Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1908-02-15
CHAPTER XVI.

together alone. After breakfast O'Rourke
took the road to Houfoy. He was walk
ing along with his hands behind him, and
his eyes bent to the roadway, when he
heard a voice which spoke his name and |
| gave him an actual start.
Good morning. Mr.. O'Rourke," said |
the voice, and turning swiftly in the |
direction from which it came, he beheld |
the pretty widow standing in the middle |
Of the dry water course, alone. She was
very prettily dressed in light morning |
costume of a faint yellowish tone, with
certain bright devices of flowers about |
it everywhere, and she wore a peasants
hat of straw, twisted into a very coquet-
fish shape, and bound about with rich
silk handkerchief, in which was set a
silver brooch.
O'Rourke absorbed the charming vision
as a whole. He leaped to the broad
grass-grown top of the low wall and
raised his hat with smile. His wavy
reddish hair and his beautiful beard and
mustache shone in the sun like gold, and
his handsome face was as gay as boys.
1t is not improbable that he looked as
charming to the pretty widow as the
pretty widow looked to him. She came
tripping and blushing and smiling over
the stones of the river-bed and O'Rourke
ran down the slope with so excessive an
alacrity that he failed to notice that it
broke suddenly away at the foot. Mrs.
Spry screamed faintly,' but O'Rourke,
who was too late to stay himself, made
the necessary leap in safety-it was but
nine OF ten feet deep, and he had soft
turf to alight on-and advanced smiling
with his crisp hair shining and his right
hand outstretched toward her.
Good morning." he said, this is
delightful encounter-for me-"
Mrs. Spry had bouquet of wild flow
ers in her right hand and a book in her
left, but she set the flowers in the ho-
low of her arm and accepted O'Rourke's
proffered hand. He held hers longer than
the absolute necessities of a morning sa-
lutte demanded, and Mrs. Spry blushed
and dropped her eyes before his ardent
gaze.
You have been gathering fowers?"
he said, mastering himself by an effort,
3 but even then hardly knswing what he
said. "Quite a charming little nosegay."
i She held it toward him and their hands
] met again. The small bouquet was not
tied, and lest the flowers should fall he
put both hands to it, taking her right In
= his left whilst he gathered the blossoms
together. She felt that his hands were
;. trembling a little, and he bungled with
e the flowers. Just then their eyes met,
y the little widows expressive orbs looked
e almost frightened and O'Rourke was as
white as If he were about to faint or to
be hanged, or to lead forlorn hope. He
Y dropped the flowers and took the hand
which held the book. The little widow
g let the volume fall beside the fallen bios
|, SONS She dropped her head, and the
bosom of the pretty morning dress fiut-
tered visibly. O'Rourke said not word,
but he gave a great slow sigh and drew
q her toward him by the hands. Then he
l. simply put both arms around her and
stopped and kissed her hot cheek. Still
g he said not word but his heart beat
e like a hammer, and he pressed her to
It him as if to stifle its outrageous riot.
Am 1 too insolent?', he said at length
The pretty widow did not seem to think
s. So for she stood upon her fallen blossoms
is with her cheek upon his breast, and made
e no effort to escape. Il have loved YOU
'e from the minute 1 first saw you. Car
l. you-can you love me littleT
s, His tremor was like the tremor of 6
N lover to the little widows mind. II,
st played the part better than he knew.
N "Ye-es," said the lady in a whisper
'e shrinking into herself as she spoke. Their
~ there was another lengthy spell of 81
t. lence, broken by the near clash Of
a. horses bells and the crack of carter
n whip. At these sounds they started guilt
as lily apart, and O'Rourke, falling upol
~ one knee, gathered up the dropped pos,
ce and the book, and they walked side b.
lis side, silently, by the dry water cours
ID until they came upon a spot hidden from
ch the road where the remaining stump of
US great felled beach made a convenien
Mt seat.
Shall we sit here for little while? ?
he O'Rourke asked. The lady seated hersel
1t in silence, and seeing that she had take
to a place too near the center to allow roof
i'll for her companion, moved little, an
drew her dress on one side. O'Rourke &C
= cepted the invitation thus dumbly cor
at veyed, and placing one arm around he
waist drew her nearer toward him.
=" do you think" he said, not being abb
IN to find anything more original to sa
It's lust then, that you will be able to lear
I to love me just a little?"
ill The pretty little woman began to tren
ne BILE, and searching blindly for her hanC
To- kerchief found it at last, and hiding he
face behind 1t with both hands, bega
err to cry.
ost I'll knew" she sobbed, that 1t we
wicked, but II loved you when sa
ZEN you at Boston. I've al-always though
ost about you since, and when 1 came |
et Eu- Europe hoped that 1 should me-
tut you"
on. The ways Of the human heart al