The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-07

was all right returned the young
girl, with a steadily rising pride and
color.
ssWot was all rigbt?' demanded Bill.
s'That l wasn't followed, and that he
could meet me on the road beyond CasS'
Ridge station She hesitated moment
and then, with still greater pride, in
which a youthful defiance was still
mingled, said: "I've run away from
home to marry him. And I mean to!
No one can stop me. Dad didn't like
him just because he was poor, and dads
got money. Dad wanted me to marry a
man | hate, and got a lot of dresses and
things to bribe me-
''And you're taking them in your
trunk to the other feIler?' said Bill,
grimly.
s.Yes, he's poor,'' returned the girl,
defiantly.
''Then your fathers name is MuIIins?"
asked Bill.
tits not Mullins. IL took that
name, - she hesitated, with her first ex-
bibition of self-consciousness.
'sWot is his name?'
ELI Hemmings."
a smile of relief and significance went
round the circle. The fame of Eli or
Skinner Hemmings, as notorious
miser and usurer, had passed even be-
yond Galloper's Ridge.
|
Mullins, need not tell you, is one OF
great gravity said Judge Thompson,
with certain paternal seriousness OF man
ner, in which, however, we were glad
to detect glaring affectation, land |
trust that you and your affianced have
fully weighed it. Far be it from me to
! interfere with or question the natural af-
! fections of two young people, but may |
ask you what you know OF the-er-
! XrOf inf yrOT, Won 20
rificing so much, and, perhaps, imperil-
ling your whole future? For instance,
have you known him long?'
The slightly troubled air of trying to
understandable unlike the vain wonder
ment of childhocd-with which Miss Null
Inns had received the beginning of this
exordium, changed to relieved smile OF
comprehension as she said quickly, sob
yes, nearly whole year,
''Oh, yes,'' she returned, she's col
lector."
"a collector?'
"Yes; he collects bills, you know,
money!" she went on, with childish
eagerness, mot for himself-he never
has any money, poor Charley--but Tor his
firm. It's dreadful hard work, too; keeps
him out for days and nights, over bad
roads and baddest weather. Sometimes
when he's stole over to the ranch just to
see me, he's been so bad he could scarcely
keep his seat in the saddle, much less
stand. And he's got to take mighty big
risks, too. Times the folks are cross with
him and won't pay; once they shot him
in the arm, and he came to me, and l
helped do it up for him. But ne dom t
mind. He's real brave; Just as brave as
he's good.' There was such whole
some ring of truth in this pretty praise
that we we're touched in sympathy with
the speaker.
'sWhat firm does he collect for?' asked
the judge, gently.
81 don't know exactly-he won't tell
me-but think its Spanish firm. You
see" she took us all into her condolences
with a sweeping smile of innocent yet
half mischievous artfulness-''I only
know because 1 peeped over letter he
once got from his firm, telling him he
must hustle up ard be ready for the road
the next day-but think the name was
Martinez-yes Ramon Martinez.'
In the dead silence that ensued-a 81
lence so profound that we could hear the
horses in the distant stable yard rafting
| their harness-one of the younger Eek
celsior' boys burst into hysteric laugh,
but the fierce eye of Yuba Bill was down
upon him, and seemed to instantly stiffen
him into a silent grinning mask. The
| young girl, however, took no note of it;
following out, with loVer-l1ke dlnuS1ve-
ness, the "reminiscences thus awakened,
she went on:
sYes, it's mighty hard work, but he
says Its all for me, and as soon as WEI re
married he'll quit. He might have quit
it before, but he won't take no money of
me, nor what told him could get out
of dad! That amt his style. He's mighty
proud-if he is poor-is Charley. Why
thar's all mas money which she left me
in the savin's bank that wanted to draw
out-for | had the right-and give it to
him, but he wouldn't hear of it! Why,
he wouldn't take one of the things I've
got with me, ii he knew it. And so ne
goes on ridin' an ridin', here and there
and everywhere, and gettin' more and
more played out and sad, and thin and
pale as a spirit, and always so uneasy
about his business, and startin' up at
times when we re meetin' out in the South
Woods or in the far clearin', and sayin' {:
Il must be goin' now, Polly and yet
, always tryin' to be chiffie and chip
per afore me. Why, he must have rid
miles and miles to have watched for me
thar in the brush at the foot of Galloper' 8
tonight, jest to see if all was safe, and
! Lordy! I'd have given him the signal and
showed a light if I'd died for 1t the next
mint. There! That's what l know OF
Carbohydrates what Pm running away