The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1906-06-22

a big case on for the 10th and must be
in Washington"
1.-THE whole thing will be settled in
day or two" declared Barnett. "When
we go up there again it will be with
thousand men and fully armed"
'That is a harsh arbitrament" sad
Peabody, with a gravity which was al
most solemnity. IL would advise you
to settle this case out Of court"
Ann interposed. 81 think you both
take too serious a view Of the Whole
thing. Mr. Raymond laughs over it,
"Mr. Raymond was probably trying
to keep you unalarmed," answered Pea
body. "And now that you are out of
it I do not think it we'll for either you
or Louis to return to it,"
Louis uttered indignant outcry. "Oh,
see here! I've got to 60 back. I'm help
ing Raymond"
II guess he'll have to stagger along
without you, Louis" replied Barnett.
''You better not go into this mixup
again."
"I'll go back whenever please
The dinner was finished with pleas
anter topic, and when the men were
alone with their cigars Peabody care
lessly Remarked: I'm going to take
Ann back with me If she'll 60. l don't
like the idea of this youngster dragging
her into all this filthy turmoil. Why, l
found her living in log cabin with an
! Irish family-nice people, but no place
for her."
"That's the singular part Of it. She
seems to enjoy it. She wrote Jeanette
from up there pretty regularly, and she
! out and out said she liked it. And she
| is gay as bird-she's lost some Of her
fat-I never saw her looking filter"
Peabody mused "She is changed. l
can't quite make out why or how. She
| was like schoolgirl for spirits last
night. Do you suppose it's the high
altitude?"
MY dear chap, suspect it is man,
and fear it is Munro" said Barnett.
II hope not, for her sake"
II do, too, and for your sake; but I've
seen too many women go to pieces in
that way to feel any assurance. It
| wouldn't have been SO bad If she'd TAX
en- up with Raymond, for he is a fine
fellow aside from his present stand;
but there, again, he was too respectful,
too near her own type. It needed q
wild devil like this cowboy captain to
stir her imagina ton"
Peabody's cigar was broken between
his fingers. don, you scare me!'
Barnett, having fairly crushed his
friend, now tried to comfort him. "All
this may be a wrong diagnosis, and
hope 1t is, but If l were you would
! 60 to her and use words that would
startle her. She needs the strong
hund."
Peabody rose, all the quizzical lines
! II his face lost in plexus Of doubt
and hesitation.
Ann wondered at the change in Pea
body, but had no chance to speak to
him for some minutes, for a couple Of
young men were detailing their stern
plans for invading Skytown.
The large library was soon filled
with people who had heard Of AIMS
return from the peak, and the girl was
profoundly amused to find herself TAX
en- for fount of wisdom concerning
the miners war and their demands.
The feeling against the camp was saw
age, and the men were loud in denun-
citation Of the governor of the state,
who had refused to order out the mill
tia. ''He is as bad as Munro, IN alb
solute anarchist" declared one man,
whose strident voice dominated all the
others.
One by one the guests dropped away,
and at last only the Barnetts and Ann
and Peabody were left in the library.
At signal from Mrs. Barnett Don
sauntered out of the room as if on
some GRAND and forgot to return. A
few moments she, too, begged to be ex-
cused "for moment and was seen
no more.
Both Ann and Peabody understood
these actions, but as he was intent on
making an appeal to her and she knew
there was no escape from it they faced
each other with a tensity of emotion
which seemed impossible a moment
before.
Ann broke the silence. "How indel-
icate Of them"
GLOW considerable, say I, for 1 want
to talk with you," he hurried on. II
want you to go back with me. Ann. as
my wife. I can't 60 back alone. I
have missed you horribly. Dear girl,
answer me, are you ready to go?"
Ann remained silent, her mind run
ming over for, the hundredth time the
advantages, the duties involved, while
his plea proceeded, earnest and manly,
but leaving her cold. 1t permitted her
to calculate, to criticise He had much
to give her. He was man Of large
income, of unquestioned power, and his
home was spacious. She liked him,
she respected him very highly, she ad-
mired him, but
The girls dream was not yet faded
out Of her soul. She hoped-faintly,
foolishly hoped-for a return Of the
glow, the mystery, the flooding, trans