Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-10-07
A STUDY IN SCARLET

BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

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grip upon the bride to relax.
Choked by the rising cloud OF dust
and by the steam from the struggling
creatures, she might have abandoned
her efforts in despair but for kindly
voice at her elbow which assured her
Of assistance.
At the same moment sinewy brown
hand caught the frightened horse by
the curb, and, forcing way through
the drove, soon brought her to the out
skirts.
You're not hurt, hope, Miss" said
her preserver, respectfully.
She looked up at his dark, fierce
face and laughed saucily.
I'm awfulIy frightened" she said,
naively; whoever would have thought
that Ponsho would have been so scared
by lot of cows?"
Thank God you kept your seat"
the other said, earnestly. He was
tan, savage looking young fellow
mounted on a powerful roam horse,
and clad in the rough dress of a
hunter, with long rifle slung over his
shoulder. 81 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 If 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.
"Pll do so,' he said; we've been in
the mountains for two months, and are
not over and above in visiting condi-
ton. He must take us as he finds us"
HE has a good deal to thank you
for, and SO have l." she answered; ;
hes awful fond of me. If those cows
had jumped on me, he'd have never
got over it"
Neither would l." said her. COM
panion.
you? Well, 1 don't see that it
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, l didn't mean that" she
said; "of course, you are a friend
now. You must come and see US.
Now 1 must push along, or father
wont trust me with his business any
more. Goodbye"
"Good-bye," he answered, raising his
broad sombrero, and bending over her
little hand.
She wheeled her mustang round
gave it cut with her riding-whip, and
darted away down the broad road in
rolling cloud of dust.
Young Jefferson Hope rode on with
=: 10 f&1r,.y
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 then
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 Sierrs
breezes, had stirred his volcanic, un
tanned heart to it's very depths.
When she had vanished from hi:
sight. he realized that a crisis haf
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-absOrb1ns
one.
TLo love which had sprung up In hi
heart was not the sudden. changeabl'
fancy of a boy. but rather the wild
fierce passion of 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 no
fail in this If human effort and human
perseverance could render him sue
cessful.
He called on John Ferrier that nieh
and many times again until his fac
was a familiar one at the farmhouse
John. cooped up in the valley. an
absorbed in his work, had little chaue
of learning the news Of the outsid
world, during the last twelve years.
All this Jefferson Hope was able t
tell him, and IN a style which interest
ed Lucy as we'll as her father.
He had been a pioneer in Californif
and could narrate MANY strange tai
of fortunes made and fortunes lost i
those wild. halcyon days.
He had been a scout. too. and tral
rer. a silver exDlorer. and a ranchmar
Wherever stirring adventures wer
to be had. Jefferson Hope had bee
there in search of them.
He soon became a favorite with tn
old farmer. who spoke elonuentlv {
his virtues. On such occasions Luc
) was silent, but her blushing cheek an
her BRIGHT. happv eyes showed onl
too clearly that her young heart wa
no longer her own.
Her honest father may not have ol
served these symptoms, but they wer
; essuredly not thrown away upon tn
man who had won her affections.
1t was a summer evening when b
came galloping down the road an
pulled up at the gate.
She was at the doorway, and cam
down to meet him. He threw the br
die over the fence and strobe UP tn
!. pathway.
81 am off, Lucy" he said, taking he
. two hands in his, and gazing tenderl
tdown into her face; Il wont ask yo
to come with me now, but will you b
, ready to come when am here again!
And when will that be-" she aske'
blushing and laughing.
; "A couple of months at the outsid
,, , will come and claim you then, m
. .. darling. There's no one who ca
stand between us"
"And how about father?" she aske
!. He has given his consent, provide
: we get these mines working all rfgh
!, have no fear on that head"
"Oh, we'll, of course. if you an
D father have arranged 1t all, there's +
D more to be said," she whispered, wit
e her cheek against his broad breast.
sThank Cod" he said, hoarSel