The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-08-12

ler from the room. W men tQey naQ
disappeared in the distance she turned
to the front door, unbOlted and opened
! it. Hays blundered in out Of the snow
with a mnttered exclamation, and then,
as the light from the open office door
revealed a stranger, started and fell
back.
Miss Hays is busy" said the woman
! quietly. Il am afraid. on my account.
But my sleigh broke down On the way
| to the hotel, and l was forced TO get out
here. suppose this is Mr.. Hays?"
| A strange woman-by her dress and
appearance a very wording, and even
/ Drawer in looks and apparel than many
/ he had seen in the cities-had, in spite
of all his precautions, fallen short Of the
hotel and been precipitated upon him.
| Yet under the influence OF some odd abb
straction he was affected by it less than
| he could have believed. He even achieved
rude bow as he bolted the door and
ushered her into the office. More than
that, he found himself explaining to this
fair trespasser the reasons OF his return
to his own home; for, like direct man,
he had a consciousness Of some incOn-
sistency in his return, or in the circum-
! stances that induced change of plans,
which might conscientiously require an
explanation.
you see, ma am. a rather singular
thing happened to me after passed the
| Summit. Three times lost the track,
| got of it somehow, and found myself
travelling in a circle. The third time,
when 1 struck my own tracks again,
concluded I'd just follow them back
here. suppose l might have got the
road again by trying and fghtin' the
snow, but there's some things not worth
the fghtin'. This was a matter OF bust
ness, and, after, all, ma'am, business
amt everything; is it,
He was evidently in some unusual
mood, the mood that with certain reti-
cent natures often compels them to
make their brief confidence to utter
strangers rather than impart them TO
those intimate friends who might after
ward remind them of their weakness.
! She agreed with him pleasantly, but
not so obviously as to excite suspicion.
And you preferred to let your business
60. and come back to the comfort of
your own home and family"
The comfort Of my home andfamily?"
he repeated in dry. deliberate voice.
We'll, l reckon l amt been tempted
much by that. That isn't what [ meant. :"
But he went back TO the phrase, repeat
ing il grimly, as if if were some manda-
tory text. The comfort OF my own
home and family, Well, Satan hasn't
set that trap for my feet yet, ma am.
No, le saw my dau. liter? we'll that's
all my family; We see this room? that 5
all my home. Ny wife ran away from
me: my daughter cleared out, too: my
eldest son, as was with NE here. quo He'd
with me and reckOns to set up a rival
business against me. No." he said,
still more meditatively and deliberately,
1T wasn't to come back to the comforts
OF my own home and family that I faced
round on Heavytree Hill. l reckon"
As the woman, for rtain reasons,
had no desire TO check this suspicious
and unlooked-for confidence, she pa
tiently waited. Hays remained silent
for an instant, warming his hands be-
fore the fire, and then looked up inter-
negatively.
A professor of religion, ma am, or
under Conviction
Not exactly said the lady, smiling.
Excuse me, but in spite of your fine
clothes, reckoned you had serious
look Just now. A reader of scripture,
maybe?"
L know the Bible"
the flaming sword appeared unto Saul
on the road to Damascus
Yes"
1T mout hev been suthin' in that style
that stopped me- he said slowly and
tentatively. Though naturally didn't
see anything, and only had the queer
feelin' 1t might hev been that that
SHE'D my mare off the track.
P,,%C Go, 70 al
wasn't he?" said the lady, smilingly,
while You were simply going some
where on business"
Yes" said Hays. thoughtfully, but
my business might hev seemed like per-
secution. l don't mind tellin' you what
it was if you'd care to listen. But meb-
bee you're tired. Mebbee you want to
retire You know" he went on with a
sudden hospitable outburst, you
needn't be in any hurry TO go: we kin
take care of you here tonight. and it'll
cost you nothin' And I'll send you on
with my sleigh in the mornin'. Per'aps
you'll like suthin' TO eat-a cup of tea
or-I'll call Zuleika. and he rose with
an expression of awkward courtesy.
But the lady, albeit, with self-satis-
fed sparkle in her dark eyes, here care
lessly assured him that Zuleika had al
ready given her refreshment, and. in
deed, was a that moment preparing her
own room for her. She begged he would
not interrupt his interesting story.
Hays looked relieved.
Well. I reckon / won't call her, for
what 1 was goin' to say amt exactly
the sort o thin for an innocent, simple
sort O. thing like her TO hear-I mean,
he interrupted himself hastily, that
folks Of more experience Of the world
like you and me don't mind speakin' Of
I'm sorter takin' it for granted that
! you're married woman, ma am"
The lady who had regarded him with
sudden rigidity here relaxed her ex-
preston and nodded.
Well" continued Hays, resuming his
place by the fire, you see this yer man
1 was goin' to see lives about four miles
beyond the Summit on a ranch that
| furnishes most Of the hay for the stock
that side Of the divide. He's bin holdin'
of his next years contract with me,
] hopin' to make better terms from the
| DroSns,cfS Of a Late cpripp anN HIGHER