The Press., 1894-12-20

That night every horse worth taking was stolen from the Tryon and Bronson ranch, and with the rest Helen's Rebec- a. But the third day afterward Rebec- c;l was found in the morning tied before the door, with as handsome bridle and lady's saddle as the country afforded and with card appended, Captain Gordon's s compliments to Helen Tryon. '"
 "He ought to have said to the heroine of Pine Gulch," Harry said, with deep disgust Perhaps Mrs. Morse is in it, too, " Bronson suggested shyly. "Yo ou re quite sure that Captain Gordon isn't $ friend of yours? Appearances are against you. First the diamond"- and he stopped short as the tears rose in Helen's eyes.
 II didn't mean anything" lie ex- plained humbly to Harry afterward.
 "Who ever supposed you did? Do you imagine you are ever going to under stand what woman finds to cry about?" he said wrathfully. '"They don't know themselves half the time. "
 But, after all, it was not Helen at whom he was storming. An extra meet ing of the Horse Thief league was sum- d month wore away peaceably.
 Time did not stand still for Helen and Helen's lover. He did not again refer in words to that declaration of his, but not an hour spent ill her society did not plead his cause He took it for granted that his love for her was a thing complete of itself, without hope Cf return. Perhaps that attitude was his strongest plea. Something ill his pa tience seemed wonderful to her. She could as soon have built the pyramids. She was one of those positive people to whom no half measure is possible That a man should mako ylch al avowal as that and then should It the days go on ill such commonplace, cheerful, uu- marked fashion reused a new, wonder ing interest ill her mind.
 Little by little, unconscious of the gradations of feeling, her whole mental attitude changed. She owned now with a shudder that if Payne Morse were to cross her path for the first time she would probably be repelled rather than attracted. She had fallen ill love with an ideal, and the living, breathing facts did not bear out the fancy. And the next shock was to realize that she had not yet done with ideals, and todays hero was in nOwise like yesterdays.
 Clearly Helen Morse's days of passive suffering were over. She was silent still, but her silence was dreamy instead of coldly hopeless. And unwonted bursts of petulance stirred the even tenor of the days.
 "What has happened to Helen?" liar ry asked wonderingly one day. "Well, anything is better than seeing her go did for three years. y
 But Harry was too much absorbed in devising schemes whereby Captain Cor don's band might come to grief to heed such small bits of melodrama as falling in love, nopelessly or otherwise
 One night it came to pass that after one of the brief, tremendous storms of wind and rain peculiar to the latitude Helen answered her brothers hail from the outer darkness and opened the door to find him and one of the herders hold weight and recognized the white face of Frank Bronson's
 ''Is he dead?" she asked quietly.
 "I don't know. Only stunned, I fan cy. Set Sam Lee to heating water and rummaging our fannels. A tree fell as we were coming through the timber and knocked him out of his saddle. What a mercy you are not of the screaming fainting kind!"
 Harry was giving explanations and orders in sort of running accompani- ment that barely yelled his own anxie- ty. Helen, pale, silent and helpful, obeyed implicitly. When Bronson open ed his eyes at last, her face was the first he saw as his swimming vision steadied itself. He put out his hand and she laid hers within it. There was good deal in the act. She was not a woman prodigal of such expressions The heavy blue eyes opened with eager inquiry.
 "You must be very quiet, she said with a smile. She did not withdraw her hand, and with a long sigh of relief he turned toward her and fell asleep.
 He was out and about his business next day, though ill a rather shaky fash ion. All day Helen went about with @ half guilty, half happy strain of feeling on her heart. As the time came for his return she went and stood before her glass, for the first time perhaps in years, with critical and anxious look at the reflection therein. She was too pale. Sorrow and loss had left her face scared with their traces. What had she to do with love? The fit of self distrust left a tremor ill her manner that even Harry noticed.
 'I believe you are Ii ing back again, !" he said. At this rate, Helen, you'll be schoolgirl again before you know it. !"
 Her lips quivered ill painful half smile. He plunged on: Did you ever see any one change so, Frank? No, you are not living back. You are going to begin over again, my girl. And he stopped and kissed her. They were not a demonstrative family, the Tryons She flushed with pleased surprise. And, dinner being over, he and Bronson rode away in pursuance of some of their horse thief plans. They had not been gone many minutes when there came the sharp chatter of a horses hoofs up
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