Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-12-17

''Going away" she repeated; then
/ you have stro:l1 gold2' she asked, ten
tatively, land are going to sell?"
He smiled slightly. Eyes, I have
struck gold, he said; 81 have come
into some money in the east, and
think there are better places to spend
/ it in than in Last Chance"
yes, you're right" she said; Its
not much of life and it viii be still
worse, now that you are gong away"
"Then why don't you leave it." he
said. THAT is what I have come to
say-as soon as heard had come in
| 70 this money I put over here TO tell
/ you | want you TO 60 TO the states
with me. Let us 90 back and spend
/ our lives together in a civilized land
among Gods own people. Heaven
/ knows we've seen enough of the other
| kind.
The girl drew back and stood silent
and dazed. Her eyes wandered from
/ his to the window, and then back
/ again, the color came and went quick
I Il from her face, the folds in her i'll
] fitting dress seemed to fill out, and
/ for the time she looked like tall,
/ f1ll-grown woman. "You want me TO
marry you and leave Drummond and
dad, she said.
Eyes, why shouldn't you?" he ran on,
! speaking earnestly and quickly. you
are lost here. think of the difference
of your position here and there. Why,
these people don't even appreciate
you. You haven't friend or compan-
ion in the place; think of all you would
find in the east, friends who would I'M
derstand you, and where you would be
mistress of your own home, while here
they treat you little better than sery-
ant"
Not all, she interrupte him. dad
don't. Dad treats me pretty white"
well, even if he does. He's old now,
and when he's gone you viii be left
completely alone.
But if he is getting old, " said the
girl, Il think perhaps | ought all the
more to stay by him Think of what
he has done for me. For ten years he's
been just like father to me; he's kept
me and clothed me; and even when
liquor gets the best of him he doesn't
treat me as bad as he might It's no
use" she added, desperately, "he
would never think of it. l know he
wouldn't"
''Of course he wouldn't" he said.
''You must run away. Its easy enough
with the train passing the very door"
You must give me time, she said
you must give me time; / must have
time to think"
''Of course" he said, 81 shall not
start until midnight, and when l doyou
will go with me-" He moved toward
her, and, putting his arm about her, he
drew the girl toward him. Ever since
he had first spoken to her of marriage
she had seemed almost dazed, but the
actual touch of the man she loved
brought her back to herself, and for
the first time she recognized that she
was woman hearing the first offer of
her life, and so she gave herself up to
her woman's inclination, and instead
of pouring out her doubts and troubles,
chose the easiest way to forget them
and sobbcd over them on his shoulder.
In an hour she was standing on the
balcony of the Last Chance" waving
her handkerchief to the hOrseman
riding slowly over the first hin that
was soon to hide him from sight He
turned as he reached the summit,
waved his sombrero and was lost be-
hind the brown grass waving on its
crest.
The next hour was the longest she
had ever known. She knew that she
should spend it in weighing fairly the
reasons for and against her leaving
Drummond, and, above all, the old
man, who in his rough, uncouth way
had tried to be good father to her.
During the first hour she changed her
mind many times and then she gave it
up, for she knew that it would be in
the last few minutes that she would
finally decide. Sac hardly dared con-
fess 1t to herself, but when he returned
she knew it would be so much easier
for her TO determine to leave her dis
reputable friends and home for one
that was better and purer The train
FOR the east passed Drummond at mid
night, and he had arranged with her
that he should come to the house late
in the evening, and, while she got him
his supper in the dining-room, they
were to make their final plans.
When night came she went down
| into the kitchen to help the servants,
ostensibly on account of the large
number of men staying at the Last
| Chance" but, in reality not to be left
| alone and that she might have some
thing to keep her busy, that the time
might pass the more quickly, AT nine
o'clock she left the kitchen, went to
her room and packed in small satchel
| the few clothes she owned that were
worth taking away-not that she had
decided positively to leave, but that if
she did she would be prepared Then
she went out on the balcony and waited
for her lover to come.
At little before ten the Pilgrim rode
up to the inn and, tying his horse out
side, went 70 the bar and ordered his
supper. A few minutes later the girl
and himself were together in the din
ing-room, and for the next hour he
argued against her dragging out her
days in Drummond. During this time