The Irish standard., 1908-02-01

and all the rest of his long fife mus,
be spent in wishing-wishing- II |
could have been! But he would never !
ask her to do it. Not even if the i'm
possible came to pass. 1t was hard
country on women. hard, treeless,
sun-seared. unkindly country. Men
could stand Tight for its future;
but not women like Louise. 1t made
men as we'll as unmade them. And
after all it did not prove to be the
undoing of men so much as it devel-
oped in them the perhaps hitherto hid
den fact that they We're already want
ing. These latent, constitutional
weaknesses thus laid bare. the bad
must for while prevail-bad is 80
much noiser than good. But this big.
new country with it's infinite possibili-
ties-give it time-it would form men
out of raw material and make over
men mistakenly made when that was
possible, or else show the dividing limo
herd with the sheep. Some day, it
would be fit for women-like Louise.
Not now. Much labor and sorrow
must be lived through; there must be
much sacrifice and much refining, and
many must fall and lose in the race
before its big destiny be worked out
and it be fit for women-like Louise.
Down in the southern part of the
state, and belonging to it, a certain
big-barred building sheltered many
women, when the sun OF the treeless
prairles and the gazing into the lone.
soma distances surrounding their
homesteads seeped into their brains
and stayed there so that they knew
not what they did. There were trees
there and fountains and restful blue
grass in season, and flowers, flowers,
flowers-but these came too late for
most of the women.
/ If it had been Langford, now, who
mentalism-the bold. impetuous,
! young ranchman-he smiled at him
self whimsically. Then he pulled him.
| self together. He did not think the
jury could believe the story Jesse
Black would trump up. no matter how
plausible it was made to sound. He
felt more like himself-in better con.
dition to meet those few but stanch
friends of his from whom he had SO
summarily run away-stronger to
meet-Louise. Man-like, now that he
was himself again, he must know the
time. He struck a match.
''Why. Lena, old girl, we've been
are likely through supper, but maybe
can wheedle doughnut out Of the
cook"
The match burned out. Not until
he had tossed it away did it come te
him that they were no longer on the
main trial.
Nov, that's funny, old GIRL" he
scolded. What made you be so un
reasonable? Well. we started with
our noses westward, so you mus
have wandered into the old Lazy
branch trail. Though, to be sure, i
has been such deuce of while sine,
we travelled it that wonder at you
What's the matter now. silly?"
His mare had SHE'D. He turned he
nose resolutely, domineeringly, bacl
toward the spot objected to.
II can't see what you're scared at
but we'll just investigate and shov
you how foolish a thing is feminin,
squeamishness."
A shadowy form arose out of tn,
darkness. 1t approached.
"Is that you, Dick?"
Gordon vas not superstitious man
yet he felt suddenly cold to the crow
Of his head. 1t was not so dark as
might have been. There would hav'
been moon had it not been cloudy
Dimly, he realized that the man ha,
arisen from the ruins of what mus
have been the old Williston home
stead. The outlines of the stone stool
were vaguely visible in the half.light
The solitary figure had been crouche,
there, brooding.
Pm flesh and blood, Dick, neve
fear" said the man in a mournfu
voice. I'm hungry enough to voucl
for that. You needn't be afraid. In
anything but spirit
"Williston!" The astonished wor
burst from Gordon's lips. "Williston
Is it really you?"
"None other, my dear Gordon! Sol
ry I startled you. I saw your ligh
and heard your voice speaking to you
horse, ! and as you were the very ma
was on the point of seeking, jus
! naturally came forward, forgettin
J that my friends would very likel
look upon me in the light of ghost.
"Williston! My dear fellow!" r.
J. peated Gordon again. 1T is too goo
); to be true,'' he cried, leaping from hi
! mare and extending both hands cord
y ally. "Shake, old man! My, the fee
of you is-bully. You are flesh an
blood all right. I don't know, though
Seems to me you have been kind {
running to skin and bones since las
saw you. Grips good, but bony
You're thinner than ever, aren't you
to- ko hol