The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-12

I DtAOlt III NY lie ana Yet you spring
that familiar can't
For a long time they rode in silence.
All at once young Lane cried out, 4
am an ass and an migrate and a cow
ard. I had sworn to leave the wheel
alone" He felt Of the dollars still re-
naming to him. After all. I am ahead
! of the game. I will gamble no
more, I viii turn to and work-give me
your hand to make it binding
| Nelson shook with him doubtfully,
! and again they rode forward in
! silence.
/ The boy resumed in this wise: AN
| ger has no life in me, and I can not
| quarrel with you now. Though I look
! young I am nearly 81; and it does not
| seem that you have shown me the con-
sideTatiOn due my years. The devil of
/ It is" he exclaimed with an odd HUI
NOR. "I should be calling you to ac-
/ count. Whereas, am wondering-wh
/ you think Of me-"
For answer Nelson drew in his horse,
| for they had reached the boys destina-
| ton. And ne merely pointed to the
| house where he had stopped before that
day.
Very possibly" said Lane, getting
| down from his horse. you are a man
| of character, so-Called. Clear dOvnato
| our abe convictions we must differ
| radically. VIII YOU come I'm aud have
/ a drink providing there's anything i'm
| the bottle? You won't come in? Well,
! goodnight"
With a sort Of rehabilitated swagger
| the young man let down his gate ana
! passed through it. He went up the
/ slope and into the house, where a light
was still burning; ana then Nelson
! heard the sisters voice. Nelson sat his
! horse in the road CUriously loath to
! leave the place. But ne gathered the
| Teins in his hand-then stopped, and
| gave a gasp Of surprise. There was a
| figure coming toward
She came down the slope rapidly. and
| the moon showed his face to her:
| whereUpon she stopped, a brave, pale
figure-the same Virginia he had seen
| before.
7 can not let you 60" she said cold
ly. without a word of thanks-for
! what you have done. You are-AIr.
Nelson" she said.
He bowed his head, but did not speak.
If you think me harsh. or uunat-
ural' she went on, ct is because
am so. Can not you see there are mat
ters you can not mend and that our
paths are laid down for us and that
we must do for ourselves as we can?
7 am asking you to go away.
. Good night" and she turned and left
/. him
Virginia" he called after her but
the girl was beyond his call
A second time he stared at the house
mellowed now into the semblance Of an
old ruin, instead of a young one. He
! told himself he would do as she wished
and leave these two 10 their thovnv
way. He set about for the town again
wishing for tact and discretion such a.
he had never possessed. and the clear
right To act a protecting part.
III.
You will despise me-" said the boy
I am the victim Of exuberance."
He made d wretChed figure of doubt
and incOnerence, a ragged cough shak-
ing him, his eyes shunken from recent
excess. He tried to cover it all with
Dravado, though he had climbed the
stairway TO this HummingbiTd HOte
room of Nelson's three bTeathIesS steps
at a time.
Il feared" he said, you had left
F town. You are our cousin, Virginia
says. I have made a great mistake
and fallen from grace, and broken my
! oath, and perjured my soul; and were
it merely that, little matter"
Proceed said Nelson coIdIy.
A temporary obsesslon you'll cal
it."
Go on. Do not take time apologize
> ing"
Edgar looked up doubtfuIIy. After
you left me- he said, I reformed
Ten days I tOilCd on the ranch, straight.
/ eniug the southeast fence and devisinl
, d leau-tO to the hog pen. I do not de
! light in hogs, but ] did this willingly
Likewise I branded three cows, ana
built a shelf i'm the kitchen. Nor must
( /
/ house I removed with q rake a dead
coon" The boy laughed weakly here
Then there came a man with a bottle
1t was the eleventh day. and he was
b / taking the valley road, but I enter
tanned him for a while. And .,ucI
potency was i'm his liquor that, left
alone. I saw the world in a gIamOr
1t seemed a glamOTOus thing for me
{ to do to go and seek a buyer for my
cattle. 7 got hundred head and SET
/ out.
II do not know why ! wished to sell
2 tired as ! was of having the cows
around. When the glamor yielded tC
= commonplace I saw indeed that I haC
made q mistake. But already the cattI.
had changed hands. for I sold then
last night to one ThadWaite
So said Nelson quietly. And the
price VASE"
"One hundred dollars, and I gave him
+ a bill Of sale"
You do not expect me to believe
that"
1T is true replied the boy.
, Nelson rose, saying. Give me tn,
, money"
1T is short-since last night" said
2 Lane.
You fool. you ass, you cowardly
] young ruffian, you miserable failUr,
. that God never made" Nelson picked
E up his hat and was going. Edgar fol.
lowed him eagerly.
They went down the street for
piece, the boy keeping pace as bes
3 he could. At a corner Nelson said
2 wait here" and crossed the way t
4 where q butcher shop fronted them
/ Entering, he called on the name OF
J Thadwaite.
: The proprietor was standing at the
. rear Of the shop. among his sides OF
beef and whole calves and swine. II,
} was one of those who had combined
5 ranChing on great scale with a place
in town. and had done well between
j the two; he was q man of great builC
and strength, with a kind of yelled in,
science.
L represent the Lanes" said Nelson
, His ancient employer returned an
{ easy and entirely compromising smile
let me save you he said, "a waste
of words. You know the bill of sale
is quite correct"
Nelson threw some money down or
the chopping block. Count it," he
said. II have come TO get the cattle.