El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-12
CHAPTER XII.

Thanks to that opportune use of the
| telephone, it was but little after 9
O'Clock when the team ratified across
the bridge at Big Cow creek, and Mel
sine, like wrath in her white gown,
came flying down from the house.
Edith, is it really you? Oh, you
dear, dreadful grill What a fright you
have given US! How could you do such
| crazy thing? was sure you would be
lost. and 1 was perfectly frantic. When
Mrs. Campbell came and told me, I
didn't know what to do. 1 simply walk
ed the floor and wrung my hands. She
had the girl in her arms now and was
laughing and crying together in a joy
Gus excitement which filled Edith with
dull surprise. She had not guessed that
she had such a place in Nelsine's heart.
''Hugh came back only few minutes
ago, and when I told him what you had
done he almost swore. He did indeed.
He wanted to start right off after you.
You would have met him had you been
five minutes later, but 1 insisted that he
should have supper first. He had been
in the saddle all day, you know, and
who could say where and when he was
going to find you?'
Edith stood still, staring DULY toward
that open door of the clubhouse, where
light glowed feebly. 81 have brought
the doctor. It is not too late?' she half
whispered, choke in her voice.
''And this is the doctor" cried Mrs.
Ellery, extending her pretty hand, with
beaming smile which made that i'm
questionable young man her slave from
that hour. She was gregarious to her
finger tips, this lady of K ranch, and
in her hunger for society of some sort
it was questionable whether she would
not have beamed with that same ravish-
ing smile had she been called to well
come the devil himself, hoofs, horns and
all, but this happily the charmed man
now gratefully pressing her small hand
could not have guessed. 'Dr. --?''
she went on interrogatively glancing at
Edith for the introduction which had
been forgotten.
my name is Wright, Mrs. Ellery,'
the young man said, with glance of
such frank admiration as he had never
dreamed of bestowing on the younger
lady, whose listless dignity and preoc-
cupation he had indeed found somewhat
oppressive. Hugh Ellery had come out
from the house, for the moment monop-
olized by Mr.. Blythe and Tom Tregent,
who were full of eager questions as to
the lost horses, and now, while Mrs
Ellery went on to greet these others, he
came over to his sister, a note of ear
nestness in his laughing complaint.
''Well, reversibly speaking, you are
a nice girl!' giving her little shake,
his hands resting caressingly on either
shoulder. Flying off ON wild goose
chase across a country where even the
geese fairly require a compass to keep
to the right course To say nothing of
taking chances on your own account
sufficient to warrant straitjacket, here
you have deliberately spoiled the best
appetite I ever had in my life. Don't
you know, you needless girl, that every
time you start mans heart to beating
out of the normal you are deliberately
driving nails in his coffin? And what
right have you to cut short good broth |
er's days in this fashion? What have
you to say for yourself?''
"Oh, her actions speak louder than
words, - laughed Mrs. Ellery, affection
ately clasping the girls cold hand.
"She has brought the doctor to counter
act all ill effects-that is, if it is really
a true as you live DOCTOR" she added,
with laughing glance at him. cit is
by no means clearly fixed yet in my
mind, 1 must confess, for how Miss
Ellery could have managed to fetch you
so soon without the aid of magic is
which 1 shall have to have
explained to me later. 1 will try to
restrain my curiosity, however, until
You have had some supper, for you must
all be starving. Do come right in
But how is my patient?' asked DR..
Wright, somewhat surprised at this un-
greeting
Edith stood still, her eyes fixed with
4 glance of terror upon that open door
across the lawn, behind which an omi-
nous silence seemed to reign. She knew
Nelsine too well to imagine that even
Heath, if it robbed her of none of her
leart's dearest, could long depress her
lively temperament. With a sound di-
5estion and not too much feeling, Mel
sine could always be comfortably phil
)sophical as to the ills which did not
ouch her personal happiness. He is
lead!' the girl hoarsely exclaimed,
;lasping her hands convulsively to-
,ether.
He may be dead-drunk, if one may
,e pardoned for saying So laughed
Hugh amusedly. II think little of the
,enom actually got into the ankle. Nat
lrally the stocking absorbed some of |