Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-12-03

thought, word and deed.
She made me welcome as Maopher-
son's friend with a touch of gentle
eourtasy which carried me swiftly
back TO time and place where the
strenuous travail-spirit Of the egois-
ito west was not.
eve are not quite strangers, are
we, Mr.. Halcott2" she said, giving
me her hand in unaffected sincerity.
"Mr. Macpherson has told me much
about you. I hope the Torolito is
helping you"
Thank you; it is, In a way-tem-
porarily, at least. But one would
need to be very exaoting invalid
not to be helped by the Torolito."
"1'm glad you like It," she r.
joined, In an uphash Of gentle en-
thusiasm. "When was a newcomer
used to lie awake nights listening
to tho thunder of the river In the up
per canyon, and longing to be up and
out with the solemn mountains and
the stream and the soft darkness. 1t
was the Happy valley of Rasselas
over again, but they're going to spoil
II for us now"
1.-THE land company, you meant"
said I; and from this the talk went
easily to the threatened metamor-
phosis. At the end Of 1t, said: eff
were rich enough should be
tempted to try to buy them of. It's
thousand pities to graft q truck
farm upon such shapely stock Of
natures growing"
"Isn't FTP" she said.
Macpherson was growing FESTIVE.
''Don't you want to 60 inside and lie
down on one Of the benches, Hell
colt? It'll rest you for the ride beck.
You're looking q bit tagged"
| smiled at his clumsy attempt to
dispose Of me, and glanced at Miss
sanborn- She was evidently braoing
herself for something trying but In
svitable.
"If get down shall never get up
again." said I. "Now that we're this
near, I'm going to ride on to the end
Of the valley. Put me on the horse,
Angus, and wait for me; I'll pick you
up az come back"
He did it, with palpabls gratitudss
and 80 rode on and left them.
Nfteen minutes later I repassed
the schoolhouse; and, not to mar
their leave-talings, waved my hand
to them and rode ON down the val
10y. Macpherson overlook me In the
second half-mile, and the gloom in
his face was absolutely portentous.
charged It to my inoonsidsrate
haste, and made instant amends.
GO along back to her, II you want
to, I told you I could find the way
homo alone"
For Ave full minutes he did not re.
ply. Then the words came tunult.
wise.
'sThat's the heart-breaking pity Of
: 1t, Jack, can never go back to her
Do you Observation-Disclosures. Fol
heavens sake, bear with me II yor
can, old man; shall go mad IL
don't talk about it. She says it's al
over between us; that we mustn''
meet again; that if I'm obstinate
as =: promised to be, she'll go as sh
came And she wouldn't tell me why
God IN Heaven! what have done?l
tits nothingousu've done or lef
undone. can'tuse Il see?-it's wy
kamp."
Macpherson consigned the engines
to place from which the theolo
gians assure us there is no escape.
That's all right; his Creator ma,
l send him there, but you're unds
, bends not to-"
The double quartette of pounding
: hoofs beat out another mile o
silence, and then he broke out again
r Damn 1t all, man, why don't yo1
say somethins?"
1--WE been trying to think Of some
thing worth saying. Let's begin .
the beginning. Here is very riddl
Of mystery with only two psopl
: who can solve 1t. One of the tw
3 won't talk: ergo, the other must b
/ made to. You were in Fort Cowa
the other day. May inquire wha
e you did?"
IT located placer prospect on tn
line Of the Glenlivat ditch, and mad
o ready to ask for an injunction
P Wykamp runs his survey across it.
Good! But you also asked quel
r lions. Who knows anything abor
e. Wykamp?"
Nobody at the fort; he's from ii
I east"
# "Who employs him7"
"The board Of directors, suppos
20 He's the chief engineer of the COZ
O. pany."
Il "Who are the directors?"
t. He named the members of IL
Id board.
r "Lovatt's one of them, you say
n eyes"
"That's lucky for US. Can "
j. spare one Of the boys to take a lie
o. ter to town for 1ne?"
r ''Sure. What are you going to do
ne II know Lovatt pretty well; he
hit under obligations to me, in fact.
he shall ask him for letter Of intr
he duction to his chief engineer"
"What good will that do?"
IN "Much, let US hope. Armed wi
n my letter, shall proceed to quart
of my ailing self upon Wykamp for
he day, week, or month"
a "Wen?"
on "When I get through with hi
he we shall know more than we
he now"
os, "What if he won't talk?'
he He'll be made to. A few minut
ce- ago you gave him Dantean blessi,