The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-10-25

Your father! Is he here?" he said
hurriedly, recalling his mission.
mot now. He's gone to the station
to-fetch my Clothes" she said, with a
little laugh.
''To the station?" repeated Master
ton, bewildered.
YES" she replied, "to the station.
OF course you don't know the news"
she added, with an air of girlish i'm
portance. 'They've stopped all pro-
ceedings against him, and he's as free
as you are"
Masterton tried to rise, but another
groan escaped him. He was really in
pain. Cissys bright eyes softened.
She knelt beside him, her soft breath
tanning his hair, and lifted him gently
to sitting position.
"Oh, I've done it beforew she laughed
as she read his wonder, with his graft
tude, in his eyes. 1.-The horse was al
ready stiff, and you were nearly so by
the time l came up to you and got'-
she laughed again-"the other China
man to help me pull you out of that
hole"
81 know 1 owe you my life" he said,
his face flushing.
'It was lucky was there" she re-
turned naively, perhaps lucky you
were chasing me-"
"1'm afraid that Of the many who
would run after you l should be the
least lucky" he said, with an attempt
to laugh that did not, however, conceal
his modification, "but assure you that
| only wished to have an interview
with your father-a business interview
perhaps as much in his interest as
my own"
The old look of audacity came back
to her face. 81 guess that's what they
all came here for-eXcept one-but it
didn't keep them from believing and
saying he was thief behind his back.
Yet they all wanted his-confidence,"
she added bitterly.
Masterton felt that his burning
cheeks were confessing the truth OF
this. 'You excepted one," he said hesi-
tatingly.
"Yes-the deputy sheriff. He came
to help me-"
"Youw
Eyes, mew A coquettish little toss of
her head added to his confusion. "He
threw up his job just to follow me
without my knowing it, to see that l
didn't come to any harm. He saw me
only once, too-at the house when he
came to take possession. He said he
thought was clear grit to risk every
thing to find father, and he said he
saw it in me when he was there.
That's how he guessed where | was
gone when ! ran away and followed
me-"
He was as right as he was lucky"
said Masterton gravely. "But how did
you get here?"
She SLIPPED down on the floor beside
him with an unconscious movement
that her masculine garments only made
the more quantity girlish and, clasping
fire as she rocked herself slightly back
ward and forward as she spoke.
''lt will shock proper man like you,
know" she began demurely, but |
came alone, with only a Chinaman to
guide me. got these clothes from our
laundryman SO that shouldn't attract
attention. | would have got a Chinese
lady's dress, but l couldn't walk in
their shoes"-she looked down at her
little feet incased in wooden sandals
'and I had long way to walk. But
even if l didn't look quite right to a
Chinaman no white man was able to
detect the difference. You passed me
twice in the stage, and you didn't know
me. l travelled night and day, most of
the time walking and being passed
along from <iAe Chinaman to another,
or, when we were alone, being slung on
q pole between two coolies like bale
Of goods. | ate what they could give
me, for 1 dared not go into a shop or
a restaurant. l couldn't shut my eyes
in their dens, so l staid awake all
night Yet l got ahead of you and the
sheriff, though l didn't know at the
time what you were after" she added
presently.
He was overcome with wondering ad-
miration of her courage and of self re-
proach at his own shortsightedness
This was the girl he had looked upon
as a spoiled village beauty, satisfied
with her small triumphs and provincial
elevation and vacant of all other pur-
pose. Here was she, the all uncon-
scious heroine, and he. her critic, help