Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-12-20
CHATTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
SHE IS AFRAID TOO LATE
The next morning Kenneth awoke with
sense OF dread, as If some sorrow had
fallen. or were about to fall on him.
PRESENTLY he remembered the two
women N the room below. and . wearied,
hunted look came in his ewes.
Why had they come to break the peace
full solitude OF his LIE, to tempt him
back to self-contempt and misery with
their fair faces and false, win souls?
For two years he had lived here with
out feminine companion ship, without
honorably, working in the gold mines at
times, at others bury!ng himself in his
hut and studying with monastic severity;
and this new life had given him time to
see the folly Of his luxurious, idle past.
He began to wonder he could ever have
been pleased with such ch,ldlike pleas
ures as had been his former delight; he
whom Heaven had given wisdom and iu-
tellect and manly strength. had been no
better than the brainless dude of women's
boudoir.
In the great solitu de of the mountains
he began to comprehend Olga's words
! You are man; you can do anything"
he had determined he would show her
what he could do, and during his two
years absence from the sybarite life of
civilization he had labored in the gold
mines until he had gained fortune.
lie was now rich man, and within the
last month he had felt he had acquired
sufficiency to allow him to return East.
and ask a certain golden haired, brown
eyed girl to risk her future with him.
| All through the wretched poverty of his
first year here; all through his labors and
his hours of dreary solitude, hope had
cheered him to greater exertion. 1t was
| now realized.
| He could 60 back to Olga Astange, and.
looking her proudly and fearlessly in the
| eyes, say:
If my past was unworthy of your ideal
of mans life, l have atohed for it.; if 1
spent some of the best years of my man
hood in foolish pursuit of pleasure,
nave labored hard as payment for my
folly. all for you. In return, will YOU
trust yourself to me, and love me?"
He put all his hope for the future on
this girls answer; and vet he told him
self he had lived down evil.
He erected an idol, and worshiped Mt
its shrine; and while he broke this first
and great commandment, he censured
others for no. keeping lesser commands.
But within the last MONTH as he felt
his fortune secure, he had become rest
| less for fear-while he hal been toiling
for her, dreaming of her-Olga hal for
gotten him, and plighted her troth to an
other.
He wrote to Griffith to inquire about
her, and while he was impatiently await
ing reply these painted, frivolous.
worldly women, as he called Chris and
her companion, had sought out his home
like haunting memories of his old life;
like snakes in the Garden of Eden. to
! tempt him back to their level"
He did not want them here, with their
false hearts and their lovable manners
and beautiful faces.
He was almost jealous lest for a mo-
ment they should cause him to forget
| the goddess of his mind, and by their
present loneliness make pale the memory
of Olga's absent visage.
AS he reclined in the morning sunlight,
he realized that he was not SO strong as
he had thought himself, and that he was
almost inclined to be jealous of the man
Lisa Giraud had travelled SO far to be near.
Yet he was not surprised to find that
she had never loved him. He had not
been deceived by her pretense of atfec
ton the night he had parted from her; it
was only a manlike desire to be first that
made HIM angry to hear Lord Elgin saw
as he regarded Chris:
What a beautiful child that is. Ken.
nethl She looks more like an angel than
al actress"
He had not responded but as he fell
his heart stirred by tender emotion OF
admiration as he furtively gazed at Chris
he had almost been inclined to wish that
he had left the lord to perish in thu
mountain pass, rather than to have these
two women follow him here.
Il would not mind Lisa; as long as she
does not trouble me with her society she
can do as she likes; but that pitiful child
l wish out of my path" he told himself
as he made his morning toilet.
Presently he descended the ladde,
which led into the little apartment that
had been curtained from the lar4e room
for Lord EIgin's use, when Chris and
mademoiselle had slept in the only Other
chamber) and he found the invalid noble
man still asleep.
He was obliged to pass through the
other room to get out of the hut, but az
he heard mademoiselle moving about it.
he lifted the curtains formed by old
horse blankets) and entered the poor
place.
Mademoiselle's back was turned to him
as she knelt before the fireplace irving to
kindle some sticks. and she did not SEES
him; but from the ragged pillows Ken
saw Chris eyes looking up at him, and
slight flush stole over her face as she
met his gaze.
She did not know why, but she always
felt humble and timid. and vaguely dis
satisfied with herself when she saw Ken
meth.
She who had been SO calm and coldly
indifferent to others, trembled lest she
should not please him
He saw her embarrassment and thought |
she was unworthy to meet his eyes and |
her pretty face became almost thing of
scorn to him.
He did not speak to her or mademoi-
selle as he passed her on his way to the
door leading out on the mountains, and
with stern face gazed ON the beautiful
scene spread before him.
Il wonder, he calculated, almost angri-
ly, what unlucky fiend brought those
women here?"
All! if he could have known the re-
suit he would have done more than won
der.
ITO BE CONTINUED