Show A youth YO th lades rides ta west fales t I 1 fl aan f bil will irwia copyright by will irwin service la CHAPTER XIII continued 17 then I 1 carne came seventeen and was to finish fla next year music nicil tim and laun latin and french and and dancing find and deportment slid did nothing whatever about life I 1 jadot even read a n novel fircht sur I 1 a little girl anny louger icer of course I 1 had it ro nian lulin thata the period I 1 apoe up oe ben bell every girl oil ought gilt to bi br locked up t probably tile the french uio are lot fora a right ight anti of course with me the 1 no DC thing I 1 never had love llie was the he flat fit lie he cattle in to abe sein inary about it piece of annil dey were buying for it new building you log have seen lie Is 14 bonny yet ft but that was live he years ago go I 1 ti cr thought of my ideal lover loer of after er that onty only hill atlin MIAS Soi ol linin lad bad to go 90 to look fool for papers I 1 was left alone with film for half nn an hour dour before ehe lie catine bick back it had me gone pretty far I 1 hall promised to write to him film ele had arranged to put letters to me lite under a boundary stone OR OB the new property I 1 wrote to him every ery night and I 1 saw win three dinies A girl in love can manage that TOH tou know no one ever suspected mo me I 1 always seemed I 1 suppose like tin nn obedient obed lent little thing lilt ills letters were wonderful that just glamour I 1 read them over agal again just before I 1 time carte west ile he truly loved me were we other considerations tit ill te tell them later but lie he loved me arid and we eloped I 1 proposed it I 1 just enst walked away from the school one tight night after supper and mot met him we took the train to newport together and were married ile he had arranged everything it hall had to be arranged I 1 lied of course about my age 11 it all got into tile the papers probably the marriage could have boon been annulled zi but father did nothing about that I 1 suppose my stepmother was only too glad to get rid of me for good I 1 wrote to father ile he answered with a dreadful letter AL martin lartin deane tried to ao see gee him film and martin wan waa piqued you see father was rich ati An dwelt I 1 have said that martins martin a motives were all mixed up but he floied me ile he truly did you see it if he loved me lie he le have married me I 1 was so BO young and inexperienced he could have fooled me basily enough and I 1 loved him but only in one way ay I 1 know that then I 1 do remember watching him one day from uie the front window as he walked down the street and feeling that there was something lacking but just for a lil minute laute I 1 know for it a long time 1 I was so young and inexperienced about tile the condition of ills his business ile he was in real estate as ive told you we lived very prettily I 1 much taken with the business friends ho he brought home to supper as I 1 took look tack back now I 1 think of them all as a little unclean spiritually nor their wlm I 1 was hungry for or my own kind of women lie ile used to talk to me of course about ills his bu business iness but I 1 was like a nun dun for all of tho the world A more ex ex Per fenced woman would have under tinder much sooner that it was all wrong rong every bit of it wrong then lie be wits was arrested it was all a very bail piece of business the papers were full of it we gave up our house wt moved into a furnished room he ival wa tried finally and acquitted mostly hed been just within the law but he hadar done right nevertheless and everyone knew it ile he took it hard of 0 course he was rebel we quarreled too but I 1 made min understand that it was wrong troubles came all together my father died I 1 went to him at the last tny MY stepmother could not prevent nt I 1 wont I 1 cant now tell you all about that hut but I 1 knew that ho be loved 1 and tint that if i made a wron wrongheaded g little e fool of myself by elop 1119 I 1 with martin deane wed have found A 4 way in spite of my stepmother ta then I 1 was very typhoid fever ver I 1 nearly died martin stayed by y my father had made a codicil to 1 I will a month before hla his death lie ire left me ten thousand dollars some of that wag MIS needed to pay our debts when ft liMi I 1 was better martin an and I 1 talked it alt all over there was waa no ito use of t ato staying ying in III providence ile he wanted 10 KO 90 west and start again honestly I 1 gave eave him half of my money he was to get settled and send for me I 1 in condition to travel I 1 got la strength back very slowly I 1 had illuce uch time tu myself I 1 wa was svery very very lonely ant and I 1 suppose suppose when youre tn in ich it a state as I 1 was then and have toon on so BO near death you see things more inore clearly I 1 lad had been greatly to blamo i ran away with him in the as much to spite my step 1110 ther 03 his for any other reason I 1 scully love him as I 1 flight have lova a goof good man hut buc I 1 loved hirr acu icu n hed never once been barili cruel 1101 1 to me a great deal amt nt it anil and I 1 could show lill hl ial tile the right way id prove that ile he had never grown crown up on one side hide of him rind and never would up ile see right rind wrong wren just na as a little hoy boy I 1 willit pretend to lo you robert that I 1 daill t moments when I 1 was tempted tit tc kie k ie hill I 1 ut lit I 1 know knew that if 1 I iliin 1 I could gocr ip be happy I 1 should nl wins be thinking of idill out in III tile lie world with no one to nap take ear cure off of of f ills his soul eliat lafit it comes down to stobert sav ills him soul at bitt bottom oln you oil lI know jov ini rull loua astle paused lor eyes grent mid lind tender with mi shadow lalow of if 1 old I slithering mine mid and wined to plead for alv roval 1 I ined not lot withhold it 1 I see oi halle e nil all tills con Stil lice I 1 sald jj JJ it was my lay jill jigli my job for llop fp lie ite went to to I 1 W bist St sellmer llmer he wrote now ilow mill lliran I 1 wrote eon coil sti I 1 lilly HP fit at MIS I nIll arll he be said 4 lit very ay iy definite lip in tit the lie he to fo denver r I 1 adart sd him tile the beneral delivery I 1 wrote llma it 1 I MIX to lit in lite lit spring ile ills fi int ine to tn wait valt an alle said ile h quite 81 Kitt led hut I 1 knew tilt ina lender I 1 wait maitti tI iho lit lindler it w 1110 tie he in it tile hiring I 1 started I 1 arnt I 1 lii sly miltn I 1 would relm arrive ilo hr wil want tit nt file station ont or of 1111 noam A to to tile me was ans on the latt of it alir nyon dollso 11 in dellver atia n 11 dolvil hy by tilt lie railroad station sol not it vory very pleasant place tic he gille to cottonwood i til fi eforo I 1 it kid the lin clerk what maxell illi dow for a living in print lie ife that so sn 1 I 9 for cottonwood rott onwood you kilow diio tile the epst nf constance dropped tier eyes to tier lier C hill 14 1 I 1 have said all this to you if I 1 been through what hap hall bellvi poi iLi today iven hven if things biad all pono gone haill hap ll it if that had been possible I 1 would have hac boon been a long time bring ing myself to say tills but when 1 I looked tit at you first I 1 knew I 1 knew you ou were everything I 1 had ever loved lit in martin deane and oh all I 1 was hungry fort for to see ace you every day will and know you loved me and to go to bed early to think of you but it was wrong wro ng it was where I 1 very no nearly arly failed I 1 burst out here you say that I 1 I 1 went out oat to capture your husband last night because I 1 was jealous 11 poor robert I 1 I 1 had given you yon much provocation t was all she said bald to that and then 1 1 found him I 1 was waa riding up the trail to forty rod hod lie ho dime came out of the pines he was riding a black horse of 0 course he was astonished and yet he was glad ile 1 felt he still loved roe me in spite of the way hed kept me in the east that was the main thing robert not that I 1 wanted him to love me with you in ili the world but so long as he loved mo me there was a chance he was mining above forty rod they expected to strike it soon he said three weeks would tell the story then hed come down to me and wed go way together it if I 1 wanted to go away and I 1 did it hurt but I 1 did I 1 was afraid with you in cottonwood ton wood robert I 1 f asked to go up and stay with him at forty rod but he have that he flenall flen ald the place was too rough he be asked me not to toll tell anyone for the present that I 1 had it a husband here just let things stand as they were for three weeks I 1 said martin youve gone wrong again 1 ile he laughed and said not very and I 1 came home and did let things stand as they were it was only three weeks after all and I 1 would see you and then no more last night he came to the tent came he said just because he wanted to see me he had been drinking that one of ills his vices usually ile he said that things were going won derf der fully ully hed be ready in two or three days to take me away I 1 made him promise to go straight back to the claim I 1 wanted to so go with him to his horse he objected to that billat but he promised and broke his bis promise I 1 I 1 interpolated hotly 1 I think he intended to nevertheless mrs barnaby told me this morning about the robbery and the vigilance committee sties the only person ive ever taken into my confidence and she not very far probably ashes guessed some of the rest I 1 aund found killed three men at forty rod and had two in jail to hang I 1 went to the jail through the side window I 1 saw martin I 1 appealed to you and you saved me nil all I 1 think her boulders held so proudly erects erect drooped now no it all I 1 said you had enough constance you surely dont hope her eyes ayea lifted somberly to mine as she interrupted im not thinking of hope there la Is very little hope perhaps now all I 1 know Is that I 1 aig still the one chance he has and that I 1 still have a hold I 1 must follow him try to find him and when I 1 find him of course that pleasant to contemplate my money Is nearly gone I 1 shall be poor perhaps he will go to jail and I 1 shall be a convicts wife but robert what would you think of a woman who abandoned her child just because it was idiotic or crippled or vicious id be doing doig the same sam something ething thin 9 more it if I 1 should get a common divorce and marry you it would be to lo me as though we had conspired to kill him to get him butof the way iler her eyes until now so 90 dry and solemnly thoughtful welled for or an a in with teara tear but she checked them as by effort of the will it Is your soul 1 I have been loving I 1 said bald anil all this time ahn e I 1 constance I 1 cannot deny your soul I 1 think yoa will fall because I 1 think you anre trying something ilni which cannot succeed and then I 1 will come to you a again gilt n lor for I 1 shall never love an anyone vo n e elm cine ile ho amny have you but you are at always ways mine yes robert hubert al always waysil I 1 slie sa said id you it promise lse nie ile that if the Ci lilles when I 1 muy may help cleanly you yen will viii let me 1110 1 I promise prom lite what are yoa you going to do 10 robert kobert 1 I 1 shall htay liero here and face it if there la Is anything to faco I 1 said 1 I nm naj a rich nuin man you oil know constance I 1 lidded led 1 I dont illean mj my mining property roi erty but I 1 never have to think of f money cY I 1 could go rast kaat and put tills this behind nic me hut but I 1 want to flee face it because ril ill lie ile nearer you and because yon because I 1 cant let you be liny any stronger ht ronger than V I 1 silo she nodded slowly solemnly good she sald not the part about ine but about you it la a you us its id like you to be then she smiled sail led almost like tier her old self if in tier her werry merry moods cant we forget this morning for a moment 7 and oil oh robert hobert you are arc so tired I 1 youve halt had ft a dreadful dreadful night and dayl you must sleep now sleep I 1 I 1 said when I 1 havi have a few hours with you and may not re we e you for years 1 but even as aa I 1 spoke a a rush of inner d drowsiness row s I 1 n ess made insincere my iny words constringe Cons looked outside the tent flaps gaped wide making visible tills this rudo apartment to nil all the world rills camp doubtless thinks about ns ng scandalously of you and me as it r I 1 constance dropped her eyes eya to her clasped hands can she ehe said look robert Rober robertia tIm im going to make you lie ile down on my bed had I 1 been myself I 1 should have protested As it was I 1 yielded like a sleepy child she wet ini a towel washed my face she looi lodie ned ened my collar her touch which normally roused every fibbi la in me was now heavenly soothing she held my shoulders ai as I 1 stretched out my aching muscles on the whits white sheet counterpane she knelt beside me holding and patting my hand once she looked swiftly out of doors then bent and kissed my forehead I 1 raised my other hand to embrace her but she put it if gently back I 1 was gone 0 0 A light shone in my face I 1 sprang up sitting twilight without mrs barnaby shading an oil all lamp with her hand seven ocl 1 said mrs barnaby your boss has been lookin over the hull camp for you says saya hes wanted at town and youve got to get out the paper though why it should get out wheres Wh crea Const constance hince mrs mra deane I 1 asked her oh she took the two stage to denver site she tell she was coln to CHAPTER XIV my decision to stay nt at cottonwood rind and face it all town down proved ridiculously more inore easy thun than I 1 thought when I 1 matched with constance disgrace la ili 1 a I coward it retreats be for foro a bold front the indifferent world in the end always takes toward it tile the attitude that you take yours yourself elf nor indeed did cottonwood probably think me disgraced gossiped of course I 1 had for or ft a long time an uncomfortable sense that groups lind had pointed tile ine out when I 1 passed but to my face meu men showed only cordiality sometimes a trifle overdone and more galling than public reproach even that lad passed A mining camp runs with bewildering speed its course from birth to senile decay twenty years yeara of europe I 1 in a month cottonwood lived ft a cycle ot of cath cathay ay before august blow the petals from the white columbines decked the forests with their flaunting sisters in red and yellow we had become a new entity events a few weeks before were as ancient history cis as though they had happened to my grandfather constance wrote from denver on the surface tills wits was merely a friendly letter such as any married woman might address to a young man inan who had rendered her service yet the I 1 intention n shines through the written e expression x pres slon and as by an arrangement of words too subtle for analysis I 1 know knew that constance deane had not changed toward roe me never would change she had found martin deane had seen him once but lie he thinks it better considering his hia position that we should not be together for the present elther cither here or traveling she bhe wrote in all I 1 had six sir letters lettera from her that autumn 1 I have them yet after that she lid did not refer again even to mar tin deane only the fourth said bald it if there la Is any change in my iny situation I 1 shall let you know at once meantime I 1 had resumed roy my regular correspondence with mother much neglected of litte late into it I 1 poured something of the soul and fervor with which I 1 would have liked to infuse my letters to constance the shrewd eye of motherhood seemed dimly arid and uneasily to perceive the meaning behind this change her commonplaces about Co hasset were sprinkled with hints hinis that I 1 must have had bad enough of the west by november indeed she advised me openly to come home |