The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-11-13


moment in silence, then, with an air of
greater manliness than he had ever
shown, he said:
"Her happiness shall not be further
wrecked. Conard shall know and come
back
But, how?' the other asked.
"I will follow and tel him.
"You!"
Yes Great Heavens, man, don't
you know l love her? /"
He tore himself abruptly away and
ran out to the corral. Five minutes
later he emerged on horseback and set
off across the prairie in the direction
Conard nad gone. 1t was ten miles to
the station and only an hour till train
time, SO there was no time to lose.
During that ride he recalled many
things of the past. He saw himself
young man again, with a promising
future, making ardent love to young
and beautiful girl. He recalled an
evening in June when, with the roses
in bloom about him, he and she had
plighted troth, and sealed the sweet
compact with their first kiss. Then
there was that day when they had
stood together before the old minis
ter and had been made one. How he
had thought that event the crowning
one of all earthly bliss,
Then he thought of all that had
happened since. OF his falling into
dissolute habits, his neglect Of the
woman he had promised to cherish.
and, worse still, his striking her and
driving her out into the night.
Then he thought of what he was
doing at that moment. and. with
groan of heart-wrung anguish he
cried:
For her sake! For her sake!"
AS he galloped into the little town
and down its one street he saw Conard
standing in front OF the station and
the train pulling up. Springing from
his horse he ran along the platform
and, just as Conard was stepping on
the train, laid his hand on his shoul-
der
Don't co." he painted She wants
you-here."
Conard turned and stared inquir-
ingly at the cook. The train moved
on without him. She" To him that
could mean but one person in all the
world After awhile he said eagerly:
What do you mean
Mary" the other replied. "She
wants you Go back to her"
Conard grew calmer.
What do you know Of her." he
asked Have you seen herr"
ME see her!" Then growing
strangely quiet: No. have not seen
her. But it is all right
How do you know"
That doesn't matter. | know she
loves you. Go to her and make her
happy"
Conards face flushed with JOY, then
became deathly pale. The other was
offering him honey and wormwood,
and he was tasting them alternately.
Presently he said sternly:
You have no right to say that She
has husband
The cook shook his head slowly.
You are mistaken" he replied. She
has no husband-not now"
Conard looked quickly up, wonder
ing not more at the cooks words than
at the pathos in his voice.
Il saw her husband with her." he
said. He came and placed his arm
about her.
mo, not her husband" the cook re-
piled. 1T was only her father
Her father. Then where is her
husbaud?"
The cooks head dropped and for a
long while he was silent. Finally, in
low tones he murmured:
Her husband, he-he is dead"
AS Conard rode back across the prai-
rie there was new hope and new
Joy in his heart, but on the station
platform a man sat all alone, his life
dark and barren, and his heart empty
of everything save sorrow and regret.
Looking after Conard, away out
across the level plain, the cook slowly
shook his head and murmured:
Dead to her-and soon to be dead
to all the world.
The next day man was found dead
on the prairie
Conard nor any of the cowboys knew
the mans name, so they buried him
and set up at his head a board on
which was carved the single word,
"Chucky." Mary never saw him. SO
she never knew that he had ever been
anything to her; but an old man
looked on the dead face and softly
murmured to himself:
"He had his chance. but he tailed
Still, he must have loved her, and