Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-04-20

hundred yards farther along we came
into beaten track, and began to
mount upward along rocky ridge.
where the moon gave me good view. II
was a scene OF silent desolation. !
took one glance backward, but traes
shut off all glimpse of the church, and
the plateau. thought heard voice,
or two, calling afar off, perhaps the
cavalrymen again signaling Kelly in
the ravine, but we had little to fear
from them, Our trail could never be
followed before morning, and dawn
would be three hours away slipped
my weapon back into my belt. conf
dent Nichols would make no attempt
to desert. He was slouching forward,
muttering something to himself as he
walked, and never even turned his
head to glance behind. stole look
upward at the lady in the saddle, but
did not venture to address her. She
sat erect, her face slightly averted,
but her thoughts appeared to be else
where, and I plodded on, my heart
grown heavy. Beyond doubt she real
lied now what the end was to be. In
the rush and excitement Of the past
few days, her natural desire to save
me from the death Of spy, she had
found no time for thought, for cOnsid.
Grafton. She had merely obeyed the
swift impulse of the moment. But
now, riding this dark mountain trail,
all immediate peril left behind, she
was facing the future-and regret. Her
fathers death, her sudden abandon
ment OF home and friends. her disloy.
atty to the cause with which her SYM
pathies were enlisted, her forced mar
riage, came fresh to her memory like
haunting phantoms. Once, | thought,
she lifted a hand, and dashed tear
from her eye; and her head sank low
err, as though she would hide her face.
She was evidently ashamed. regretful,
unhappy; II ever she had cared for
me. even In ordinary friendship, that
feeling had changed into dislike-prob-
ably into actual hatred. / seemed to
feel the change; to comprehend the
growing horror with which she con-
fronted the future. I wanted to tell
her that understood; that / sympa-
thized; that would never consent to
stand between her and happiness. Plan
after plan flashed through my mind
she should be free; she should go to
her own friends, and never see me
again. / would arrange to drop out Of
her life as suddenly ks I had Come
into 1t. But the impetuous words died
unuttered on my lips. Steadily we
pushed on through the darkness, no
word exchanged between US, slipping
and sliding along the rocky trail. fol-
lowing Nichols down into black val
ley. and then up again to steep. mar
row ridge. All about US Was the night,
and the silence.
Then the dawn broke, the black
gloom fading into gray, the clouds Of
fog In the deep valley below us rising
slowly until the rays of the rising sun
lifted them to the mountain tops, red
dening the mist into grotesque beauty,
and revealing the green glades be-
meath. II was a wild, desolate scene,
and we paused on the edge Of what
seemed sheer precipice to gaze. Even
Nichols stopped. and looked down,
pointing to the ridge of rock along
which the barely perceptible trail ran.
You'll hav' ter pick yer way mighty
careful long thar" he said slowly.
"'Tain't fist safe fer boss, nohow,
but reckon he'll pick his own way all
right. Thar's a cabin round behind
that bend whar we mout git bite ter
eat"
who lives there?"
"a fellar named Larrabee; but
reckon thar won't be nobody ter
hom' but the OIL woman-Bilps con.
scripted"
go on down." l said after a mo.
ment, land we'll follow slowly. How
far away is Covington?"
bout twenty mile-in the next
valley beyond them hills"
He disappeared around a sharp
ledge, and Noreen and were alone
alone, 1t seemed to me, in all the
world. l dare not ever look at her,
as helped her out of the saddle. Tired
from the long hours Of riding along
the rough trail, she staggered slightly
on her feet, and her hands clasped my
arm. Our eyes met. and in the depths
of hers was the mist of tears.
"Tom," she said earnestly, her voice
faltering. II cannot stand this any
longer. IL must know-what--what
am to your"
ITO mel" echoed, the blood leap
ing in my veins. do you not know?
Can you feel the slightest doubt?"
Doubt! 1t is ali doubt You have
spoken no word to guide me. You
married me to save me from Anse
Cowan. You permitted me to come
with you because l would consent to
nothing else. l do not even know
that it is your choice that go on be-
side you into the valley"
'Noreen." and / had her hands in
mine. 1T is my choice that you go
with me all the way through life
dear girl, / love YOU"
The long lashes hid her eyes. but
her cheeks were crimson; then I
looked down into the blue depths,
through the tear mist. and read my
answer.
(THE END)