Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-12-26


Alden. Gentleness, and high breed
ing, and an idealized standard of
purity were hers by right of birth,
one would say, since the witness CT
them was written large in every line
of the sweet face and in the un-
ashamed gaze of the steadfast eyes.
remembered the unworthy sus-
picion which Macpherson had refused
to let me set in words, and did in
stant and ample penance for its har-
boring. Whatever might prove to be
the windings of the labyrinth in
which she seemed to be involved with
Wykamp, this honest-eyed young
woman must be held blameless in
thought, word and deed.
She made me welcome as Macpher-
sons friend with touch of gestle
courtesy which carried me swiftly
back to q time and place where the
strenuous travail-spirit of the egois-
tic west was not.
eve are not quite strangers, are
we, Mr.. Halcott?" she said, giving
me her hand in unaffected sincerity.
mfr. Macpherson has told me much
about you. l hope the Torolito is
helping you"
THANK you; it is, in a way-tem-
.porarily, at least. But one would
need to be a very exacting invalid
not to be helped by the Torolito."
I'm glad you like it," she re-
joined, in an upfash of gentle en-
thusasm. "When / was a newcomer
[ used to lie awake nights listening
to the 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
it for us now"
"The land company, you mean?"
said |; and from this the talk went
easily to the threatened metamor-
phosis. At the end of it, l said: eff
l were rich enough I should be
tempted to try to buy them off. It's
thousand pities to graft truck
farm upon such a shapely stock of
natures growing"
'Isn't it?" she said.
Macpherson was growing restive.
Don't you want to go inside and lie
down on one of the benches, Hal
colt? tn rest you for the ride back.
You're looking a bit tagged"
l smiled at his clumsy attempt to
dispose of me, and glanced at Miss
Sanborn. She was evidently bracing
herself for something trying but in
evitable.
eff get down I shall never get up
again." said |. "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 as l come back"
He did it, with palpable gratitude;
and so / rode on and left them.
Fifteen minutes later | repassed
the schoolhouse; and, not to mar
their 'leave-takings, waved my hand
to them and rode on down the val
ley. Macpherson overlook me in the
second half-mile, and the gloom in
his face was absolutely portentous.
| charged it to my inconsiderate
haste, and made instant amends.
''Go along back to her, if you want
to; told you L could find the way
home alone"
For five full minutes he did not re-
ply. Then the words came tumult-
wise.
'That's the heartbreaking pity of
it, Jack; l can never go back to her.
Do you underestimate For
hnouanS1 1yn txyith sc
can, old man; l shall go mad if /
don't talk about it. She says it's all
over between us; that we mustn't
meet again; that if I'm obstinate,
as | promised to be, she'll go as she
came. And she wouldn't tell me why.
God in Heaven! what have l done?"
"It's nothing you've done or left
undone. Can't you see?-it's Wy
kamp."
Macpherson consigned the engineer
to place from which the theolo
gians assure us there is no escape.
That's all right; his Creator may
send him there, but you're under
bonds not to-"
The double quartette of pounding
silence, and then he broke out again.
Damn it all, man, why don't you
say something's"
"Tve been trying to think of some
thing worth saying. Let's begin at
the beginning. Here is very riddle
of mystery with only two people
who can solve it. One of the two
won't talk; ergo, the other must be
made to. You were in Fort Cowan
the other day. May L inquire what
you did?"
81 located a placer prospect on the
line of the Glenlivat ditch, and made
ready to ask for an injunction if
Wykamp runs his survey across it,"
Good! But you also asked ques-
tions. Who knows anything about
Wykamp?"