The Press., 1896-08-06
IFS nNkl. Dick! GOLdw

''ItS OOtLt, DGCE! GOCG!' prepared such medicines as he could. But fever, brought on by the incessant toll under the hot sun, had him firmly in its grip.
 A week passed, and he was no better. Constantly delirious, the name of Mo- rah Dale was ever upon his lips.
 That's the girl that sent him here" said Easton. "She's probably sorry for it by this time. If she ain't, she ought to be. But her loss was my gain"
 As the fever grew Easton became more anxious.
 II don't want to lose you, Dick" " he said. "You have saved my life twice. should like to save yours once. "
 But Dick only looked up at him with unseeing eyes, and called the name of Norah Dale.
 "Confound it, cried tho old miner. "She don't care half as much about him as do''
 One day Dick opened his eyes and looked at his companion sanely.
 "Send for her, old man," he said. "I'll wait. " And thelS6e went off again. Easton went out of the cabin and look ed away toward the desert. "Oh, Lord !" he sighed. "Why didn't he give mo something hard? But I'll do it for him. He said he'd wait. hope he knows" He hunted up Nanni and gave him minute directions for Dicks s care, then swung himself across one burro, took another by leading strap and started upon his lonely journey.
 PofOro 1oo1,jYO tho oor,,p 1,o foolz a T0io- ture from Dicks box that he had often seen the boy pore over and carefully copied the address written upon it. Then he took Dicks thin hand in his own.
 "You said you'd wait, Dick. Now don't forget. I'll bring her if mortal man can." And then as the honest fel- low turned away there was something very like prayer on his lips-a prayer for Dick life, and for success upon his own strange errand.
 Six days later Easton swung himself from his burro and into the telegraph office at Flagstaff and sent the following message:
 To Norah Dale, Wayneland, Ind.:
 Dick Rockley is here, and dying. Says he will wait until you come.
 EPnRAIM EAsTON.
 Then he went to the hotel and lay down and slept-a thing that he had hardly paused to do for six days-and waited for the answer. This was it: am coming You must not let him die.
 NORAH DALE.
 It was a weary wait Easton busied himself making such preparations as he could for Norah's comfort on the terri ble journey that she must take-little enough he could do ill this way at the best-and in strengthening himself by abundant sleep In three days he had another telegram. She would be there in the morning.
 Easton had felt hard toward this un- known woman at first, because he felt that she had not been kind to Dick But when she had started at once to obey his call, he began to soften. When she had alighted from the train and found him out, and with calm, pale face, but with her beautiful eyes swimming in tears, had besought him to say that Dick still lived. he became her abject slave.
 In the lowest possible words he told her where Dick was and how they must reach him.
 1T can be ready in an hour" she said. II should like to go to the hotel and change my dress'
 "It is a hard trip and a dangerous one," he said. "Are you sure you are not afraid?'
 "It will take me to Dick" she said by way of answer.
 "There will be none but us two," he said again. "Are you not afraid to trust me?"
 "You are Dicks friend" said the girl simply.
 The miner used all his craft to make the journey speedily, but safely. By day he guarded the girl at every step. by night paced beside her while she slept upon mountain and through desert.
 "You give yourself no rest, she said to him.
 "Dick has done more than this for me-" he answered. "It is nothing if I can get you to him safely"
 She quailed at nothing. A snowstorm enveloped them on the mountain. The trail was lost in the white wilderness For hours she sat quietly beneath the slight protection of an overhanging ledge, never repining, only impatient that the storm should pass.
 In the desert they travelled at night and rested through the day. She re- mained silent, uncomplaining. through the long hours while the sun bent his searching eye upon them, only looking, ever longingly, forward to the place where Dick was.
 At last they came to the farther edge of the desert, and Nanni met them and spoke few words apart with Easton. The miner repeated them to Norah.
 ''There has been no change. He is as when left him."
 "He has waited," she said, and hur- ried forward.
 She entered the cabin with trembling steps. And when she knelt down beside the cot and took Dicks hand in hers, the sick man opened his eyes and looked beyond her at Easton and whispered:
 Bring her, old man. I'll wait
 Then Norah Dale, not needing that other eyes saw her, bent over and laid her sweet lips upon Dicks forehead.
 "I am here, darling" she said.
 At this Dick opened his eyes and look ed upon her long and steadily. A faint, slow dawn of reason came into his face and the shadow of smile lowered about the pale mouth. Then he went off again into deep and peaceful sleep, while Norob ho1d hiS hand in hnvsc rroA kvoxr,