Arizona republican., 1898-09-18
THE OLD
 SILVER TRAIL.
BY MARY E. STICKTJEY.
Continued rom Yesterday3

a second thought she stepped again. perpleXedly studying the situation. One small cabin, somewhat apart from the other. buildings of the mine. she in stincsively settled upon as Neifs pri- vate quarters; and she was half disposed 10 ride up 10 the door forthwith and boldly tender him this bit of his equip ment of which she so lseenly icnged to be rid: but with reflection appeared 2 dozen reasons why she should not do that, not the least Of which was her nervous dread of again encounterinS Neil himself. She must return the handkerchief by some messenger, she decided, with sharp dislike for the very sight of it. thrusting it down into her saddle rocket, as she turned back again to the Grubstake road.
 Col. Meredith was standing just with in the shaft4house door with the super iutendent Of the mine as Dorothy rode np, 10th so much occupied with their conversation that for the moment neith- CT looked up. There vas something in her fathers attitude which suggested to the girls mind that Le must have very lately aaVived himself, and with the thought she found herself glancing Eacl. down the road WiFh little start of aprre hension Ss sine reflected how near he might have been to seeing her ride down the iiill on the other side in company with Harvey Neil. She had had no distinct thought of conceaiing that circumstance till this urclnent: l but now of q sudden it appeared clear that it might be far more conducive to her peace of mind to keep to herself inc adventures of that aftcincon.
 With all the off+hand good-fellowship which existed between them, there was really very little in comnon between Dorothy Meredith and her father. As q child, when by her mother she had teen taken 10 live in the old family home at Brooklyn, her father had been l to her as 2 fairy prince whose ocea- sional visits had meant lavish gifts and unlimited indulgence. She had beer | 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 to which they are supposed to be bind, i half guessing at the irecanpatib;lity which led her parents to dwell so much apart, and irstinctively divining scme- what of the jealous regard of each for i her. by means of which shc might, as ! it were. pit cne against the other, tc attain her own small ends. As she i grew older the ccloi.el. always hand some and debonair, gradually assumed 1 2 good d-humored elder-brother attitude, i which perhaps the girl appreciated the more fer the peevish fretfulness which i had crown upon the invalid mother with passing years. Her father. al though, as she well knew, naturally Of i c!loieric temper, Nas to her generally amiable ard always carelessiy ind'l- 1 gent. lie sometimes ventured upon ad- 1 vice or criticism. occasionally even caI'- ryirg interference so far as to tease her 1 to :hc verge of tears by his rather nerci- 1 less gift of satire; but he never seemed to dream Of demanding any actual obedience to his wishes. He appeared l to regard her. indeed, as d somewhat
 Interesting young Nonlan, 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 casy-going attitude the girl had found very pleasant in the time they had been together since her mother $ death. He made it clear that he liked to have her with him: but he was alsa at Ia ;ns to have her understand that iler own wishes were to have fuil weight in determining all her movements. When
 the;r plan of going abroad in the carly summer had been broken up, the colonel
 had been at some trouble to mitigate her disa apoirtemeEt by proposing the ! pleasantest possible alternatives. She
 might have gone to any of the fashiona-
 ,sle resorts of the east, under the chaperonage of convenient relative;
 Eut she knew that he was pleased when
 she elected to go with him to Colorado
 instead. and even more pleased to hear
 iler speak of it as going home. Under
 his cool, noncl:alant reserve she knew
 that he was really fond of her, really
 anxious to make her happy; but, though
 in turn she was intensely loyal iE hel
 devotion to him, she could not disguise
 from herself the fact that in way they
 stilI were almGst strangers.
 He loose.! up and saw her after mo-
 ment, but beyond brief nod, convey ing some surprise as well as q certain
 shade of disapproyal, he gave her nc
 further attention for the time, going
 on with his talk with McCready, the
 perintendent, who also looked out
 10 greet the girl with a smiling familiar
 ity which she secretly resented. Iit
 was a tall, muscular fellow of some 3C
 years. his face presenting q certain tyFo
 of coarse, hucolic good looks, of which
 he seemed overwceningly conscious.
 carrying himself with an air of com
 placent cgotisIn which 10 Dorothy made
 him almost insufferable
 Well, you make a paying trip of ii
 this afternoon, sure,'' he was saying
 when presently he accompanied the
 colonel down the steps. If you've got Brigham solid, it's about all we want.
 Well, l guess we've got him. the ! cGiGnpl raInjnpI ct tho l9 Si