Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-22

longer contain.
CHAPTER Kill
To the Desert
The reprieve became pardon Jack
took his patient home. Martha was de-
graded to the ranks. Jack became COM
| manding officer.
He gave Vaughan his bed and slept on
the floor rolled In blanket. Martha slept
In the kitchener wherever she saw fit.
She was told what to say to people who
inquired for the sick man and to keep the
cusses out" But she was not permitted
SO much as to cook the meals offered to
the invalid. Jack did that himself. He
broiled sage hens to the exquisite point Of
perfection which lies between UNDERGONE
and done too much; he made a hunters
stew OF yenison that would coax the gastric
juices out of the most obdurate stomach;
he devised countless changes and additions
In the diet necessarily limited by circum-
stances and the condition of the patient.
and chuckled to himself when he came out
of the sick room with his empty plates.
The dainties sent ms, by sympathetic
friends he scorned but the flowers, daily
offering from the Bankers and Mrs. Well
man and from the Chisholm Conservatives.
Martha was allowed to put into empty
bottles and set up around the room ike a
Kate Greenaway frfeze.
Letters came from the Henleys and the
bOW6TS, ana from tnc superintendent OIL
missions. Jack laid them all In the upper
bureau drawer and fed them out, one ct
time. during convalescence as he thought
Vaughan could bear them, the superintend-
ents last.
Clement shared them with him. except
certain tender personal passages from the
Galena women. The superintendent let
ter he read entire. 1t contained informa-
ton better than broiled sage hen veni
son broth to build up the strength of the
sick man. Eureka had petitioned as one
man that the pafson be allowed to remain.
The superintendent retracted his decision
of November TO- He hoped Vaughan would
stay.
That's all right" said Jack shortly.
We'll talk about that later. But now
how'd you like to go south, into the desert.
with Dick Dale for a while?
Clement drew a long breath. I'D like
it.' he exclaimed fervently.
Associations pressed close here, in spite
of Jacks ministrations and defenses- He
longed to be out of it all and away; to
have a chance to make man of himself
again
We'll. you're goin, anyway" said Jack
grimly We've got the arrangements all
made. It's just as well for you to go
peaceably."
When Jerry called as usual for news.
one morning not long after this, he was
told that Jack himself would bring the
news that afternoon.
Katharine received him with an inDa-
thence which she found it hard to conceal,
and led the way to- her little sitting room.
MIR. Vaughan must be great deal bet
ter, to spare his nurse she said, by way
of an opening.
TRANQUILITY, SOS I'm sending him off into
the desert this afternoon, long O. Dick
Dale Can you git up on the roof of this
house? They calc'late to pass the Geiger
Grade about O'Clock, and it's pretty near
that now"
Come" she cried, snatching a fleecy
white shawl from the hall table. This
way" She fled up the stairs. He painted
after
Down long, dark passage she led him.
up another flight, and they were IN the
attic. There was ladder here, leading
to scuttle in the roof She was UP like
a kitten, pushed back the trapdoor and
climbed out on the tiles. The roof was not
quite fiat. but she kept her footing TIL she
reached one of the chimneys.
"You can see pretty good here" he said.
joining her In the shadow of the chimney.
Yes. but she halted. they cannot
see us!' She stood on tiptoe and
stretched up to her fullest height.
NO" she said. this will never do. There
boxes IN the attic If you could hand
me up box
He entered into the spirit of her effort.
"Surel' he cried.
A big packing box was pushed through
the scuttle and placed by the chimney. I'm
mediately the round bright head of a child
appeared in the opening
You, too?" asked Jack. He laughed as
he lifted Miss Elsie to the box beside her
mother.
There they are!' murmured Katharine.
Two horsemen were riding slowly down l.
street in the direction of the Geiger grade.
The taller, Slighter of the two Jagged be-
hind, fiber heart leaped at the thought
he were loath to leave. Now and then he
turned in the saddle and looked back If
she could only see his face, If she could
read his heart! To have but this remote
f;,or xffy of h CHI tha,,
God for that!
With the forthputting of her patience
came boon. The horsemen wheeled, the
taller, slighter first. They were looking to-
white shawl from her head and throat
and flung it out like banner. Elsie chung
to her skirts, franticaily shaking her pima
fore.
Was he too far away? No. he. had seen
the huttering signals. Slowly. slowly. he
lifted his sombrero and held 1t high above
his head, in salute. His companion follow
ed his example. So they remained, mo-
tion1ess as statues, doing tonnage to that
white flag until it fell.
Come, Jack, and help us down. called
Katharine. Stop, Elsie. We must let them
60"
He calculates to be gone about two
months" said Jack, as he lifted down first
one and then the other. He told me to
tell you He wanted you to know"
They turned again In the direction of the
Geiger grade. The horsemen had dfsap-
peared. But on the road they had taken
Katharine saw them whenever she looked
that way; Clement wheel and lift his
hat, saw him walt there, motioniess, heard
Jack say, HE told to tell you. He
wanted you to know"
And Clement, riding away from the little
mining town. from the church where he
had been blessed as well as harassed the
courthouse and the jail where he had
achieved we'll suffered from the man
who had nursed him as tenderly as a wom-
an, and the woman who had loved him
with the courage and directness of man.
received as the token and emblem of ali