Year: 1874

'N' "NASiN"iei iStuIncu, anu without
hesitation drew aside the clothing and
placed 1t upon the wound-a small bullet
wound in the left side over the heart.


" You must keep perfectly quiet, and
will soon return" she said softly, hardly
knowing whether she was heard or not
and then in an instant she was in her sad.
die, dashing at her utmost speed toward
the nearest farmhouse


Dashing like the wind up to the door
and startling quiet farmer Jessop and his
family nearly out of their wits, Leone
cried


." MIR. Jessop, let your son ride at once
to DR.. Wells, and tell him gentleman lies
dangerously wounded on the road, neal
Hillside Spring; tell him to come there
at once, and you, Mr. Jessop, please come
on with your carriage, and bring all that
you think necessary


Everyone in the county knew and loved
Leone Lightioot, and rapidly her orders
were obeyed, which observing, she wheel
ed her foaming horse, and again sped away
upon her return to the wounded stranger


There he lay just as she had left him
but groaniug slightly, and each instant
dampening the blood stained handkerchief
the girl awaited the coming of the surgeon


Would they never come she thought
but at length, when it seemed hours in.
stead of minutes, the sound of wheels
broke on her ear, and the next instant the
surgeon drove up at a rapid pace.


You are noble woman, Miss Light
foot, and if this man lives he owes his life
to you, said the good old physician, as he
approached and knelt beside the PROSTATE
form.


But will he live, doctor?'


For some minutes no reply was given
by the man of science, who carefully probed
and examined the wound, but then he
said slowly:


1t is serious iniury-ha here have
the ball yes, | hope he will live" and
DIR. Wells took from the wound small
bullet, while he continued:


Now he needs the most careful nurs
ing"


He shall have it, Thank God here
comes Mr.. Jessop," and Immediately after
the carriage drove up, and telling the doc
tor to come on with the wounded stranger
to her brothers house, Leone again mount
ed her horse and rode on to have all il
readiness for his arrival.


It was weeks before the stranger wa.
sufficiently recovered to tell his story re
garding the wound that had so nearly pro
ven fatal to him, and then by careful uurs
ing, he informed Leone, who had beer
uutiripg in her devoted care of him, thai
his name was Clarence Ainslie-was AZ
Englishman, who nearly year before had
come to America, and purchasing u few
acres of land in the West, made it hi,
home.


He also stated that business had called
him to New York, and that while enjoy
ing horseback ride he had been suddenly
fred upon, was thrown to the ground, and
had an indistinct remembrance that some
one was robbing him; for his watch, pock
et-book, and all valuablcs he had about
him were gone.


That Clarence Ainslie was no ordinary
man Leone Lightfoot knew when she first
saw him lying by the roadside, but that he
would ever possess the power to control
her life she had not believed.


But so it was, for each day proved to
her that she had met her beau ideal
and yet was he for her? Might he not
already have loved3 Might he not already
be married?


The thought chilled her very heart and
yet when she saw the dark fascinating eyes
turned upon her with admiration, and read
or hoped she did--therein deeper, ho
lier feeling, Leone, felt happy, and louged
to be very slave, and become mere au
tomaton to the caprice of Clarence Ainslie.


Now, Arthur Lightfoot, and his pretty
wife looked upon the matter in different
light, for though hospitable in the extreme
to the stranger guest, they looked upon
him as poor English emigrant, a petty
Western farmer, and did not like the idea
that he should wholly control the heart of
Leone, for they were not blind to her de-
votion to the wounded man.


Still they could not but admire the
courteous manner of their stranger guest,
when after six weeks, he was sufficiently
recovered to join them in the parlor and
at dinner.


That he had been reared gentleman
was evident, and that he had travelled,
and seen something of the world was also
evident, as was also that Mr.. and Mrs,
Lightfoot had never seen handsomcr
man, they were compelled to admit but
that Leone, the belle, the heiress, and most
lovely woman of the day should love an
unknown and poor Englishman-bah the
thought, even, was ridiculous.


When the trunk Of Clarence Ainslc
arrived, for he had sent for it as soon as
he was able to speak, Mrs. Lightfoot paced
around it for half an hour in the vain
endcavor to find something plebeian about
it, but the trunk was a good one, English
make, and bore on it simply the letters &C.
A., England"


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