The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-06
The old ranch house. was "a moro.

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
quilt OF the bright lava stone of the
hog-back. AS we looked, man
mounted at the door-stone and rode
at a gallop toward us. Thrust. the
butt of the whip among the parcels
on the blackboard and succeeded in
dislodging one of them. It was Wini-
fred's smaller handbag, and it was
we'll 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's
know not if my transparent sub
terfuge were suspected. And 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.
we'll wait dinner for you," he
said. II have Aunt Richmond here
to do the honors, and you can own
the ranch as long as you'll stay"
I looked into Winifred's eyes and
found there my warrant for a retort
in kind
1--WE shall see about that, later.
I'd like to have my invitation from
the chatelaine of house where I'm
supposed to quarter myself indefn-
itely."
It was a liberal half-hour later
when rode up to the veranda of the
country house with the lost valise at
the saddle-horn. There was no one
in sight save Connolly, the ex-troop-
er, who nodded affably and grinned
and took the horse.
you'll foind thin on the piazzv
beyant," he said, with a wink and a
1eer, and the unfettered freedom of
the great west large within him.
Its forgetting yez entirely by this
tonne, they'll be-"
But they had not forgotten me;
and when mounted the steps it was
Wlnifred who came to meet me, put
ting her hands in mine and blushing
with sweet shyness, with Angus only
lame second.
"You said you wanted an invita-
ton, Mr.. Halcott," she said, archlv.
You are very welcome to Torovista:
to come and go and stay as our near
est and truest friend"
I looked from, ono En- &le 1kl.-
them and gasped, and my heart sank
little in spite of me. Even when
one has been working and praying
for some certain end the seal of
fruition and irrevocability may come
with a trying shock. But nv part
was still to play, and I played it.
"Is-isn't this rather sudden?
True, I tried to give you as much
time as I could-if I'd known YOU
were coming to meet us, Angus, I
L should have knocked the valise off
miles farther back"
Angus roared. II wish I had half
the nerve you give me credit for.''
he laughed. "We stole a march on
you and did it by mail, long ago.
There is to be wedding in this
shack tonight, and you're to give the
bride away. Why don't you say
something's"
There be times when the grave
diggers are busy, and the heart is
too full for speech; and if at the mo-
ment I said no more than the hol-
low nothings that such occasions de-
mand, it must be forgiven me. None
the less, when the time came, gave
her to Angus, freely and without re-
serve.
That was five years ago; and since
Il can look back upon it now with
steadfast eyes, realizing that what is
is always best-her happiness and
his, and the love of little Joan, my
name-child, have been my recon-
pense for my undivided share in the
trouble on the Torolito.
(THE END)
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