Frostburg mining journal., 1903-01-17

She had waited. at first ca rly. impa-
ticntly, then anxiously and III last i'll Il
numb certainty OF disaster. -Four
o'clock came. then >. 4. :. and Arch had
not returned.
In the codncSs of despair she put her
own saddle upon Buckshot and an old
one which Arch kept for emergencies
on Creeping Moses. Leading the extra
horse. she rode out as Arch had ridden
at SunriS" almost due east toward the
adjoining camp. The great white moon
of the high plains country Sh"nc in aw-
full beauty over that waste of dcsolate
emptiness.
'lt might lie an accident" Stella
whispered. something might have
happened to Arch or To Bob" Bob was
the rider from the next camp who met
Arch. "Why am So sure II is the one
thing: . God. let it he anything
anything but that. Not that, Not now.
when we've lived in heaven together
all these months and he seemed saved
from it ut last
SO she rode across the blank. myStcri-
Gus night alone straight toward the
splendid moon. She was stone cold,
crampcd in the saddle and all her
senses stunned down tn one aching ag-
ony of dread. when. after three hours
of fast riding she suddenly saw before
her Silhouctt"d against the Sky the fig
lrc Of q man-Bob. she OWNED stand
ing not far from Il Saddlcd horse and
bcnding over another man. who lay
h,,,J Il.,I MI ,,n.i,,l,f1,. ln nd
And the pains of hell laid hold upon
her heart
The ponies feet made almost no
sound on the springy turf. and she was
close at hand when the man turned,
showed back his big hat and ran to her,
crying:
Il knew you'd come, honey! My
Lord. how | mated to stay and give you
such scare, Eut IInllrnnk'S dead
drunk and got a broken leg. | guess.
and the team must have run clean
away with the huckboard. Tho wolves
would have eaten him up If I'd left
him To go to you nr tu Bob. Its the
boss himself. Stella. and he's been
mighty good to me. | couldn't"-
But Stella was not listening To him.
Her wide eyes. so pitiful with pain and
fear. had filled with mprcifuI tears. and
she only said: "Oh. Arch, forgive me.
forgive me. oh. | thank G".l-Im so
thankful, $" happy" And she rested
against her husbands heart.
Il knew you'd be afraid of that,
honey" returned Arch. with quick in
tuition. Il knew you'd think about the
blackboard coming up from hcaduuar-
tcrS-maybc bringing Il jug and me
letting go again. IT just took the heart
out of you. didn't it: And | couldn't
do thing but wait here. Knowing too,
how You were suffering"
Stella sat where Arch tcndcrly placed
her and watched him, clear eyed. smil-
ing, capable preparing IIolbrook for
the trip back to camp ON Creeping
Moses When this WAS done. he put his
arms around her. smiling down in her
face. Say. honey" he announced
quietly. "thc jobs done. and done to
stay. l knew il before. But | never
knew 1t exactly. as | have these three
or four hours ont here alone. working
over the poor old boss there. It's come
to me. just Il plain fact. that there's no
more drinking business for me. The
stun's lost its hold on me. don't-nOr
you don't-necd to be scared of it any
more. I'm going to boss the job myself
and live my own life -Src!" And he
laughed and kissed her. She laughed
back at him in pure joy and lightncSs
of heart. That grim ''if'' was forever
Silcncrd.
Arch'S fenced ranges run into three
counties now. and on the headquarters
ranch there is II great home. the abode
of cheer and TcAaS hospitality.
"Kceley cure he blOwcd, he cried
the other day when we were talking of
youn. Roberts "Srnd him To keep
sign camp out on iii" Stakrd plain
along with an angel like Stella. Maybe
his mother would do.
"Givc him six months of health up
in that clean air and being alone with
the plain, the sun and wind and God.
Thatll cure him, if he's worth saving