The Citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1903-1912, 1906-08-25
Darkest Just Before DaUn
By Matt Heating

from the pedestrians on the sidewalk.
all OF whom expected to see the girl
mangleo to death beneath the IRON
shod team.
Even ~ the gasp OF emotion and
sympathy went up, however, n tall,
athletic figure, clad In the unmistak-
able habilimeuts Of the west swung
from the car. and. with the precision of
the trained horseman. grasped tho
rearing horses by the bride reins, and
with the strength and knowledge of
the plains threw them sideways with
"a force which made them swerve in
nearly hat circle. The carriage
barely touched the unconscious form
OF the girl as II swung around.
A second later the big man under
the SLOUGH hat had the girl In his
arms like she was baby, and was
striding toward the corner drug store
at race which would have made an
ordinary man run to keep up with
him.
IL developed that the fainting M
was not serious at all. and was duo
wholly to fright and To the nerYous
strain the girl had been under. There
was no physical injury at all, and she
soon recovered.
The tall stranger. however. insisted
on taking her home In a cab-she had
never been In a cab Beforehand when
he paid the cabman he pulled from his
inside pocket n roll OF bills which
made Nina gasp. In all her life she
had hover seen NO much money.
Nina thanked him with an express
sion In her eyes that made his heart
beat faster than II ever had thumped
In all his life. and emboldened min
to ask her II he might call on the fol-
Iowing evening and ascertain II there
were any bad effects OF the accident.
NV name Is Thad Bunker said he.
bluntlS II live In Oklahoma, and
came here with few carloads OF cat.
tie | sold EN- at a thunderin good
price, and thought I would stay ,ver
day or two and see the sights IN
all-hr,a glad | did. cause there dion
seem 10 be nobody about who knew a
blamed thing about horsc-nnd you'd
been all In In about minute"
80 he called the next night. causing
almort as much surprise To Ninaa
sister and her husband ana the yari.
Gus children ~ the cab had caused tho
night before There was vheeEy
and puny old mclodion In the stuny
little pGrlor and Nina played for Mr..
Bunker Her playing was very indlf.
teren'. but Thad thought Il was tho
music he had ever heard, and n
great desire came over him 10 buy a
melodion aud ship Il Ia his
Lonesome home In Oklahoma. and then
carry Nina along with him 10 play Il
for him forever. What he ala. how
ever. was Ia induce her Ia lay on from
her work on the following day and
show him he mysteries of the park.
II was a red-letter day Ia Ninas
life In moro ways than one. In tho
first place she had never laid ON from
work on a week day since she could
remember Nor had she ever been es-
oort9d about by a man; nor had sho
ever eeen treated 10 such q fine dinner
IN ~ tine d restauruut-in fact. never
hhd ntney been spent for her personal
pleasure
hnt the great thing was when no
asked her Ia marry him and go 10 Ok
lahomn with him assuring her that
ne hhd two sections OF the best land
IN the territory all under cultivation
ana paid Tor, plenty Of cattle aud
money In the bank
Ana she placed her hands Ia his
aud turned 10 him face ~ wonder
inlly transformed by The thrill 0f a
new emotion, by happiness, ~ relief
from the dreadful burden uf sordid-
ness-so transformed. in fact, ina. us
scarcely recognized II COS baIonging 10
the wan girl he bad picked from IN
der M horses fecf
Welterners' ways are peculiar. ana
Iha1 bunker insisted that they should
be married he next day aud leave Al
once Tor home, as he wHurc 40 know,
by ginger, what them blamed bows
are dom "a the cattle" And being A
his' dominant wesrerner, he had his
way, felore They sought the preacher
tho next day they went 10 music
store ana Thad bought the most ex-
pensiye pelodion in the place and had
u shipped by express, 80 IL will be.
lhere by the tine We rit there. by
ginger said he
Ana under country skies, with am
PIE country fare and surrounded by
owe and respect, the noses cam. 10
Nlna'S face and the music sang an
he tine In her heart and she worked
20 hard on the melodion that after a
line she could really play nearly as
ven as her husband ih0rCht she ooula.
lsuyTIsh-. lnlf b. I.I-- .L.--- m -.