The National tribune., 1892-05-26

| ID "
4 | i. ]
K<sF 30 s~-3TffI-a caught sight of fault
| fJGEs r EHN)ss less figure, and saw that
| III di IH ELW!lil- the girl who watched
| lY%JI II lA-4l[M he instrument was
| E%2l II I-S2z1ss reading in the last light
| ZII<<zd -77.yr-,1 of the dying day. He
| N|fftsla II A. 't.G,nh, knew her, Sam did, and
,S''sGY%A Fs7sa>St,!$iI he had often wondered
| s'i"- Fl Xxx what had brought her
s..---r.-s7-'S nv < from pleasant home
! fES $'r, IhYTN ut the North to a sta
* So tll5&as .}fsH ion like that In the
!irs neart of the Gila coun-
H., Observation-Disclosures NV w try.
''h'a a'ii'eh' The very loneliness
| of the place had thrown them more or less TO-
gether, but nothing like love had, as yet passed
between them, though Sam, old soldier that he
was, had thought what pretty wife he would
| have If he could win her.
They're not all alike, the women" he
would say to himself, when he was watching
her from the platform, half fearing to address
| her, though he knew that he would meet win
a welcome, no matter how busy she was The
boys used to say in the army that was doomed
| to live out my days without wife, but don't
| know. | rather like Bess-perhaps because
we're both from the same State; butt
| This would always be the end of his musing,
and he would steal away if Bess happened to
come in siglt, and she would see nothing more
of him the rest of the day.
But on this particular afternoon Sam came
to the door, and touched his hat to the girl,
who laid the book aside and asked him II
storm was coming.
81 don't know about that" said Sam. 81
don't think we're going to have the sort OF
storm you fear, Miss Bess, but the Indians are
up again down on the rFer, and were apt TO
have trouble with them"
"Oh, | hope not They came by here to-day,
and nodded pleasantly to me. But, look here,
one of your old army companions dropped in
upon me this afternoon"
"One of my pards?" echoed Sam.
AT least he said he was"
"What did he call himself?"
"Jack Dawson"
Tn an instant Sam fell back, white at the
lips, and the girl, who happened to be looking
at his hands saw them shut impulsively.
(Which way did he go?" he asked.
81 can't tell you, as did not pay much at
tention TO him after he left the Office"
81 didn't know he was in these parts" stam-
mered Sam. "We haven't met since the war,
and now p
He stopped again. 1t was evident that the
visit of his old army pard worried him. He did
not like the thought Of Jack Dawson coming to
these parts, at least not while such vision of
female loveliness filled the chair in the tele-
graph Office.
Bess turned and looked after him moment,
and then went back to her novel.
fashion 2" unused Sam. "That old quarrel
sticks in his craw yet, and we will have to have
settlement when we come together Jack
Dawson, it was the day before the opening at
Gettysburg, and you took the initiative and
gave me that brutal insult. 1t was all about a
girl, but she's been dead these 10 years, and
neither of US won her, and now you como down
here Just to rob me again"
He was walking beside his horse, and now
and then looking down the trail seemed to see
the dark objects that lowered over it. They
had great, dark wings, and he wondered how
many human bones they had picked that day
on the Great Desert.
81 wonder where he holds FORTH" he mused
again. Bess didn't know, so would have
received no news if had asked her."
He rode on an on toward his own shanty,
which was some miles distant from the lonely
station where Bess held down the keys, and
night overlook him at his own door.
Sam Chester was Ill at ease. The episode at
the little way-station annoyed him. He could
not get over what Bess had told him about the
presence of his old rival in the vicinity, and
he wondered where Jack had located.
"Pm not going to stop till I've found him.
We've got to fight it out some time and it may
as we'll be now. This world big as it is Is too
small for both of us and the meeting has to
come. I'll take the Wildfre trail after I've
had bite, and mebbe Pll hear something OF
him in that direction"
Sam was as good as his word, and after bite
he mounted his horse and rode away.
The old ranchman knew the trails of the re-
gion. Danger had never daunted him, and
from being the devil of the regiment he could
be as gentle as q woman and his hands were as
soft as girls.
Three hours later Sam was long distance
from his bachelor home, and in the widest
part of the Gila country.
He was creeping up on shanty which he
had never seen before and his eyes were start
ing from his head while they contemplated
man who stood in front of the door quietly
smoking. The full moonlight of that warm
Spring night fell upon him and revealed him
to the old soldier, and while Sam regarded him
other days seemed to come back and he sud-
denly turned his face away.
"Its him." he said half aloud. "It's Jack
as large as life, and the only enemy l had in
the old army"
Sam crept nearer, leading his horse by the
rein, and when near the cabin he stopped and
seemed to draw back with q dark frown.
"He doesn't look for me. No, he never
dreams that / am here aud could startle him
out of his boots"
All at once the man in front of the shanty
knocked the ashes from his pipe and looked
up.
What did he see?
In the light stood the man he had not met
for nearly 20 years!
For q moment the twain stood face to face,
and Sam. advancing impulsively said:
"At last! You didn't look for me, Jack,
eh?"
Dawson smiled
"For you in this countryf Heavens, no! I
heard you were somewhere In Arizona, but
never though of being surprised In this man
ner."
Sam knew not what to say. The mans
manner did not indicate hatred but he remem-