The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-04

quietly. "She was too good for this. Sir, you have done my family griev- ous wrong. You have ruined my daughters life"
 I struck my hand hard on his shoul~ der and looked him full in the eye. Colonel Meriwether," I said to him. 'sI am shamed If you" "What do you msanT He frowned sternly and shook off my hand. 'I brought her through said, 'ano if 1t would do any good. I would lie down here and die for her. If what l say is not true draw up your men for firing squad and let us end it. don't care to go back to Laramie" -What good would that do?" he said. 'Tt's the girls name that's compromis-
 ed, man! Why, the news Of this Is all over the countrywide wires have car ried it both sides of the mountains; the papers are full of it in the east.
 You have been gone nearly three
 months together, and all the world
 knows 1t. Don't you suppose all the
 world will talk? Did I not see''- he
 motioned his hand toward our encamp-
 ment. "I know men,"
 ''Yes," I said. 'T would have been no
 man worth the name had I not loved
 your daughter. And admit to you
 that I shall never love another woman,
 not in all my life.''
 In answer he flung down on the
 ground in front of me something that
 he carried-the scroll of our covenant.
 signed by my name and in part by
 hers.
 What does this nheanT' he asked
 'It means" said I. "what it says; that here or anywhere. in sickness or in health. in diversity or prosperity,
 until lie down to die and she beside
 me in her time. we two are in the eye would have been, here or wherever else
 we might be-"
 . saw his face pale. but a somber
 flame came into his eyes. "And you say this-you, after all know regard ing your'
 I saw my guilt once more, horrible as though an actual presence. l re- said to me regarding any other or earlier covenant. I recalled my troth, plighted earlier, before had ever seen her-my faith. pledged in another world. l turned to him with no pride in my bearing.
 "So 1 presume Gordon Orme has told you," I said to him. "You know of Grace Sheraton back there?"
 His lips but closed the tighter. "Have . kD1l hi k<, girl?" he asked.
 "Draw up your file!' I cried. spring ing to my feet. Execute me! I de serve it. No, have not told her. l planned to do sol should never have allowed her to sign her name there be- fore I had told her everything fair to her as I could. But her acci dent left her weak-I could not tell her "a thousand things delayed 1t. Yes it was my fault"
 He looked me over with contempt. ''You are not fit to touch the shoe on my girls foot" he said slowly. "But now, since this thing has begun, since you have thus involved her and com promised her. and as imagine in some foul way have engaged her affections now, I say, it must go on. When we get back to Laramie, sir. you shall marry that girl. And then out you go, and never see her face again."
 "Colonel Meriwether," said to him finally, Eff it would do her any good l would give up my life for her. But her father can neither tell me how nor when my marriage ceremony runs, nor can he tell me when to leave the side of the woman. who is my wife. I am subject to the orders of no man in the world"
 "You refuse to do what you have planned to do? Sir. that shows you as you are. You proposed toto live ! with her here, but not be bound to her elsewherer'
 "It is not truev' I said to him in somber anger. "I proposed to put be- fore her the fact of my own weakness, of my own self deception. which also was deception of her. I propose to do that now"
 eff you did she would refuse to look at you again."
 "I know it, but it must be done. must take my chances" "And your chances mean this alter native-either that my girls reputation shall be ruined all over the country all through the army, where she is known and loved-or else that her heart must be broken. This is what l it means, MT. Cowles. This is what you have brought to my family" "Yes,' said to him slowly, "this is | what have brought" '"Then which do you choose, sir?' he l demanded of me-
 "I choose to break her heart" I an- ! swered. because that is the truth, and that is right. I only know one way to 1 ride, and that is straight" He smiled at me coidly in his frosty
 beard. "That sounds well from you!" l he said bitterly. "Ellen" he raised his
 voice. "Ellen. say, come here at | once!"
 She came before us slowly, halting, | leaning on her crutch. A soft flush shone through the brown upon her 1 cheeks. I shall not forget in all my l life the picture of her as she stood.
 Then, lovable in her rags, beautiful in her savagery. the gentleness Of genera
 tions of culture in all her mien in spite of her rude surroundings, she stepped up and laid her hand upon her fathers ! tcs1, hoIf oN