The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-29

that it was the ring of a horses shoe on
hinty ground her knowledge of the To-
caiity told her it came from the spot
where the trail passed over an outcrop
of flint scarcely a quarter of a mile
from where she sat-and within the
clearing. 1t was no Grant stock, for
the shoe was shod with iron; it was a
mounted trespasser by night. and boded
no good 10 a man like Clay.
She rose, threw her shawl over her
head more for disguise than shelter,
and passed out of the door. 4 sudden
impulse made her seize her fathers
shotgun from the corner@Where it
stood-not that she feared any danger
TO herself. but that it was an excuse.
She made directly for the wood, keep
ing in the shadow of the pines as long
as she could; at the fringe she halted;
whoever was there must pass her be-
fore reaching the house.
Then there seemed to be a. suspense
of all nature Everything was deadly
stiIl-even the moonbeams appeared no
longer tremulous: then there was
rustic as of some stealthy animal
among the ferns-and then a dismount-
ed man stepped into the moonlight. 1t
was the horsethief-the man she had
kissed.
For a wild moment a strange fancy
seized her usually sane intellect and
they had told her was not true-he had
been hung, and this was his ghostt He
looked as white and spirit-like in the
moonlight dressed III the same clothes,
as when she saw him last. Re had evil
IDENTIFY seen her approaching, and
moved quickly TO meet her. But in his
haste he stumbled slightly-she re-
flected suddenly that ghosts did not
stumble-and a feeling of relief came
over her. And it was no assassin of
her father that had been Drowling
around-only this unhappy fugitive. Il
momentary color came into her cheek;
her GOODNESS and hardihood returned:
it was with tinge of sauciness in her
voice that she said:
L reckcned you were a ghost"
81 mout have been" he said, looking
at her fixedly; but 1 reckon I'd have
come back here all the same
IT'S a little risl1ier comm back
alive" she said with a levity that died
on her lips. for q singular nervousness,
half fear and half expectation, was be-
ginning to take the place of her relief
of a moment ago. Then it was you
who was prowlin' round and maxim
tracks in the far pastuTe?"
Yves: ] came straight here when l
got away"
She felt his eyes were burning her,
but did not dare to raise her own.
why she began-hesitated, and
ended vaguely. How did you get
here2'
You helped me"
Eyes. That kiss you gave me put life
into me-gave me strength to get away.
I swore to myself I'd come back and
thank you-alive or dead"
Every word he said she could have
anticipated. so plain the situation
Ard Hxrfr
he said she knew was the truth. Yet
her cool common sense struggled
against il.
whats the use of your escaping, eff
you're comm back here to be ketched
again?" she said pertly.
He drew d little nearer to her, but
seemed to her the more awkward as
she resumed her possession. His
voice, too, was broken as if by cXhaus-
ton as he said, catching his breath at
intervals:
sI'H tell you. You did more for me
than you think. You made another man
O. me I never had a man, woman or
child to do to me what you did. never
had a friend-only a pal like Red Pete,
who picked me up 'on the shares
want TO quit this yer--what I'm doin.' l
want to begin by dom the square thing
to you" he stopped, breathed hard and
then said brokenly: My boss is over
thar. staked out. / want to give him to
YOU. Judge Boompointer WIN give YOU
a thousand dollars for him. amt ly-
in'-it's Gods truth. 1 saw it on the
handbin again a tree. Take him, and
I'll get away afoot. Take him. It's the
only thing 1 can do for you, and know
il don't half pay for what you did.
Take it-your father can get a reward
for you-if you can't"
Such were the ethics of this strange
locality that neither the man who
made the offer nor the girl TO whom il
was made were struck by anything
that seemed Illogical or indelicate or at
all inconsistent with justice or the
horse thief's real conversion. Salamy
Jane, nevertheless, dissented, from an
other and weaker reason.
Il don't want your hoss-though I
reckon dad might-but you're just
starvin.' I'll get suthin'." She turned
toward the house.
Say, you'll take the boss first" he
said, grasping her hand. At the touch
she felt herself coloring and struggled,
perhaps another kiss. But he
dropped her hand She turned again
with a saucy gesture, said; 'Hol' on;
I'll come right back and slipped away
the mere shadow of a coy and flying