The Irish standard., 1907-11-23

her with q startled look of mingled
admiration and establishment. She
came forward and put her hand on
the mares bride. Sne was not en-
barrassed in the least. But the color
came into the strangers face. He
swept his wide hat from his head
quickly.
mo indeed, Miss Williston; I'll
water Sade myself"
please let me. I'd love to-
She's used to 1t, Langford," said
Williston in his quiet gentlemanly
voice, the well-bred cadence of which
spoke of training far removed from
the harassments and harshnesses of
life in this plains country. You see.
she is the only boy l have She must
of necessity be my chore boy as we'll
as my herd boy. In her leisure mo-
ments she holds down her kitchen
claim; don't know how she does it.
but she does. You had better let her
do it; she will hold 1t against you if
you don't
But l couldn't have woman do
ing my grooming for me- Why. the
very idea!"
He sprang into the saddle.
But you waited for me to do It,"
said the girl, looking up at him Gu
riously.
Did 1? l didn't mean to. Yes,
did, too. But beg your pardon. You
see-say, look here; are you the little
girl who left word for lie this morn.
ing?'
Yes. Why not?"
well, you see," smiling. but apollo.
getic, "one of the boys said that VIII.
liston's little girl had ridden over and
said her father wanted to see me as
soon as l could come. So, you see, I
thought"
dad always calls me that, so most
of the people around here do, too. 1t
is very silly
II don't think so at ALL / only
wonder why have not known about
you before with frank smile. 1T
must be because I've been away SO
much of the time lately Why didn't
you wait for me?" he asked suddenly.
Ten miles is sort of lonesome
run-for girl
"I did wait a while" said Mary,
honestly. "but you didn't seem in any
hurry. expect you didn't care to be
bored that long way with the silly
chatter of a little girl"
WELL" said Langford, ruefully, I'm
afraid did feel little relieved when
l found you had not waited. I never
will again. do beg Your pardon" he
called, laughingly, over his shoulder
as he galloped away to the spring.
When he returned there was no one
to receive him but Williston. To.
gether they entered the house. It was
small room into which Langford was
ushered. 1t was also very plain. 1t
was more than that. it was shabby,
An easy chair or two that has sur
vived the wreckage of the house OF
Williston had been shipped to this
LAND of promise" together with a
few other articles such as were abso
lutely indispensable. /. The table was
big shipping box, though Langford
did not notice that, for it was neatly
covered with a moth-eaten plum-col
ored felt cloth. A rug, crocheted out
of parti-colored rags, a relic of Mary's
conservative and thrifty grandmother
served as a carpet for the living room
A peep through the open door into the
next and only other room disclosed
glimpses of mating on the floor
There was a holy place even in this
castaway house on the prairie. AS the
young mans careless eyes took in
this new significance, the door closed
softly. The little girl had shut
herself in.
The two men sat down at the table
1t was hot. They were perspirine
freely. The flies, swarming through
the screenless doorway, stung disa
greeably.
Laconically Williston told his story
He wasted no words in the telling. Ii
the presence of the man whose big
success made his own pitiful failures
incongruous, his sensitive scholars
nature had shut up like clam.
Langford's jaw was set His younf
face was tense with interest He hat
thrown his hat on the floor as he came
in, as is the way with men who have
lived much without women. He had {
strong, bronzed face. with daredevil
eyes, blue they we're. too, and he hat
a certain turn of the head, mark o
distinction which success always gives
to her sons. He had big shoulders
clad in a blue flannel shirt open a
the throat. In his absorption he hat
forgotten the little girl as complete
ly as If she had, in very truth, beer
the 10-year-old of his Imagination
How plainly he could see all the TN
holy situation-the handful of des
perate men perfectly protected on thu
the little island. One man sightin,
from behind cottonwood could pla,
havoc with whole sheriff's poss,
on that open stretch of sand-bar
Nothing but s'lrprise-and did thes,
insolent men fear surprise? They hat
laughed at the suggestion of the nea
presence of an officer of the law. An,