Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-01-20
The Old SILVER TRAIL.
DY MARY E. sncKNEY.
copyright 1896. by J. B. Lippincott Col
CHAPTER xI.-CoNr1NuED.

CHAPTER XI.-CoNTINUED
Neil's face was pale and a strange
light shone in his eyes as he stepped in
front of her. barring the way. You
could love me if you would let yourself
I know it!-and you are false to your
self when you turn from me like this"
he declared. ip a tense tone. You are
making a mountain out of this trouble
OF the mines, when between you and me
it is as nothing. To me, indeed. there is
nothing on earth that counts--nothing
that l value in the least in comparison
with your love. II could have that. the
rest would settle itself. / would con-
cede nything-sacrifice anything"
He stopped, looking about with d
startled glance, his eyes coming back TO
her face, which wore strangely fright
ened expression. There was strong
smell of burning wood about them.
while dark cloud was streaming up
against the blueness of the sky behind
the rocks which cut off all below from
4heir view.
What is it?" she exclaimed. But
even as she spoke, there was deafening
explosion, while the sky seemed black
cned by u rushing mass riddled with
nyriads of darker blotches. of which
hundreds seemed to be falling all about
them, fragments of still burning wood.
Wild with fright, Dorothy had thrown
herself into the. arms that were in
stinctively reached out to seize her.
What is it? Oh. what has happened ?"
she gasped, hiding her eyes shuddering-
ly against his shoulder.
''1t is nothing, sweetheart: you are
.snfe," he murmured, his cheek laid
caressingly against her soft hair. For
the moment it appeared to him indeed
that nothing counted against the fact
that he was holding her there in his
arms acknowledgement the sweet
truth that she had come to that shelter
of her own impulse; but the man Of
affairs was quick to awake in him even
in all the tremulous joy of feeling that
in this unconsidered action she had vir-
-tually conceded his hearts desire. But
I must leave you, dearest. You will not
mind if go for a moment to see what it
is" he urged. tenderly holding her the
closer to him for the thought of pres
emily letting her go. You will wait
until I come back?''
No; will go with you she rejoined,
her cheeks still pale with fright. 'Oh,
1 must as his look seemed to dissuadc
her.
His thoughts had flown at once to the
Mascot shafthouse, from his memory of
n time when Il similar explosion had
rent the air to leave him almost penni-
less. Could it be that such devilish
work had been repeated? She must not
come. NO, dear one. Do you not see
that, whatever has happened. we should
not be seen coming back tngether?" he
breathlessly argued, knowing that here
was something she would surely heel
please, sweetheart" he pleadingly
added, as she still hesitated.
But must stay here until you come
back ?" she helplessly questioned, treIn-
bling still as she drew away from him.
''Will you surely come back 90
Surely, if l can. If / do not come
wait ten minutes and then come your
self" So he breathlessly planned,
moved to take her again in his arms,
impetuously showering kisses upon her,
in spite of all the awful possibilities OF
the moment, mad with JOY that she did
not repulse him. Whatever happens,
sweetheart" he passionately whispered
us he left her, remember that now you
are mine-mine!"
Dorothy waited. nervously pacing
back and forth, for a few minutes, Try
ing to think what she had done, what
it meant, and to what end it all portend-
ed. Did she love him? Had she loved
him all the while? And what would
her father say? But. unnerved as she
was, with the dense cloud of smoke
still rising and the confused sound of
crashing timbers and hoarse cries con-
tinuaaly growing louder, coherent
thought was out of the question Half
of the time for which Neil had stipu-
lated had not passed by before she could
endure the suspense no longer and was
hurrying down the hill herself, now
filed with alarmed vexation that she
had been induced to delay her coming at
all, since it needed but glance in the
direction of the fire to tell her that
it was the Grubstake buildings which
were going. She knew enough of the
costly machinery there housed to be
appalled, ut her fathers loss; but il
did not occur to her to think of the
graver menace until she met Harvey
Neil coming back to her and somehow
Compensated the awful tragedy in his
face. She stopped as though turned
to stone, staring at him with wild eyes.
her lips parted but incapable of utter
ing any sound