Daily camera., 1901-08-09
lest she should be shocked, we-kept

lest she should be shocked, we-kept
her away. Mrs. Hayne and DR.. Gould
are looking out for her. She's not to be
allowed to come near you till we get
you safe and sound and bathed and all
fixed up in bed. or course we know
now, Randy-we didn't before, but Mrs
Hayne had to tell my wife how careful
we have TO be of her-now, and really,
old boy, she oughtn't to see you till
you're washed and dressed. You look
tough. Randy"
And though the face he longed to see
as they bore him up the steps was miles
ard niles away, Merriam stiled his own
disappointment and bravely thanked
them. "God bless you ard Mrs. Graf
ton. That was indeed thoughtful of
you, old boy he gaspcd, for pain was
wrenching him. and he gave long, long
| sigh of relief when at last he was lifted
from the stretcher to bed in the spare
room.
But that sigh was faint whisper as
compared with the long, long breath
that Grafton drew, as he sat him down
in the adjoining room and mopped his
streaming forehead
Col. BuXton and others---all the off
GERS, almost-felt bound to come to the
house between stables and retreat, Just
TO see how Randy was getting on, but
the answer was the same to one and all.
No one was to be admitted, for The doc
tor was trying to get him to sleep"
And surely enough, bathed, re-
frcshed, his arm set and dressed, Randy
soon found himself slowed away in n
soft, white bed, but oh, so weak and
drowsy after all the labor of the chase
and the long, long day of racking pain
They were to bring Florence to him
now, his wife, his darling, impaticntly
waiting for the summons, MS he thought
her, at Mrs. Haynes, and he was
stretching out his arms to hcr-hs one
available arm, rather and fondly mur-
muring her name, when the weary eye
lids closed and, numb and impotent, he
drifted away into deep, deep slumber
There" said the doctor, at last,
hell do now"
AYE" murmured Grafton, but what
will the waking be if there's no Flor
eDce here Tomorrow"
That Was an anxious night at Sedg-
wick. Merriam slept like the dead. and
twice the young doctor feared it might
be necessary to rouse him, thinking
that perhaps lie had sent that tiny shot
of his hypodermic syringe with too
heavy charge. Eut so long as Randy
was ignorant of his wife's mad csca-
padc he would have slept through sheer
exhaustion and wsarincss, and his ply
slCian need not have troubled himself.
Twice Grafton tiptocd in, and the hos
pital attendant arose at his coming and
reported that the patient had not
stirred.
Over at Grafton's quarters, however.
they had to deal with less tractablc
creature. Fanny McLane had reused
from her swoon and was nervously, eX-
citably, irritably wide awake. de-
manding actually to be allowed TO see
Mr.. Merriam. Even Annette was sent
out of the room and Mrs. Grafton had
her friend and guest to herself, and her
tears and prayers, her reproaches and
imprecations fell on hardened ears.
Mrs. Grafton was adamant.
1T is mad folly to talk Of such a
thing, Fanny" she replied to every as
sau!t Mr.. Merriam is far too serious
iy injured to see anybody, much less
you, who would importune him for your
own selfish purposes. Capt. Grafton
says the doctor has forbidden him to
every body, and he knows. In the morn
ing Capt Grafton will see him for you,
ii the doctor will permit"
Whereat the widow only stormed the
more and declared, with hysteric tears,
that they were keeping her away from
Randy Merriam out of spite and hatred
just at the most critical time. Hell
die, he'll die" she cried, "and carry my
one safeguard with him to the gravel"
Sorely puzzled, Mrs. Grafton had to
leave her once in awhile for few min.
utes at 4 time to consult her husband,
who could frequently be heard moving
about the parlor or going quickly in
and out of the house. II was plain that
Grafton was troubled about something
b, sides Randy, and at II o'clock the cX-
planation came.
Up to sundown Florence-Mrs. Mer-
riani-had not been seen or heard of at
Jose's ranch,
One OF the trailers, Rafferty, by name,
declared that Mignons tracks turned
suddenly to the northward and led away
from the ranch and into the maze Of
foothills to the right Of the cantonmeIt
trail. AT sundown they had reached
loses, still hoping against hope that
.hc would be there, but no sign OF her
had been seen, and, borrowing a fresh
horse. Rafferty, started back 10 Sedg
wick al the gallop to carry She news. He
met the doctor with Mrs. Hayne only
a short distance from Jose's, ard they
went on to the ranch hoping for better
tldings, but bade him ride for Sedg-
wick with all speed, Raiferty could
ride week in and week out if the horse
could stand il, and Jose's broncho was
a used-up quadruped by the time they
reached the Santa Clara. There he
turned him into ranchman's corral
aad borrowed another, never stopping
to say "by your leave, sir" This was
on the queens service in Rafferty's
mind, and no mans property was sacred
when Miss Florence's" life was in
volved. Buxton was up and about when
the courier came, and in ten minutes
bad reached the office and sent for
Grafton. What he wished to know was,
had she any reason whatever for turn
ing away from the beaten track and
taking to the unknown regions off the
road and far 10 the northwest of the
settlements? Grafton knew of none.
There was indeed grave reason why she
should not. -1Ss1os-
To lie Continued Tomorrow.