The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-04-01

-hoHc ~ ueI pcoplr' IL ID auppOscu.
She left two nights ago-.that is one
reason am here"
But Merriam burst in upon her wall
ing. half incoherent words. ''In Gods
name what do you mean? You or I
must be mad. Here, Hop. quick!
Where are my clothes? Fetch them at
cnce; then go for Capt. Grafton"
'"im not mad" she answered Read
this-the letter she left for YOU" and
he 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 VIII. threw
open the shutters.
In the next minute Randy had read
the page, with staring, throbbing 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 mailman 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 a hunting shirt over the
crippled arm that in its sling and ban
dages was now bound close to the body.
1t 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 hating 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 to the last that his moth
er was alive?"
"Mrs. McLane," was the answer,
"you forced me to tell you the truth.
did all could to keep it-and to keep
myself from you, but you would have
it,"
ooh. Randy, RANDY" she cried.
"You are heartless! You are brutal,
vindictive! You are Furnishing me be-
cause so cruelty wronged you. But
what did / 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 hcav.
lily against the balustrade. II rode
night and day. We sent the swiftest
courier we had-to save your honor-to
stop that marriage"
But you didn't stop it! You were
too late!" she cried. "And when you
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 to
Ned Parry, that my own sister might
gloat over my downfall"
"Mrs. McLane," he interrupted, "this
is all unjust, all untrue. Ask Mr.. Parry
when he comes, as come he probably
will. But this ends our meetings. God
forbid that 1 should ever see you alone
again! 1t has driven from me my wife
the wife l love and love devotedly-
do you hear?-and I'm going now tc
find her"
And then he broke away Out to the
stable ne staggered; love, pity, devo
ton urging him on and triumphing over
the still numbing effect of the deaden
ing drug whose languorous spell ht
had never known before; and Brown
Dick whinnied his welcome and impa
tience, and Hop Ling whimpered his
"pidgin" protests, even as he wa:
"cinching" on Merriap's field saddle
with its well-stoclled pouches. Randy
fiercely ordered silence, babe the Chi
naman give him hand, and then, will
blurred eyes and senses, with ears still
drowsily ringing, he slowly climbed
into saddle, hardly missing the Gus
tomary grip of the left hand in TIT
name. Then out he rode into the sun
shine, Brown Dick bounding will
eagerness to search for and rejoin hi
stable mate; and then with every strid,
as he tore away over the mesa Randy
felt the cobwebs brushing from hi
brain, and hope and determination
squirting him on. "You have broker
your word and gone to your old love,
was the stern message OF Florence
brief letter. 81 will be no mans fool, NJ
faithless husbands wife. You need no
look for me nor follow, for will never
come to you again."
Another time pride, anger and sens,
of wrong might have held his hand, bu
not now. And before that half-crazed
half-cringing woman could give tn
alarm, Randy Merriam was riding fas
and furious to join the pursuit, think
ing only Of her suffering and her sor
row, all ignorant, mercifully, of th
new peril that involved his preciou
wife.
1t was vain for DR.. Leavitt to heap i'm
precation on the head of that naples
Chinaman. Implicit obedience to tn