, 1890-03-20
TWO WOMEN.

/ ANlGHl W " NA'Nl lA'h wv 49, If''''
rie with all the soft, innumcinble
sounds of u night in the early fall.
Wild duck and geese flew noislly'
about the stubblo fields, the wind
made u nlournful sound through the
tall grass, and oil ON lonely lake n
loon sent up It's wild cry. A team
came slowly down the faint line OF
road that stretched away "a far ~
eye could see. Philip Maxwell sat
lost In thought, allowing his horses
to take their own gait, ana ~ he
had urged them OH impetuously all
the morning, IL proved n slow one.
His eyes were ON II letter which he
held In his hand, though II was too
dark to read IL now, and hc already
knew the contents. At length, with
an impatient pcsturc, he crumplcd IL
up and threw 1t ut his feet.
Grace MnNwcll's pretty blue eyes
would have opened wide at TINS
treatment of her letters by her
cousin, whom she had ruled and
tyranniged over ever since n baby,
and TO whom she had been engaged
since Philip was downy-lipped
freshman and she II slip of II girl.
Phillips shrewd old uncle. Grace's
father, had been pleased With the
engagement.
"Thcro is good stuff in the lad"
he thought. land II he is TO have
Grace and all the business when 1
am gone, | must make q man Of
him, and not have him like some of
these empty.hcaded fellows at his
club.r
So, much to Philips delight,
when ho WIS graduated his uncle
sent him West to look after IA ranch
and other interests.
Mr.. Maxwell had not Judged
wrongly. Philip had developed
into n strong, resolute man, with
hi own views of life, aud deter
mined to make his own way in the
world.
But the country and the life he
led had II very small part In devel-
oping Philip MuXwells'. The
greatest help that can come to n
man lac had found. lie had formed
an intimate friendship for the iirst
time In his life with beautiful and
noble woman.
His pretty cousin would have
been greatly amused at the idea that
Philip could care for any one be-
sides herself, but that he should
care for girl who all the long hot
summer taught barefoot urchins In
the little district schoolhousc, such
an idea she would have dismissed as
too absurd to- he thought of.
Yet the face that came To Philip
Maxwell now was the facc of the
young district school teacher near
the ranch The most beautiful fnce
In all the world, he told himself;
"such wonderful brave, honest eyes
~ Kate had"
Philip had become acquainted
with Kate Lester when she had first
come out to the country In the
spring. He had been attracted bs
her bright face, and then, IA he
her going quietly to and
from her school, and as he grow to
know hcrbotter and caught glimpscs
If that beautiful inner life, which h
Iur real selves and which we hardly
Snow--it is that which loves, suffers
and sacrifices, and, we believe, will
i've forever-hc loved her with
Owe not for to-day, or tomorrow, or
until the brown eyes closed, nut
with II love ~ long as the soul
ool<iug out nom those eyes lived on. |
Then came struggle with him |
elf To be- true tn his manhood. He |
cit lac must, that ho would bc, true |
q hi, cousin.
His cousin had never had anything |
lcnicd her in bis life, he told him /
elf, aud probably II better mau than .
nc would win Kate Lester. But |
whenever he went he saw Rates /
nee, Kate's eyes. SO lac determined |
% take "a trip across the country for
, month. Surely In a month hc |
hought she would I've his old self
again" All the past four weeks he
lad cheated himself into supposlng
ne had put Kate Lester out Of his |
mind forever. And that morning
"a ho started on his last homewarl
lrlvc he was aStonishcd with the
Wild eagcrncss with which he
oOkcd forward to meeting Kate.
And then, giving himself up reck-
vssly 10 the glorious delight of re-
uIning, lie had urged the horses on,
scarcely stopping for noon. His [
voice had ruilg out over the prairie,
low singing some college song,
hen some beautiful German love
ong, until he stopped ut the post
'illcc, and among his other mail |
uund this letter from his cousin.
aging she WAS coming with her
athcr aud some friends on "a trip
Vest and would stop at the ranch. /
'hilip knew rom the date that they
must have already arrived The
Id question came back again. The
lorscs could not move to slowly
low. Grace was there at the ranch
Ind Kate Lester was rs far removed
rom him ~ ever. The last rays
u the sun were dying away
'ver the level prairie, the stais
'egan To come out and the air
rev colder, the horses moved
~ more wearlly. suddenly
here was n rustic In the dcep grass
md reeds by IA slough, past which
lie road ran. \ man rose up lust
'ack OF the wagon, he strulphicncd
ls arm, the rising moon gIiltencd
m tiny revolver Still Phllip slt
unconscious, lost In thought, no
'ood angel shrlekcd out n warning.
he night wind swept moaning MS II
n horrori but the tiny trigger wn,.
lrawn, u sharp whlz through the
ir and Philip lay still and InotiOn-
nss III the bottom of the buggy.
ne man quickly sprang to the
,uggy, thrust his hands Into his vie
ms pockets and after II search
prang TO the ground, and with
nuttOrcd sIIr.es slrndn nu,a,, -