The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-09

an awkward laugh. "Darned eff we ain
lookin' awful purity"
"G'long,' said Liberty Jones. more
than ever convinced OF his badinage.
Fact said Hoskins. energetically.
why. Doc would tell We so. too. See
| eff he don't,'
! At this Liberty Jones felt her face
turning away in as much embarass-
ment as anger. Yet he lowered near
her with awkward attentions that
\ pleased, while it still angered her He
offered to go with her to look up the
cows; she fatty declined, yet with a
strange satisfaction in his evident en-
barrassment. This may have lent some
/ animation TO her face, for he drew a
| long breath and said:
Don't go pretendin' we don't know
yer purity. Say, let you an me walk a
bit and have talk together" But
Libby had another idea in her mind
and CURLY dismissed him. Then she
ran swiftly to the spring. for the
words, 1.-The Doc will tell you so, too, y
were ringing in her ears. The doctor
who came with the two beautifully
| dressed womenl He-would tell her she
was pretty, She had not dared to look
at herself in that crystal mirror since
that dreadful day, two months ago.
She would nok.
1t was pretty place in the cool
shade of the giant trees, and the hoof
marks of cattle drinking from the run
beneath the pool had not disturbed the
margin of that tranquil sylvan basin.
For q moment she stood tremulous and
uncertain. and then going up to the
shining mirror, dropped on her knees
before it with her thin, red hands
clasped on her lap. Unconsciously she
had taken the attitude of prayer-per-
haps there was something like it in her
mind.
And then the light glanced full on
the figure that she saw there.
1t fell on a full oval face and throat
guileless of fleck or stain. smooth as
child's and glowing with health: on
large, dark eyes, no longer sunk in
their orbits, but filled with an eager.
happy light: on barred arms now shape
~ in contour and cushioned with firm
flesh; on a dazzling smile-the like of
which had never been on the face of
Liberty Jones before.
She rose to her feet and yet fingered
as if 10th to part from this delightful
vision. Then a fear overcame her that
it was some trick of the water, and she
sped swiftly back to the house to con-
suit the little mirror which hung in her
sleeping room, but which she had never
glanced at since the momentous day of
the spring. She took it shyly into the
sunshine and found that it corroborat-
ed the reflection of the spring. That
night she worked until late at the cal
leo DR.. Ruysdael had sent her and went
to bed happy. The next day brought
her EOskins again with a feeble ex-
cuse of inquiring if she had letter for
the dOctOr-and she was surprised to
find that he was reinforced by a stran-
equally awkward and vaguely admir-
ing. But the appearance of the two men
produced a singular phase in her i'm
pressions and experience. She was no
longer indignant at Hoskins. but she
found relief in accepting the compli-
ments of the stranger in preference and
felt delight in Hoskins' discontinue.
Waya, promoted to the burleSque of a
chaperone, grinned with infinite delight
and understanding.
When at last the day came for the
Doctors arrival he was duly met by
Hoskins. and as duly informed by that
impressible subordinate of the great
change in Libertys appearance. But the
doctor was far from being equally i'm
pressed with his factors story. and. in
deed. showed much more interest in
the appearance of the stock which thew
met along the road. Once the doctor
got out of the wagon to inspect a COW
and particularly the coat of "A rough
draft horse that had been turned out
and put under L.iberty's care. His skin
is like velvet" said the doctor. The
girl evidently understands stock and
knows how to keep them in condition"
Il reckon she's beginning to under
stand herself. too, said Hoskins. Col
ly, wait till We see her
The doctor did see her. but with what
feelings he did not as frankly express.
She was not at the cabin when they ar
rived, but presently appeared from the