The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-06-05

cerned him alone. Therefore he went
swiftly at a gallop I'm pursuit. and the
sleepy stable sergeant went back 10
bed. and the guard remained on watch.
wondering where their sergeant had
gone. but all unaware OF the prisoners
escape.
The river road? He spurred his
horse down the trail furiously until
the post was far behind him. on his
right the river flowed: on his left the
land rose i'm ripping bluffs. a gray
black mass In the starlight. In front
OF him he knew the long and lonely
trail stretched drearily without house,
without town, for hundred miles and
at last ended at the railway. He was
able. with an effort. 10 consider that
the two would spare their horses,
knowing how far they had To go and
hardly expecting pursuit before guard
mount in the morning, when the officer
of the day would make his report.
They had more than an hours start,
but If he pressed hard after them he
should catch up soon. That settled, he
himself up TO the mad rage of jealousy
and disappointment. He had known
her from n child 70 be wilful and pas
sionate and mischievous. but he had
never in his alteration believed her ca
pable of such deceit He did not stop
10 think that love had forced him 10
break his oath. to neglect his duty, TO
oh, TO
escape, to forfeit, if the truth became
known. the trust of his officers and the
name he had won in years of hard
campaigning; he did not stop TO think
Of what love might have forced her
also TO do His mood was entirely self
ish. He was wounded sorely, and he
wished for nothing but revenge.
The dust scattered in clouds about
him. The horse. i'm that hot night,
soon was streaming sweat. He never
slackened pace. Now and again there
was a creek 10 cross. and through them
he dashed. needless of mudhole or rock
or stump. Once n belated Indian
freighter met him and grunted an as
tonished How Holmes hardly saw
him nor answered his greeting. In an
instant he was out Of sight and hear
ing. So he rode, blind TO all he passed,
his eyes glazing ahead. his teeth graf
ing, seeking revenge for the slight and
the scorn and the lie.
They had Travelled more quickly than
he had reckoned they would, and the
sky of the midsummer morning was
turning slowly from gray to violet
when he saw them and drew the re-
volver he carried as being on guart
duty. He hailed them. and through
the misty dimness of the dawn they
saw him and spurred ahead with cry
of fear and surprise His horse, the
fieetest In the troop. drew up upon
them, but, urged by terror they pushed
on TO the utmost. The sergeant was
within 200 yards of them when he lev
eled his revolver and fired. They were
too far off for pistol shooting. but the
shot resulted in bringing them TO
standstill. He rode slowly UP and
reined IN, facing them The girl sat
erect In her saddle her bosom heavfng,
her eyes defying him. The musician
looked at him with his big, brown, sor-
rowful eyes, despairing. Holmes look
ed only on the girl, and even as he did
so that which had caused all his mis-
cry In the last few years, his great love
for her, came back. sweeping in on him
as a food, washing away his wrath
and disappointment and longing for
revenge. 1t was Katy Malone who
faced him, his pet in her schooldays,
the one thing he had ever loved. AS
he looked on her, flushed with exercise
and indignation, he put his pistol back
IN the holster and the reins fell on his
horses neck, and he cared nothing for
the others presence, but held out his
arms in overwhelming despair, crying:
katy! Katy! Why have you done
this?'
The girl paused n moment in sur
prise. for she had surely expected an
outburst Of colossal rage, but in mo-
ment she regained her usual self pos
session She took the musicians hand
In hers. in the protecting way she had
used when she had met him in the is
Because | love him." she said.
The sergeant's head dropped low over
his horse, and his tall frame shook.
When he looked up his face was as
gray as the morning sky. All light
was gone from his eyes, even as the
stars were disappearing In the heav-
ems. He was calm now.
you could not trust me to make you
happy" he said slowly. II begin TO
understand. | want to know one thing.
Did you care for me at all before-he-.
Gamer
She shook her head.
Never" she said.
He sat again erect and looked up at
the sky. In one instant his life
stood Revolutionary, lonely, lonely!
Through all the years from the first
early questionings of himself, of who
his mother was and who his father,
through all the years of i'll used soul
souring childhood. through all the years
/