Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-08-06
ICONCLUDED. |


A shadow fell across the doorway.
| Helen, looking up, saw a tall man
standing there. clad in all respects as
the other men Of the region were. The
wide hat, the blue flannel shirt with its
white ornamental stitchings, the jang-
| ling spurs and high riding boots were
all common enough. But Helen's heart
beat little faster as he addressed her
| after the stereotyped fashion:
Are the bosses here?'
"Both are on the range. They will
not be home before night"
She had risep to answer him, and
stood with her hands on the back of her
chair-a little paler than usual, and
growing look of terror in her widening
eyes. He had not removed his hat, and
his face was heavily bearded. They
stood silent for little space, and then
he barred his head with Il sudden gesture.
"Helen, don't you know me?"
She neither cried out nor tainted, she
stared at him with fixed horror in her
face.
Yes" she said il dull sort of way;
you were Payne Morse"
"Were? Do you take me for ghost?
~No, III Ill dIlN Z. IOu tlOIl dom liz W
come in-no matter" crossing the
threshOld-''rfO matter, I've something
to say, and now's the best time to say it,
He crossed the room and closed the
door that led to Sam Lees domain; she
stood watching him with bloodless face
and staring eyes.
Don't look so frightened, child"
There was something of the old musical
ring in his voice that had once been SO
sweet in her ears. With the memory
she shuddered through all her frame.
DO you hate me as much as that?"
facing her and looking down on her
with half-amused eyes. ''Well, was a
brute, but we had been such FOOLS
He paused, as if waiting for her to
speak.
Let me look at you-you haven't
grown younger. And you really
thought me dead? Well, I had mar
row chance for it. Look" He turned
his face and showed the track of bull
let across the temple and side of his
face. 1.-The officers knew better, but
they let it go at that-they didn't care
to report a successful escape"
Still she stood mute.
Cant you speak? A man might think
you were not glad to see him."
st is such a SURPRISE" she half whis-
pered, with rigid lips.
No doubt. Is that fellow going to
marry you? l happened to be in the
naighborhood last night and got the
benent of that scene-nice thing for a
man to be locking at-his own wife,
too. I'd great mind to send bullet
through his head"
HE did not know. He was as inno-
cent as | was
''Oh, no doubt-quite. No, Helen, that's
not fair. | always did do you justice
in my heart, in spite of your Internal
temper You've kept straight, know.
But what l came here for to-day was to
ask what he meant"
''He did mean that l should be his
wife,
Well" doubtfully, the law frees
you. If he's going to marry you, sup
pose it's all right
20. Payne, can't you see?-it's all
over. How can | marry with you Iv-
ing? l was happy for the first time in
all these years." piteously. Il have
been so hopeless, so despairing, and it
seemed as if | might live on forever"
where's the baby?"
Dead" with a little moan.
faint CULVER crossed his face. Its
a good thing, may be. And so you
won't marry because l happen to be
alive? And you don't love me, either.
Women are queer things. If I'd been
sure that he meant honest, I'd have
kept out of the way. A man can't see
his own wife imposed on, even if he has
gone back on her" half deprecatingly.
what are you going to do?" wildly.
Must go with you?'
go with me? No, thank you.
shall get away from here shortly. 1
had business here, and l give you my
word that / did not know you were
here when l came. But we shall finish
up shortly now, and then I'll be off.
And look here, you shan't be fooled
again. I'll make certain that you are
told when | do CO."
She had been standing all the while.
He came close to her now.
Cant you give me 4 kisS?" STOPPING
his still handsome face toward her.
80, no-no," she Shrank back shiver-
ing.
And your husband, too. You took
it much more coolly the other night"
with a careless laugh. ''WeIl, good |
bye. l shan't see you again, most
likely. Keep straight, Helen. 1 know
men better than you do. He's hand
some fellow-nOt much better than
was before l got this beauty-mark,
though-and just as likely to be no bet
ter Sort
She sank down on the floor as he went
cut. By and by she pulled down the
pillow from the couch near by, and lay
there sobbinG and shivering. Sam Lee