The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-11-17
CHAPTER VI.

upon the landlord and the "riff-raff"
who gathered to welcome the coming
or speed the parting guest at the door
, Of the country tavern. He drove a
pair of beautiful, spirited horses, and
: had the satisfaction of knowing that
, he excited the envy of every beholder,
as he took the ribbons in his hand,
swung out his long whip and started.
If her husbands heart was SWELL
, Ing with pride, Pepeeta's was bursting
with anxiety. An instinct which she
did not understand had prevented her
| from telling the doctor OF her inter-
!. view with the Quaker. Long before
the farmhouse came in sight she be-
gan to scan the landscape for the fig
, ure which had been so wildly i'm
pressed upon her mind
The swift horses, we'll fed and we'll
J groomed, whirled the light wagon
along the road at rapid pace and as
they passed the humble home of the
Quaker, Pepeeta saw a little child
driving the cows down the long lane,
and a woman moving quietly among
the flowers in the garden; but David
himself was not to be seen.
tear fell from her eye, and her
chin quivered. With the utmost effort
of her will she could not repress these
evidences of her disappointment, and
with spasmodic motion she clutched
the arm of the driver as If it were
that of Destiny and she could hold 1t
back. So sudden and so powerful was
the grasp of her young hand, that 1t
turned the horses out of the road and
hut
violent Jerk of the reins the astonish-
ed driver pulled them back, and ev-
claimed with an oath:
You little wild cat, If you ever d-d-
do that again, l will throw you into
the d. d. ditch!"
Excuse mel" she answered humbly,
,, covering under his angry glances.
J What is the matter?" he asked,
more kindly, seeing the tears In her
eyes.
Il do not know. am nervous,
guess" she answered. sadly.
Nervous? P-p-peeta Aesculapius
nervous? | thought her nerves were
made of steel? What is the m m mat
ter?" he asked, looking at her anx-
lously.
His gentleness calmed her, and she
answered: Il am sorry to leave a place
where l have been so happy oh!
why cannot we settle down somewhere
and stay? | get so tired of being al
ways on the wing. Even the birds
have nests to rest in for little while.
Are we never going to have home?"
[ Nonsense, child! What do we want
With h-h-home? 1t is better to be
, always on the go. l want my liberty.
] 1t suits me best to fly through the
heavens like a hawk or swim the deep
sea like shark. A home would be a
, p-p- prison. l should tramp back and
forth in 1t like a polar bear in a &C.
, cage. B-b-be gay! Be happy! How
can you be sad on morning like this +?
Look at the play of the muscles under
the smooth skins of the horses? Re-
member the bright shining dollars
, that we coaxed out of the tightly BIB
buttoned breeches pockets of the gray
backed 90 -Quakers. What more do
You ask of life? What else can 1t g-g-
!. give?"
1T does not make me happy I shall
; never be happy until have a home"
she said. still sobbing, and trying to
conceal the cause of her grief from
, herself as we'll as from her husband.
She had OWNED the cause of her
disappointment with an unerring in
!, stinct. 1t was exactly as she thought.
: At the last instant, Davids heart had
, failed him.
On the preceding evening, he had
hurried through his Chores" excused
! himself from giving an account of the
adventures of the day on the ground
! Of fatigue. and retired to his room to
cherish In his heart the memories of
that beautiful face and the prospects
OF the future. he could not sleep. For
hours he tossed on his bed or sat in
the window looking out into the night,
and when at last he fell into an uneasy
slumber his dreams were haunted by
two faces which struggled ceaselessly
10 crowd each other from his mind.
One was the young and passionate
countenance of the gypsy, and the 9TH
Or was that of his beautiful mother
with her pale. carven features, her
snow white hair her pensive and un-
earthly expression. They both looked
ut him. and then gazed at each other.
Now one set below the horizon like a
wan, white moon, and the other rose
above It like the glowing star of love
Now the moon passed over the glowing
star In a long eclipse and then disap-
pearing behind a cloud left the bril-
liant star to shine alone.
When he awoke the gray dawn re-
vealed in vague outline the realities of
the world, and warned him that he had
but few moments to execute his
plans. He sprang from his couch
strong in his purpose to depart. for
the fever of adventure was still burn
Ing in his veins, and the rapturous
looks with which Pepeeta had received
his promise to be her companion still
made his pulses bound. He hurriedly
lput few things into bundle and
issoie out OF the house.
AS he moved quietly but swiftly
AWAY from the familiar scenes. his
heart which had been beating so high
from hope and excitement began to
sink in his bosom. He had never
dreamed of the force OF his attach
ment to this dear place. and he turned
Ibis face toward the old gray house
again and again. Every step away from
Il seemed more difficult than the last
and his feet became heavy as lead. But
Ihe pressed on. ashamed to acknowl-
s.se his inability TO execute his pur-
lpose- he came TO the last fenea which