West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-12-20

occusrcd 10 him. and now that Il had
been presented 20 his minds eye be
wondered why he had been such "A
blind fool.
He rushed from the room and down
to the stable. At sight OF him some one
leaped on n horse and rode out into the
darkness.
"Who was thatf' asked Texas OF a
man lounging by the corral.
''rhat was And he gave the narle
OF the loose Tipped man.
Texas cursed long and picturesquely.
Then 10 went back to the bunk room
n tried TO pick n quarrel with Peter
Hamilton, who good naturally as
suined that his old friend had been
drinking and refused to take onense.
Peter went In 10 ask Kitty 20 dance
with him. All hat evening he had
been waiting a~nxiously for Judith.
Meanwhile he had used all his inhu.
encc as n newly appointed member Of
the Wetmore outfit 10 soothe the ruff
fed feelings OF the cattlemen. or the
tragedy I'm the valley he had heard no
rumor.
Kitty had come TO the point where
she was inclined TO permit Peter TO re-
sumo his suit. His atH fiescence In her
refusal she had Mt first regarded as the
turning OF the worm. After the wolf
hunt, however, her medltatlons were
more disturbing. She had never told
Peter of that strange woodland meet
ing with Judith. yet Judith's beauty.
her probable hold over Peter, the de-
gree OF his affection for her were ran
king questions In Kitty's conscious
ness. In the stress OF these consider
ntions Kitty lost her head completely
for so old a campaigner. She drew
the apron string tight-attempted force
instead OF strategy.
Kitty and Peter finished their waltz,
n Of the few round dances Of the
evening.
How perfectly you dance. Kitty
It's n long time since we've had n
waltz together"
The COW punchers looked ut Kitty
rs II she were not quite flesh and
blood. Such fiaxen daintiness. femlnin-
ity ethereallzed to angelic perfection,
was new to them. but their admiration
was like that given to n delicate exotic
which, wonderful as II is. one is well
pleased to view through the glass of
the florists window.
Peter was deferentlally attentive and
Jealous TO make the Wetmore party
have n thoroughly good time, yet he
did all these things. as II We're. with
, his eye Oh the door. He was not OBJ
viously distract. He was the man Of
! the world. talking making bimgplf
agreeable, doing his duty" while his
subconsciousness was busy with other
matters. II was rather through telepa-
thy than through any lack of attention
paid to her that Kitty realized the state
of things, and In proportion to her re-
aliZation came Il feeling of helpless
ness; ii was so new, 80 unexpected, so
cruel. He seemed drifting away from
her oil some tide of affairs of the very
existence OF which she had been un-
conscious. Further and further he had
drifted till ineligible speech no longer
seemed possible between them. They
said the foolish, empty things that peo-
pie call out as the boat glides away
from the shore, the things that all the
world may hear. and In his eyes there
was only that smiling kindness. How
had 1t come about after all these
years? What was 1t that had first cut
the cable that sent him drifting2
The dancers seemed bitten TO the
quick with the tarantula of an ecstatlc
bilarity. Their bodies swayed I'm per
feet harmony to the swing of the id-
dies and the swell of the chorus. The