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

her thst he half suspected she was running
away from the RANDOLPH, and that she
wished 70 avoid thu embarrassment of be-
ing overtakea sven IN persuasive pursuit.
Il was not possible that be knew The cause
of her fight, and vet she could not account
for his evident desire b betrisnd her, nor
above all fo< bis apparently humorous en-
joymsnt Of the sitnstien.
Had he taken it gravely shs might have
been tempted to PARTLY coride n him and
ask his advice. Was she doing right, after
any Ought she not TO have stayed long
enough to speak her mind % Mrs. Ran
dolph and demand 20 be sent home, Mol
She had not only shruak from repesting
the infamous slander she had overheard,
but she had q terrible fear that If she had
done so Mrs. Randolph was capable Of de-
nying it, or even charging her with being
still under the influence OF the earthquake
shock and of walking in her sleep. No!
She could not trust her-she could trust
no one there. Had not even the major lis
tened to those infamous ness Had she
not seen that he was helpless in the hands
of this cabal In his own household-a ca
bal that she herself had thoughtlessly
Joined against himi.
They had reached the first slight ascent.
Her companion drew out his watch, looked
at it with satisfaction and changed the po-
sition Of his hands on the reins Without
being able to detect the difference she
felt they were slackening speed. She
turned inquiringly toward him. He nod
ded his head with a half smile and gest-
ure to her to look ahead. The spires Of San
Jose were already family uplifting from
the distant fringe of oaks.
So soonl In half an hour she would be
there-and them She remembered sud
denly she had not yet determined what TO
do. Should she 60 on at once TO San Fran
cisco or telegraph TO her father and await
him at San jose In either case new fear
of the precipitancy of her action and the
inadequacy of her reasons had sprung up
in her mind. Would her father understand
herr Would he underrate the cause and
be mo flied at the insult she had given the
family of his old friend, or, more dreadful
still, would he exAggerate her wrongs and
seek a personal quarrel with the majorS
He was man Of quick temper and had the
western ideas Of redress. Perhaps even
now she was preGpitating duel between
them! Her cheeks grew wan again, her
breath came quickly; tears gathered IN her
eyes. Oh, she was dreadful girl, she
knew i'll She was an utterly miserable
one, and she knew that, too!
The reins were frightened, the pace les
sened and at last fell to a walk. Conscious
Of her telltale eyes and troubled face she
dared not turn to her companion to ask
him why, but glanced across the fields
when you first came | didn't get to
know your name, Miss Mallory, but l
reckon know your father"
Her fatherl What made him say that.
She wanted to speak but she felt she could
not. In another moment, if he went on,
she must do something-she would cryi
II reckon you'll be wanting to go to the
hotel first anyway"
Therel she knew it, He would keep onI
And now she had burst into tears.
The mare was still walking slowly; the
man was lazily bending over the shafts as
if nothing had occurred. Then suddenly,
illogically, and without a moments warn
ing, the pride that had sustained her
crumbled, and became as the dust in the
road. She burst out and told him-this
stranger this man she had dislikedl-all
and everything. How she had felt. how
she had been deceived, and what she had
overheard.
Thought as much, said her companion
quietly, land that's why 1 sent for your
father"
You sent for my father? When
wherei" said Rose in astonishnent.
Yesterday. He WIS 20 come today, and
If we don't find him ct the hotel 1t will be
because he has already started to come
here by the upper and longer road. But
l.. Il 4 -
thing to him Of this now. II he's at the
hotel II say drove you down to show off
the mare. Sabe' II be isn't III leave you
there and come back here to find him. Pve
got something to tell him that will set you
all .ght." He smiled grimly, lifted the
reins, the mare started forward again, and
the vehicle and its occupants disappeared
in a vanishing dust cloud.