The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-07

talking on in a breathless, lively way,
asking questions of his trip, his acct
dent, and the condition of his feet,
as though there were no Notifying
recollections connected with the cause
of his sudden departure. Her only
Indication Of embarrassment was a
tendency to avoid anything like mo-
ment Of silence and to fly from one
subject to another. Dominick an
swered her questions and told her
of his wanderings with a slow, care
full exactness. Save in the freezing
Of his feet, which matter he treated
more lightly than 1t deserved, he was
open with her in recounting the small
happenings OF what he called Ibis
holiday" from the time of his walk
from Rocky Bar to the day Of his
departure from Antelope.
They had progressed through the
fish to the entree when her questions
passed from his personal wanderings
and adventures to his associates. She
had been very anxious to get to this
point, as she wanted to know what
degree of intimacy he had reached
with the Bonanza King. Several
times already she had tried to divert
the conversation toward that subject,
but it had been detected by the young
man, who seemed to find less per-
sonal topics more to his taste. Now
she was advancing openly upon it,
inquiring about the snow-bound group
at Perley's, and awarding to any but
the august name for which her ears
were pricked a perfunctory attention.
1t was part of the natural perversity
Of man that Dominick should shy
from 1t and expend valuable time on
descriptions of the other prisoners.
There was an actor there" he
said, showed in on his way to Sac
ramento, queer-looking chap, but not
| bad"
"An actor?" said Berry, trying to
look interested. What did he act?"
"Melodrama, / think. He told me
he played all through the northwest
and east as far as Denver. The poor
chap was caught up there and was
afraid he was going to lose a Sacra-
mento engagement that / guess meant
good deal to him. He was quite
interesting, been in the Klondike in
the first rush and had some queer sto-
ries about the early days up there"
Berny's Indifferent glance became
bright and fixed under the steadying
effect of sudden interest.
Been in the Klondike?" she re-
peated. What was his name?"
To p,,r0 uapd
been an actor at the opera house at
| Dawson"
"Buford," said Berry, turning to
place a helping of pease on the plate
the Chinaman held toward her. II
never heard of him. I thought per-
haps 1t might have been some actor
I'd seen play. I'd like to know an
actor in private life. They must be
SO different"
She ladled a second spoonful of
pease on to her own plate and as she
began to eat them, said:
ct must have been interesting hav-
ing the Cannons up there. When !
read in the paper that they were in
Antelope too, / was awfully glad be-
cause / thought 1t would be such a
good thing for you to get to know the
old man we'll, as you would, showed
in that way together"
81 knew him before. My father and
mother have been friends of his for
years"
Il know that. You've often told me-
But that's different thing. thought
II he got to know you intimately and
liked you, as he probably would
she glanced at him with a coquettish
smile, but his face was bent over his
plate-"why, then, something might
come of it, something in a business
way" She again looked at him, quick.
ly. with sidelong investigation, to see