The Irish standard., 1901-12-07

Her smile was a cordial in itself.
Mature is kind to us-sometimes.
You have suffered dreadfully, and
have been very near to death with
out realizing it. Your hearty dinner
was eaten just three weeks ago to-
day."
1t was blankly incredible, and I
said so.
1T is true. 1t was brain fever, the
doctor says. You have been deliri-
GUS all the time when you haven't
been unconscious"
"The doctor, you say? I didn't
know there was one in the valley"
"There isn't. But Mr.. Macpherson
brought DR.. Raynor up from the fort.
and has kept him here ever snce."
had eaten half of the toast slice and
was reaching for the other half. She
gave it to me. 'That is right; it will
do you good"
"That is just like Mac" I say.
"There is no end to his good-heart-
edness."
"No." She said it frankly, and if
CASA z "CIC IHc ldiuteSC HUSH VI Sells
consciousness to go with it, the light
was too poor to betray her.
1t is not to be expected that man
who had just lost three weeks is the
chaos of delirium should be wholly
responsible, and said: SIT mustha
been sore trial to him not to be
able to come here to see me.'
Her straight brows went up in a
little arch of surprise, and there was
an alarm signal setting itself in the
frank eyes.
"Not to be able to come here? He
has watched with you every night"
I saw my blunder and was not too
far gone to try to retrieve it.
II didn't know" said. ST thought
the trouble between him and Setter
might keep him away"
She smiled again. There was re-
lief in it this time, and the alarm
signal in the eyes of serenity took
flight.
"Your illness has been blessing in
Disguise" she said; "the trouble be-
tween them was growing day by day,
but Mr.. Macpherson's coming here so
much has given them chance to ar
rive at better understanding.
Their interests are identical, when all
is said"
eyes; but understood that Setter
had gone over to the enemy" said I.
"He did sell his water-right to the
land company; but he is sorry for
that now. Mr.. Macpherson has shown
him what the result will be; that he
will presently have to buy water of
the company, at the company's price.
Shall I bring you another cup of
tea?"
"No, thank you. But tell mo more
about"
She shook her head with great de-
cision. "Not any more tonight. By
and by, when you are stronger, Mr..
Macpherson will tell you all about
it,"
"Will Mac be here to-night?'
II presume so; yes, certainly he
will come. Can do anything moro
for you?"
Her presence was so restful that
tried to think of some pretext for de-
tanning her. Since none offered,
was reluctantly constrained to bid
her goodnight, and I did it with a
firm resolve to stay awake long
enough to question Macpherson when
he should come. But when she was
gone, the opiate in the low hum Of
voices from below stairs struck
hands with weakness, and I slept
slept so soundly that I knew not
when Macpherson came or went; and
it was late the following evening
when I awoke out of doze to find
the master of the ranch at my bed
side.
His greeting was large-hearted,
with little quaver of gratitude in
the voicing of it.
"By jove! old man; thought you
were going to make die of it in
spite of u.s." he said, and his eyes
were suspiciously bright. "How are
you feeling?-a bit stronger and bet
ter?"
"I'm coming on all right. I think
I've slept most Of the time for "a
hours-or is it another three weeks ?"
There was a heartening in his
laugh. "No, it's only day this time.
But you mustn't talk. Doctors are
bad people to run up against"
"If I can't talk, you'll have to.
When dropped out-or rather in
we were about to take up arms
against sea of troubles. Piece out
the story for me and I'll be as quiet
as a lamb. Otherwise shall have
query-fit and run my temperature
up. What has happened in my tenn
porary absence?"
Macpherson laughed again. "a
whole lot of things have happened.
Setter has seen the error of his ways
and is mad-slow-1nad like an Indian,
and after somebody's scalp-Wy-
kamp's for preference. though I be-
lieve he wouldn't hesitate to ambush
the entire board of directors after
the most approved Tennessee noun
taineer style If he had the chance"
"What converted him?"
Several things contributed. First,
he had to divide the purchase money
for the water-right with the other
settlers, and there wasn't enough to
go around. Then it was discovered
that he had been too ignorant or too
negligent to secure interim rights
water to use while the dam-building
goes on-and in consequence the
whole settlement is likely to go dry