Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-02-13


bade thom recognize their own un.
worthiness.
At the time that entered Free.
born's service the feud between Free.
born and Marquand was at its height.
Marquand was man of middle age
and questionable practices. Year by
year his once large fortune had grown
smaller and smaller, and he was now
striving desperately to regain oil he
had lost. He was an inveterate gam.
bier, and his ranch house WAS the re.
sort of half the gamesters in the
county. Among the men in his EN-.
ploy were several Englishmen who, it
was said, had certain dark pages in the
history of their lives which it was to
their best interests to conceal. They
we're not without future prospects,
however, and night after night, when
not engaged with the herds, they were
to be found sitting around "Lon'
Marquand's gaming table.
had been on Freeborn's ranch
about three months when the time
arrived for a roundup. A new cause
of dispute had lately arisen between
Freeborn and Marquand, and l had
been told to look for trouble.
One night, while was sitting alone
before our camp fire, awaiting the re-
turn OF my companions, fell to
thinking of Mildred Freeborn. Since
I had first met her she had interested
me greatly. She had taken to me
kindly, and often while l had been
sitting with the men in the dining
room OF the ranch house she had sent
Nettie, her servant, to me with the
request that should visit her in her
little library. Although l was con-
vlnced that I occupied high place in
her esteem, I was far from deceiving
myself with the thought that 1 had
inspired her with anything more than
mere friendly regard. L was still
under the influence of former love
affair, and though I admired and re-
spected her had felt no inclination
to offer myself as suitor.
I had found her an interesting
study. however. In the course OF our
frequent conversations I had observed
that she was dominated by spirit of
passionate unrest. The life she led on
the plains had become irksome to her.
She craved the social glamour and ex.
citements of cities, which she had
known only in the books she read. l
had lived in the unknown country and
was familiar with its customs and its
sights. When she sought my company
it was only that she might hear de-
scribed those things she so fondly
hoped one day to see.
There were times when I grew weary
OF her questioning, but her thirst for
information was insatiate and she held
me to my task.
During the last few days, however,
her conduct had undergone a change.
She had become more petulent in her
manner, and now seemed as desirous
OF avoiding my society as she had
formerly been anxious to seek it. AS
] lay beside the blazing sticks, striving
to find some reason for her altered de-
meanor, my reverie was suddenly in
terrupted by the arrival of Tom Bax-
ter, one of the cowboys who had been
branding cattle during the afternoon.
"Wal, Dick" he drawled, as he
seated himself carelessly beside me on
the ground, "how's that THAI coffee
oomin' on? I'm alfred hungry, an
thar's lot O. hard work ahead fer us all
tonight"
"What's up-anything special ?" !
asked.
"Nope. I reckon thar's nothin'
what yer might call special, exactly"
he said slowly. "Still, fellow never
knows what's liable to happen when
these here Marquand boys is round"
He paused, and as I glanced toward
him l saw an expression of gravity
steal slowly over his rugged features.
"Confound their blasted hides, any
how |" he exclaimed impatiently. "Im
afeerd one of the pesky lot is brewin'
peck O. trouble fer our old man this
night. Wimmen's funny lot-dog'
gone 'em all, I say-an' ull bear more
watchin' AN children will"
"What have women got to do with
it, Tom?" asked, in surprise.
"a regular howdy.do, that's what,
as you'll find out afore this round.up's
done, reckon" retorted Tom, dis
gustedly.
"Surely You don't mean" began.
'Kin yer keep secret if tell it ter
yer9" he demanded, as he eyed me
curiously.
Hooked at him questioningly.
"Kin yer9"
eyes"
"Wal, then, just keep yer eyes
peeled fer trouble agin the sun goes
down termorrer night. That gal o
Freeborn's is likely one, but fer all
that she's preparin' to. take the Bit
atween them glis'nen' teeth O. hern
an bolt her daddy's trail. One o them
Marquand boys-an English lad named
McPherson-has been shines on her
fer quite spell. OF course. her old
man wouldn't have him round the
place, but somehow or another they
contrive to meet purity often, as il
thar amt game Of skip put up be
tween 'em while the old mans off or
the roundup, my name amt Tom Bax
ter"
doesn't the old man suspect?"
'If ne did dye think he'd be ouI
here? Nope; he doesn't know word.
Yer see, none of the fellers want tc
tell him OF it on Miss Miles account
I reckon, though he ought to know
Still, it aint no business OF mine-ex
cept"--
He paused, and deep flush sutfused
his features.
"Wal, yer see, was spoons on Net.
tie bit ago. But when discovered
that some job had been on atwixt Nc
Pherson an Net, an that she thought
more O. Mcpherson than she did o
me, lassoed my feelln's an kept 'en
from runnin' wild. I never knew quit,
Just what was on between them two
Mcpherson had been at Marquand'
fer month or so, when Nettie come
along and asked the old man if h,
needed vimmin help about the place