Show 4 a cavic L ciro ay 61 11 W av is CHAP CHAPTER TER XIII contenti Continued ed 17 it must te be because Ed edgemere gemere so fur far aay aft ay 1 she mused and cousin lousan co columbine I 1 I 1 imbibe hates so BO to have us go and are the adamal it would be ba queer 1 nance closed tier her ces ns as if to call up soye sonie all and tier her color roso rose ng fig she said impatiently why don t y you 0 U face the truth nancy nelson 1 lou 0 u lust just can t bear to leave because tr 10 door pushed open do oil mind if I 1 interrupt you for a moment nance started smiling as tine sue recognized the wife of tho the health seeker on the back rond road one of ohp most faithful visitors I 1 come in she welcomed I 1 ca leoung day after tomorrow and am glad of this chance to say goodby good by the woman said as title she sat down la in the cushioned clair chair m why hy I 1 cattle came I 1 meant to stop at miss kelson N elson e s but when I 1 saw these open windows I 1 knew you d bo be here I 1 want vant to thank you for what bouve done for well vell for every one in alne ridge miss kl addin 1 she glanced up ill her worn norn face lighted by a smile while nance realized realised reali sed with something of a shock that this faded woman was vas quite young probably not ten years older than herself do ion mind my saving miss aladdin she quest questioned boned it a bit gill shily ly orne omett times mea I 1 vc e almost non N on dered if what you are a a sort of magician who has worked miracles 11 nancy laughed flushing a little too it it wasn gasn t a mikade at all if mean this library it was A as only corn com mon sense and a bit of elbow gressell gr grease easell 1 no answered tier lier caller widely it was nils more than that it was waa thinking tiow how lou iou could make life happier for other folks its ninde made all tile the difference between exile and and home to us P she added my husband a better now really better and its due to nothing in tile the world but having good books to read something to tike take tits mind away aay fiona from himself and all our worried Is it any wonder we ne think of you as miss aladdin I 1 hen she bhe was ns gone nance sat there feeling strangely humble a lump sn in tier her throat that threatened to grow bigger 1 I ought to haie hae gone to see those people she said regretfully aih matt to drop in on them son eom ally hy the alist time that caira caina fut fui hooks I 1 thought s she ie vi was as older than A int judy judal I 1 oh why ully does life hurt some socie of us so cruell 2 nince closed the windows sneak up tip back of tile the houses F she planned locking the dior d T if jacl jack sees me lie hell 11 want ant to go along and somehow id rather be alone I 1 ran can st ty a half hour and get anck be fore the adams send for us u I 1 do hope matt will mil have cheered clice rod up by evening I 1 just can t stand the ft nay ay tits his ees too look by skirting kIr ting the village it was i as possible to to ain tile the hilltop unobserved but it was nag a steep steel ascent and nancy was nag I 1 rea tilled alien i lien einer emerging ging from the woods slip started to toward vird the ancient landmark then as an animal will all stop when ihen sud sullenly lenly alarnel the girl stood still some rome one was there telf hidden by the gigantic tice trunk how disappointing rigl 1 her on this won mon darful spot must be foregone slie she ventured one cautious step but a twig tig snapped under her foot and the intruder almot almost as startled as herself turned quickly ohl oh I 1 exal excl limed nance her beat t wis m is thu iding I 1 I dida didn t dream I 1 mein matt imatt 1 1 thought 11 she paused for Matt matthew liew had balun up an unsmiling Hatt matthew liew who inho said curiously she noticed as lie he came toc rd her la Is it sou nancy esancy or or nn I 1 dreaming no I 1 aiu in not crazy I 1 I 1 ile he smiled a lit tie hut ie been ying lying here for an hour or more vi wishing I 1 had the power pomer of aladdin so I 1 could rub my lamp and and make iou appear before me just like Is Is it really you I 1 nance thought tier mouth ing in a mlle mile hat other fellow in the world would say a thing like that then with N ith a sudden impulse impose the stretched out both hands touch me and P pel peel el CHAPTER XIV NO USK trying it was simply ira im possible to 9 sheep cep thus thought ancy as she turned an ani tossed and tb thumped her unoffending pit low its it s surely strange murmured the girl how you get used to I 1 don t see that awful ra brol dered baby any more and lie ie grown awful fond of general grant it just seem possible that this is 13 our last night I 1 in colorado and that tomorrow jack and III te joggling along somewhere in ran kan sas AV hy the day we N e got here m when hen cousin columbine displayed this rora so proudly I 1 thought I 1 t get iii ii away i ny front from it too soon boon and now nil all I 1 can alil thlik k of la is sup sip posing aie e b hadu aan t come I 1 about to ponder this alila amiul possibility lity nance arain and siw that the door into tier her brot brothers bers room ft as opening said jack in muffled irritated tones I 1 what the dickens Is the matter ak with iab yon fox nancel nance that old bed lets out a gioan every time you moe moc and 13 I 1 3 say 0 turned oer emery three minutes of tl e last hour NN hy by don t lou iou go to sleepy the girl laughed softly too much to think about im I 1 m figuring out what would have h happened a p it if we hadn haan t come to cot colorado 0 easy I 1 jack seated him self on tile the fott fin t of tile bed I 1 id be em icing my car fares in a brokers office most mely likely an and d be dragging round Edgen edgemere Ed gemere lere P pitying you yourself relf and running up the telephone bill by calling your long distance boy fi lends aery few hours hour just to kill time honestly sig con yon In imagine ingine thing living our whole bilics mahout having known 01 d 0 touch me and see cousin columbine or the adams or or through tint and ei cpr ra till thing ng 3 oi I 1 I 1 la a elgh but I 1 fel feel lots ol 01 older der th than an when hen we ie came cut but nancy boldn t alie he said bald thoughtfully 1 ou stew older jack and I 1 iler her self analysis ft ent cut no further all aej after i I 1 moment the boy went bent oil of till I 1 in mighty glad old witts mitts pot got back bach into his stride all this last week he a looked like a lost d bogl gl I 1 dont don t delieto lies seen a lot of girls and was ins sort of seared scared for fear lied vil til en aou ou too inell ell seriously NI ats such a dindy fel ter ler nancy id hate to think hed fallen for jou too hard I 1 so I 1 in not goud er enough fur for vat mut thew ilam the girl softly her dimple fal lowing for a moment but to her surprise jack jach ansi answered cred in all serl berl ous ausness ness after what nhat you lid did dur ing tie blizzard 7 you know better sig als gut mitts different from some bols bois and I 1 like to tr lab aoud iou d him said nancy endeavoring to mal c e tier her oleo olce sound light you talk like aunt judal slie she imagines that anery hoy boy who looks my ft ay lias has lost tits his heart IN el ell I 1 ober ed jak jack mo most it any one coill I 1 that matt had but I 1 nener neer siw him hill act so happy and deed mi kip as he did this eenon evening and last nl night too bayl i will ill aou ou eer forget how excited mr adam was as ovir lour finding that I 1 think they re the finest family I 1 ever knew nance so enthusiastic all of em do you yon suppose daan Sl mother otherl 13 let nie me come back next neit winter mth ith mark in california studying forestry the 11 1 le ie short of help here at the ranch and geel acel id like it moren anything 1 say a good word ord for you promised his sister nancy was as up early next morn ing not inot so early as mat thew adam who ho had according to aurora delivered milk at the tubbs abode before she was as out of bod bed lie ile spoke through the window she elie related laud and almost frightened viche into a collarte col collar larse e ile he said I 1 wa was to tell jack to te ready to ride down dawn on the track nick along with ith the trunks and mark hark and luke mid and john boung loving john I 1 mean mil mary alary till tailor lor and juanita I 1 told hara it would look like ille a ride but lie ant ball who cures cares I 1 ill it liml hav to admit that for n teller feller who sweet on a girl mats that s coln two thousand miles awny chere here hell bell likely never lay eks ees on her agian matthew adams looked pretty well mell resigned and not moren three days ago lie be resembled a man just coming from the me cemetery after bli his last relation lies to doivo tha mr car with tits ha fattier father april 11 other mother ll and ailse columbine and SOD T oo 00 nancy I 1 declare if I 1 wasn gasn t quite so fleshy id squeeze ly ly between on the fiant seat scat and go 50 too why not go down on the ciuck suggested miss columbine I 1 among all thern theiu trunks and young fols and fallk c cna fisl I 1 retorted tile good woman no thank jou miss columbine I 1 have my pride anil and ceres house clean in to do even if are going home with eye adain for over sunday I 1 must bay it was as real considerate of eve to ask aou ou for this housell house 11 stem slem about as cheerful as aa the tomb till we ve get used to it well ivell she ere sighed mournfully the last bleak bieak fast Is ready and better eat cat if youve any appetites which I 1 haven t A cup of corfee coffee and fou four r doughnuts was all I 1 could get down this inor nin lie ive took the liberty of inviting tubbs to dinner miss columbine I 1 need food and goodness knows I 1 eat cat a bite if I 1 N w as to be here alone 11 the truck was gone tit at last leaving aurora flatter flattered cd and rosy at jacks fare farewell kiss I 1 fiust have one last look at the view from my to tower cr nancy declared but once in the iha familiar room she ehe tip toed to a carefully closed closet cloet and drew forch some thing she had hidden I 1 1 IN ill l you send matt up tip to got roy my suitcase aurora she tilled called with charming innocence from the hend head of the steep stairs I 1 those stupid boss have o it 0 0 a 4 0 the last ode down the historic pass was as over cier the station came cam e in ili view with mn an impatient Id elega von as aa jack called it on the plat form all too soon a gigantic on en gine roared past th the e u alting crowd and slowly stopped while title lazed dazed and breathless nance found herself mounting steps into the pullman a dusky porter armed with luggage leading tier her on and tack behind stopping to call something to somebody section eight blila way ny lady tier her window irindow nance looked out a sort of composite pie pic ture lire of that friendly then as aa the lie wheels tur turned tied she caught the glimpse hor her ebes 03 es were here seeking cousin columbine in tier her scarlet middy matt close by bareheaded ns as she had seen him first his hand Ff flipped lipped through the ladys arm dear mattl shed forgotten to tell him to look wit out for cousin col but hr he know knew something tightening in kanevs s throat vie hie landscape blurred then jack was nag sm saving ing thank heaven over oart I 1 never neer felt boso conspicuous in ros life did yo boj i kiss e every cry rnell er of the adam family I 1 dunno but I 1 did dall I 1 I 1 im m sure I 1 kissed kis sed tubbs ly by mistake of course and I 1 bellm believe e I 1 must have kissed cousin columbine three dinzal isn t she the daddiest dandiest dan dand diest lest old sanca cnance kept n stiff upper tipper lip t to the list min ute but I 1 misi my gu 39 if slie she ilan t want ant to lim ma I 1 IP me feel hid bid jut to lork lock at her nut some one will understand ant an I 1 cheer hr her up SIs of course somebody will I 1 jack wits right As the lie wheels moved vister and ina steady lip began to tremble a firm young hand drew tier lier balc back from tle ie crowd hat flait still stared stupidly div it seemed see nied at tile the delart ing train I 1 I 1 listen isten said arild ll matthew atthe 11 II if iscel miss columbine it a not quite so aifili ns as it seems having her go I 1 promised not to tell even moth r till till nancy got home and could tell hers but blie left it a not for aou in in case cae jou seemed too lonely find ani iny ril ill probably explode if I 1 dont don t tell some one so BO 0 so o you see 11 this wag the ol 01 it 1 shy motthew Mit thew hesitating n it if there were ere no words ith which to say tills tiling thing but BS as she glanced up aled columbine nelson surprised it a light ulo aroi I 1 ills his face thit startled led her what arp 3 n trini to in tell me matthew aclid slit fhe demanded brusque brusquely lv 1 stop top stumbling OVE your words word like ilke that im not a stranger ant are jau aou tra ing to easl gil and nt at the reappearance of her own brisk self mitt gaugl layered lau ered edgille while in the face and ebes 03 ei of an aston dished baggage min irin lie he caught the oddly attired lady in a beat beai like hug only tant nance Is 19 coming nick back he told cpr Jol joyously and and next neit time lime aless columbine shell come to UND eda I 1 |