The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1899-06-24

~ smiling mouth at the little window.
s'Nrs. BaIrer!"
She pat her finger quickly to her
lips, and threw world Of unutterable
and cnigmatical meaning into her mis-
chievous face.
There's a big San Francisco swell
talzin' my place at Laurel tonight,
Charley"
Eyes, ma'am,n
And it's pity that the omnibus
way bag happened to get such shalS-
ing up and banging round already, com
ing here
eEh?"
II say, (" continued Mrs. Baker, with
great gravity and dancing eyes, '.that
it would be just awful If that Heerful
city clerk found things kinder mixed
up inside when he comes to open ii. /
wouldn't give him trouble for the
world Charleyl'
"No, ma'am, it amt like YOU"
$50 you'll be particularly careful on
my account
Mrs. Baker" said Charley, with inf
mite gravity, IF that bag should tumble
off dozen times between this and Lau-
rel Hill, I'll hop down and pick it up
myself"
THANK you! shake!"
They shook hands gravely across the
window ledge.
"And you amt goin' down with us,
Mrs Bal1er?n
''of course not: it wouldn't do-for /
amt here-don't you see2"
''0f courself
She handed him the bag through the
door. He took it carefully, but in spite
of his great precaution fell over it
twice on his way to the road, where
from certain Explanations and shouts
it seemed that like miserable mis-
chance attended it's elevation to the
boot. Then Mrs. Baker came back in
to the Office, and, as the wheels rolled
away, threw herself into chair, and
inconsistently gave way for the first
time to an outburst of tears. Then her
hand was grasped suddenly, and she
found Green on his knees before her.
She started to her feet.
Don't move," he said, with weak,
hysteric passion, tbut listen to me, for
Gods sake! am ruined, / know, even
though you have Just saved me from de-
lection and disgrace. I have been
NADIA fool, to do what have done.
! know, but You do not know all-you
do not know why did it--you cannot
tlinik OF tine temptution that has driven
me to it. Listen, Mrs. Baker. have
been striving to get money, honestly,
dishonestly-anyway to look well in
your eyes-to make my self worthy OF
IN 1rn v,,r,oaIf -, 10
abic to offer you home and take you
away from Laurel Run. 1t was all for
you-it was all for love of you, Betsy,
my darling, Listen to me-"
In tho fury, outraged sensibility, in
dignation and infinite disgust that filled
her little body at that moment, she
should have been large, imperious, god
dess-lilSc, and commanding. But God
is at times ironical with suffering
womanhood She could only writhe
her hand from his grasp with childish
contortions; she could only glare ut
him with eyes that werc prcttily and
piquantly brilliant; she could only slap
at his OBTAINING hand with plump and
vclvcty palm, and when she found her
voice it was high falsetto. And all she
or I'll screamF"
He rose, with weak, confused laugh,
half of miserable affectation and half
of real annoy and shame.
"What did you come riding over here
for, thenP What did you take all this
risk for? Why did you rush over here
to share my disgrace, for you are as
much mixed up with this now as am
If you didn't calculate to share every
thing else with me? What did you
come here for, then, if not for me?"
What--did-T-come here for? Wen!
came here for John Bakers sake
John Baker, who stood between you
and death at Burnt Ridge, as / stand
between you and damnation at Laurel
Run, Mr., Greenl Yes, John Baker, ly-
ing under half of Burnt Ridge, but more
to me this day than any living man
crawling over it-in-in-". Oh, fatal
climax! IA month of Sundays What
did l come here for? came here as
John Bakers livin' wife to carry on
dead John Bakers work. Yes, dirty
work this time, maybe, Mr.. Green; but
his work, and for him only-precious!
That's what came here for; that's
what live fort that's what I'm wait
ing for-to be up to him and his work
always. That's me-Betsy Balzcrn
She walked mp and down rapidly, ty-
ing her chip hat under her chin again.
Then she stopped, and, taking her
chamois purse from her pocket, laid it
sharply on the desk.
''Stanton Green, don't be fool Rise
up out of this, and be man again.
Take enough out that bag to pay
what You owe the gov'ment, send in
your resignation, and keep the rest to
start you in an honest life elsewhere.
But light out o. Hickory Hill afore this
time tomorrow"
She pulled her mantle from the wall
and opened the door,
You are going?'' he said, bitterly.
Yes Either she could not hold |
long in her capricious little
fancy, or, with feminine tact, she
sought to make the parting less diff |
cult for him, for she broke into a daz- |
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