Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-07-26
CHAPTER XIX.
A Trail Discovered.


lad formed an opinion of myself and
my conduct that was in no way fiatter.
ing to either To be sure, | had been
sincere in every thought and act, and
when, at times, / had felt and be-
lieved that Miss Carney loved me, |
had soon. argued myself into an oppo-
site way OF thinking on the ground
% ! have said before, that her feel.
ings toward me were Influenced and
magnifed by her present anxiety and
distress. Now, however, after consid.
ering the matter through the long
hours Of the night until my brain
fairly reeled and ! was sick at heart
u the thought Of my brutal behavior,
- was at last able to see things In a
fright light.
MISS Carney had given me every
evidence of her regard that she
could give and still preserve her dig.
nlnty and womanliness. She had
doubtless realized the difficulties of
my position, and she had taken into
account that her brothers absence
served as an added reason for nv
silence, and so she had met me more
than half way, and yet l had remained
silent.
She had even permitted me to kiss
ner hand, and then, on the first occa.
sion that offered, she had given me
an opportunity to say the words that
owed to her if she would preserve
her self-respect and not consider that
4 had trifed with her in a most
cruel and unmanly way. And still
mad remained silent, in an egotis-
teal belief that my attitude was chiv-
alrous, and commendable when, in
TACT, 1t was only Quixotic and brutal.
~ unkind.
! Now, she could only think that I
dlo not love her, for surely she could
not conceive that a sane man would
have acted the part l did on the yer.
anda unless he regarded her almost
with indifference. e.
: ! rose and paced the floor until my
mead throbbed, hating myself and try.
Ing to smother my emotions until the
morning came and | could 60 to her
and beg her forgiveness. A.
AS the day began to dawn a cold
gray light spread itself over the fields.
showing the hoar-frost on the grass
and bringing clearly into view many
distant objects which stood ont sharp
ly in the crisp autumn air,
| glanced from my window and saw
what appeared to be two people walk.
Ing slowly down the hillside in the
direction of the Bruce cottage. A
hasty scrutiny through my field
glasses confirmed my suspicion and
1t seemed that one figure, that of a
man, carried an implement like a
spade or shovel, while the other was
evidently a woman Of about the Wild
ows size and general appearance.
: I dressed rapidly, and, slipping out
Of the house, made my way as quick
ly as | could to the point where I
had seen. them passing, feeling sure
that | would have no difficulty in
following their trail through the frost
covered grass. t-~t x7-q
It was all l had expected and |
walked rapidly up the hill, retracing
the path they had made, and, occa
sionally leaving the trail where II
led too directly through the open, and
Sinking along in the shadow of the
hedges until | could again take it up
with safety.
About half way up the incline |
turned and looked down toward the
Bruce cottage, from the chimney of
which a black column of smoke was
pouring and whose windows were
brightly lighted as if something of
Importance was going on within.
AS | looked, and | had taken the
precaution to bring my binoculars
with me, man emerged from the
house and had no difficulty in max.
ing him out to be jerks, the stage
uStver. He was followed in a mo-
menf by Mrs. Bruce and the two
stood for Some time in earnest con.
versation, after which the man strobe
rapidly down the road and the woman
feentefed tas house: e.
It had seemed to me that the widow
and jerks were quarreling, for, dur
ing their talk, he had gesticulated
Violently and shown every evidence of
extreme earnestness, If not of actual
anger; but they must have come to
some sort 81 al sgreemsat at last,
for he waved his hand pleasantly Is
he left her and she returned his sal
utation by throwing him q kiss as
coyly as a schoolgirl.
The first thing the woman did after
entering the house was to extinguish
the lights, no longer necessary, as the
rays of the sun began to touch the Hill
tops, and l was Just lowering my s@ss
when / caught fieeting glimpse Of
5¬her man, darling around the cor
ner Of the building and disappearing
behind the woodpile. / watched in vain
Tor him to show himself again, but
he did not, and finally, / turned and
followed the trail once more, max.
ing all possible haste, lest should
1nan ~ uhan fha froe% a;oonnac-oa