Telegram-herald., 1891-06-30

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II her hand The shaggy little beast
bounded away up the trail. nothing
10th. for he knew himself 10 be near
home.
''Ive bin down the valley fer r.edi-
cine fer pap. Am Just gettin' home, Il
she answered. and, although she spoke
the rude vernacular of the region. there
was a certain refinement in her tones
Barb, as she w as called by the en-
tire camp, was the daughter OF Sandy
Ellis. one of the better class of miners,
who. Ia his young days Ia Scotland. had
been the master of a village school. lie
married . pretty English girl whom he
met upon . summer journey in Derby
shire. and lured by stories Of fortunes
u be made In the Transatlantic world.
sought the western gold mines as his
quickest road 10 wealth. His delicate
wife soon succumbed 10 the hariships
of frontier life. and left him with Barb,
a child Of seven, some ten years before
car story opens
Barb had picked up some education
and had inherited refined tastes from
her mother, and as she grew older was
n comfort 10 her lonely father, who
guarded her with jealous care from the
rough associations of the various min
ing camps 20 which he wandered in
search Of wealth.
Capt George and Ellis were churns,
drawn together by mutual tastes and
mutual dislike of the vicious life OF q
miners camp. Their cabins were near
each other whenever their rude home
had happened TO be. A year ago they
had come together - share in the tolls
and triumphs of Las Cheritas. Sandv's
toll and triumphs, however. would soon
be over. for even the healing air of the
mountains had no power to stay the
progress of consumption, brought on
by winter of severe privation. and il
was plain to Barb that she would soon
lie fatherless. as well IS motherless-
With the proverbial hopefulness
which is q phase of his nalady, Sandy
was confident of his recovery. and
Capt George seemed to share his be-
lief Barb was not deceived as to the
truth, and as SIZE rode slowly along this
particular evening she thought Of her
future with sad forcbodings. ''Come,
set down here, Barb, I want TO talk to
We" The girls face flushed to the
roots of her brown hair. but she refused
to take the seat upon the bowlder to
which George motioned her.
George, pap is waitin' fer me-"
swell, let him wait. Ye're my girl
as much as pap's- Come. want to talk
to yer. And mind We. don't tell yer pap
what say. not fer two or three days at
least"
The girls blue eyes sought the ground
and the blush deepened. for her heart
throbbed painfully under the coarse
blouse.
I'D rather not listen jest now" she
said.
whats come to ye, child?" said the
man, half angrily.
Oh! blindness of man! You can look
upon the unfolding of the fairest flower
that ever blossomed in the human heart
and be unable to- distinguish it from the
meanest weed which grows by the way
side.
What had come to Barb? Love had
como to her. 1t had grown slowly with
her growth and strengthened with her
strength, until the man before her was
in her eyes the embodiment of all that
she had dreamed, read or hoped Of
earthly happiness His virtues were
to her superior to the virtues Of all
other men, and even his faults were
dear; and yet. such are the contradic-
tons of q mniden's nature, she shrank
from the words which she longed to
hear, and trembled In the presence Of
the man upon whose breast she would
gladly have laid her fair young head.
"What has come to yep" he repeated.
"Nothin'; will stop if We wish it."
she answered, gently, taking the prof
fered seat.
Capt. George flung himself upon
the ground ct her size, and in the brief
silence which followed Barb gazed ut
the turbid waterfall, which was strange
ly beautiful in the tender light. which
was neither twilight nor moonlight, and
became calm again.
At length George said In q dreamy
tone: Barb. I'm goin' home"
The girl involuntarily glanced up
ward 10 where Capt. Georges cabin
showed dinly through the dark tana-
racks.
Not there" he said. IN answer 10
her look; II mean home. my real home,
back in the states"
Barb caught her breath. and her voice
trembled little. "Whtn are We goin'?"
"Now; tomorrow"
She ciasped her hands tightly IN her
her lap and made no answer. and her
companion continued:
i've told ye II Ray. my brother. that
my dyin' mother placed in my arms and
charged me. though was only little
lad. to DO good 10 him Faithful, self
denyin', loyal. tender them were her
last words 70 nae, Barb
Barb looked at him with her heart IN
her eyes. and murmured 70 herself. In
audibly: Faithful. self-denyin'. loyal
tender
"ft's been mighty hard sometimes,
for I'm selfish brute naturally"
"You selfshl know you too we'll 70
believe 10"
After al. though. was father,
mother and brother 10 Ray till he was
fifteen. then came out west TO make
ray fortune. You sec, meant Ray to
have schoolin' and be gentleman"
"That was ten years ago.
"Yes. an ten years Is long time.
Hes man erowed nov, Is Ray, TWEEN
ty-hve years old; an fine man, scss
f}a-b see Aeref' He drew from an inrer
pocket cabinet photograph carefully
wrapped in piece u "a old newspaper