Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-05-10

! slrOKei ana, udelliy SIduCiuS at eHe
familiar scenery about her, she reined
in her horse. Burroughs watched her
in surprise. She looked terrified, he
thought.
"Please," she said nervouslY, "you
must not go any farther with me.
Look can see the chimney Of the
house now. And, Mr.. Burroughs
she hesitated painfully-"I do not
have any callers. Good night |" With
a sharp pull at the reins she was gone
The young ranchman stared at her IN
half-offended wonder. Then he turn
ed and galloped Oh to his own home.
There was nothing else to do.
But the next time he went to Knob
City he sought out the girl who intro
duced him to this perplexing, invisi-
BILE creature who haunted his memory
persistently, and bluntly demanded
the reason for Harriet's strange con.
duct. Nellie Moore was as impulsive
as she was waIm-hearted and she was
only too glad to pour out her indigna-
ton at Harriet's lonely and repressed
life. She gave him the Horricks
story emphstically and in detail. Al
ready she was building up beautiful
romance out Of the materials fallen al
her hand. She was vaguely disap'
pointed when Wood Burroughs, In
stead of striking an attitude and pro-
claiming himself Harriet's knight, tc
do or die, merely said, "Oh ! medl'
tatively when she finished, out o.
breath, and sat silent fully FIVE min
utes, stroking his chin.
She glanced at him half-shyly, half,
daringly as he rose, still silent, ther
she spoke as though irrelevantly
Harriet is coming to see me again
next Tuesday. Isn't this lovely
day2"
Beautiful /" responded BorroughF
with startling enthusiasm, considering
his previous quietness. "You dom
mind if | happen to drop in nexl
week-saY Tuesday ?" They looked
narrowly at each other then laughed
with youthful exuberance and shook
hands. Nellie began reconstructlns
her air castle again.
1t was not strange that Harriet re-
sponded to Wood Burroughs impetu'
Gus and romantic wooing favorably
He was indeed the man she thought
him; her instinct recognized hei
own and she came into it unhesitat.
ingly. The world grew changed and
glorifed for the girl and the dreary
life at home was passed through as
though it were bad dream.
But the very day that Burroughs
told her in words that he loved her
and she had promised half tearfully,
all happily, to marry him, the blow
fell. They had ridden to the old
turn in the road where they had part
ed that memorable first ride, and the
horses, through force of habit, stopped.
Burroughs looked at the flushed,
brilliant face of the girl and drew a
deep breath.
81 cant believe it," he said. 81
thought you must have seen it all
along" she answered deprecatingly.
at seemed to me the very trees were
shouting out as passed that LOVED
you"
His clasp of her hand tightened
and they sat moment in silence, twi-
light gathering around them. The
horses moved impatiently.
81 shall hunt up your father to-
morrow" Burroughs spoke up at last
as she prepared to ride on. 81 shall
have it out with him. I'm going to
marry his daughter and don't pro-
pose to do it secretly, as though was
ashamed or afraid. "
"Oh !" her voice trembled. 81 am
afraid don't know why
When she reached home she en-
dured terrific scene. Some one
the disgruntled drug clerk probably
had told her brothers of the little love
idyl being carried on in Knob City
with the connivance Of Nelly Moore.
Against the three men she stood firm
suddenly blazing ont from a quiet
gill into defiant and indignant wo-
man with the accumulated wearines:
and neglect of the past three years
flooding her mind and lending added
point to her words. The men wer'
cowed in spite of themselves by thiI
unheard of vehemence on her part
1t bewildered them. Then Jephthat
Horrick, beside himself, with passion
| with all his obstinacy bent on crush
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