Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-07-24

fiction as far as the adventures of Mrs
tecks and Mrs. Aleshine.
why should you not leave it for
your brother to settle with Mr.. Gamer.
on" suggested Brown automatically.
"They have so many business dealings
together that it would be easy for them
to attend to it." And with this arrange.
ment Miss Ellery was forced to be con-
tent, although still persuaded that this
account would never reach any more
substantial settlement than was ex-
pressed in her thanks
II feel as if I had not thanked him
half enough, since he would let me give
him nothing else," she remarked to
Brown, glancing back as they were
driving over the hill behind the house.
II am sure you have quite over
whelmed him." he returned, smiling
broadly. II hope, by the way, that you
have forgiven me for bringing you to
the placer"
II am afraid it is you who are not
forgiving," her cheeks flushing rather
uncomfortably. IT feel that was SO
ungracious last night. ought to apollo
gize"
"Oh, don't speak Of it, " with rather
perfunctory courtesy.
II was so tired, and it was all so
strange" she urged in extenuation.
II hardly know what I did expect but
it was all so lovely, after all. Every
body was so kind, and you especially,
Mr.. Brown. By the way, I have not
thanked you for sending those maga-
zines. It was so very thoughtful.
II was afraid you might have read
them, but I happened to have nothing
else"
You are fond of reading?" she OBJ
served tentatively.
"Of light reading-yes. enjoy the
magazines at odd moments. I have no
time, even if I had the energy left, for
heavy literature. "
"You are very busy?" This as ques-
tion.
Generally time is not allowed to
| RTOW Oh 1AJ
II am afraid have taken you from
some work this morning" This with
polite regret, although it struck her
with an odd sense of dismay that he
might have sent somebody else to drive
the team, a contingency which she
promptly admitted to herself she would
not have liked.
"Oh, this!" reddening slightly. 81
know the way so much better than the
others that it was best should come. "
Then, as though he would divert the
subject from himself: II judge that you
are interested in photography. You will
find fine field for snap shots at the K
ranch"
"You know the placer" she exclaimed
eagerly. "You have been there?'
"Yes; have been there. 1t is rather
a nice country
"Nicer than this, I hope" she re-
marked, with a somewhat cheapening
glance at the landscape before them.
mo better range, smiling, with the
eye of cattleman, upon the vast fields
of rich grazing ahead. "But Big Cow
creek is quite a pretty stream, with q
good many trees along its banks, which
one appreciates in land where, for the
most part, there are hardly trees enough
to hang the horse thieves on. The coun-
try is more hilly and broken, more pic
turesque, than this. "
They had passed over the line of low
hills, zigzagging down a sandy draw OH
the other side, and now the road, mere
parallel lines of wheel marks almost
overgrown with grass and flowers, lay
before them until vaguely lost in the
distance Almost at the horizon wind.
mill stretched its long arms idly against
the sky, and beyond a dotted line ran
up and down across the rolling land,
the posts of barbed wire fence. Moth
ing else broke the surface Of the meas
ureless, gray green expanse, somber as
all ocean in eternal calm, but for the
flowers which were everywhere-blue
lupines and the pink and white of as
tragali, the silken petals of Mexican
poppies just bursting into bloom, the
pink and white and yellow of primroses
and the red fire of mallows.
"The boundary of fameron's land, "
Brown observed, pointing out the line
of fence. "He has 500 acres here.
Outside you will be quite beyond the
limits Of good society-in other words,
upon the public domain, which is wholly
unsettled, Of course"
1.-The land belongs to Gobody?"
"Only TO h paternal government,
whose hold upon it is so light that any
body may have it for the asking. If you
would like some Wyoming land, Miss
Ellery, you will presently be face to
face with glorious opportunity.
81 had fancied that might take up
some land when I came west" she
smilingly confessed. my brother has
taken up good deal. "
"I suppose so," he answered rather
dryly, yet smiling amusedly. "And
will you take up homestead or des'
ert claim?"
"Oh, the latter, l think! That gives
one the most acres, does it not? Rut
think the government must offer me
something rather more inviting than
this. do not want quite such desert. .
"And what do you propose to do with
your land when you have discovered
location sufficiently picturesque"
4