Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-08-03

had a restless time of it, too. But he
Is romantic person, and probably, if
an earthquake did not mako him sleep
less something else might" He looked
at her moment, and then added, with
smile, but perhaps this is not news
to you?"
He didn't GOMEZ didn't see him"
returned Grace, wishing, ere the words
hao left her lips, that she had kept her
mouth shut. Freeman continued to
smile. How much did he know? She
felt that it might be inexpedient to
continue the conversation. Casting
about for pretext for retreat, her
eyes fell upon Meschines. 'Oh, there's
the dear professorl I must speak to
him moment" she exclaimed, viva
cionsly; and she slipped her arm from
Mirlam's waist, and was of, leaving
Freeman in possession Of the field, and
OF the monopoly Of Miriam's society.
Miss Trednoke," said he, gravely,
u have something to tell You. in order
to clear myself from a possible misun-
Outstanding. 1t may happen that I
n1IiiI nccd jour vInCi5S lo1i WIN your
father. VIII you give it?'' a..
"What vindication do you need, that
can give?' asked she, opening her
dark eyes upon him questioningly.
That's what l wish to explain. I
am in difficult position. Would you
mind stepping down into the garden?
1t won't take a minute"
Curiosity, If not especially feminine,
Is at least human. Mirim descended
the steps, Freeman beside her. They
| RI al
| flowers.
You said, yesterday" he began,
"that i would say one thing and be
another. Now 1 am going to tell you
what am. And afterwards I'll tell
you why tell it. In the first place,
you know, I'm civils engineer, and
that includes, in my case, O good deal
of knowledge about geology and things
OF that sort. / have sometimes been
commissioned to make geological sur.
veys for Eastern capitalists. Lately
I've been canal-digging on the Isthmus;
but the other day l got a notification
from some men in Boston and New
York to come out here on q secret mis-
| Sion
''Secret, Mr.. Freeman?''
|
These men had heard enough about
the desert valleys of this region to
lead them to think that 1t might be re.
claimed and SO be made very valuable
Such lands can be bought now for next
to nothing; but, If the theories that
control these capitalists are correct,
they could afterwards be sold at
profit of thousands per cent. So it's
indispensable that the object of my
being here should remain unknown:
otherwise, other persons might step In
and anticipate the designs of this cow-
pany.'
eff those are your orders, why do
you speak to me?''
There's reason for doing it that
outweighs the reason against it. I
trust you with the secret; yet 1 don't
mean to bind you to secrecy. You will
have perfect right to tell 1t; the only
result moald be that should be dis
credited with my employers; and there
Is nothing to warrant me in supposing
that you would be deferred by that"
II don't ask to know your secret; I
think you had better say no more"
Freeman shook his head. 81 must
speak" said he. 81 don't care what
becomes of me. SO long al stand right
in your cpinion-~your fathers and
yours. l am here to find out whether
this desert can be fooded-irrigated-
whether it's possible, by any means, to
bring water upon it. If my report is
| favorable, the company will purchase
hundreds, or thousands, of square
miles, and, incidentally, my own for
tune will be made
why, that's the very thing"
She stopped.
1.-The very thing your father had
thought of Yes, SO imagined, though
he has not told me so in so many words.
So I'm in the position Of surreptitiously
taking away the prospective fortune OF
man whom I respect and honor, and
who treats me as friend"
Miriam walked on some steps In
silence. ut is no fault of yours" she
said at last. "You owe us nothing.
You. must carry out Xou- orders."
'-Tes; but what is to prevent your
father from thinking that stole his
idea and then used it against him?'
"You can tell him the truth; he could
not complain; and why should you care
II he did? ! know that men separate
business from-from other things
They had now come to the little en-
closed space where the fountain basin
was; and by tacit consent they seated
themselves upon it. Miriam gave an ex-
clamation of surprise. ''Ths water is
gomez she said. ''How strange"
Perhaps it has gone to meet us at
our rendezvous in the desert.-No; il I
tell your father, / should be unfaithful
to my employers. But there is an
other alternative; can resign my APP
pointment and let my place be taken
by another"
| And giveup your chance Of q for
tune? You mustn't do that"
''What is it to you what becomes of
me?''
81 wish nothing but good to come to
you" said she, in low voice.
81 have never wanted to have a for
tune until now. And must tell you
the reason of that, too. A man with
out a fortune does very well by himself.
He can knock about, and live from hand
to mouth. But when he wants to live
Tor somebody else-even if he has only
a very faint hope of getting an oppor-
tunity of doing it-then he must have
some settled means of livelihood to
| Justify him. So l say am in a difficult
position. For If give this up, must
go away; and if go away, must give
up even the little hope have"
Don't go away" said Miriam, after
a pause
| "Do you know what you are
saying?'' He hesitated a moment,
looking at her as she looked down at
the empty basin "My hope was that
you might love me; for love you, to
De my WIZ
! The color slowly rose In Miriam's
face: at length she hid it in her hands.
"oh, what is it?'' she said, almost in
whisper. Il have known you only