The San Francisco call., 1904-02-28

full in their record Of toll, as she held
them up in the transfxed attitude Of
strained attention.
What now?' she said to herself.
The pioneer, Fletcher and Bessie
came slowly round the corner of the
cabin. Bessie looked sleepily anxious,
Fletcher lazly amused. AS Moreau
stepped out Sf the doorway toward
them he realized that they had come to
some decision.
Well" said the man, I'VE got to
travel"
You're going on?" said Moreau.
How about the wagon?"
We're goin' to leave the wagon. and
I'll come back for it from Hangtown.
It's the only thing to do
And the hOrse?"
He calk'lates," said Fletcher, ito
mount his wife-the pecked one-on the
horse and take her along till one or
other OF 'em drops"
Take your wife on that horse2" ex-
claimed Moreau. why, it can't go
two miles"
We'll. maybe it can't returned the
man with an immovable face.
There was a pause. Moreau was con-
scious that the woman was standing
behind him in the doorway. He could
hear her breathing.
Come on. Lucy" said the husband.
we got TO move on some time"
Here the second wife spoke up:
Il don't see how the horse is goin' to
get Lucy twelve miles, and this man
says the first place we can stop is
4r,ralx-o r,afIoc farther alonOD
Don't you begin with your everlast-
ing objections" said the husband, furi-
ously. Get the horse"
The woman evidently knew the time
had passed for trifiing and turned away
toward the brush shed. Fletcher fol-
lowed her with a grin. The situation
appealed to his sense of humor, and he
was curious as to the outcome.
Moreau and the emigrant were left
facing each other, with the first wife
in the doorway.
Your wife's not able to go on said
the miner-his manner becoming sud
denly authoritative; no more than
the horse is
Maybe not" said the other, but
they're both goin' to try"
But can't you see the horse can't
carry her? She certainly can't walk in
to Hangtown, or even to Porter's
ranch"
No. 1 can't see. And how's it come
to be your business-what they can do
or what they can't?''
It's any ones business to prevent a
woman from being half killed"
Since you seem to think so much
about her. why don't you keep her here
yourself?"
The man spoke with d savage sneer,
his eyes full of steely defiance.
Before he had realized the full i'm
port of his words, burning with rage
against the brutal tyrant to whom the
wife was of no more moment than the
horse, MOreau answered:
Il will-let her stay"
There was a moments pause. The
emigrant's face, dark with rage, was
suddenly lighted by a curiously alert
expression of intelligence. He looked
at the woman in the background and
then at the miner.
I'm not giving anything away just
now" he answered. When she's well
she's of use But I'll swap her for your
two horses"
In the heat of his indignation and
disgust Moreau turned and looked at
the woman She was leaning against
the door frame, chalk white, and star
ing at him. She made no sound, but
her dog-like eyes seemed to speak fer
his mercy more eloquently than her
tongue ever could.
"All right" he said quietly. It's a
bargain"
Done" said the emigrant. You'll
find her a good worker when she pulls
herself together. You stay on here,
Lucy. Bessie" he sang out, bring
around them horses"
Under the phlegm of his manner
there was sudden expanding heat of
shame that he strcVe to hide. The wo
man neither stirred nor spoke, and Mo-
reau stood with his back to her, strug
Cling with his passion against the man
who had been her owner. The impulse
under which he had spoken had full
possession of him, and his main feeling
was his desire to rid himself of the en-
igrant and his other wife.
Here" he said, ''go on and tell them
that you'll take the horses. Hurry up"
The man needed no second bidding
of the cabin.
Moreau and the woman were silent.
For the moment he had forgotten her
presence, engrossed by the rage that
filled his warmly generous nature. In
stinctively he followed the man to the
angle of the cabin whence he could
command the brush shed. The trio
were standing there, Fletcher and the
woman listening amazed to the emil
grants explanation. Moreau turned
back to the cabin and his eye fell on
the woman in the doorway.
Well" he said-trying 10 speak
easily-"don't mind staying on here for
a while. do you? l guess we can make
you comfortable"
She made no answer, and after wait
ing q moment he said:
When you get stronger I'll be able
to ( d you something TO do in Hang
town. You know you couldn't go on.
feeling so bad. And this air round
herewith a wave CT his hand to the
surrounding pines-"Will brace you up