The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-10-28

coming nome at night found white
draped presence awaiting them. Harry
thought without spoken comment that
something of her girlhood as he remcm-
bered her was coming back into her
face and into the rounding outlines OF
her figure. Once or twice he heard an
echo of the old imperious infections OF
speech, when something went wrong in
the simple programme of their house
keeping; once or twice she laughed
aloud at some of Sam Lees achieve
ments. At least, the old, monotonous
calm was broken; she had fits of de-
preston. felt keenly in the sensitive
household atmosphere.
IT was the evening after the coming
of the ring. Helen found herself at the
very bottom of her register of feeling.
They were all out of doors in the large
starred. dewless Southwestern night.
The two men outstretched on their
blankets lay silently smoking. Helen,
swinging in her hammock, was speech
less, too. BY and by Harry asked her
some trivial question, and the voice
that answered him was hoarse with
tears. He took no notice, and minute
after she went into the house. Harry
followed her, and came back after
awhile, his own voice not over steady.
THAT girl has broken down at last
It's the first time in years, and not easy
years either. | doubt if any one has
seen her cry since she came home"
Mrs. Morse?"
s.XV1o oIeaos, +act;1,- elbow 7 bota
the name-I never even think of it if
can help it. You don't know the
story?"
Il have guessed-that is, l mean l
couldn't help knowing there was some
thing painful. Mrs. Morse is young to
be a widow"
''She is twenty-five" brusquely.
"Helen always would have her own
way. She had it when she was seven
teen. and married a scoundrel. He got
a life sentence for train robbery, and
was killed trying to make his escape
from prison. She got the news the day
her only child was buried"
Bronson gave half-groan, a sound
almost like n sob, as Tryon paused in
his blunt recital.
"That was two years ago. She never
whimpered under it, and tonight she is
crying as if she would kill herself. And
I don't know but she will. Think of a
womans life going to wreck like that. y
Whatever Bronson may have thought,
he said nothing There was a long 81,
lence and much tobacco smoke.
Don't they take something's" he said
hesitatingly, after awhile. "a cup OF
tea or something. I'll broil quail, il
you like"
| That's So accepting the suggestion
checrfully. Then they went out into
Sam Lees shining little kitchen, and
pottcred about with the best of inten
tions, but with much disturbance o.
small, jingling movables. Hclen's cry
ing was over now. She lay prone ant
ncrveless with the exhaustion of sucf
tears. She heard the uproar among the
pots ami pans, and wondered family
about it.
Harry opened the door finally, with {
laden tray in his hands.
81 made the tea," he explained
breathlcssly, land Bronson cooked tht
bird, and we couldn't find the bread"
Helen sat up and pushed the damp
hair back from her face.
Bronson thought of it." he said, per
suasively. I'D try and eat a little,
And Helen drank her tea, and nibblet
her bird with an unsmiling sense of the
unfitness of things when meat and drinl
were offered as remedy for sucl
| troubles as hers
But it did her good. She slept dream
lessly that night, and if she came on
to breakfast with heavy shadows undet
her eyes, the sadlipped mouth had los
little of it's rigid lines of pain.
There had been an epidemic of law
lessness through the country for tn,
last few weeks. The particular mani
festation of the disease was horse-steal
ing. Now, to take mans horse wa
| generally worse--for the community
than taking his life. The public sens
of justice did not always wait for tn
slow and rather uncertain action of tn
law. Harry rode away that evening
without defining his business, and Bron
son found Helen alone, in her hammocl
as usual.
These two did not find talk nee: ssary
They had reached that grade of &C
workmanship where long silcnces ar
unmarked. A soundlcss half hour passed
Helen lay with half-shut eyes, watch