The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-24
THE ADVERTISERS DAILY SHORT STORY

Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub. Col Almost year had passed since Freo Morton had suddenly left his home m the pleasant Eastern town or Granson and donned the rough habiltments ot q cowboy in the far Northwest. None p, his new associates knew why ne nao come among them, and 1t was contrary to the etiquette of the country Io asa so much as inquire if the name fred MOT ton were his own. or one tnat ne hau % assumed for reasons pest known tS himself. The majority or them Wouiu scarcely have permitted such qduesuon to be asked of them. and they aio unto others as they would have others do unto them In this far, at least, Is the golden rule observed among the people of more than one newly settled locality In the Western world: A, They could guess, however, ana they did guess, that he was not there of his own selection. He did not show the spirit of a man who was doing what hes wanted most to do. thous-t his spirit in other respects was admirable, and he showed 1t in way that put him at the head of the table before he had been among them three months. He was not there, they knew, because he had com mitted a crime and was hiding from the law, but what 1t was they could not fathom. When he worked. he worked with the energy of steam engine, but when the work was done, he would not join in the rough sports of his compan- ions, nor take hand at their games or cards, hut would go off to himself 70 read, perhaps, or to dream and be sad.
 He must have had symptoms of heart trouble and come out here for his heaitn, said Puncher Pete, who was an author ity on emotional ethics. Looks to me as if he had dyspepsy; said Doc" Timmons. who had put m one-quarter at Philadelphia medical college and come away with diploma.
 Early Diety. mebbe,' suggested one whom they called Methodist Mike.
 And so the comments went among bfortonts companions when in his ab- sence they talked about him, wondering ly. But they did not venture into the field personal inquiry when ne was among them. Still every man or them respected him-most of them liked him, and some were sorry for him and would have offered their sympathy in words 1T he had encouraged such expressions or feeling.
 Back in his Eastern home there was almost eqqual surmising. and it is, to be feared that if he had remained in the cultured East he would not nave met with the same consideration that ne found among the rude men of the West One person only in Granton knew why Fred Morton had gone into the wilds. That one was a woman, and she knew off not from his own kind but from womankind. But if anyone had asked Kate Lester to tell why. he would have been no more successful! than were the compa nions of Merton in securing in formation from him.
 She was the only child of the president of the bank in which Morton had held years before, and when she saw that he was interested in her. she encouraged his attentions. Not that she cared par ticularly7 for him, or for any man. be- cause she had many suitors and could be independent, but he had been indfner- ent always to women and triumph over such 8 man is always enjoyed by any woman. So when she saw that her in- fiuence was drawing him away iron his masculine pursuits and leading him into thinking of gentler things than guns and dogs and horses and boats, she felt the pride of power and did not hesitate to exercise it to the full. As to loving him. it had never occurred to her Tn the slightest. though she admired him. as did all the women who knew him, ever though at distance. He was man man and women like that kind Of men;
 One day in the most unexpected fash. lon he told her he loved her ana askeC Her to be his wife.
 why, Fred" she stammered in req surprise and genuine embarrassment, = really never thought of such a thing De fore, and don't know what to say" {. He had had so little experience witi women and their ways that he could no understand her new Nor was he qf tb persuasive kind, as such men seldom arc
 'I don't see why you didn't, he re sponded almost rudely. You have le me go on caring for you. and you mus nus have known I was not of the kind tha play with love-
 Yes, I know that" she argued, "bu we look at things so differently: Yo l was thoughtless, I admit, but yo should rot blame me until you under stand better. don't love you, of course for how could I when I never though of it; and If you love me, you should b mo re c1nsderate."
 This Is no time Cor argument" h said urgently. You had no right to .9 le , me go on caring for you. Why dtdn you warn me that l was going too far? ? How could I,' shs said. pleadingy when I didn It know? Other men hay shown me more attention than you have them
 "I suppose if they had you would hay rHnsWered them as you have answere etvent. 1t is no rea:o why you shoul have deceived me as you have.
 The girls manner changed under thi Faccusauon of wilful deceit.
 MT. Morton" she said, firm and cold "if I have done wrong it has not beol intentional, and You are not warrante tn charging m with deceiving you.
 have liked you and been more thai pleased to think my influence oyer vol was stronger than that of your dogs an horses and guns, and possibly than tha Thought and If you have, it has bee Your own doing. For that. decline t be responsible As far as am concerned the matter ends here"
 But Morton would not listen 10 thl disposal of the case, and, losing his tenn per in his talk, he at last left the hous In a rage. Two days later he had give up his position at the bank and wa hurrYing to the westward to lose him self and his disappointment in the wil derness-if that were possible.
 Of course. it waA q nine-days' wonde in the town, and the gossips had tn more to say the less they knew. bu other matters were occurring, and 1t wa not long before it was forgotten by al except Kate Lester. Her mind was ac stiye and her heart was not still. If sh had not thought before, she was think ing now, and when Fred Morton ha gone out of her fife. something was miss ing that meant more to her than all tha remained. If Morton had been as tact full as he was sincere this story woul never have been written.
 But he was as he was, and he ha gone away wto lei Gttu1his bis sorrow fatten 0 him among those he knew not and no' he was on the eve of the first Thanks giving he had ever known away frol his home and the friends who had bee dear to him. Tn other surroundings an under other circumstances, 1t might nc have been quite so hard, but as he rt garded his present condition, there wa absolutely nothing that he should thankful for. and he looked upon the ar preaching day and all 1t meant as travesty of religion and sham sent ment that was ntolerable. When he la down to sleep he tossed uneasilY in hi dreams, and there were only visions a girl who had wrecked his Hfe-A an taken out of his heart all thankfH aes