Evening star., 1896-01-18
PART III.

AS he rose and fell on his broncho's
steady gallop, he took off his hat and let
the wind stir his hair. Riding thus, ex-
alted thus, one night he shaped desper-
ate resolution; be determined to call on her,
Just as he would on a girl at Viroquy with
wi ON he was on the same intimacy of
footing.
He was es good any class, he was not
as good as she was, for he lacked her
sweetness apd purity of heart, and because
she lived in a great house and wore beau
tiful garments did not shut him off from
calling upon her.
But week after week went by without
his daring to make his resolution good. He
determined many times to ask permission
to call, but somehow he never did.
He seemed to see her rather less than at
first. and on her part there was a change.
She seemed to have lost her first eager and
frank curiosity about him, and did not al
ways smile now when she met him.
Then, again, he could not in working
dtess ask to call; 1T would seem so incon-
gruous to stand before her to make such a
request, covered with perspiration and
dust. 1t was hard to be dignified under
such circumstances; he must be washed
and dressed properly.
In the meantime, the men had discovered
how matters stood, and some of them
made very free with the whole situation
Two of them especially hated him.
These two men had drifted to the farm
from the mines somewhere, and were
rough, hard characters. They would have
cor1e to blows with him, only they knew
something of the power lying coiled In his
long arms.
One day he overheard one of the men
speaking of Edith, and his tone stopped
the blood in Arthur's heart. When he
walked among the group Of men, his face
was white and set.
You take tnat back" he said, in a low
voice You take that back, or I'll kill you
right where you stand.
do him up, Tim,'' shouted the other
rufian, but Tim hesitated-
I'll do him, then" said the other man;
'I owe him one myself.
He caught up strip of board which was
lying on the ground near, but one of the
Norwegian Workmen put ms 1901 on II. ana
before he could command his weapon Arthur
brought a pail which he held in his right
hand down upon his opponents head.
The man fell as if dead. and the pail shat
tered into it's original slaves Arthur turned
then to face Tim, his hands doubled into
nauls but the other men interfered and the
encounter was over.
Arthur waited to see If the fallen man
could rise. and then turned away reeling and
breathless. For an hour after his hands
shook so that he could not go with his
work.
At first he determined to go to Richards.
the foreman, and demand the discharge of
the two tramps, but as he thought of the
explanations necessary, ne gave 1t up as i'm
possible.
He almost wept with shame and despair
at thought of her name mixed in the tumult.
He had meant to kill when he struck. and
the nervous prostration which followed
showed him how far he had gone. He had
not had fight since he was thirteen years
of age, and now everything seemed lost. He
went to see the man just before going to
supper, and found him in his barracks, sit
ting near pail of cold water. from which he
was splashing his head at intervals.
He looked up as Arthur entered, but went
calmly with his minis trations; after
pause he said:
That was a h-n of lick you gave me-
young feller; brought the blood out of my
ears"
II meant to kill you," was Arthur's grim
reply.
Il know you did. If that ID Morse
hadn't put his foot on that board you'd be