Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-03-25

tried to prevail upon her father to
permit her to visit the East, and that
life on the plains was uncongenial to
her. Freeborn, however, was loath to
part for even little while from the
one individual whom he found it pos
sible to love, and repeatedly declined
to permit her to leave him. Strange
as it may seem, no one among her
many admirers had had the temerity
to seek her hand. This may have
been due to the fact that wholesome
respect for the choleric temper of old
Freeborn impelled them to keep their
distance, but it was more probable
that the spirit of reverence with
which the fair Mildred usually IN
spired members of the opposite sex
bade them recognize their own un-
worthiness.
At the time that entered Free
born's service the feud between Free
born and Marqusnd was at its height.
Marquand was a 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 all 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
were 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 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, l fell to
thinking of Mildred Freeborn. Since
l 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.
vInced that occupied a high place in
her esteem, l was far from deceiving
myself with the thought that had
inspired her with any ything more than
mere friendly regard. L was still
under the influence of former love
affair, and though / admired and re-
spected her had felt no inclination
to offer myself as a suitor.
l had found her an interesting
study, however. In the course of our
frequent conversations had observed
that she was dominated by a spirit of
passionate unrest. The life she led on
the plains had become lrksome to her.
She craved the social glamour ami ex-
elements 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 fonily
hoped one day to see.
There were times when 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 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" ne drawled, rs he
seated himself carelessly beside me on
the ground, "hows that thar coffee
comm on? I'm ALFRED hungry, an
thars lot O. hard work ahead fer us all
to night"
"What's up-anything special?" I
asked.
"Nope. / reckon thar's nothin
"nut yer LII III Chll bpOCihl, SAhSpiy,
he said slowly. ",Still, fellow never
knows what's liable to happen when
these here Marquand boys is round" "
He paused, aud as glanced toward
him I saw an expression of gravity
steal slowly over his rugged features.
"Confound their blasted hides, any
how /" he exclaimed impatiently. "I'm
afeerd one of the peskv lot is brewin'
peck O. trouble fer our old man this
night. Wimmen's funny lot-dog-
gone 'em all, 1 say-an' ull bear more
watchin' an children will"
"What have women got to do with
it, Tom?" 1 asked, in surprise.
ga regular howdy-do, that's what,
as you'll find out afore this round-up's
done, l reckon" retorted Tom, dis
gustedly.
"Surely you don't mean" began.
"Kin yer keep secret if tell it ter
yer?" he demanded, as he eyed me
curiously.
looked at him questioningly.
''Kin yer?"