The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-07-10
CHAPTER x.

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CHAPTER X.
49,
Down the long silent road beyond
the sleeping town the rider passed, out
to the plains. HIS horse knew the
trail well. was rested and glad to be
used. He stepped away into the gray
dawning carrying his beloved master
with willing feet. There was no need
to hurry him. He seemed to know as
If by instinct just how fast to travel
to arrive at the junction in time for
the early morning train, Il was not
the first time he had journeyed thus
at that hour.
! The rider sat his horse as one who
had entered upon a long quest which
may not end this side the other
world. There was WEAKNESS in his
attitude, and profound thoughtfulness,
with steady determination to pursue
his way to the end
T. Now and then he bent his head and
laid his lips on the cool fragrance. of a
great, dim bud stuck carelessly into
his buttonhole, its branch and thorns
and leaves still attached as If it might
have been plucked from the vine by
hasty impulse. Later, when the day
came up and houses were in sight, he
tore it from its stem and wrapped /
quickly in his handkerchief to hide
away in his pocket.
The stars were paling when he
started. They slipped one by one ST.
lently into the oblivion OF a back,
ground Of light as he rode, but before
they left him they spoke many things
to his sad, determined soul. Some
times it almost seemed to him that a
girl rode at his side and understood his
thoughts.
His thoughts were as one would go
with lighted lamp and eyes suddenly
awake to see, through the long unvis-
tied chambers of his soul, and find
with startled enses the dirt and cob
u and musty, dusty corners, clut-
te nth moth eaten garments of a
d. st; and, searching closer in
d. ~innies, find the bones of dead
IN that should have lived but for
the .watchful keeper of that house.
The young face lost its b~oyishness
and grew grave and haggard with SUI.
fering. Then he laid his lips on the
cool flower petals and heard again the
voice Of the girl like music in his soul:
II will trust you always, no matter
what anybody says!" and it thrilled
him and gave him courage, so that
when morning burst upon the plain
and he came in sight of the struggling
houses surrounding the junction, he
lifted up his face to the golden morn.
ing sky and breathed aloud solemnly
the words:
"Oh God! Help me to keep my vow
to her, always, eve to the end of
life! Help me to be what she believes
me to be! Help me to be worthy OF
her trust"
With these words upon his lips and
the memory of her kiss, upon his
brow he went forward into the new
day and the now life that was before
him. This duty that was his today
was by no means a pleasant one, and
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do IL in a different way from that
which he would have done it three
days before, for today he was a diff
ferent creature. He had seen himself
as he was before God, and ~henceforth
all things were become new.
He was in time to make all his ar
rangements TO leave the horse before
the train arrived. He had chosen to
travel across country to the junction
rather than TO take the train at his
home station, partly to avoid public
ity, and partly to save time, for
there was no train from Hawk Valley
early enough to connect with this
eastern express which stopped at the
junction. Passengers from Hawk Val
ley wishing to catch this train would
be forced to leave the evening before
and put up al the junction tavern, a
most unpleasant experience for any
traveller. Jasper Holt preferred tray-
cling on horseback at all times to rid
ing on the railroad, and besides, every
minute counted now in the errand he
was on his way to perform.