Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-07-06


street and to biting at cube Of sugar
meditatively.
"lf you will accept matters that way
we can have very good time. If you
DON'T l have warned you, and the con-
sequences, If there are any, must be on
your own head"
Lancaster laughed rather weakly.
accept the terms" he said. "Lt is un-
derstood that this Is only Irritation"
which he explained to Dorothy at
much length, but which she would not
understand and was so unreasonable
ABOUT as to break her engagement
Lancaster was deeply deeply aggrieved
and rather more deeply relieved. But
1t made one fact plain to him-that he
was seriously in love with girl who
frankly told him he was no more to
her than score had been before, than
scores might be thereafter. And 1t
was all In vain that he tried to change
her.
II warned you quite fairly" she re-
minded him, bending forward to stroke
the glossy neck of his black mare 1t
was the mare that, of old, Dorothy had
considered almost her own property,
and on which she had almost lavished
the overflow of her affection for Lam
caster. Il warned you," Miss Leeds
repeated, land nobody has suffered but
yourself unless'-she glanced at him
with quizzical little smile-"unless
there was another girl"
There was another GIRL" he ans
wered.
She shrugged her shoulders tolerant
ly.
THAT was to have been expected.
Most problems of the heart are in the
rule of three"
He frowned angrily, and his lips
curved in contempt. Are you absolu-
tely heartless? Have you no pity for
herp
Not great deal. If you We're the
sort to desert her in fortnight for
girl who made not the slightest effort
to win you, | think, upon the whole,
that she is rather well rid of you"
Lancaster was biting his lips, and he
was very angry. ''She is a better wo-
man than you," he said.
THAT may be. But STILL" she laugh.
ed, good naturedly, do you think l
am bad enough for you to be passing
Judgment upon me?
81 do, for you are doing the thing
cold-bloodedly, and IL" he said des-
pondently, "have lost my head"
She smiled into his eyes. "You don't
want to do that. 1t Is such hand
some head. Lose your heart-it Is not
worth nearly so much"
He turned in his saddle and faced
her. II am likely to lose more than
that" he burst out suddenly. 81 am
likely to lose my life"
"Oh, come" she said; you are not
10 nj tiyo Col q
your saber or drowning yourself In the
bay or superinducing galloplng con-
sumption, are you? l have had men do
great number of things for me, but
never quite that"
of those. l may be good deal of a
fool, but not enough for woman who
cares nothing for me-"
Yet that has been DONE" she sug.
gested.
What I meant was-and what
intended to tell you when l asked you
to come to-day was-that l am going
to the war"
THAT was to have been expected, of
course. Is your regiment orderedp
Not yet. | am especially favored.
"When do you leave?"
"The day after tomorrow. And now
| am going to ask you to promise me
something"
They had reined in their horses by the
dynamite guns and sat looking out
over the whitecapped blue sea.
80 that 1t is something that / can
promise"
mot that l shall leave that until l
come back-if l do come back. If l
do not-in short. If l am killed"-She
gave little shudder. He saw that she
did and repeated, "If | am killed, l
shall leave orders that my most treas
ured possession shall be sent to you"
"DO you mean this mareY'
81 mean the mare. 1t would make me
as happy as it would seem l
meant to be to know that If die you
will have her and will ride her and be
kind to her, for you are fond of her
too"
Miss Leeds knit hcr brows and con-
sidered. "And if l should notY she
said.
"She shall not go to any one else l
will have Dartmoor shoot her on the
day that he hears my death confirmed
Miss Leeds switched at the skirt of
her habit. as there no one else who is
fond of her also?"
mo" he answered.
"But the other girl you told me Off"
There flashed back upon Lancaster's
memory how Dorothy had been wont
to stand with her arms around the
arched black neck and her cheek
against the warm soft nose; how the
mare had followed no other but him
self. Then Miss Leeds turned the sun
Of her questioning eyes upon him. They
were serious now, and their gentle
light scattered the mists of memories.
She only valued the horse for the
masters sake, and the master Is no
longer anything to her. "Will you do
as l ask?"
A little lronical smile, the smile of an
easy going cynlcism, curled her lips.
Unto the victor belongs the spoils.
Yes, If anything happens to you will
take the horse. But you must not be
rash. believe prefer your safety to
it,"
Two months afterward Miss Leeds,
bending forward to stroke the glossy
neck of the black mare that had be-