The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-10-03
A STUDY IN SCARLET

BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

THANK God you kept your seat,
the other said, earnestly. He was a
tall savage looking young fellow
mounted on a powerful roam horse,
and clad in the rough dress of a
hunter, with long rife slung over his
shoulder. Il guess you are the daugh-
ter of John Ferrier," he remarked. Il
saw you ride down from his house,
When you see him, ask him II he re-
members the Jefferson Hopes of st.
Louis. If he's the same Ferrier, my
father and he were pretty thick"
Hadn't you better come and ask
yourself?" she asked demurely.
The young fellow seemed pleased at
the suggestion, and his dark eyes
sparkled with pleasure.
"Ill do So" he said; we've been in
the mountains for two months, and are
not over and above In visiting condi-
tion. He must take us as he finds us.
"He has a good deal to thank you
for, and so have l." she answered;
"he's awful fond of me. II those cows
had jumped on me, he'd have never
got over it."
Neither would l." said her COM
panion.
you? Well, l don't see that 1t
would make much matter to you, any
how. You amt even friend of ours"
The young hunters dark face grew
so gloomy over this remark that Lucy
Ferrier laughed aloud.
There. | didn't mean that" she
said; "of course, you are a friend
now. You must come and see us.
Now. must push along, or father
wont trust me with his business any
more. Goodbye"
Goodbye" he answered, raising his
broad sombrero, and bending over her
little hand.
She wheeled her mustang round,
gave 1t cut with her riding-whip, and
darted away down the broad road in
rolling cloud of dust.
Young Jefferson Hope rode on with
his companions, gloomy and taciturn.
He and they had been among the
Nevada mountains prospecting for sill
yer, and were returning to Salt Lake
| City In the hope of raising capital
enough to work some lodes which they
had discovered.
He had been as keen as any of them
upon the business until this sudden in
cident had drawn his thoughts into an
other channel.
The sight of the fair, young girl, as
frank and wholesome as the Sierra
breezes. had stirred his volcanic, un.
tanned heart to its very depths.
When she had vanished from his
sight, he realized that a crisis had
come in his life, and that neither sill
yer speculations nor any other ques
tions could ever be of such importance
to him as this new and all-absorbing
one.
The love which had sprung up in his
heart was not the sudden. changeable
fancy of boy. but rather the wild
fierce passion Of a man of strong will
and imperious temper
He had been accustomed to succeed
in all that he undertook.
He swore IN his heart he would not
fail In this If human effort and human
perseverance could render him sue
cessful.
He called on John Ferrler that NIGHT
and many times AGAIN until his face
was familiar ore at the farmhouse
John. cooped up in the valley. and
absorbed in his work. had little chance
nf learning the news Of the outside
world during the last twelve years.
All this Jefferson Hone was able to
tell him. and in a stvle which interest
ad Lucy ~ well as her father.
He had been pioneer In California
md could narrate manv a strange tale
Nf fortunes made and fortunes lost in
tho7a wild. halcyon DAYS.
He had been scout. too. and q tran
ner silver evnlorer. and ranchman.
Wherever stirring adventures were
tn he had. Jefferson Hope had been
thNre IN search of them.
He soon became favorite with the
nd farmer, who spoke eloruantlv Of
his virtues. On such occasions Lucy
was silent hut her blushing cheek and
her BRIGHT. happy eyes showed only
too clearly that her young heart was
no LONGER her own.
Her honest father may not have OBJ
served these symptoms, but they were
assuredly not thrown away upon the
man who had won her affections.
1t was a summer evening when he
came galloping down the road and
pulled up at the gate.
She was at the doorway, and came
down to meet him. He threw the bri-
die over the fence and strobe up the
pathway.
81 am off, Lucy" he said taking her
two hands In his, and gazing tenderly |
down into her face; 81 wont ask you
to come with me now, but will you be |
ready to come when am here again?"
"And when will that be?" she asked,
blushing and laughing.
"A couple of months at the outside. |
will come and claim you then, my
darling. There's no one who can
stand between u.s."
"And how about father?" she asked.
"He has given his consent, provided
we get these mines working ali right.
have no fear on that head"
"0h, well, of course, II you and |
father have arranged 1t all, there's no
more to be said," she whispered, with
her cheek against his broad breast.
Thank God" he said, hoarsely,
STOPPING and kissing her. at is set
tied then. The longer stay the
harder 1t will be to go. They are wait
ing for me at the canyon. Goodbye,
my own darling-good-bye In two
months you shall see me-"
He tore himself from her as he
spoke, and, flinging himself upon his
horse, galloped furiously away, never
even looking round, as though afraid |
that his resolution might fail him II
he took one glance at what he was
leaving.
She stood at the gate, gazing after
him until he vanished from her sight.
Then she walked back to the house,
the happiest girl In Utah.
CHAPTER III.
Three weeks had passed since JEFF
fersOn Hone and HE Comrades had