Amador ledger., 1904-04-08

IanQeQ! Sa1u Lne man. Anu MAT
was conscious of softness i'll his tone
that had not marked his first words.
LEAD the way" he added, as the
girl brushed past him on the sand
"I'll try to follow"
Mat turned along the path, and the
stranger kept close behind her.
HIN, h'mp he muttered again pres
emily, and the tone of it brought fresh
tears to Mats eyes.
Toilsomely she led the way up the
ravine, and the man kept track Of her
with good degree of skill.
"If ye'd left the door open we might
have had the light to lead u.s." he sug-
gested.
But Mat shrugged her shoulders.
IL couldn't do that" she said.
"No; guess not The strangers
voice had grown so wonderfully soft
that Mat felt an impulse to fall back
and put her hand upon his arm.
But now the faint light shining
through the chinks outlined the cabin
door to their eyes, and Mat soon
caught the latchstring in her hand.
But she paused. The horror of the
death scene inside filled her with
dread. The stranger came up the steps
and stood beside her. 1t was a long
silence. Mat stood with her head
pressed against the door, the unpulled
latchstring held in her hand. Pres
emily the strangers arm slipped about
her waist, and the girl made no re-
sistance.
"Did-did ye ever hear the old man
say anything about JoeT The words
fell from his lips in whispers, but Mat
caught them.
"Joe! Joew she exclaimed. Eyes; tell
me, do you know anything of JoeT'
"I'm joe"
Mats hand suddenly drew tight the
latchstring, and as the door swung in
ward she buried her face against the
breast Of the stranger
II wonder, dad," said the man a few
minutes later as he bent over the
corpse on the bed, "how many minutes
too late I was. But reckon We know
oil about 1t now"
Weeks slipped by, and Joe Wellesley
was doing the duties of the ferryman.
The loneliness which had held Mat one
awful moment had not come upon her
again,
One. day Joe came and sat down be-
side Mat on the cabin steps and lit his
pipe.
rye were two years old when left,
MatP he said presently, "an' of course
ye don't remember me then. was
sixteen. There was a misunderstand-
ing. Dad accused me O. takin' his
weasel skin, with two gold pieces in it.
Well, hadn't done it, but 1 guessed
who had, for the chap had skipped out.
So swore I'd follow him all over the
west or have a confession from him,
an got It."
Joe unfolded paper, and Mat read
a confession of theft.
"But 1t seems 1 got here too late
with It, Mat"
Joe sucked his pipe slo'-
''But 1t warn't about vented
to talk particularly, Mat" he went on
at length. II reckon dad never did tell
We anything about yerselfT
mo. Why, Joe" Mat sought his
gaze.
Never told We that ye warn't his
flesh an blood daughter"
What are ye tellin' me, JoeT Mat
was holding her breath.
"Jest the truth, Mat Your father an
mother were killed in a tornado, an
dad found you, without a scratch, in a
haystack hundred yards from the
house. An somehow l knowed after l
left dad would never let on We warn't
his flesh an bone'
Silence for some time
But I'm glad it's that way now,
Mat, for II been thinkin' that if yed
have me 1 don't see the use. O. we two
goin' different ways through this old
world. What dye say, Mat?"
I'm so glad we're no blood kin,
Joe," the girl said softly as he drew
her to him.