Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-07-10
"And what may 1t be?"
mo other than where you are go.

ing?"
For moment she looked at me With
that CLINT in her eye, and then burst
into as merry a fit OF laughter as it
has been my lot to hear. l looked at
her in amazement, not unmiXed with
irritation, and off she went in another
ripple. till / had nigh broken forth
into more remarks that would doubt
less have called down other sarcasms.
"'Tis no doubt most ludicrous,' said
I. at length. somewhat bitterly, but /
have not vet discovered that side of it
and cannot join your humor."
"Oh, can you not, indeed?" she
laughed. Gould you but look on your
own face at this moment, you'd dis
cover soon enough"
II do not see what my face, ludicrous
as it may be, has in common with the
end of Your Journey"
why, l am travelling with my"
I turned quickly from her, and she
stopped and flushed as red as the
morning sun but couple of hours ago.
IL am going to a place just above
here" She stammered with a sober
face. and would tell you, sir, in or
der that you may not misjudge me,
that l have run away from home, be-
Cause
"Because-?'' said I, in spite of
myself, for / should have asked hours
uSO Il.lu Il dared.
Because / chose to-" she answered,
and then, turning two eyes on me that
BODIED no good in them to those who
crossed her, she went on, sitting
straight up in the old saddle; because
they Will learn some day that l will do
what / see fit to do and will not do
what neither God nor man should OK
pect of met!
Who is it, l wonder. that says some
a 1,i, ut ,1iftj r,P &c
mind? j knew no more why she had
left her home, if she had one, than l
did before her reply, but l would no
more have asked at that moment for
definite information than l would have
banged my head against yonder big
maple by the roadside. So | held my
peace, and she sat there astride her
of a queen.
She was going to some place about
here. Then / could get ON my way and
attend to my mission. That was what
wanted, no doubt. 1t would be a
lucky thing for me to get my mind on
my work and carry 1T through. l was,
of course, pleased a this. and a load
was lifted from my shoulders.
"Why do you look so g!um?" said
she. DO you perhaps take their side?''
God forbid, MISTRESS" said 1. They
might go to limbo before l would
stretch out u hand to help them. L
was thinking of other matters
oh We're you, indeed? j suppose
that you are so accustomed to riding
about the earth With women that their
conversation wearies YOU.
lifted my hand to interrupt her, but
she went rushing on:
And / would ask you n question, too,
MIR. l,alfort. Will you give me that
paper?
THAT paper?" said /. in amazement
Yes. sir. That paper which you
have in your pocket, and which /
signed last night and | saw bit of
color go slowly over her face and into
her hair, as she looked at me, and then
at Rogers nose. and then back at me-
Why i thinlS--I fear it is lost. L
muttercd.
DO not lie to me. sir. Ills in your
pocket. saw you put it there when
twas signed"
And 50 drew the scrawled slip from
my pocket and handed 1T to her, as she
had bid. She took it slowly and looked
at it for moment as the horses
walked on quietly, and then she put it
between the lacings of her bodice, and
the color ran over her face again, like
the little haze that passes across the
moon of wintry night.
CONTINUED Next Week)