Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-08-28
A DESERT CLAIM.
By NARY s. sTIOKNEY.
popyr,shA ,saL By J. B. Appincott company.l
CHAPTER XI.

sine, like q wrath in her white gown,
came flying down from the house.
Edith, is it really you? Oh, you
dear, dreadful girl! What fright you
have given usi How could you do such
O crazy thingf was sure you would be
lost, and Twas perfectly frantic. When
Mrs. Campbell came and told me, l
didn't know what to do. 1 simply walk
ed the floor and wrung my hands. J." She
had the girl in her arms now and was
laughing and crying together in joy
ous excitement which filed Edith with
dull surprise. She had not guessed that
she had such place in Nelsine's heart.
"Hugh came back only few minutes
ago, and whel I told him what you had
done he almcs; swore. He did indeed.
He wanted to start right of after you.
You would 1--we met him had you been
five minutes late, but insisted that he
should have supper first BE had been
in the saddle all day, you know, and
who could say where and when he was
going to find your"
Edith stood still, staring duly toward
that open door Of the bunkhouse, where
q light glowed feebly. II have brought
the doctor. It is not too Later" she half
whispered, o choke In her voice.
"And this Is the DOCTOR" cried Mrs.
Ellery, extending her pretty hand, with
q beaming smile which made that i'm
questionable young man her slave from
that hour. She was gregarious to her
finger tips, this lady Of z ranch, and
In her hunger for society Of some sort
it was questionable whether she would
not have beamed with that same ravish-
ing smile had she been called to well
come the devil himself, hoofs, horns and
all, but this happily the charmed man
now gratefully pressing her small hand
could not have guessed. "Dr. -"
she went ON interrogatively glancing at
Edith for the introduction which had
been forgotten
my name Is Wright, Mrs Ellery,"
the young man said, with glance of
such frank admiration as he had never
dreamed Of bestowing on the younger
lady, whose Hstless dignity and preoc-
oupation he had indeed found somewhat
oppressive Hugh Ellery had come out
from the house, for the moment monop-
olized by Mr.. Blythe and Tom Tregent,
who were full Of eager questions as to
the lost horses, and now, while Mrs
Elery went on to greet these others, he
came over to his sister, note Of ear
nestness In his laughing complaint
"Well, reversibly speaking, you are
q nice grill" giving her little shake,
his hands resting caressingly on either
shoulder. Flying off on a wild goose
chase across country where even the
geese fairly require compass to keep
to the right course To say nothing Of
taking chances on your own account
sufficient to warrant straitjacket here
you have deliberately spoiled the best
appetite ever had in my life. Don't
you know, you needless girl, that every
time you start a mans heart to beating
out Of the normal you are deliberately
driving nails in his coffin? And what
right have you to out short good broth
you to say for yourself?"
"Oh, her actions speak louder than
words" laughed Mrs. Ellery, affection
ately olaspiag the girls cold hand
"she has brought the doctor to counter
act all i'll efeots-that is, If it is really
true as you live DOCTOR" she added,
with a laughing glance at him. 1T is
by no means clearly fixed yet In my
mind, I must confess, for how Miss
Ellery could have managed to fetch you
30 soon without the aid of magic is
something which I shall have to have
explained to me later. I will try to
restrain my curiosity, however, until
you have had some supper, for you must
all be starving. Do come right in"
''But how is my PATIENT" asked Dr..
Wright somewhat surprised at this un-
professional greeting.
Edith stood still, her eyes fixed with
q glance Of terror upon that open door
across the lawn, behind which an omi-
nous silence seemed to reign. She knew
Nelsine too we'll to imagine that even
death, if it robbed her Of none of her
hearts dearest, could long depress her
lively temperament With sound di-
gestion and not too much feeling, Mel
sine could always be comfortably phil
osophioal as to the ills which did not
touch her personal happiness. HE is
deadp' the girl hoarsely exclaimed.
olasping her hands oonvulsively to-
gether.
He may be edead-drunk, If one may
be pardoned for saying So" laughed
Hugh amusedly. II think little of the
venom actually got into the ankle Nat
urally the stocking absorbed some Of
1t, and, happily for poor Brown. we
have heroine on the place.
"Artalissai Only fancyr' cried Mel
zine, who dearly loved to tell exciting
news herself. "She deliberately put her
lips to the wound and sucked out the
poison. Was it not heroio-and disgust
ing?'
But nothing could have been more
sensible, put In the doctor appreciative-
ly. "She was In no danger. The poison
of serpents is innocuous in the mouth
unless there should happen to be some
cut or abrasion, and dare say the pres
ence Of mind of this person saved the