The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-04
THE FARMER: MARCH 4, 1912

A ed brokenly.
 "Ellen, child, MT. Cowles has some thing to tell you"
 Then some one in 0 voice which sounded like mine, but was not mine told her-told her the truth, which sounded So like lie. Some one, my self, yet not myself. went on cruelty b1ackening al the sweet blue sky fol her. Some one-1 suppose it was my self, late free-felt the clamp of an iron yoke upon his neck.
 I saw her knees sink beneath her. but she shranK back when I would have reached out all arm to her as of old.
 q hate that womanr she blazed Suppose she does love you Do I not love you more? Let her lose-some one must iosc' But the next moment I saw her face change.
 Tt is not that you loved another girl,'' she whispered, "but that you have deceived me-here, when I was in your power. Oh. it was not right. How could you? Oh, how could you. John Cowles?"
 Then once more she changed. The flame of her thoroughbred soul came back to her. Her courage saved her from shame. Her face flushed: she stood straight. 'I hate you!" she cried to me. "Go! will never see you any more"
 Still the bright sun shone on. A lit k1o l.; %I,f
 CHAPTER XVIII.
 ' YHEN we started to the south NA on the following morning wv rode far at the rear under
 guard I recall little of our tourney toward Laramie save that aft CT day or two we swung out from the foothills into short grass country and so finally struck the steady up- ward sweep of a valley along which lay the great transcontinental trail. l do not know whether we travelled two days or three or four, since all the days seemed night to me and all the nights were uniform in torture. Finally we drove down into a dusty plain and so came to the old frontier fort. Here, then, was civilization-the stagecoach, the new telegraph wire, men and wo- men, weekly or daily touch with the world, that prying curiosity regarding the, affairs of others which we call news. To me it seemed tawdry, sor- did, worthless. after that which I had left. The noise seemed insupportable, the food distasteful. I could tolerate no roof and in my own ragged robes slept on the ground within the old stockade.
 I was still guarded as prisoner. I was approached by none and had con- yersation with none until evening of the day after my arrival When l ate 1t was at no gentleman's table. but in the barracks. I resented judgment. sentence and punishment. thus exc cuted in one. Evening gun had sound ed, and the flag had been furled on my second day at LaraL.ie. when finally Colonel Meriwether sent for me to come to his office quarters.
 "Mr. Cowles," said he, cit is time now that you and had talk. Pres ently you will be leaving Laramie. l cannot try you by court martial, for you are civilian. In short, all I can say to you is to go. with the hope that you may never again cross our lives"
 l looked at him time silently, hat ing not him personally as much as 1 hated all the world. But presently asked him, Have you no word for me from her?"
 Miss Meriwether has no word for you," he answered sternly, "nor ever will have. You are no longer neces- sary in her plans."
 "Ah, then" said I, ''you have chang ed your own mind nightly"
 He set his lips together in his grim fashion. ''Yes," said he, "I have changed my mind absolutely. I have just come from a very trying inter- view. It is not necessary for me to explain to you the full nature of it"-
 ''Then she has sent for mel"
 "She will never send for you, have said"
 "But listen. At least have brought her back to you safe and sound. Set ting aside all my own acts in other matters, why can you not remember at least so much as that? Yet you treat me like dog. tell you shall not leave without word from her, and when I leave I shall make no prom ises as to when I shall or shall not come back. So long as one chance re- mains'--
 "I tell you that there is no longer any chance, no longer the ghost of a chance. It is my duty to inform you, sir, that a proper su;tor long ago ap- piled for my daughters hand. that he has renewed his suit and that now she has accepted him.
 For a time sat staring stupidly at him. "You need speak nothing but the truth with me-" said at last. Colonel Meriwether, have never given bonds to be gentle when abused"
 ''I am telling you the truth.' he said. "My daughter. Miss Meriwether. is en- gagged to Lieutenant Lawrence Kcl- knap of the Ninth drsgooEs! You feel your honor tco deeply touched? Per