Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-12-29

last a loom Of buildings rose out of the
prairie, and they drew rein before the
homestead Of Darlington. Swimming
himself to earth Imrie raised his broa1
felt hat as he stood before its owner
and his daughter. but Eyanson WY
/ lard was. rs the messenger had said, a
hard man all through, and there was
neither panic nor dismay in face or
bearing as lie awaited them.
we heard a fire was coming this
way in a hurry. These were my guests
tonight, and l brought them along to
help" said Imrie and the grim auto.
crat answered quietly: Il am much
indebted to you all AS it happens. al
so, my men are away"
i No time to fool in talking" shout
ed the treathless Jasper. Where's
your plows, Darlington? Someone turn
out and hitch on his fresh horses.
and inside of five minutes Imrie found
himself gripping the lines of the big
gang-plow. Nevertheless. the hands
that clenched them had, for moment
held the slender fingers Of Constance
Wyllard and her low voice even then
vibrated in his cars: He will never
forget it; know his ways. 1t was
like you, Harry
I'm used to horses if I'm not much
of a farmer" said a voice close by
You seem to be managing things. Can
you tell me what to do?" and Imrie
glancing round, saw his rival, Wyl-
ards distant kinsman.
Yes; you can find grain bags and
soak them at the well. When the
smoke rolls down thick come back to
me-" he answered, hurriedly.
The horses were nearly frantic and
would have mastered him, but an Eng
lish voice came out of the yapor.
+. Rather wild, are they not? Let me
help you" and Imrie was glad to frank,
4 ly accept his rivals assistance.
II needed the utmost strength of both
to hold the beasts TO their work, but
they cheered on one another, and the
treble furrow was finished somehow
while, when Imrie slipped the clevis at
the end of it, the team bolted incon
tnently.
WyIlard and his daughter had seen to
that while, when Constance staggered
toward him. dripping. under heavy
burden. Imrie ceased his protests as
with the glare of the flame upon her
face she said: when the rest are
doing so much | must take my pant
too"
The fire rolled up to the first Of the
burrows and halted moment there
stretching out tongues of flame toward
the withered grass tufts that showed
between, ready to seize upon them as
a bridge to help it across to the wealth
of fuel waiting behind Sometimes it
also passed that bridge, but scorcheu
and painting men stretched out along
the line flung themselves upon it and
thrashed it down with the soaked bags,
Thus, at last the fire was conquered.
willard thanked his helpers; then
drew Imrie aside. Walking very stiff
tiy for his side panied him. lmrie az.
preached the threshold of Wyllard's
house, where he said:
"Those are my friends behind. The
last time we met you did not treat MT
as such May ask upon what foot
ing you receive me now?'
Then WIZARDS face softened, and
his gray mustache twitched as he $
lently held out his hand to him, lmri>
staggered as he passed into the long,
birch-buit hall, where the heads or
wolves and deer reeled before hila
then tried to recover himself, saying
1T is nothing. One of the horses
kicked me, l ,"ink," as Constance
Wyllard with a low cry ran towara
him.
Still two mon had seen and read the
look in her face. One was the English
suitor. and he set his teeth as he
slipped out into the night, while the
autocrat of Darlington smiled grimly
He recognized the inevitable, f>c ne
owed his daughter afte; his own ia
shion. and it hurt him to yield.
1t was two days later when Imrie
VINO had lost some of his usual color
and still moved stf1y wac driven over
Il Darlington and spent half an hour
in private with its owne", who haG re-
Guested him to do so, What passed
between them only the two men knew
but Imrie went straight from that in
terview into the presence of Constance
Wyllard, and felt when at last her
head rested on his shoulder, that he
would have fought prairie fires forever
for such a contamination There was
a wedding later, when. for the first
time since its building all the settlers
within a radius of twenty miles as
sembled at Darlington. and, somewhat
against his wishes, Imrie's bride did
not come to him empty-handed, for
that harvest had set his feet at last
upon the road to prosperity -Philadel-
phia Public Ledger