Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-03-17

IcSCuc.
Both Dick and Echo might have had
a change of heart when they met
again. Echo was young. Dick had
wandered far. Both had lost touch
with common interests. Jack PaySOn
had entered her life as a factor. He
was eager and impetuous. Dick was
settled and world worn by hardship
and much physical suffering. Now
Jack was at the altar racked with men
tai torture, while Dick waited in the
garden for his traitorous friend. The
innocent cause of the tragedy was
sweetly and calmly replying to the
questions of the marriage ritual, while
Jack was looking, as Allen said to
himself, "darned squeamish."
According to these words, it Is the
will Of God that nothing shall sever
the marriage bond" were the words
that fell upon Aliens ears as he stOop-
ed to look in the window at the we'd
ding party.
"The sky pilots takin' long time
to make the hitch. Darned if l
couldn't hitch up twenty mule team
III Tile Ilulc CudL uc Idhlu W SCC tuCAh
two to the pole," said Allen, speaking
to himself.
Dick had grown impatient at Jacks
absence and wandered back from the
garden to the front of the house. Spy
ing Allen, he greeted him with, Hello.
Uncle jim"
"That's my name" answered Allen
;n'f 70
stranger that comes along"
I'm no stranger laughed Dick.
"You know me-"
"Do I?' replied Allen unconvinced,
"Who are your
"The poor orphan, you took from an
| asylum and made a man of-Dick
Lane"
''Dick. Lane!" repeated the astonished
ranchman. "Come back from the dead!'
''No; I'm not dead yet" answered
Dick. holding out his hand, which AL
len gingerly grasped as if he expected
to find it thin air. II wasn't killed. L
have been in the hospital for long
time 1 wrote Jack. He knows"
"My Godv' Allen cried. "Jack
|
Over and over he repeated the aston
ishing news which had been broken to
him so suddenly Here was a man,
as if back from the dead, standing in
his own dooryard, telling him that
Jack knew he was alive. No word
had been told him. What would Echo
say? This, then, explained Jacks
strange request and his distress.
"And Echo?" Dick questioned, glanc-
ing toward the house.
Echo" The name aroused Allen.
He saw at once that he must act def
initely and quickly. Echo must not
see Dick now. 1t was too late. The
secret of his return on the wedding
day must be known only to the three
| men.
"Look here, Dick" he commanded.
"You mustn't let her see you. She
mustn't know you are alive"
Dick was growing confused over the
mystery which was being thrown
about Echo Allen. First Jack had
told him he must wait to see her, and
now her father tells him he must never
see her again or let her know that he
Is alive His strength was being over
taxed by ali this evasion and delay.
"Dick." said Allen. with deep SYM
pathy, laying his hand upon the mans
shoulder, "she's my daughter. an /
want her life to be happy. Can't you
see? Don't you understand? She
thinks you're dead"
"What are you saying" cried Dick
trying to fathom the riddle.
you've come back too late, Dick
sadly explained Allen.
"Too late!" echoed Dick. '"There's
something back of all this. I'll see
her now"
He started to enter the door, but
Allen restrained him. "You can't &C
inv' he shouted to the excited man and
pushed him down the steps. 1t was
an easy task for him, for Dick was toe
weak to offer much resistance. ''No
you won't" he gently told him. His
heart bled for the poor fellow, whom
he loved almost as son, but Echo's
happiness was at stake, and explana
. tons could come later. More to EN-
!, phasize his earnestness than to indi
O cate intention to shoot, he lafd hi
hand on the butt Of his revolver, say
t Ing, mot If have to kill you"
i DICK began to realize that whateve
q was wrong was of the greatest conse
a quence. 1t was shock to him to hav
Il his Oldest, his best friend in the ives
r. treat him in this fashion.
r "Jim!" he cried in his anguish.
o you've got to go back where yo
. come from, Dick" sternly answere
the ranchman. eff ever you loved M
o daughter, now's your chance to prov
! it. She must never know you're liy
in'"-
But
g Its whole lot I'm askin' of yor
Dick" continued Allen. But if yo
love her, as think you do, it may b
a drop of comfort in your heart t