Mower County transcript., 1897-06-23

saddle pocket. as she turned back again
to the Grubstake road. #@8
Col. Meredith was standing just with
in the shaft4house door with the SUPER
intendent Of the mine as Dorothy rode
up, both so much occupied with their
conversation that for the moment neith-
er looked up. There was something in
her fathers attitude which suggested
to the girls mind that he must have
very lately arrived himself, and with
the thought she found herself glancing
back down the road with little start
of apprehension as she reflected how
near he might have been to seeing her
ride down the hill on the other side
in company with Harvey Neil. She had
had no distinct thought of concealing
that circumstance till this moment:
but now of a sudden it appeared clear
that it might be far more conducive
to her peace of mind to keep to herself
the adventures of that afternoon
With all the off+hand good-fellowship
which existed between them, there was
really very little in common between
Dorothy Meredith and her father. As
q child, when by her mother she had
been taken to live in the old family
home at Brooklyn, her father had been
to her as fairy prince whose occa-
sional visits had meant lavish gifts and
unlimited indulgence. She had been
fond of him, in frank, childish selfish
ness, for what he did rather than what
he was to her-after the canny method
of children, who see so much of that
70 which they are supposed to be blind,
half guessing at the incompatibility
which led her parents to dwell so much
apart, and instinctively divining some-
what of the jealous regard of each for
0her, by means of which she might. as
it were, pit one against the other. to
attain her own small ends. AS she
grew older the colonel, always hand
some and debonair, gradually assumed
a good-humored elder-brother attitude,
which perhaps the girl appreciated the
more for the peevish fretfulness which
had grown upon the invalid mother
with passing years. Her father, al
though, as she we'll knew, naturally of
choleric temper, was TO her generally
amiable and always carelessly indul-
gent. He sometimes ventured upon ad-
vice or criticism. occasionally even car
rying interference so far as to tease her
to the verge of tears by his rather merci-
less gift of satire; but he never seemed
to dream of demanding any actual
obedience to his wishes. He appeared
to regard her, indeed, as somewhat
Interesting young woman. whose ac-
quaintance, ON the whole, he quite en-
joyed, but whose conduct he considered
rather outside the limit of his legiti-
mate jurisdiction
This eaay-going attitude the girl had
found very pleasant In the time they
had been together since her mothers S
death He mode it clear that he liked
to have her with him; but he was also
at pains to have her understand that her
own wishes were to have full weight in
determining all her movements. When
their plan Of going abroad In the ear ly
summer had been broken up, tbs co}anel
had been at some trouble to mitigate
her disapointement by proposing the
pleasantest possible alternatives. She
might have gone to any of the fashiona-
bic resorts of the east, under the
chaperonage of convenient relative;
but she knew that he was pleased when
she elected to go with him to Colorado
instead, and even more pleased to hear
her speak of it as going home. Under
his cool, noncEalant reserve she knew
that he was really fond Of her, really
anxious to make her happy; but, though
in turn she was intensely loyal il he1
devotion to him, she could not disguise
from herself the fact that in way they
still were almost strangers.
He looked up and saw her after q mo-
ment, but beyond brief nod, convey
ing somo surprise as well as a certain
shade of dsapproval, he gave her nc
further attention for the time, going
on with his talk with McCready, the
superintendent, who also looked out
to greet the girl with a smiling familiar
ity which she secretly resented. IL
was a tall, muscular fellow of some &C
years, his face presenting certain type
of coarse, bucolic good looks, of which
he seemed overweeningly conscious
carrying himself with an air of oom
placent egotism which to Dorothy made
him almost insuferable.
well, you make paying trip Of il
this afternoon, sure," Ire was saying
when presently he accompanied The
colonel down the steps. IF you've go
Brigham solid, it's about all we want ,
"Wcll, guess we've got him. the
colonel rejoined, stopping on the last
step to button his gloves lie was /
fine-looking man of the sandy-haired
ruddy blond type, carrying his thin
wiry form with an alert, military
grace which cheated time of no less thar
ten good years in the visible record OF
his age. There was conscious strength
in the glance of his cold gray eyes:
stubborn will-power in the thin-lippet
month, half covered by q dropping
blond mustache just lightly touched