Arizona republican., 1898-09-24
CHATTER NIT.


 into q coupie ol no less dusty ihougi, somcN hat IaTroWer roads, uf which tiil one ;.t the right climbed away over the hills to meet the Old Silver trail and other remote by'-Nays, " lile tl.e other 1 turned down among the shadows uf the cottonvoods by the creek. keeping to its wayering company for i; mile ! or r:o-2 before it was forced tu7iiThei' levels on it's way to the miniHg camp If TGlntCwn. I6is little cottonwood grove where the road started Wus tiic ore tcgcl of sylvan beauty of whieh 1 Windy Gulcli might boast. There was i B great. unpalnted wooden structure. housing an abandoned process for treat ug ores jrst at thc left Of the turn ne point, followed by two or three ea,3ii;s likewise deserted; but heyond ! nis the trees had been left to grow cii IaHolssted. \ little way along : there was aii oid Spanish arastra fallen ' :o runs across the creek, while the ..2NIaiag r.1uths of shallow tuuuets 1 here and there tcld of suInei;udy's fail tires; lut paying leads had ne.er been ! discovered in this ql:arter. and n tiiesa days Windy Gulch for the mes; part ! n;!sse;l u by uu.lceding. Sometimes ! overs caine to loitcr aln-g it's shad4d 1 grass grown road CT Sunday nftefnusslts: and more rarely yet trilse,.,rs I.:.,ssd i !i;it way. going tY or coming fr;'ili Tom i toWn, but these latter generally chose 1 so mo round by thc never and Letter read that turned of down tiic cnnyoz. a few miles below. so that norothy had ! discovered that on weekdays sile might safely count on never meeting any body here.
 But 1t happened on this August after neon ti;at Harvey Neil had started for ! Iomtovn. hoping to consu,nmate some | sort of bargain by V hich n!s slippery 1 col'cag;lc i'righani might ie left to ,iis duty in t,lc forthcoming trial. He lIad turiled aside at Windy Gp!eh to con.l,if 1 ;.hc doctor about his horse. finding that be animal had gene lame; ail,i he WA 1 chagrined to discover. when he had gone q few miles. tila; in coail,i0n hi~ namily Lc must turn !.ack. ihe trcpble being sp aggravated ly he Lad I, ad. ! when III many I>ae,.s MRS Iu5 Il stretch : of b!eath.He ho" i,iors washed ,larr hy spring tii:e iiaosss: whence t lsepi;ened that Eovotlg's solitude on f!;s occa- sion came to -lc invaded hy the one person " l:o ,.csl o,-euplc;! i!"r thoughts. She hsti ;liiHost forgotten Der irdi:yn i ten on Ter fathers account in ti.e subtle : i,leasi.re gtoN jag ous of t,ls> idea that McGIea9y was ti:e one person respon- , si5ie f,. t.iil the trouble This view uf the case eX2cilv isarmo;ii:sd with her precorceivr;l cpiniau. Silc had instinct- ! ivoiy dislii.ed tl.e superintendent of the mine from the ouisct. and now she could take to hersVif credit fer her penetration. Her father had been nis- { led. deceived, mainly that MeCrcady , might profit by it. might tind means to gratify q private malice against the owner cf the Mascot mine. She was now mpulsiveiy pers uaded that liar Ney Neil had been really wronged, and all hecause her father had been system at!caIiV led to false conclusions by this arch-plutter. who had no care for any sacrifice of honor ill attaining his own evil ends. If hut the proofs might be
 Forthcoming to prove tlse wrong. to h Gucc her father to withdraw and make restitution while. yet there was time to vindicate his real moral blameless- ness,
 Harvey Neil had dismounted to spare the horse. and for q mile CT more had been ploiiding along, leading the ami nal. when. just at q turn III the road as he came down into the little cotton wood grove. he stopped short in sur prise at sight Of Miss Meredith seated by the roadside.
 The hills had here crowded down On either side Of the narrow creek, great 1ocll masses joining hands as though
 1t had been rurpose:i to hold back the
 hurryirg water, which, but in nadaeG
 icy as it seemed. went leaping over the low barriers in series of foam
 inm waterfalls, Churned to whiteness
 and shimIncrm~ Ike liquid orai in the caressing sunshine. Here the road
 had been blasted out CT the solid rock 1t one side. and the debris so formed keaped up into q low wall along the waters edge; and here IL was the gil . was sitting, so lost in thought as tC
 lsc utterly deaf to the advancing steps above the swlshing and rushing of the stream.
 Neil had thought the day of the
 storm that Miss Meredith must lQo!i
 her best in her riding habit, but to-
 day, in the simple cotton gown she wore
 she seemed to him even more daintily ; lovely. Ten times more charming than : her fathers crabbed, and he's com
 posed of harshness.' he quoted, under bis breath, ioitering all he might 1T the peec that must presently bring hin . beside her. Curious as he was to know I how she would greet him, he yet would
 gladly finger to enjoy the pretty pic P ture she made, all unconscious of an , observer
 t But she seemed to feel his glance b - instinct, looking up with a startled ai , which changed to . flashing smile c welcome as she recognized him, blus and smile SC surprising to Harvey Nei !, !, that as he stopped short in the roa' he had hardly I.ecpnco of m ;,,ej- fO Ii