The log cabin Democrat., 1909-11-06

eyes as he reached for his cup. Thank you. Mrs. McCloud, only one after that He looked toward Marion. All l can say is that if Mrs. McCloud's husband had married her two years earlier he might have been general manager by this time Nothing could hold man back, even a man of his modesty, whose wife can say as nice things as that. By the way, Mrs. Sin clair, does this man keep you supplied with transportation?
 "Oh, have my annual, MT. Bucks" Marion opened her bag to find it.
 Bucks held out his hand. Let me see it a moment" He adjusted his eyeglasses, looked at the pass, and called for pen; Bucks had never lost his gracious way of doing very little things. He laid the card on the table and wrote across the back of it over his name: Good on all passenger trains" When he handed the card back to Marion he turned to Dicksie. T understand you are laying out two or three towns on the ranch, Mrs. Mo Cloud?"
 Two or three' Oh, no, only one as yet, MT. Bucks. They are laying out, oh. such a pretty town. Cousin Lance is experimenting the street work-and whom do you think 1 am going to name it after? You. I think Bucks makes dandy name for town, don't you? And I am going to have one town named Cunning; there will be two stations on the ranch, you know, and I think, really, there ought to be three"
 As many as that?"
 T don't believe you can operate line that long, MT. Bucks, with stations 14 miles apart Bucks opened his eyes in benevolent surprise Dicksie, unabashed, kept right on: Well do you know how traffic is increasing over there, with the trains running only two months now? Why, the set. tiers are fairly pouring into the coun. try
 Will you give me corner lot if we put another station on the ranch?'
 T will give you two if you will give Us excursions and run some of the Overland passenger trains through the valley"
 Bucks threw back his head and laughed in his tremendous way. 1 don't know about that; I daren't prom ise offhand Mrs. McCloud. But if you can get Whispering Smith to come back you might lay the matter before him. He is to take charge of all the colonist business when he returns"
 Whispering Smith, lying on his iron bed in the hospital. professed not to be able quite to understand why they had made such fuss about 1t. He underwent the excitement of the ap- pearance of Barnhardt and the first talk with McCloud and Dicksie with hardly a rise in his temperature, and, lying in the sunshine of the afternoon, he was waiting for Marion. She ran half blinded across the room and dropped on her knee beside him.
 My dear Marion, why did they drag you away out here?"
 They did not drag me away out here, Did you expect me to sit with folded hands when I heard you were i'll anywhere in the wide world?"
 He looked hungrily at her. T didn't suppose any one in the wide world would take 1t very seriously"
 MT McCloud is crushed this after noon to think you have said you would not go back with him. You would not believe how he misses you"
 Tt has been pretty lonesome for the last year. l didn't think it could be so lonesome anywhere"
 Nor did l."
 Have you noticed it? l shouldn't think you could in the mountains. Was there much water last spring? Heav- ems, I'd like to see the Crawling Stone again."
 Why don't you come back?"
 He folded her hands in his own. Marion, 1t is you. I've been afraid couldn't stand 1t to be near you and not tell you"
 What need you be afraid to tell me?"
 That I have loved you so long"
 Her head sunk close to his. Don't you know you have said it to me many times without words? I've only been waiting for a chance to te' you how happy it makes me to thir it is true"
 THE END.
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