The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-04-21


may be your way of looking at it, but
it is not mine. 1 don't care to let you
have anything to reproach me with.
1 have had enough of that in the past.
I am hopeless firt, you know. go
into the thing for the fun there is in 1t,
and it is only fair to warn you"
Lancaster laughed rather weakly.
81 accept the terms" he said. ut is
understood that this is only firta-
ton"
Which he explained to Dorothy at
much length, but which she would not
understand and was SO ufrc asonable
about as to break her engagement
Lancaster was deeply agcrieved and
rather more deeply. relieved. But it
made one fact plain to him: that he
was seriously in love with girl who
frankly told him that he was no more
to her than score had been before
than scores might be thereafter. Ane
it was all in vain that he tried tt
change her.
II warned you quite fairly" she re
minded him, bending forward to stroke
the glossy neck of his black mare. l
was the mare that, of old, Dorothy has
considered almost her own property
and on which she had lavished the over
flow of her affection for Lancaster.
warned you," Miss Leeds repeated
land nobody has suffered but your
self, unless'-she glanced at him will
a quizzical little smile-"unless ther'
was another girl?"
"There was another girl" he an
swered.
She shrugged her shoulders tolerant
| ly. "That was to have been expected
Most problems of the heart are in thu
rule of three"
Lancaster was biting his lips, and h.
was very angry. ''She is better WON
an than YOU" he said.
"That may be. But STILL" sht
laughed, good naturally, "do you thinl
am bad enough for you to be passing
judgment upon me?"
IT do; for you are doing the thing
coldbloodedly, and IL" he said, de
spondently, "have lost my head"
She smiled into his eyes. "You dom
want to do that. 1t is such a hand
some head. Lose your HEARTH is no
worth nearly so much"
He turned in his saddle and facee
her. 81 am likely to lose more thar
that" he burst out, suddenly; II an
likely to lose my life"
ooh! come" she said, "you are not.
contemplating falling on the point o;
your saber. or drowning yourself il
the bay, or superinducing gallopine
consumption, are you? I have hat
men do number of things for me, but
never quite that"
What meant was-and what I in.
tended to tell youwhen asked you te
come to-day, was that am going to
the war"
THAT was to have been expected, OF
course. Is your regiment ordered"
"Not yet; am especially favored"
'When do you leave?"
"The day after tomorrow. And now
l am going to ask you to promise me
something."
They had refined in their horses by
the dynamite guns, and sat looking out
over the uninterrupted blue sea.
$50 that it is not something that j
cannot promise"
"Not that. I shall leave that until
I come back-if I do come back. If 4
do not-in short, if I am killed.
she gave little shudder; he saw that
she did, and repeated-sif am. killed
shall leave orders that my most treas
ured possession shall be sent to you"
do you mean this mare?"
81 mean the mare. It will make me
as happy as it would seem am meant
to be, to know that if I die you viii!
have her, and will ride her, and be kind
to her. For you are fond Of her, too"
Miss Leeds knit her brows and con-
sidered. "And if I should not?" she
said.
"She shall not 60 to anyone else.
will have Dartmoor shoot her on the
day that he hears my death con-
frmed."
Miss Leeds switched at the skirt of
her habit. "Is there no one else who is
fond of her, also?"
NO." he answered.
but that other girl you told me of ?"
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 her tamely around
the garrison, as he would follow no
other but himself. 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 val
ued the horse for the masters sake.
and the master is no longer anything
to her. ''Will you do as 1 ASK
A little, ironical smile. the smile of
an easy-going cynicism curled her lips.
unto the victor belong the spoils.
Yes, if anything happens to you, will
take the horse. But you must not be
rash. I 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-
longed TO Lieut.. Lancaster, turned and
glanced mp into the face of the man
who was riding beside her.
who was the girl that you bowed
to near the gates? The one with the
big, sad eyes?"
1T was Dorothy Terrence" he told
her. Lancaster used once to be en-
gagged to her."
NO wonder, then, that she looked at
me reproachfully." She tried to laugh
but the laughter broke ond che rexx