Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-08-17

L
burst it I'M" He reflected for mo-
ment, and then added, 'Think-the
whole house will KNOW
He heard a movement as of some
one slowly rising, and groans, MY
head. my head!'' Then a heavy fall
to the floor.
At that, exerting all his strength, he
struck the lock with his foot, the door
flew open and thick white smoke, as
from wood fire, curled out toward
him, sitting him.
From the clearness of some part of
the room he believed the fire had not
been long burning.
Quickly lifting the girl from beside
the bed, he bore her into his own
room, where, placing her on a couch
near the open window, he douched her
head and throat with cold water. He
was on the point Of running for help,
when her bosom fluttered, the lips
| twitched, and the eyelids slowly
| opened.
She gazed into his tender eyes for
| a moment as if she did not recognize
him; then, turning, she burst into pas
| sionate tears. AS her hands leaped to
cover her face he noticed wedding
ring upon her finger. 1t had never
| been there before
When he had helped her into her
room, which was now cleared of smoke,
! he said, little brusquely: "Mademoi-
selle, you will promise to do nothing
rash again?'
II will promise YOU yes she said,
almost humbly, her eyes dropping be-
fore his.
Whatever may be troubling you,"
he went on, you can always depend
On me to help you"
AS they sat at tea, he tried by cheer
| full talk to bring her mind away from
brooding, and after the meal she was
betrayed into some brightness on see
ing him wash up the tea-things, and
wished, against his laughing protesta-
tons, to do it for him.
Suddenly, in the midst of their al
most gay talk, she became silent, the
| face clouded, and shining drops started
from her eyes.
Il never dreamed you were so kind"
she said, looking at him, the tears
falling down her face. II always
thought you were so stern and cold.
l called you in my mind the man with
the hard eyes,.
| 20, but you mustn't trust to ap-
pearances!" he replied, cheerfully.
1--WE often thought you were in trouble
-and-and hadn't many friends, per-
haps."
| ox-n M fri Do, ,ir
| father died, a year ago." she said
sadly, when she had wiped her eyes
and could speak quietly. He had
concession which he thought some
rich men here would pay him for
but they took it and gave him worth
less papers. When he died, disap-
pointed, 1 tried to keep myself. All
our friends seemed to have hidden
j themselves. l have suffered many
things, but l cannot starve 1t is SO
base. Oh, monsieur, 1 know you de-
spise me for being coward today,
| but"
Don't say that replied Stephen.
None Of us know how weak we may
be when the time comes. But now,
listen! You must begin again. You
must let me lend you some money to
go on with, and we must look about
and see what work you can get. Will
you do that?'
She shook her head, putting his offer
from her with quick forward ges-
ture of her hands, which seemed to him
both pretty and pitiable.
o. she said with trembling voice,
Il almost wish you had not-not found
me to-day" Then, with a sudden
quickness in look and tone, she said,
How, monsieur. did you come to sus-
pect so soon what 1 was doing?
thought you had gone out"
Never mind that now" he said
brusquely. You must take my offer.
1t will only be a loan which you can
repay when you have work. -
Thank you, monsieur" she replied.
in cold tones. Il will take the money
as Loan
He passed some gold to her across
the table and her face went proud and
pallid as she murmured thanks. Then,
hot at the thought of what might be
in her mind, he tore a leaf from his
note book, made out an Il. o. L." and
handed it TO her, with his pen.
She signed the paper in silence To
him the flimsy page seemed a wall of
ice between them that, for his part,
he swore to himself he would never
break down.
Next evening she came to tell him
of the efforts she had made that day
to obtain work. Her manner was some
what distant, with, at the end of
their talk, a checked flash of warmth.
He noticed there was now no ring
upon her finger, and wondered what
was her story.
Three weeks passed. He could not
but confess the quiet perseverance
with which she tramped London
through and through. in her efforts
10 get work She had nrocIred ono oy