Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-09-17
CRsP-ER XN.
Ney'aHd Hears From Home


up to say that he was at the of
- flee and Modid rea, h the ranch at
Is o'clock.
81 wish you would come home at
once" his wife argued and something
In her voice lUnl need him that he was
more needed ut Aome than in the town
"All right. mother. Hold the fort an
hour and i'll be there"
Mrs Mclag!aMa met him at the hitch
ing bar, and it required but glance
for him to .eLu III her face a troubled
state of mind.
'ThiS has Eeen IL disastrous trip for
Berrie,' she said after one of the
hands had relieved the supervisor of
his horse.
I'm what way"
She was Il bit impatient. Mrs Bel
den is filling the valley with the story
of Berries STAY in camp with Mr.. Nor
cross
His face showed graver line. st
couldn't be helped. The horses had to
be followed, and shat youngster could
not do it, and besides. | expected to
get back that night Nobody but an
old snOop like Seth Beldnn would think
evil of our girl, and, besides, NorCrOss
Is a man to be trusted
"Of cOurSe he is, but the Beldens are
ready to think evil of any one connect
ed with us. And Cliffs assault on
Wayland"-
He looked up quickly. Assault!
Did he make trouble?'
Yes. He overlook them on the trail
and would have killed Norcross if Ber-
RE hadn't interfered. He was crazy
with jealousy"
'Nash didn't say anything about any
assault"
'1e didn't know it. Berrie told him
that Norcross fell from his horse"
Good God! | never suspected
word of this. I didn't think he'd do
that"
He fixed another pcnera ting look
upon her face, and his voi.e was vi
hrant with anxiety as hn said. "You
9'on't think there's anything wrong?"
mo, nothing WRONG. hut she's pro
foundly in love with him never
have seen her 50 wrapped up in any
one. She thinks of nothing else. It
Scaras me to see it, for I've studied
him closely and | can't believe he feels
the same toward her His world is so
different from ours | don't know
what to do or say. | fear she is in
for period of great unhappiness."
The return of the crew from the
cor""I cut short this conference. and
when McFarlane went in Berrie greet
90 him with such frank and joyous en-
preston that all his fears vanished.
"Did you come over the high trai?"
she asked.
''N0. I came your way. | didn't
want to take any chances of getting
Enircd. It's still raining up there" he
answered; then turned to Wayland
Here's your mail, Norcross, whole
hatful Of it-and one telegram in the
bunch Hope it isn't serious"
WaJland took the bundle of letters
and retired to his room, glad to escape
the persistent stare of the cowhands
The dispatch was from his father and
Shall be in Denver on the 23d. Meet
me at the Palmer House. Am on my
way to California. Come prepared to
join me on the trip"
With the letters unopened in his lay
he sat In silent thought, profoundly
troubled by the instant decision which
this message demanded of him. AT
first glance nothing was simpler than
to pack up and go. He was only q
tourist in the valley, with no intention
of staying, but there was Berea! TIC
go meant violent end Of their pleas
ant romance. To think of fight sad
dened him, and yet his better judg
ment was clearly on the side Of going
''NIuch as | like her, much as l admire
her, | cannot marry her. The simplest
way is to frankly tell her 50 and go
1t seems cowardly, but in the end she
will be happier"
His letters carried him back into his
own world. One was from viii Halli
day, who was going with Professor
HOsman on an exploring trip up the
Nile. You muSC JOIN uA. HOlSmaf
has promised to take you on" An
other classmate wrote to know if hi
did not want to go into land deal OF
the gulf of Mexico A girl asked
''Are you to be in New York this win
ter? | am. I've decided to go int
this suffrage movement" And so, on,
by one, the threads which bound hin
to eastern city life respun their fila
ments. After all, this Colorado out
ing, even though 1t should last TIVE
years, would only be vacation. Hi
real life was in the cities of the east
Charming as Berea was, potent as sh,
seemed, she was, after all, fixed par
of the mountain land and not to b,
taken from it. At the moment mar
rage with her appeared absurd.
A knock at his door and the super
visor's voice gave him keen shock
"Come in" he called. springing to hi
feet with thrill of dread. of alarm
McFarlane entered slowly and shu
the door behind him. His manner wa
serious and his voice gravely gentle a
he said. 81 hone that telegram doe