Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-01-10

encompaSsed and bound her WIN MS
love. 1t was as a mighty sea which
broke over her in engulfing pillows
Pangborn went back to the Gun
nison country and wrote to his lady
by every mail He was modern
Midas for a time. Everything he
tocuhed turned to gold. That was
well enough-though it was not so
interesting as some other things OF
which Pangborn knew.
But one day the swift impetus OF
his satisfaction was interrupted by
this note
my dear - friend:
Tdonot love you as l said did; or, rather
as let you infer that did Your impetu-
osity blinded me to the truth. l know that
the woman you marry is to be envied, but
I am not that woman. The truth Is, love
Herbert Armstrong, and l am going to be
married to him Thursday. have known
him since l was a child, and he has loved
me truly and patiently. Please forgive me,
and blame your own excessive nature more
than my vacillation for this misadventure.
"MILLICENT LERMOND.'
Another lover would have turned
white, would have taken to his bed,
or shot himself, or got drunk.
Pangborn did none of these things.
He leaped on another mans horse
and rode to the telegraph station.
There he kept the wires hot till he
secured a special engine. He got on
the engine and urged it on, down the
divide to Denver. up and over the
mountains again. over the second di-
vide to Ouray. He subsidized all the
world that came his way. He cleared
the path before him like a later
Caesar.
Once at Ouray-this was Thursday
and the day we'll gone-he took the
cart which was waiting in answer to
his telegram, and drove with unre-
lenting lash up the hill, plunging
through drifts. making the road his
own, regardless of all other men, and
reaching the Lermond house just as
the wedding party were leaving it to
go to the church.
He pulled up sharply and his wind
ed horse sank in snow drift and lay
there painting, with half-closed eyes,
between his broken shafts.
"Where's my wife?" asked Pang-
born, in that quiet and penetrating
voice of his. No one answered, nat
urally, but he saw Millicent sitting
beside a bland and amiable-looking
young man in the sleigh.
"Alllicent," said Pangborn, going
up to her and taking hold of her arm;
"vou cannot marry that man. You
promised me and you must marry me.
Come at once. I'm the only man you
will marry to-day, and I must hasten,
for want to take you away with me
on that six o'clock train"
Herbert Armstrong leaped from the
sleigh in his excitement, perhaps with
the intention of attacking Pangborn,
but the mountaineer, taking advan-
tage of this vacating of the seat be-
side Miss Lermond, leaped into the
sleigh, and, gathering the reins in
his hand, dashed the horse on down
the road.
Three pistol shots rang out after
him, but he did not so much as turn
his head.
She'll refuse to be married" said
the sympathizing friends to Mill
cents father and deserted bride
groom. cts impossible to coerce a
woman in this country. We'll ride
down to the Justices and prevent the
marriage"
But when they reached the town
Pangborn was already on his engine
speeding down the mountain side, and
he had the lady of his vision with
him.
There was raging and telegraphine
and consultation of lawyers and 6
making out of writs. But all the
while the engine dashed onward, an(
Pangborn was wooing as only hi
could.
At Denver they were married prop
erly in church and the witnesses SAT-
that never did a brides 81 will" re
sound in clearer tones. He kissed hel
20 times instead of once, they said
and he took her away an hour late
up into the Gunnison country.
1t was Pangborn's way, the people
said. and laughed. Some elderly foil
= thought it was an outrage; but tn
Younger ones said that there was
great deal of wasted sympathy in TIL
world. There was the affair Of tn
Sabine women, for example!
They enjoyed the confirmation o
their theory, as given by Pangborn'
wife. She became something of
traveller and went far and went alone
but it was noticed that she Away
came back to Pangborn. Those gray
blue eyes dominated her. That ar
dent arrogance held her with band
of steel. She looked the handsomes
I and happiest woman in Colorado.
! And the amiable Armstrong?
z Well, that's part of the stor
r that isn't so fine to think about
0 Never mind about Armstrong.
I WHEN LIFE IS DEPARTING.