Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-10-03

squirrel hole, was on his knees,
plunging wildly to free himself, and
the next instant prone on the ground,
with Dixon under him.
Used as she was to accidents, hairs
breadth escapes, and feats of daring
horsemanship, Tige laughed at his
awkwardness and refined in her pony,
waiting for him to get to his feet;
but after a moment of waiting, he did
not rise, and then, with all her assist
ance, could not. White, and breath
less, and only half realizing what it
might mean, she dashed ahead for
Pedro and Filipe, but when they
reached him Dixon still lay helpless.
They carried him carefully to the
ranch house, a low stone cabin daubed
with adobe soil. and gave him into the
care of Juana, the old mahaly who did
everything about the house for Fer
nando that his vaquero-daughter
scorned.
The neare settlement was three
leagues away, and when at last the
doctor came he looked at Dixon and
shook his head. But his verdict was a
meaningless combination of words to
SIS ~ az Until IIC lux
the words, ''paralyzed. he'll never
o V hand or foot again.
"DiNon paralyzed." Over and over
she repeated the words, he'll never
move hand or foot again!" and as she
dashed out of the house, sprang into
DiXOn's saddle, and galloped furious
~ across the plains, the words rang
through her brain with every hoof-
beat. AS she rode wildly onward,
squirting her horse into a run, she
grasped clearing the import of
those awful words, Dixon paral-
yzed!" until turning homeward, heart
sick and exhausted. Tige threw her
arms around Breakers neck and under
cover of the darkness wept like a girl.
Juana, who held an open luminosity
toward the gringO, performed all her
services with disappearing grunts, so
it was Tige upon whom the care of
the injured man devolved. Divested of
hat and jacket, she watched beside
him, waited upon him, sang to him,
losing her ruddy color and growing
wan-eyed from the close confinement
in the house. And Dixon, his great
length laid low, his powerful frame
helpless as a little child's, lay month
after month hopelessly inert.
And finally it was spring-time again.
The birds came back, the colors
glowed on the prairies, the sun was
warm and bright as if nothing had
happened. One day Dixon lay watch
ing Tige sitting demurely in the door
way. Her name of hair was tucked
up prfmly, excepting the few rebel
lious locks that would not be con-
trolled, her color was subdued to a
delicate flush, and when she turned to-
ward him all the daredevil light was
gone out of her eyes.
D. you love me, Tige?" he asked,
gently, knowing only toe well now
what the answer would De. An these
long months Dixon had watched the
change his illness had wrought in the
girl-the gentler footsteps, the sofia
or tones, the thoughtfulness in a hun
dred nameless little ways. until at
last the vaquero was wholly lost in
the woman. Then Dixon, because he
was a man, every inch, grew more
and more determined on his course
with every new evidence of her love.
with all my heart, and with all
my soul. inc with all my strength"
she repeated, reverently, not realizing
she was fulfilling the law toward Dix
on instead of her Creator; but there
was no halfway possible to her-she
loved or hated, and hat with
all her strength of her impetuous ma
ture.
Then nnrrinr hinnCaIf IN fhn n-lao1
by main force. for this affection had
made him weak, Dixon went on: do
you realize that 1 am paralyzed for
life ?"
The wide eyes. grown deep and ten
der, regarded him sadly. "Yes," she
gently. when they first
old me, / wouldn't believe it, but I've
crown used to it now"
well, 1 have mott" broke from Dix
IN, savagely, in a ~momentary loss of
,elf-control.
But you are not going to have to
bear it alone. you will always have
ne with you" pleaded the girl, sim
ply.
NO, Tige," he answered. steadily.
She could not know that the instinc-
i've eIaOFB 10 EedCn HIS HdIu lo"dIu
and his powerlessness to do so,
vas what nerved him to say it. mo,
hat can never be, L could not ask you
20 be my wife now, because-because
.verything-'
Blu" bending very low so he could
see her face, she ventured, Il am
to marry you and take care of
TOu-"
"And in time come to despise me-
Interrupted TiXon. II have no money,
rige, so that would be impossible.
you see it all? Do you imagine
could let you throw yourself away
IN such as I. a dead man unburied? I,
vho could not raise a finger to sup
,ort or ven protect you, lying here
ike a dog at your feet"
flush. hush" shuddered the girl,
her hand over his mouth to
top him; you shall not say those &;
s
'Listen!" Dixon commanded; he
.ould not be other than masterful /
low he might be laid. This t
5 the only sane thing to do. You are
cry young and in time you will get !
'ver your grief. You will be going 1
Jack TO Mexico as soon as the rains 5
-egin." {
No" answered Tige. with her old I
ligh-hsnded way of disposing of her 5