Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-08-01
Isabel sMission

By ANNE HEILMAN.

Its no use talking to me-" Isabel
exclaimed. my mind is fully made
up"
Jim rose and, limping slowly over TO
where the girl sat, stood looking down
upon her intently She shifted uncom-
fortably under his gaze and finally
slipped from her chair and fled igno-
miniously to the farthest window,
where, she felt sure, Jim, suffering
from his swollen ankle, would not fol-
low her
"And, BESIDES" she continued loftily
| as he subsidized into the chair she had
vacated-"besides have no intention
of ever marrying 1 feel that have
mission which is altogether too i'm
portant"-
"Huhw
ooh, of course you are shocked
scandalized, in fact. Tom and Sally
were both seemingly outraged when l
| told them what l had decided on. Ev-
cry one seems TO think it's plainly a
girls mission in life to marry the first
man who condescends to ask her, but
l have entirely different ideas ON the
subject, and really feel that it is my
mission to go and help teach those
poor, ignorant Chinese
'To lie and cheat alice samee Mel
lean man instead of guileless hea-
then"
Jim Brinson had never before pro-
posed to a girl, and her calm refusal
| hurt.
"Where are you going?" he asked
silence commenced to pin on her hat.
ITO the postoffice," Jelly The letter
announcing my appointment has GER
tainly arrived by this time"
you surely amt going to attempt to
ride over to Kiowa and back today?'
Il surely am"
But look at the weather! Can't you
see there's a storm coming"
'No, cannot" answered Isabel, dom
ming a light jacket 1.-THE day is beau
tiful."
"Wait until tomorrow, and one Of
the boys can go. And, besides, Tom
has taken your pony out on the range.
There amt a horse left that you can
ride"
81 intend to ride Firefy," said Miss
Amber shortly.
Don't attempt to ride that cayuse,"
warned Joe. HE needs a firm hand
| or he's liable to take the bit in his
teeth any old time and go Looping off
after any stray horse he'd spy grazing
on the range. He amt got a lick Of
sense and would be sure to balk and
pitch you off soon's the storm strikes
him. And there's blizzard coming,
and that right soon"
GAS 1 said before" replied Miss Am
ber "the day is perfect-a trfhe hay,
but that is caused by smoke. Firefy
is as gentle as one could wish. He
suits me-"
"Some people appear to have as little
knowledge about weather and horses
as they have common sense" returned
Jim in no genial tone.
"Well, as the weather and horses and
cattle evidently comprise the extent Of
COW puncher's knowledge one ought
not to be expected to excel them in
their limited sphere" answered the girl
tauntingly as she abruptly left the
room.
The air was deliciously fresh and
clear Not the slightest indication Of
a storm, and it's as warm as one could
WISH" Isabel murmured to herself as
she cantered blithely along the deeply
marked trail. How contrary a man is
If he's thwarted in any little thing!
| And Tom and his wife are just as
unreasonable. They think l ought to
consider myself in great luck to marry
prosperous cattleman and settle
down as their nearest neighbor Well,
must admit I'll hate to leave them
so soon. How quickly those two
months have passed! l never thought
would like Colorado so WELL" glanc-
ing approvingly around the undulat-
ing country. "How near the noun
tains seem, Yes, it's big and free and
inspiring, but it's not for me-" and she
sighed unconsciously.
Absorbed with her meditations, lsa-
bel failed to notice that misty veil
was suddenly drawn before the far
foothills. She was rudely brought to
a realization of her whereabouts as the
storm swooped down upon her malig-
nantIy. Firefy was aimlessly picking
his way up the side of decidedly I'M
familiar looking hill Not sign of the
trail was to be seen. "And it was so
plain a child could follow it," his rider
dolefully reflected.
The earth became blanketed with
white and surrounding objects grew
DINNER. 1t was new world-a threat
ening, confusing, shifting white world.
At the top of the hill they met the
full fury of the first blizzard of the
season
Joe was certainly right about the
weather" Isabel admitted shlveringlg,
but he was entirely wrong about Fire
fly. He behaves admirably. 1t was
not his fault that we are lost. He
hasn't the slightest disposition to
buck
The storm gave a whistling shrek.
Suddenly there was tumultuous up
heaval of something somewhere-e
brief, breathless sensation of flying
through the air-and then a snowdrift
received Miss Amber into its downy
embrace.
1t was a horrible shock. Isabel did
not cry. She was too stunned and
Inundated for that To think that
Firehy would pitch her off and abandon
her on this desolate hill! She had not
the slightest idea Of what direction to
take and wondered dumbly what she
should de- Presently she heard the
muflied tramping Of hoofs and discover