Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-26

dustriously and keeping furtive watch upon his mistress out of the cor ner of one. fiery brown eye.
 Lounsbury spurred his horse to a run. She saw him coming, but not knowing him, kept her scythe on the swing. When he had covered the great CT part of the way, however, she stop ped work, retreated to her hat and put 1t on. Then from beside it she picked up the Sharps. z
 He saw that, and his jaw squared. The blood darkened his face, too, as if the sight shamed him. He spurred faster, refined so sharply that the horse slid upon its fetlocks and swung off.
 "Dallasr' he cried. It was not a greeting, but plea. ...
 The moment was one long dreamed of, yearned for. A woman less genu- inc might have met it without show of feeling. She, outspoken and simple, could not Her eyes swan. Dropping the gun, she clasped his hand greedily.
 T knew you'd get back quick as you could," she said, choking.
 For a long moment they stood thus. hand in hand, looking at each other. She saw that he was changed. The glint of merrinent was gone from his eyes, His forehead bore new lines. His mouth had lost its boyishness. With her the past four weeks had also left their mark. The old look of high pur- PY1t ch older and graver and wore the new ex- pression that Oliver had seen.
 She spoke first. "Your mother?" she. faltered inquiringly and withdrew step.
 My mother-is gone," he said slow. ly; then, after pause: T came right after that; didn't stop to settle things. I can go back to the states later. But if I'd been here sooner-it mightn't "a happened'-
 She checked him gently. "Now, you got enough to worry you without us. We wouldn't go to the fort or Bis marck, and that was the whole trou- hle" To excuse her father and to take the blame herself, she told him of the refusal of David Bonds money and of Mrs. Cummings slight.
 "You see," she explained earnestly, by way of putting the best possible color to the latter episode-"you see, they think over there that we're trash. So they're bound to let us alone. It ain't that they haven't good man. nCrs''-
 It was Lounsbury's turn to inter- rupt. He was tramping about. Man ners" he said violently. Manners! Whats manners to do with it? There's lot that's good manners-and cursed bad heartr'
 She took up the scythe, brought a whetstone from the depths of pocket and ran it down the blade thought fully.
 "I'm going to look into this whole business from first to last" he went on more quietly. "I'll spend the next few days Investigating. You got my letter."
 "We went to Clark's for you and got it there." She added that she had feared Braden and spoke of his slack courtesy.
 "Oh, well," he said, partly in apol- ogy for the real estate agent, eff man out here don't take off his hat to a girl that means nothing"
 Tt wasn't the hat" she answered, and described Braden's further con- duct.
 Lounsbury blazed up again. "T'n see about that. too," he declared. "He must be another sample of imported manners"
 They heard the cheery grinding of a coffee mill. AS if struck by a thought, she looked toward the shack.
 "It's about time for me to go in," she said, a little Hurried. Then: Wont you come, too. and take a snack with us? Marylyn d like to see you"
 "Marylynw He had read her mean ing. "Why, Dallas, you don't mean to say that you-that she still'-
 "Yes," very low.
 "Welr-Lounsbury was determined now-"there's got to be some kind of an understanding. I told you how I felt, and you ran away from me. You shan't do 1t this time. I'll go to the house, and I'll tell Marylyn just how things are. I will"
 "0h, my baby sisterr' she murmured.
 Instantly he was all gentleness. "No. no; I won't tell her." he said. But I'm sick and tired of being tied this way, hand and foot. It was your fa- ther first, and now this again-Dal- lasr'
 She could not answer him.
 T won't tell her. I'll wait till-till you do. But you see that can't go to the house And suppose oughtn't to stay here any longer for her to see. But I'm coming back here tonight at taps"
 She shook her head. ''Marylyn would be alone," she said hastily. "so-so l can't"
 "You will: I know you will. She'll be asleep"
 "No-no''-
 "At taps, Dallas" He touched the hand that held the scythe upright. She thought all at once how worn he was and white. Another moment he had mounted and was cantering of.
 Left alone, she dreaded going fin to breakfast, expecting a hurt silence or passionate protests. perhaps tears. and she tried to find 1t in her heart to