Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-12-27

week. Mary's cheeks, never very full
of color, had grown pale and heavy,
and blue lines beneath her large eyes
told of sleepless nights and many
tears.
Yet, Paul Harding-"B Beauty" Paul,
as he was called in the canyon-thought
he had never seen Mary 50 lovely, as
he clattered up to the door of the
| postoflice one morning, and asked the
young postmistress if there was any
thing for him.
He watched, with his handsome
dark eyes, her small white fingers go
through the letterslying on the counter
| before her.
But she finally shook her head.
Nothing for you to-day"
Yet Paul seemed loath to go. He
pulled his long, tawny mustache,
jingled his spurred boots upon the
| floor, and continued to stare through
the pigeon-hole window at the girl, as
she fitted about her usual business.
Anything can do for you?" she
asked him presently.
No." Paul said slowly, taking in
every detail of the girls pretty figure,
clad in cotton frock of gentian blue.
"But might I speak to you one minute
-privately?"l
"You can say what you've got to say
where you are.
He stared silently, first at his boots,
and as his eyes wandered up they lit
on the snowy shelves of bright and
simple utensils and shining saucepans
which lined the walls.
"How different you keep your place
from what a mans shanty is"
But she stayed his compliments.
''You live down by the Blue Pools,
don't you?"
Eyes. next to Reuben Halse till his
place was burnt out and he came into
my shanty. I saw Rube three days
back.
"You saw Rube?" Mary clasped her
hands above her heart.
eyes. He and his chums passed
through Long Toms ranch. I've been
out there this two months past helping
him brand and count the cattle. Rube
told me that you and he had parted
and the reason why. He asked me to
look after you bit. You see, we'd
been good pals, and I'd like to do him
turn when he's gone under. You
will let me look after you now and
again, won't you, for Rube's sake?"
The handsome cowboy, straight as
dart, tail and strong as giant, clad
in the picturesquely rough clothes Of
his calling, bent like reed before the
tiny blue-clad figure of the post-mls-
tress, who laid slender white hand in
his great palm and lifted her violet
eyes to his dark ones.
Surely, Paul Harding, for Rube's
sake, you may look after me when 1
can't look after myself"
With that soft glance burning in
his brain and those gentle words pulls
ing in his ears, Beauty" Paul swung
himself into his peaked saddle and
sent his horse full speed down the hill
to Ffolliotts saloon.
1t was for Rube's sake that the fol-
lowing Sunday Paul dressed himself
in his best, brought a little two
wheeled cart, gay with bells and
bright colors, to Mary's door and
asked her to drive out with him.
The day was fair, and "Beauty"
Paul amused her with stories of Rube,
and when they came to an end he told
her of his own home, in the heart of a
green county in England. He made
her laugh with his tales of college
life, and shudder with his description
of the campaign in Egypt, which he
had gone through. Only he did not
tell her how he, an English gentle
man and gallant officer, came to be
loafng and drinking and gambling
away his days and his health in the
Great White canyon. Paul Harding
degraded as he was, and lacking in
reverence for women-at least had too
much respect for the little post mis-
tress to tell her that black page in his
| life.
| The day was an entire success, but
| it left bitter after-taste in Marys
mouth when she heard the next morn
ing that Paul had spent the night at
Ffolliott's, drinking and brawling till
dawn.
The next Sunday Mary shut herself
within her log cabin, and neither the
blue sky nor the gay cart and smartly
caparisoned horse nor Beauty" Paul
himself could wheedle her out. She
would not be seen, she said sternly.
with one of Ffolliott's lot. She, how
ever, relented and forgave him on his
promise to amend for her sake.
As weeks and months went by, and
the green of the canyon changed to
red and gold, Paul found that, if he
was to "look after" Mary, he had to
give up the saloon.
And, indeed, for space, Ffolliott's
knew him not; till one October morn
ing his allowance-the money which
bought his family freedom from his
disgraceful presence-arrived from
England. For the next week Ffol-
liott's was pandemonium, with the
1 I