Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-03-15

The sun, an hour high, but only just
topping the greenish crests of the wheat,
was streaming like the morning breeze
through the open length of Tom Bent's
workshed. An exaggerated and pro-
longed shadow of the young inventor
himself at work beside his bench was
stretching itself far into the broken
down ranks of stalks toward the invis-
ible road, and falling at the very feet of
Rose Mallory as she emerged from them
She was very pale, very quiet and
very determined. The travelling mantle
thrown over her shoulders was dusty;
the ribbons that tied her hat under her
round chin had become unloosed. She
advanced, walking down the line of
shadow directly toward him.
~ am afraid l will have to trouble
you once more" she said, with faint
smile, which did not, however, reach
her perplexed eyes. Gould you give me
any kind of q conveyance that would
take me to San Jose at once?"
The young man had started at the
rustling of her dress in the shavings and
turned eagerly. The faintest indication
OF loss OF interest was visible for IN in.
slant in his face, but it quickly passed
into smile of recognition. Yet she felt
that he had neither noticed any change
in her appearance nor experienced any
wonder at seeing her there at that hour.
81 did not take buggy from the
house." she went on quickly, "for | left
| o,.1xy Nd l,I 20 l;st,,,h fi,n,,,
In fact they don't know that am gone.
was worried at not hearing news from
my father in San Francisco since the
earthquake, and l thought would run
down to San Jose to inquire without
putting them to any trouble. Anything
will do that you have ready if l can
take it at once"
Still, without exhibiting the least sur
prise, Bent nodded afirmatively, put
down his tools, begged her to wait mo-
ment and ran off in the direction of the
cabin. As he disappeared behind the
wheat she lapsed quite suddenly against
the work bench, but recovered herself a
moment after, leaning with her back
| dsSdllloU ~, nSl ~ VII
either side and her knit brows and de-
termined little face turned toward the
road. Then she stood erect again, shook
the dust out of her skirts, lifted her veil,
wiped her cheeks and brow with the
corner of small handkerchief and be-
gan walking up and down the length of
the shed as Bent reappeared.
He was accompanied by the man who
had first led her through the wheat. He
gazed upon her with apparently all the
curiosity and concern that the other had
lacked.
You want to get to San Jose as quick
as you cam" he said interrogatively.
"Yes," she said quickly, "if you can
help me-"
"You walked all the way from the
majors here?' he went on, without tax
ing his eyes from her face.
"Yes," she answered. with an affecta-
ton of carelsssness she had not shown
to Bent. "But started very early-it
was cool and pleasant-and didn't seem
far"
"T'll put you down in San Jose inside
the hour. You shall have my horse and
trotting sulky and I'll drive you myself
Will that do?"
She looked at him wonderingly She
had not forgotten his previous restraint
and gravity, but now his face seemed tC
have relaxed with some humorous salts.
faction. She felt herself coloring slightly
but whether with shame or relief she
could not tell.
~ shall be so much obliged to you,
she replied hesitatingly, "and so will my
father, know"
81 reckon" said the man, with the
same look of amused conjecture. Then
with a quick assuring nod, he turned
away and dived into the wheat again.
you're all right now, Miss Mallory,
said Bent complacently. Dawson will
fix it. He's got good horse, and he's
good driver, too" He paused, and ther
added pleasantly, Il suppose they're al
well up at the house?"
1t was so evident that his remark car
ried no personal meaning to herself tina
she was obliged to answer carelessly
"Oh, yes"
81 suppose you see good deal Of Mis-
( Randolph-Miss Adele, think you cal
? herr he remarked tentatively, ant
9 with certain boyish enthusiasm whicl
she had never conceived possible to hi
e nature.
Z "Yes," she replied little dryly. "Sh
! is the ouly young lady there" Sh
!. stopped, remembering Adele's naive de
e scription Of the man before her, AM
= said abruptly, "You know her them
+. "a little" replied the young maj
1 modestly. II see her pretty often whei
e am passing the upper end of the rancho
=. She's very well brought up, and he
}. manners are very refned-don't yo-
;. think so?-and yet she's just as simpl
and natural as country girl. There's
: great deal in education after all, ism
thereT he went ON confdentially; ian,
although"-he lowered his voice an
looked cautiously around him-"I be
lieve that some Of us here don't fanc
her mother much, there's no doubt tina
Mrs. Randolph knows how to bring Il
her children. Some people think tina
kind Of education is all artificial an
don't believe in it-but do!'
With the consciousness that she wa
running away from these people and th
shameful disclosure she had heard la
night, the recollection Of Adele's scar
dalous Interpretation Of her most innc
cent actions and her sudden and CON
plete revulsion against all that she ha
previously admired in that household
TO hear this man, who had seemed I
her living protest against their idea
and principles. now expressing them an
holding them mp for emulation, almo'