The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-04

winter UNTIL in his hearts unseIfshness he again
spoke: DO not fear to give me my answer Patty
Is 1t that you cannot love me?"ss
Still the stricken girl sat speechless-she felt her
heart would Durst-when. of a sudden. a paroxysm
shook her slender form. which might be construed
into one thing into another. Then a sternness
mashed into the mans eyes
You refused Scot this afternoon; have you then
been playing with us both?"
Ah-the maidens head went up regaly.
enough! no man may accuse me in such like,
much less one Of my old comrades"
There was quick catching of her breath. "Mr
Peyton, you mistake / have promised Scot-to-bc
his WIFE"
The words ended in whisper while her hearr
sent up it's passionate protest. and Gerald leaned
heavily against tree.
After brief interval In slow painful accents lie
SAID: How true that you know not your own mind"
Patty looked up heart-brokenly yet uttered no
word in self-justfcaton breathing only to herself
"Oh Scot my hero boy. my hero boyr'
And there within the dense shadows of those
great cedars Gerald Peyton battled with himself
Moving his wheel forward, he at last spoke quietly.
II am glad. Miss Patty, as it could not be MYSELF
that 1t Is Scot He is a noble fellow" And in the
same swift noiselessness he gone
AT RaVenscourt he found Scot awaiting him. but
though greeting him with wonted cordaiity he evao
ed the happy confidence seen trembling upon the
boyish lips.
However. when settled down upon the great stone
portieo their feet propped restfuy upon the heavy
Daustrade and the flooding all with it's mystic
enchantment. Scot would no longer be repressed
And throughout his joyous confession the soft
zephyrs sighed and rustled through the oaks and
tamaracks, crickets chrped in ceaseless pleasant
monotone and from the margin of the great foun-
tain toad sounded it's castanets in weird propbetic
cadence, while high up in the heavens the great sfl
ge6 ImJv of,I,
When Gerald presently answered, there was N
finite WEAKNESS In heart and as he said: "Seot
GEAR boy you have won. l glad for your hap
plness only-you must bear with for awhle;"
breaking OH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., what an exasper
ating toad! Does it portend storm as the wise
acres say? But my dear fellow, I must to bed"
He stretched himself lazily; Hastings Is no mean
distance you know and makes one feel most con-
foundedy done up. After ALL hills and sand do TO,
form quite the ideal road for wheeling eh nv boy?r
But the tones forced and strained LAYING
his hands upon Gerad's shoulders Scot regarleo
him earnestly.
Dad, we are friends ever? My wife will not
lose me my old comradep
Never" came the hearty response. Friends
and comrades always. Scot, always"
Yet there great tiredness in the bravo darr
eyes as Gerald held up his watch to the moonlight
Midnight! I'm off You know your room or
DID, my dear fellow" and was left TO his bliss
full meditations
Ihat night toward morning a frightful storm OF
swir1ng wind and dashing rain came like a grim
destroyer. casting huge masses Of mud and gravel
upon roadbeds and twisting loose large branches
from the trees to fling recklessly across the tracks
trains were delayed and wires down. that every
available man was speedily sent out ON the road
Peyton and Fielding in the service of the West
ern Onon found so many wires to be repaired as
necessitated the wide scattering of their men along
the line To further expedite matters they them
serves pushed on ahead until bad break just below
Greyclife mansion, determined them to give if tbtm
own personal attention
AT the curve where narrow side glen rounded
Into the great valley up the top of a telegram
pole the two friends chung when, like an after
tnought OF the storm, there came furious gust of
wind just in time to meet another Of even creator
force, from up the glen.
The result was terrific; wires changed and
Whrred madly while the lofty poles rocked like shin.
at Sea- And in the tumult loss of sleep rendering
MIN less surefooted than usual, Peyton fell back
ward down among the wires. There he caughr
while Scot, also knocked from his foothold nv this
additional jarring barely landed beside him. There
the two hung suspended above the rocky road tray
ersng the valley. But the weakened wires began
to bend and give beneath this double burden so that
Scot glanced shudderingly downward
Dad ne said hoarsely sit is goodbye sure
These wires will never hold"
AS he spoke snapped warningly then an
other, and Scot closed his eyes in silent appeal
Scot" called Gerald suddenly "good-bye old
Fellow, and he had dropped to the rocks below
Did not danger threaten" his comrade?
And there Col Page found him. having witnessed
the accident from his outlook the bluff Crushed
broken, though with life yet extant Gerald was
borne up the hill to Greycliffe while Scot whom the
relieved wires supported in safety was speedily res
cued from his perilous position
After that the days and went in seeming
endless procession finding Ravencourt still withou,
its master and Greycffe learning to regard him as
its own. And this though the doctors had affirmed
that his constitution, unframed by nicotine or
alcohol, would carry him safely through to speedy
and complete recovery.
But the weeks passed, and Gerald Peyton stiu
lay there-thus far and farther would seem the
verdict OF his bruised body The surgeons consult
ed were puzzled; until finally good Dr. Blair the
old family physician of the whole neighborbood
shook his gray head and muttered: STRANGE
strange! such strength of character too! and into
the next room he beckoned Scot who had scarce left
his friends bedside day night