CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-08-06
q. -
Is 81
e 0In BynY 4 COPYRIGHT, 1909. ii
/. ULD BLACK j s' r1s.. a@:1::s 4::ss...le.- !.
{ HEARTS AFLAME !;
r. 20


heaIy's appeal crumpled in her pocket.
Old hearts are more slow to flame to
either love or anger than those that
are young. but once afire they burn
with the snap and glare Of fury. Healy
heard nothing of Mrs. Bells chatter
His ears were full Of savage hum
ming. Ike the buzz of a Kaffir impi
The farrier did not look at ber. His
eyes were fixed on the corpor1l's. In
the breasts of both there bldzed the
same primitive passion of jealousy
which maddens at times the stays Of
the mountains. the tigers OF the jun
gle. For the sake Of woman's lip
che comradeship Of q score Of years
vas forgotten
Tie corporal found his voice FIRST
.Axcuse me. Mrs Bell be said, with
It's business I'm afther havin' wild
Farrier Strait Will yez come OUT?
He shot the last words angrily al
his old friend, and as quickly as the
defiance reached his ear Fin took a
step forward. Healy turned to the
widow and bowed with stiff. seldierly
formality.
"I'D be likely in town tomorrow"
said he. ION the matther av the busi-
ness betwixt u.s."
At once the farrier faced the widow.
Mrs. Bell" said he. tomorrow I'll
seek an answer to my question"
But the widow made no answer.
She was now pale and trembling.
Corporal" she stammered. ''Mr.
Straitt'
the farrier closing the door behind him.
and the widow sat down. no little
frightened at such sudden mutual
wrath The smartest and most amor
GUS of youthful lovers she could have
managed. playing one against the 9TH
er. but the white heat of these veter
ans was beyond her power to cool
She warmed her pretty white hands
at the stove and shivered and laughed
4 little and cried a little in turn
The two silly old things" she muir
INJURED TO go and fight when ones
Just az nice as the other"
The snow had ceased falling, and
the air was colder as the two soldiers
strobe away from the little house up
the trail to the post in grim silence for
many minutes II the landscape, the
unutterable solemn calm OF the SNOW
covered plain at eventide. had affected
them. the same great plain, with its
broad breasts yet more deeply blanket
ed in purest white, glimmering shad
owily in the light of an uncertain.
cloud chased moon, should have now
restored peace to their hearts- Moth
ing Of natures calm could yet do that
Healy. his chin sticking out, his thin
lips rigidly tight. marched on blindly.
clinching and unclinching his great
bony banda A pace to the corporafs .
rear Fin followed but he. after the
nrst few hundred yards, so far con-
Quered his passion as to attempt non
chalance. He forced himself to whis-
tie and lessened the angry determine
tion of his stride. They were near the
old bridge. and at the sound Of that
apparently merry tune Heaiy stopped
in the deep shadow OF the cottonwoods
and faced his old crony. Many a dime
had the two followed that road waver-
ingiy late AT night. stumbling against
each other. singing loudly and stopping
to laugh. on days when they had been
in the town together for q frohc be-
fore the widow had given each a Sc
cret to keep from the other. Always.
then. they had chosen the bridge and
the shadows OF the cottonwoods for
the last halt before their nearby hunks
should receive them to finish the bot
tie and exchange the last reminiscence
of their faraway youthful days in the
war. Now they halted here again. and
Healy threw on his coat
Were no recrooties. to want the
whole troop to see us. Fin Strait" said
he. I'VE can trust each other fur fair
play"
Fin laughed uneasily and did no,
take on his coat. Els anger was apt to
cool more quickly than the others
whats eating you. HealyT be
asked. I'VE amt recrooties. as you say.
and before fight want to know what
I'm fighting about Its the woman. of
course"
$50 1t Ia" said Healy shortly. whip
me an 50 fur yer answer tomorrow.
II whip 20, sure it's t'other way"
''Choo. man, I've a right to court her.
and. now the blocd's cooled. I'n grant
you've the same. But what's the use
Of our lighting about things settled!
She had her choice. free and fair and
she's choosed- whats the go6a of
kickinxY
"Yia. she's ehooeed." said Healy
nercely. AN whin I've whipped yes
fur yer interfarin' tonight. tomorrow
she'll say 'yis' to me-"
~You're late for inspection. Healy. my
boy" he said Twas tonight abe sat
a my knee and kissed M. Isn't that
- good as saying .yesY"
You lie! You her'