The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1910-09-29

Hayden, after pacing the floor for al
hour, swayed by conflicting emotions
went TO Kate MacDonad's home. told
her that he loved her so deeply that
be could ruin himself for her and beg
| ged her TO marry him
What do you mean by running your
self for mef" she asked.
II am pledged TO marry girl In
England"
Kate started This was indeed q
blow, Her sense Of honor revolted al
his deserting another for her.
docs she love you very much?' she
| asked.
~ don't know. | suppose she loves
me, though the marriage is to be under
certain contingencies.
"What are they? No, don't tell me.
Go away. ! need time to think this
over"
He obeyed the order. For several
days there was no communication be-
tween them Then he wrote her, re-
calling all he had said. closing with
the words: 81 was demented There
is but one path for me to follow, and
only fool and a knave would follow
any other"
No answer came to this. One even
Ing about a week later Kate MacDon-
aid, attended by half a dozen cowboy
friends and parson, rode up to Ralph
Hayden's ranch house. All dismount-
ed and entered One OF the cowboys
acted as spokesman:
Anything Kate Macdonald wants
goes. She's made up her hind to mar
ry you. II You decline you run a
gantlet and other such torture as In
dians use. Here's a man TO do the
job" He pointed to the parson.
"l'm not afraid Of your torture" said
Hayden. but I'm ready to go through
the ceremony"
Not word was spoken by the con,
tracing couple except TO make the re-,
plies required by the marriage service
When II was over Kate Macdonald
led the way out. and all mounted their
horses and rode away.
The next day Hayden disappeared.
From this time forward Kate Mac
Donald. or Kate Hayden. was chang
ed woman She no longer galloped
over the country taking fences and
bitches by the way She never attend
ed any OF the social gatherings held
among the neighborlng ranchers. The
only feature eminent before her mar
riage she retained was her tender solic-
itude for those who were IN trouble
The Hayden ranch remained In care Of
a keeper. who offered II for sale. Moth
Ing was heard of Its owner. year
passed. By that time Kate Hayden had
come to see her act In its true light and
wrote a letter TO her husband. telling
him that II he wished TO be free from
her she could easily obtain a divorce |
on the ground OF desertion. Not know
Ing where 10 send her letter. she asked |
the keeper Of the Hayden ranch for |
her husbands address. He told her |
that he had been instructed 10 give ii |
to no one. but he offered to forward |
the missiye. aud she accepted the offer.
Sufficient time elapsed for letter TO
come from almost any part OF the
globe. but none was received Months
passed, aud still no word The young
wife, wife In name only, became
broken down woman. II was not the
equiyocal position IN which she stood
before the world, but the fact that she
oyed the man she had treated In 9
manner which every day seemed to
her more unmaidenly aud barbarous
This. added 10 that dreadful silence.
vas killing her She was not sure
sven that be lived Her parents, her
endeayorcd 10 every way
% draw her from her dependency.
Her friends the cowboys gathered In
sroups 10 discuss the man whom they
considered 10 blame for her condition
md even debated the question Of send
ng one or their number TO md him
wherever be might be and give him
he chance OF returning 10 bis wife or
wallowing dose Of iesd
But no such method Of restoring her
lappiness. Of course. ever reached the
'oung wifes ears. She gradually sank
~ those about Der began 10 shake
heir beads eDd predict that sbe would
!; last fall a victim 10 her unfortunate
ffair The Hayden ranch was finally
old The Intelligence was kept from
YER AZ long as possible. fearing that
bis breaking The last link that bound
ier 10 her husband would have an In
reased effect upon her But when The
ew awner took possession Of the prop