The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-05-06

COlAO w uOPO lOI Iuc, anu 10
love the schoolmistress for her own
sake, my part was still harder to
play; for, as have limited, my sister
is born maker of matches. Indeed,
l may as well confess that I should
have made sorry failure OF it if 1
had not warned Letitia off by telling
her the truth, and so made her Mac
pherson's advocate instead of mine.
Long before the SHOWS came to
stop the work on the placer bar, An
gus fulfilled his own prophecy. 1
acted as his broker in Denver, and
went cunning from time to time for
Glenlivat stock. 1t was pot-hunting,
for the greater part. The stock
holders were only too willing to be
out of it at any price, and the last
block of stock cost lis little more
than the transfer fee. Angus was
jubilant, as he had right to be; and
when he was once more The king of
the Torolito, he wrote me at length,
detailing his plans. There was to be
a new house, and great stock farm
with aneestored beasts, and a few
more settlers picked and chosen from
among our friends, for all of which
the placer bar promised to be re-
sponsible-and kept it's promise.
The spring was well afoot on the
eastern plains when next we saw the
sheltered valley nesting between its
snow-crowned mountains, and trav-
ersed by the sparkling waters of the
Torolito. But for the lower sweep
of the snow-caps, it might have
seemed but days instead of months
since we left it together, Winifred
and I. We had driven up from the
fort, she to take her summer school
again, SO Letitia had assured me, and
1 to try if the dry upland air might
give me yet another reprieve and q
little longer lease of life.
1t was high noon when we emerged
from tn cliff-shadowed portal of the
SiX-Mile and looked once more upon
the scene which had grown dear to
both of US. Winfield drew a long
breath and her eyes were shining.
1 had thought her beautiful before,
but the winter in Denver, with the
crushing burden lifted forever, had
made her more than beautiful
"The dear old valley!" she said.
''It is like coming home to get back
to it. Is that Mr.. Macpherson's new
house?"
The old ranch house was no more.
In its place on the knoll to the north
ward stood modern low-roofed
country house, many gabled, and
built of the bright lava stone of the
hog-bacll. AS we looked, a man
mounted at the door-stone and rode
at gallop toward us. l thrust the
butt of the whip among the parcels
on the blackboard and succeeded in
dlslodging one of them. 1t was Wini-
fred's smaller handbag, and it was
well to the rear in the dust of the
road when Angus met us.
GOOD boy!" I exclaimed. "You
project your welcome into space,
don't you? Will you lend me your
horse and take my place? I've lost
one of the valises, and if you'll drive
Miss Sanborn I'll ride back for it,
] know not if my transparent sub
terfuge were suspected. And I doubt
if either of them questioned or cared,
so long as they could be together.
We made the exchange quickly, and
Angus pointed the team toward the
house on the knoll.
well wait dinner for you," he
said. 81 have Aunt Richmond here
to do the honors, and you can own
the ranch as long as you'll stay"
1 looked into Winifred's eyes and
found there my warrant for a retort
in kind.
eve shall see about that, later.
I'd like to have my invitation from
the chatelaine of house where I'm