Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-09-19


ped his eyes.
Yes. know" he answered. little
..ckly. but only as a sister. Miss Lois
-Lois-as a sister,"
There was even a ring of hope in his
voice and he half attempted to retain
her hand, which she had withdrawn
quickly at his change Of tone.
only as a sister" she responded
steadily.
why. Of course" he replied with a
short laugh, rising and shaking him.
self. Il know that-in fact, ] wouldn't
have it any other way If | could What
am | but an irresponsible. poverty
stricken COW -puncher? | wouldn't mar
ny you. Lois. If you got down on your
knees to me. | couldn't AFFORD 1t, you
know Id rather have you as you are.
to sing to me at night to play billiards
with me. to give me your condolences.
| feel, in kind OF way, as IL | were
pledged. or it were my duty. TO see you
through almost anything all right. you
know, toto protect you, IL you need
it. though you don't seem likely to
need it. That's the way feel. pom
honor-most times. But don't put
yohi manu- pu NY man hht hiNiS.
There's something about you that sets
us all crazy. caught Fontane writ
ing verse yesterday, and deuced bad
verse it was. He wanted me to put on
the gloves with him"
Lois laughed merrily. The boys In
nocent fiattery pleased her. because 1t
was so transparent and heartfelt and
therefore harmless She liked him
she thought, better than any man she
had ever seen and she believed that
she liked him az well as she would
ever come to like another.
Il am obliged to you" she said. with
quick change to gravity. Il agree
with you and Captain Harding. Mr.,
Maude is a strange man"
He has a wild. hard streak in him,
that's fact" her companion answered,
possibly because OF his wild. hard life.
Maybe he was better some day and got
started wrong That happens to so
many poor devils"
Il think not" she responded. The
base quality to which we refer was In
him always He started fair. He was
OF good family. we'll placed. finely
taught. with high profession aud
enough means for his needs. My sym
patty does not go out to the man who.
SO fitted for LIES struggle. SO armed
for the combat. so trained to excel In
good things, seeks the bad. ! sym
pathize rather with him who Is the
victim OF circumstance. There are
many such Who can tell. for Instance.
the things which make or mar US The
man tossing in delirium In yonder
room is OF gentle blood. That In plain
enough We can not say what drove
him into the wilderness to lead life
OF crime--to end his days, possibly. in
a felons CELTIC bear certainly In the
near future conviet's shame. We may
know his story some day"
She spoke rapidly and with deep feel
Ing. Her hand was stretched out. her
face was pale, spot OF red burned In
each clear cheek She seemed to be
pleading in bar OF Judgment OF the
wounded bandit Allyn stared at her
awed fascinated.
"Why-why," he stammered, you're
not specially interested In the beggar.
are you? You'd make bloomin' bar
rister Lois
soUt ldtut w btl SfIl WIN ldhSus
I'm interested in him" she said
"only rs a nurse is interested in a
patient We can't help IT. There Is
always something that appeals to US
In the sight OF big strong man de-
pendent upon our weakness. IL il our
time TO be strong and We get our re-
venge in being good to you"
THAT you do he said heartily. III
Lascelles cuts my head open with his
mallet, as he did last year. hope only
that you'll. be here to attend TO the
hurt. IL your time were not already
engaged, I'd get him to do 1t next
game, | think"
He went his way to his quarters and
she turned to her room. On the way
she looked into the sick room for a
moment. The prisoner was lying upon
his back. his eyes open and staring at
the ceiling He had been silent, but
spoke as the door creaked slightly.
"Tordillo." he said, "TordiIlo do not
desert me, for the water Is deep and
dark and / have much to do"
She closed the door gently and stole
away. She had been long enough in
the soutbwest and had picked up
enough Of the Mexican nomenclature
10 know that "TordiiIo" was the name
OF horse and she OWNED that in her
patients fevered brain was memory
OF the dark, rushing river with the
shock Of the wound and the weakness
Of his once powerful muscles and the
stars drifting overhead
At dinner that night she sat as usual,
opposite TO the Hon. Russell Maude,
and beteween courses she studied fur
lively, but attentively, his iark face.
She marked new things In H. though she
had though, that she knew 1t well-a
certain thinness Of lip behind which the
sharp pointed teeth showed occasional
ly. and the man took on wolhsn Ike
mes for her. She wondered what scenes
he had witnessed and how deeply stain
ed we're his slender hands, IL only the
red would show. When he addressed a
remark to her, as he did In courtesy
more than once his manners were
nearly always irreproachable-she an
swered steadily. but briefly. She was
too much OF woman to give him a
hint Of the thoughts behind her frank
eyes. Nevertheless there was an indie
Enable chill from her to him. and he
felt H. When he came into the draw
ing room he managed TO approach her