The morning times., 1895-08-18
THE MORNING TIMES, SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 1895.

up woman's shoe. 1t sorter git me. For
sez to myself, Thar amt no one bin by
| my shanty, comm or goin', for weeks
but you boys, and that shoe, from the looks
of it, amt bin there as many hours
knew there wasn't any wimin hereabouts.
l reckoned it couldn't hev been dropped
by Uncle Dick, or that other man, for you
would have seen 1t ON the road. SO /
allowed 1t might have been you. And yer
1t is" He slowly drew from his pocket
what Key was fully prepared TO see
the mate Of the slipper Key had in his
saddle bagl The fair fugitive had evil
IDENTIFY lost them both.
But Key was better prepared now
| perhaps the sort OF discrimination Is pro-
| gressive-and quickly alive to the neces-
sity of throwing Collnson off this un-
| expected scent. And his companions
own suggestion was right to his hand
| and again-alnost providential! He
laughed, with a. quick color, which, how
| ever, seemed TO help his lie, as he replied,
half hysterically, You're right, old man;
| | own up, it's minei It's silly, l know,
but then, We're all fools where women are
concerned, and l wouldn't have lost that
| slipper for a mint of money
He held out his hand gayiy, but Collin
son retained the slipper, while he gravely
| examined it,
You wouldn't mind telling me whee'
| you mout hev got that?' he said, medita-
! lively.
"Of course should" said Key, with a
well affected mingIing of mirth and in
| dignation. What are you thinking OF,
you old villain? What do you take me
for?"
But Collinson did not laugh. "You would
MT mind givin' me the size and shape and
| general heft of her as wore that shoe?"
Most decidedly should do nothing of the
kind!" said Key half impatiently. Enough
that it was given to me by a very pretty
girl That's all you will know"
I Given to you?" said Collinson, lifting
his eyes.
Yes" returned Key audaciously.
| Collinson handed him the slipper gravely.
| II only asked you" he said slo WHY, but with
a certain quiet dignity which Key had never
| before seen in his face, because thar was
| suthin' about the size and shape and fittin'
| out o. that shoe that kinder reminded me OF
| some'un. But that some'un-her as mout
| hev' stood up in that shoe amt o. that kind
as would ever stand III the shoes OF her as
| you know at all" The re ebuke-if such were
| intended-lay more in the utter ignoring of
| Keys airy gallantry and levity than i'll any
| conscious sur upon the fair fame OF his
| invented Dulcinea. Yet Key oddly felt
| strong inclination 10 resent the asperson as
| well as Collinson's gratuitous morality, and
| with Il mean recollection of Uncle Dicks
last evenings scandalous gossip, he said
| sarcastiCally, And, of course, that some
| one you We're thinking of was your lawful
wife"
1t was" said CoIlinson grayely.
Perhaps it was something in Colinson's
manner or his own -lrepccupation, but ne
did not pursue the subject, and the conver-
| sation Jagged They were nearing, too,
the outer wood of the present conflagra-
ton, and the smoke, lying low, in the un-
burnt woods or creeping like an actual eX-
| halation OF the soil, blinded them so that
| at times they lost the tran completely. AT
| other times, from TIE intense heat, it
| seemed as if they were momcntarily iu-
fringing upon the burning area or were
| being caught in closing circle. 1t was re-
| markable that VITA his sudden accession
| Of fortune Key seemed to lose his usual
| frank fearlessuess, and impatiently Ques-
| toned his Compan,onis -woodcraft. There
! were intervals when he regretted his haste
| 10 reach Skinner S by4tais shorter cut, and
| began 10 bitterly attribute it 10 his desire
| TO serve COllnsun An, yes, II would be
fine, indeed, If just as he were about to
| clutch the prize he should be sacrificed
! through the ignorance and stupidity of the
| heayy-ianded moralist at his side! But
| twas not until, through that morallst'S
| guidance, they climbed a steep ACTIVITY
to a second ridge aud were comparatively
| safe that he began TO feel ashamed Of his
surly silence or surlier Interruptions. And
! CollinSon either through his nnconquerable
| patience, or, possibly, in tit Of his usual
! uxorfous abstraction, appeared to take no
notice of it.
A sIoping table-land of weather-beaten
boulders now effectually separated them
from the fire in the lower ridge. They
| presently began TO descend on the further
| side of the crest and at last dropped upon
| a wagon road aud the first track Of wheels
| that Key had seen for fortnight. Rude
| as it was il seemed to him the highway
| to fortune For he knew that it passed
! SINNERS. and then joined the great stage
| road to Marysville, his ultimate destina-
| ton. A few rods further on they came in
| view of SINNERS, lying like a dingy, for
| gotten winter SNOW drift on the rocky shelf.
1t contained pOst-0ffiCe, tavern, black
! smiths shop general store" and express
''office, scarcely a dozen buildings i u all,
| but all differing from Colljnsou's Mill in
| some vague suggestion Of vitality, as if
| the daily regular pulse OF civilization still
beat, albeit laugiidly, in that remote ex-
| tremity There was expectation and ac-
1 Ui q haV and kaV
| and Colinsou rode up to the express office,
the express wagon was standing before the
| door ready to start to meet the stage coach
| at the cross roads three miles away. This
| again seemed a special providence to Key.
| He had a brief official communication
,, with Skinner as registrar nc revealed
| his claim; he had hasty and confidential
| aside with Skinner as general Store-keeper,
| and such was the unconscious magnetism
developed by this embryo millionaire that
| Skinner extended necessary credit to Col
| lipson on Keys word alone That done
| he reioiued CoIlinsou in high spirits with
| the news, adding cheerfully: "A nd l dare
| sayif you wantanyfurthera advances Skinner
will give them to you on Parker's draft. "
"You mean that bit o. paper that chap
left" said Collinson grayely
| "Yes"
~ tore 1t up
"You tore it up?'' calculated Key.
"You hear me-yes!r said Colhnson.
| Key stared at him. Surely it was
| again proyidential that he had not in
trusted his secret to this utterly ignorant
and preiudiced mani The slight twinges
of conscience that his lie about the slippers
| had oaused him disa aDpea red at once He