Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-04-09

have to be with you either you have
got to be mine or else you would have
to decide that it could never be. and
teen I'd go off and fight 1t out.
leave me to myself" said the girl
earnestly for a little while; it's Fest
SC. ] would not take the finest, noblest
man Oh earth"
AND | am not that"
"UnIes loved him. There is some
thing very attractive about your per
sonality; / don't know in my heart
whether 1t is that, or
Good" said the man. as she hest
tated. That's enough He gathered
up the reins and whirlei his horse
suddenly in the road. Z am going
back. I'll wait for your return to
Denver, and then"
That's best" answered the girl.
She stretched out her hand to him,
leaning backward Ii he had been a
different kind of a man he would have
kissed It: as it was he took 1t In his
own hand and almost crushed it with
a fierce grip.
Wen shake on that, little GIRL" he
said, and then without a backward
glance he put spurs to his horse and
galloped furiously down the road
No, she decided then and there, she
did not love him. not yet. Whether
she ever would she could not tell And
yet she was half bound to him. The
recollection of his kiss was not al
together a pleasant memory; he had
not done himself any good by that
bold assault upon her modesty. that
reckless attempt to rifle the treasure
of her lips. No man had ever really
touched her heart. although many had
engaged her interest. Her experience
therefore was not definitive or con-
elusive If she had truly loved James
Armstrong, in spite of all that she
might have said, she would have
thrilled to the remembrance of that
wild caress. The chances, therefore,
were somewhat heavily against him
that morning as he rode down the
trail alone.
His experiences in love affairs were
much greater than hers. She was by
no means the first woman he had
kissed-remember suspicious reader,
that he was not from Philadelphia
hers were not the first ears into
which he had poured passionate
protestations. He was neither bet
ter nor worse than most men, perhaps
he fairly enough represented the aver
age; but surely fate had something
better in store for such superb wom-
an. A girl of such attachments and
such infinite possibilities, she must
mate higher than with the average
man. Perhaps there was a subcon-
seriousness of this in her mind as she
silently waited to be overtaken by the
rest of the party.
There were curious glances and
strange speculations in that little
company as they saw her sitting her
horse alone. A few moments before
James Armstrong had passed them at
a gallop, be had waved his hand as
he dashed by and had smiled at them,
hope giving him certain assurance,
although his confidence was scarcely
warranted By the facts.
His demeanor was not in consonance
with Ends somewhat grave and some
what troubled present aspect. She
threw off her preoccupation instantly
and easily, however, and joined read
lily enough in the merry conversation
of the way.
Mr. Robert Maitland, as Armstrong
has said, had known him from boy.
There we're things In his career of
which Maitland did not and could not
approve. but they were OF the past, he
reflected, and Armstrong was after
all a pretty good sort. Mr.. Maitlands
standards were not at all those of his
Philadelphia brother, but they were
very high. His experiences of men
had been different; he thought that
Armstrong, having certainly by this
time reached years of discretion, could
be safely entrusted with the precious
treasure of the young girl who had
been committed to his care, and for
whom his affection grew as his knovI-
edge of and acquaintanceship with her
increased.
AS for Mrs. Maitland and the two
girls and the youngster, they were
Armstrong; devoted friends. They
knew nothing about his past, indeed
there were things in it of which Matt
land himself was ignorant. and which
had they been known to him might
have caused him to withhold even his
tentative acquiescence in the possibili-
ties
Most of these things were known
to old Kirkby, who with mastery
skill. amusing nonchalance and amaz-
ing profanity, albeit most of 1t under
his u cath lest he shock the ladies,
fooled along the four nervous, excited
bronchos that drew the big supply
Wagon. Kirkby was Maitland's oldest
and most valued friend. He had been
been a cowboy and lumbeTmau.
mighty hunter and successful miner,
and now, although he had acquired
reasonable competence, and had a nice
little wife and pleasant home in the
mountain village at the entrance to
the canon. he drove stage for pleas
ure rather than for profit He had
given over his daily twenty-five mile
haunt from Morrison to Troutdale to
other hands for short space that he
might spend a little time with his old
friend and the family who were all
greatly attached to him on this outing
Enid Maitland, girl of kind that
Kirby had never seen before, had
won the old mans heart during the
weeks spent on the Maitland ranch.
He had grown fond OF her. ard he did
INST think that Mr.. James Armstrong
rnerited that which he evidently so
overwhelmingly desired. Kirkby was
ct and, with a grand flourish. handed
il TO the spokesman, who was profnse
in his thanks Turning away, Mr.. Ste
vpnS said 70 his c0mnauiov Go