Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-06

climbed upward on both sides of her.
far, far-interminably She had turned
and twisted about so sinuously among
the scraggy bushes and the thick trees
that she had grown bewildered. Which
of these upward-climbing trails ought
she to take to get back to Ninette?
Only to Ninette. There was no one
else she cared to go back to in all the
wide world. One of them she must
take. She could not spend the night
there, where every rustic among the
dry twigs conjured up the Shiny con-
volutions of a rattlesnake or a deadly
moccasin. She made her choice. She
climbed upward, steadily, YEARLY, but
rapidly. The steep walls began to fall
away from her. The shadows grew
less black. The gray sky once more
spread before her in an unbroken ex-
panse over a treeless field. But-she
was on the wrong side of the bayou!
She was quite sure she had never Seen
that small cabin, almost hidden away
under heavy gourd-vine growth
There was glow as of fire, shining
family through the cracks of the daubed
log walls. At least here was humanity
and possible guide back through that
terrible bayou.
She approached the door of the hut
timorously and pushed it open. There
was no one inside. wood fire burned
low upon the hearth, but evidently it
had not been replenished for quite
awhile. The logs had fallen apart, and
their charred ends pointed upward in
depeudently of each other But warmth
and Sha1ta- both 1vara hare
She was shivering from exposure,
fatigue and excitement. Even that neg
lected fire in a negro cabin was comfort
ing. Two rough splint-bottomed chairs
stood in front of the fireplace. Nora
flung herself into one and spread her
chilled hands out over the blaze It was
inadequate to her needs. With a pet
ulant movement she reached for the
clumsy tongs and brought the divorced
logs into closer connection. A bright
flame leaped up to reward her for her en-
ergy, and brought into view something
which had escaped her notice in the
previous obscurity of the room.
1t was woulan's handkerchief-a
plain white hemstitched affair, marked,
in ink, II. F."
Nora held it before the blaze hall
second, then with g. curious smile about
her white lips began slowly smoothing
it out upon her knees. When it was as
smooth as she could possibly make it by
that process, she folded it and laid it
away in her pocket
She had forgotten. where she was
forgotten the necessity for getting
home, even for Ninette's sake She sat
there staring into the mended fire, now
folding her hands patiently, now twist
ing and twining the slim white fingers
about each other in perfect passion OF
unrest. She was reminded of her where
abouts by harsh but not disrespectful
voice in the door of the cabin. asking,
supposedly:
You here yet, Missy"
She sprang up quickly, and, turning
her back upon the bright blaze, an
swered, promptly:
''Yes, am here yet, waiting for you
to see me home"
II thought Mars John promised to
see you home?"
1t was evident this humble house.
holder did not relish turning out again
in the raw air. He. shufaed slowly
towards her.
81 let him go without me" said Nora,
family.
''You oughtn' t'had done that, Miss
Idly. Mr.. Johns younger than oil
Isham, and a safer guide in the dark