The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1899-01-25

She left two nights ago-that is one
reason lam here" Aei. .ta.d aat
But Merriam burst in upon her wall,
ing, half incoherent words. I'm Gods
name what. do you mean? You or l
must be. mad. Here, Hop. quick!
Where are my clothes? Fetch them at
once; then go for Capt. Grafton"
"rm not mad" she answered, Read
this-the letter she left for you." and
the wretched woman tossed upon the
bed the note she had taken from among
the others on the mantel, and, shouting
for light, Merriam tore open the en-
velope, while the Chinaman, nerveless
and obedient to the masters will, threw
open the shutters.
In the next minute Randy had read
the page, with staring, thrcbbing eyes.
then fairly ordered her from the room
and dazed. yet terrified at the effect OF
her announcement, she crept into Flor
ence's room and threw herself into a
chair, moaning and rocking to and fro.
Like madman Merriam was up and
tearing about, issuing rapid orders to
the servant, his lameness all forgotten,
and Hop, awed and dismayed, dared dis
obey him in nothing Quickly he
dressed his master, pulling on light rid
ing breeches and leggings instead OF
the cavalry scouting rig, and carefully
drawing hunting shirt over the
crippled arm that in its sling and ban
dages was now bound close to the body.
It seemed to take no time at all to get
him dressed, yet Merriam fumed and
ragged, and then limped forth into the
hall, bidding Hop go saddle Brown
Dick at once.
At sound of his halting footsteps in
the hall. she had once more reused her
self to action, her own weight of care
and trouble urging her on. Randy"
she cried, "for Gods sake answer me!
Are you sure-are you sure-was there
no other statement? no other paper?
Did he persist 20 the last that his moth
er was alive?"N
"Mrs. McLane," was the answer,
"you forced me to tell you the truth.
l did all I could to keep it-and to keep
myself from you, but you would have
it." -o.s..,
"oh, Randy, Randy!" she cried.
"You are heartless! You are brutal,
vindictive! You are furnishing me be-
cause l SO cruelty wronged you. But
what did I ever do to you compared
with what you have done, to me? oh,
why, if you ever loved me, why could
you not have destroyed that lying pa
per that is to rob me Of my name, my
rights, rob me of everything?"
"Hush!" he answered, leaning heav-
ily against the balustrade. Il rode
night and day. We sent the swiftest
courier we had-to save your honor-tc
stop that marriage"
But you didn't stop it! You were
too late!" she cried. "And when yor
saw it was too late, instead of burning
those papers or giving them to me-
you held them that you might triumph
over my ruin. Then when you knew
was coming to beg for them, you were
a coward, Randy-you sent them all t.
Ned Parry, that my own sister nigh
gloat over my downfall"
Mrs. McLane," he interrupted, "thi
is all unjust, all untrue. Ask Mr.. Parr,
J when he comes, as come he probabl.
will. But this ends our meetings. CO.
forbid that l should ever see you alon
again! 1t has driven from me my wifi
the wife / love and love devotedly-
do you hear?-and I'm going now t.
find her."
And then he broke away. Out to tn
stable ne staggered; love, pity, devc
i tion urging him on and triumphing owe
the still numbing effect of the deader
ing drug whose languorous spell h
. . had never known before; and Brow
: Dick whinnied his welcome and imps
tience, and Hop Ling whimpered hi
!, "pidgin" protests, even as he wa
o "cinching" on Merriam's field saddl
n with its well-stocked pouches. Rand
fiercely ordered silence, bade the Oh
= naman give him hand, and then, wit
/. blurred eyes and senses, with ears sti
h drowsily ringing, he slowly climbe
:, into saddle, hardly missing the GU
!. tomary grip of the left hand in Il
h name. Then out he rode into the sui
n shine, Brown Dick bounding wit
= eagernessito to search for and rejoin h
n stable mate; and then with every strit
it as he tore away over the, mesa Rand
r felt the cobwebs brushing from b
- brain, and hope and determinatic
le squirting him on. "You have broke
r, your word and gone to your old love
II was the stern message OF Florence
brief letter. II will be no mans fool, ]
faithless husbands wife. You need n
n look for me nor follow, for | will nev
It come to you again" tf. ~
Is Another time pride, anger and sen
r. Of wrong might have held his hand, b
10 not now. And before that half-craze
At half-cringing woman could give t
ID alarm, Randy Merriam was riding fa
,r and furious to join the pursuit, thin
is ing only of her suffering and her Sc
y row, all ignorant, mercifully, of
ID new peril that involved his precio
st wife.
it 1t was vain for DR.. Leavitt to heap |
Id precation on the head of that hapl'
as Chinaman. Implicit obedience to
lie will of his master was the only ere
m, Hop Ling observed. "Mellinm s
to dless and catchum saddle and flask a
he lunch"-that was enough. "Mellil
IT. say lide an catchum Missee MelliuI
ID. and Hop Ling wasn't fool enough to