News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-08-28

me week of their stay came TO an emo
and they had departed he soon became
moody. a condition which always i'm
mediately preceded one of his fits. Just
before the guests left him Erna be-
sought him to ride or send over to
Crescent and Cross for information
concerning Isle, but the old frontiers
man was obdurate.
"'Twon't do" he said grufly. when
Lisle wants me, she'll send for me, and
| agreed not to bother her until she
did. She's got sand, Isle has, and it
won't do to cross her in the mood she's
In Just now. She wouldn't stand it.
Shed take the bit In her teeth and get
to buck jumping SOS she'd throw the
whole gang of us. You and your pop
mosey right along to Kansas City and
say nothing, and when Isle has her
stampede out she'll quiet down and go
to feeding all quiet and serene. After
that I'll take her to Kansas City to see
you, and then we can fix her up and
regulate matters"
Nevertheless his restlessness increas-
ed as the days passed. The one week
swelled itself into two, and the two
heightened into three and then four,
and Craig developed a habit of riding
off alone on the plains and being abb
sent all day. At such times he inevita-
bly, rode in the direction of Isles
ranch to q spot that was situated a lit.
tie more than half way between the
two places and sufficiently high SO
that from it he could with the aid OF
his binoculars quite plainly see upon
the veranda of the ranch house where
he believed Isle was still engaged in
fighting it out" He used to dismount
from his horse, turn him broadside to.
ward the ranch, and, resting his arms
upon the saddle, study for an hour at a
time every moving object that came
into his range Of vision. Sometimes he
thought he recognized the figure OF
Lisle, and during the ensuing "a hours
there was alwaY rs an appreciate lift
ing Of the cloud that rested upon him.
But he never went farther than that
particular point, and he never permit
ted one of his men to do so.
"1f l don't keep my word with her
now, she'll never trust me again as
long as l live" was his mental com.
ment whenever the inclination to OBJ
tain information on the sly proved al
most too strong for him. But he be-
CANA moro an6 mopo noroSo DC +bo
weeks passed, hoping all the time that
Ehe would not permit the entire two
months to come to an end before she
communicated with him, but at last,
when only two weeks remained until
the time would be up, he began to count
the days, convinced that he would nei-
ther hear from nor see her until the eX-
piration of the time.
When the morning of the great day
arrived, he was up with the sun, his
moroseness had vanished, and Craig
Thompson was himself again. He pos
sessed implicit faith that .Lisle would
keep her word, and he felt as certain
that he would have news of her or see
AN Wv LhS u bNl do liz lIuI
he would live until that hour. That
day he did not ride out, as usual, but
he roamed restlessly about the place
and, much to the establishment of his
men, whistled gayly while he inspect.
ed things"
AS the day advanced and began to
decline he became uneasy, and at last,
when the sun glowed like a ball of fire
In the west preparatory to hiding itself
behind the Sierras, he began to talk to
himself, swearing under his breath in
a which, if he had uttered the
words aloud, would have Mortified the
most accustomed ears.
The sun dropped out Of sight, and
still there was no sign of Lisle.
"The day won't be up till midnight, >
muttered Craig. "Ill wait till then
but not a minute longer. When the
clock strikes II, I'm going to light out
for Crescent and Cross"
When evening fell and darkness set
tied upon the earth, he did not go in.
side, as vas his custom. He brought
an easy chair out upon the porch and
settled himself in it's depths to wait
straining his ears to catch the slight
est sound that would announce the ap
proach of a stranger, and at last, wher
the hour was considerably past 8, he
bounded to his feet with sudden inter
est, for his practiced ear had detected
the unmistakable football of a gallon
ing horse. In a moment more the ride
came into view and presently drew
rein Immediately in front of the wait
ing man.
SIS this Thompson's ranch?" he in
CURED.
"You bet it is" was the quick re
| Spouse.
81 want Craig Thompson"
"That's me, stranger"
"All right. I've got a message fol-
you. ! was instructed to deliver it be
fore shutdown, but my horse went lame
and / had to fool around half a day
before / could get another"
He handed over a sealed envelope
while speaking, and then he leaped t.
the ground.
"Turn your mount into the corral
said Craig, taking the letter in hi,
hand. You'll find it over there" Ant
Ab