior to these clowns, that took no notice
O. her and rode Off without lingering or
formal leave taking when their selfish af-
fairs were concluded.
IL must be the contact of the vulgar
earth-this wretched, cracking material
and yet ungovernable and lawless earth
that so depraved them. She felt she would
like TO say this to some one-not her father
for he wouldn't listen to her; not 70 the
major. who would laughingly argue with
her, but 10 Mrs. Randolph, who would I'M
derstand her-aud perhaps say il some day
in her own sharp. sneering way to those
very clowns. With these gentle sentiments !
irradiating her blue eyes and putting a
pink ash upon her fair cheek Rose reached
the gardea with the intention ~ rushing
synpathotically into Mrs. Randolph's /
arms.
But it suddenly occurred 70 her that she |
would be obliged to state how she became |
aware OF this misfortune, and with it came |
an instructive aversion TO speak OF her |
meeting with the inventor. She would I
wait until Mrs. Randolph told her. But /
although that lady was engaged in low |
voiced discussion in French with Emile |
and Adele which instantly ceased ut her /
approach there was no allusion made TO i
tao new calamity
you need not telegraph to your father" /
she said a. Rose approached. He has al 4
ready telegraphei 10 you for news. As YOU /
were ont. and the messenger was waiting /
an answer, we opened the dispatch, and /
sent one telling him that you were all 1