The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-12-31

followed.
The postmaster of Big Elm wa
watching from the window Of his cabil
as the young couple rode into the yart
and halted.
Say, mother" he cried. with sudder
excitement, ''ain't that young Ton
Hartley out there with Bess?"
Kind-faced Mrs. Fowler looked owe
her husbands shoulder from the win
dow and surveyed the handsome youn,
fellow who was In the act Of assisting
Bessie to dismount.
why, ! do believe Il Is Tom" she re
turned. How handsome he's growr
to be-
"Han1sone, the dickens" and he
strobe toward the door angrily. ''I1I
pay him for his impudence in ridin
with our Bess."
FIinging the door open he faced Bes.
sizes escort with an angry fash in his
eyes
81 don't ask any odds of any Hart.
ley" he said, gruffiy. brushing Tom
aside. II can help my own gal off her
pony"
Father" mildly demonstrated Mrs.
Fowler from the doorway.
81 mean itr' he went on, rudely drag
ging Bess from her saddle. Now you
go in the cabin and stay there. Bcss,
and you," to Tom, get on your beast
and ride back to your dads ranch. !
amt goin' to have You hangin' round
here. film my gals head full o. nom
sense"
Bess staggered into her mothers
arms, and hid her burning face on that
sympathetic breast. Tom Hartley's in
d~ignation was aroused against the old
man, but by a great effort he con
trolled himself to speak calmly:
"See here, Mr.. Fowler, what's the
sense In letting your old misunder-
standing with father separate Bessie
and me? 1 love her truly, and ! b believe
I could make her very happy" Tom
went on, fearlessly. Its New Years
tomorrow, and / think you and father
had better bury that old fuss and be
friends again. He's willing if you are.
1t would make Mrs. Fowler and
mother happy, l know. Come, begin
the New Year with all the old dis
putes and dislikes cast away, and let
Bessie and me enjoy an unclouded hap
piness."
New Years be hanged,"' replied
Fowler, adniring Tom Hartley's spirit,
although he was resolved to be unre-
lenting. You can tell your father l
amt willing to make up if he is. /
oinsf forDAt oil ha cosl onl ia met nc
lief begin my calendar of the New
Year with that old fuss as with any
thing else. Ride on, and don't come
back to Big Elm any more. You can't
nave Bess. and you're not needed here"
and, pushing his wife nd daughter into
the cabin. he shut the door almost in
Toms face.
Singing with indignation, the young
fellow mounted his horse and rode
away. As he passed the window he
had a brief glimpse of pretty Bess cry
ing her dark yes red on her mothers
shoulder. The sight almost maddened
him, and he felt disposed to ride back,
force an entrance, and carry her away
from that unreasonable OGRE" her
father.
But who knows?" he communed
with himself. THE New Year may
bring about something for Bessie and
me. No need to make the fuss worse,
if | haven't done so already. Maybe
the old man will cool off a little. I'll
wait and see" and he rode on.
Then he began calling his father and
the postmaster at Big Elm rather I'M
pleasant names for being SO foolish as
to allow a slight mistake to cause such
a disruption of friendship. Why
couldn't folks exercise more sense,
more dispassion in the affairs of busi-
ness? 1t would saw SO much trouble
if they only would.
The sun had set. Darkness was set
Ting over the prairie, and the stars
were beginning to appear here and
there in the blue vault above him. But,
the ~lateness, Tom Hartley
rode IN, he cared not where. He was
in no mood to go home, and. as a kind
of reaction of the condemnation he had
been showering out, his heart became
and he began to entertain ap-
of his ever being able to
win Bessie Fowler.
1t was growing chilly, SO he spurred
hrs horse into a reckless gallop. This
rate of travel suited him better, and he
let the spirited animal go as fast as he
pleased.
They had just entered some low,
woody bluffs along a stream. when the
horse caught one of its forefeet in a
deep rut and stumbled, fiinging its rider
violently to the rocky ground.
Frightened at its own mishap, the
horse extricated himself and went tear
ing of across the prairie, leaving its
where he had fallen
Tom Hartley was too stunned to
for several minutes. When he
lid at last attempt to rise he realized
hat his right arm was badly sprained.
But congratulating himself on hav-
ng escaped worse injury. he started
the stream, resolved to refresh
with a sup Of water, then hur-
y to the ranch, where he knew the re-
urn of his horse without its rider would
reate alarm.
He was picking his way around a
bluff when voices suddenly attracted ,
lis attention. ,
Two men were earnestly engaged in {
conversation not ten feet from where
lie halted. I
He was about to pass on when he I
them pronounce a certain name. {
This determined him to listen, and, I
into a dark niche of the bluff, 9
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