The Forrest City times., 1896-02-28

Hc began to wrestle with the weeds
and pretended not to see her. His edu.
cation, however, had not included a
sight of Millet's picture, or he would
have fled down the mountain side in
utter despair.
stop, stop, Pete, right there. Don't
move an inch" called the sweet voice
that drove him to madness. "Ken-
neth," Ellie called to her husband.
Look. Isn't it wonderful? The lights,
the pose, the very landscape like"
The Man with the Hoe shouted
the major, gleefully. "Pll get your
paints, Ellie. Hold on, Pete" and be-
fore that honest son of toll had time
to collect his scattered senses he found
himself posing in very uncomfortable
attitude, with the Napa valley lying.
at his feet and the majors familiar
phrases ringing in his ears-"Fine pose
Jolly good subject-delicious color.
ing"
After Pete posed for a hundred or
more Indifferent works of art without
names, he began to think of DESERVING
his master and leaving him to a Just
and awful fate. But this stupendous
blow was averted by the arrival of
Brompton Edwards, another English
man, who had come to learn practical
ranching under the direction of his
fathers old friend, the major.
After week had been been given
up to driving his protege about the
valley and introducing him to the Eng
lish colony, the major returned to his
daily routine of pruning olive trees aud
digging out Worm-eaten grape vines
Ellie soon discovered in the younp
mans clean-cut features and fine ath
letic figure an entirely new field for
art study, and Edwards found the time
pass more pleasantly as model than as
an embryo rancher. They were to-
gether during most of the daylight
hours. When Brompton was not pos
ing for a wild Norseman or a Greek
hero, he was sitting very close to Ellie,
criticising, in soft, caressing tones,
the sketches of himself which she had
been doing. Without actually straying
from the path of duty. Ellie was tread
ing on dangerously uncertain
territory. She quite frankly ad-
mitted to herself that she was
pretty and charming, and, be-
ing of that mind, she did not repress
comparisons between her husband aud
the younger man.
Matters had arrived at state where
warm-hearted, but vain, young woni-
an needed a friend with the strength
to hold up good, powerful unrelenting
mirror for her to gaze into. Pete could
have held up the mirror with right good
will, but he did not know how. In
those days he followed the ma jor around
with dog-like devotion, and only glow
cred when Ellie came out to the or
chard one morning with her paints
and succeeded in bringing upon herself
scolding from her over-indulgent hus-
band. She held her head very high and
stiff, and marched over the hill some
distance away, where she seated herself
| and pretended to sketch, but was in
reality nursing her injured feelings
to keep them alive. The major watched
her disappear with a panied express
sion on his good-natured face, and then
went dejectedly into the house. Pete
was deeply incensed against Ellie, and
made another solemn VOW to desert the
ranch. 1t was the ninety-and-ninth
time that he had done so, and this tine
he sealed the VOW with an oath.
The long grass on the Napa hills
was burned and crisp, and Ellie was
daubing yellow ochre and burnt umber
over her canvas with vicious strokes
She was not giving any attention to her
work, however, for an athletic form
stood between her and the landscape,
end she was indulging in very foolish
day dream. To do the little woman
justice, she was not in love with Bromr-
ton, but her vanity had been stimulated
to such wonderful activity by his
youthful gallantries that she fancied
he was deeply infatuated with her. She
wondered if he would eve: tell her that
he loved her. If she could only have
some test of his love, what satisfac-
tion it would bel
Over on the mountain side, a half mile
away, Pete leaned on his hoe, and
watched thread of fire crawling, like
red snake, through the underbush of
chaparral and manzanita. He knew
only too well that no human power
could stop it, and that within a few
minutes the gentle breeze would cause
a flying spark to fall upon the long dry
grass, and puff!-the crawling snake
would become great swirling, gallop-
ing mass of flame and smoke, and
would pass over the very place where
Ellie sat sulking and dreaming. Pete
had firmly determined to leave the
ranch. He had washed his hands of