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Show ItHa1 GlRLcf JOHNSON'S f ' fy JEAt KATE LVnLVM. CHAPTER XVIII. Continued. "The deputies?'' )nres niieut.d slowly. Th nftneil color and gentle expression dlwPIK'an-d from her face; she drew 0" hands away from Dora s clinging dncr"; h pushed bark the hair that sad slipped down on her forehead. Then th deputies had been aearchlng lor her father Thai wa what thoss men were there for that morning when they stopped and asked of her whr be was. And If tno ra of the law eame for him wbea he was not there, when every one knew that he was not there, and Bought for bin over on the opposite oppo-site mountain among Ita dangers, would they aet rone at auy time for him to pro" their rase? Might they not even In'"1 "eon taking him over to the tows Is llle of his condition? UnrouBi louly her (Inters closed over the flowers 11 her lap, crushing them relentleaaly. - Two soft hands released the flowera, and aa Dora wiped away the red stalna of the blossoms from her cousin's hands, ahe atld, with a sweet laugh: "Dolores, what Is the matter? See what you hss none to the poor, pretty pret-ty flowera you have killed them: their blood Is on your hands, and your banda have stained mine.' The affect of hr worda on Dolores was startling. Hbe drew away her handa aternly and arose to her feel, clutching tht door poet to steady her self; her far was white, and her eyea wide and lertllled. Young Green, returning re-turning from up the mountain, heard Dora's last words and turned awny with a face as pallid as Dolores . Dora arose Quickly, and rlasped her handa around ber cousin's arm. raising ber aweet, penitent fare to hera. "Dolorea, Dolores, I did not mean thnt I was only Joking 1 rouU not have meant It I would not have sold atirb a thing for the world I forgot you were not ased to me, and" The words ended In a vlo.dt fit of coughing that racked the slender frame pitifully. Raising her handkerchief handker-chief to ber Hps the aank upon the step. Young Oreaa entered the house unnoticed un-noticed and spoke to Mrs. Allen, who came out at care sad sat down beside Dora, placing ber arm around ber with low, tender words of comfort. Young Greet rune out with a cup of water, and art Allen thanked him with a grateful nance, but aa she took It and Dlaotd, it to Dora's llpa ahe glanced at boldive, and her glance was full of bate; while young Ureen himself for the noment dared not meet her eyes for fear of betraying what was In his mind and heart. "Will ahs lie down and rest?" asked Dolores, presently, still standing at a distance from her, speaking aa though ber lips were stilt. At sound of her voire Dora opened her eyes slowly and looked up at her with a faint smllt; but Mrs. Allen, without replying, motioned to Charlie, who, understanding her with, crossed over to the bedroom and tapped lightly light-ly on the door. Dr. Dunwlddle opened It at once, and after a whlapered word or two he went out to the girl, while young Green entered the quiet room. Johnaon lay In a stupor among the pillows, his sunken eyes closed. L.s cruel lips apart, showing the discolored discol-ored teeth within; his short while beard was coarse and thin, and lent additional repultlvtnesa to the narrow fae. The young man stood at the bedside looking long and earnestly at the face of ths other, until the expression expres-sion of wondtr and horror slowly gave place to ons of pity. "Poor fellowTie said to himself; "poor fellowl Surely be haa suffered "Dolores, I Did Not Mean That" enough already; why not leave blm In peace to God and hla conscience; 'Forgive aa ye would be forgiven.' Friend, go In peace. Truly. I havo ned of forglvenein. and should not pull down the bridge over which I myself must pass. Hut liov such a woman as she could have come from such a nature aa hla is a problem. My poor, tenderhearted girl, how ahe Buffered Just now and I could do nothing!" noth-ing!" Dr. Dunwlddle meanwhile went out to the group in the sunny doorway. Hla grave, dark fare waa full of kind-ness kind-ness as lie hnt over the frail girl, and spoke to Mrs. Allen. "She murt lie down at once," he said, "and be kept perfectly quit for a while. No, you mt not walk," aa ' ' '- " '- " ' she attempted to rise. "Allow me, Mlss Johnson." He raised her In his arms as though she were In truth a child, and carried her to the settle between the south windows. She did not speak until Mrs. Allen brought her beef tea and fed her with tender rare; then, half i Nlng among the pillows, whiter than they, she asked faintly with a wlsttul-nesa wlsttul-nesa In her eyea that sent an angry pang through the wnman'a heart: "Where la Dolorea -Nurse Allen? I want Dolorea." Mrs. Allen called sharply In a voire that caused Dora to look up at ber In wonder: "Come In at once, Dolores; Dora wishes you." Dr. Dunwlddle hearing the words and ratci.mg sight of the women's faie, (rusesd the room and spoke to Dolores, his voire low with kindness. She atartrd when he addressed her, and turned obediently with one swift, startled glance up Into his fare, and entered the room half hesitatingly. Dora put out her hand aa she crossed the room. "Iolores!" ahe said, entreatlngly. Dr. Dunwlddle turned quickly away and entered the Inner room where Ills friend waa waiting for him. By and by, when she waa better, Dora sat up among the plllowa. and drew Dolorea down Iteslde her, holding hold-ing ber hands caressingly between her own, smoothing the tense, slender flncera now and then with pathetic tendernera as tliniiKh to alone or soften her careless, wounding words. She leaned her pure, pale fare against the gray window c.ii.Iuk that the soft, low wind with Ita subtle odor of pines should blow upon her. Her large gray ryes, grown blnck with a half shy love and pleading, rested on her cousin's cous-in's grave face. And aba did not know that the Blender Bhred of pale blue ribbon lay safely hidden In the depths of the doctor's pocket aa he re-entered the alck room beyond. They talked long there at the cool south window, she, smaller girl, holding hold-ing her coualn'a hands closely In here, telling her of the world beyond the chained mountains, of the life that throbbed and pulsed out of her sight Dolorea listened In silence, wondering wonder-ing more and mora how this girl could care to love her, could care to have her for her cousin. "We will paint together, Dolorea." ahe aald, "and sew and play. You ahall alng and I will accompany you on my guitar, and you ahall slug and accompany youraelf, for the guitar will Juat suit your voire; and how you would look In an old gold gown with warm colored roses about you, playing play-ing a guitar, Its broad ribbon serosa your shoulders, your eyes Just aa they are now. Oh, such a soul aa there Is In them at thla minute, Dolorea Do-lorea Johnson! The men will love you, and the women mutt. Dolorea, Dolores, Do-lores, I cannot wait. I wlah I might take you right now." She paused, breathleas, smiling. Bitting Bit-ting erect, holding Dolores by ber two young arms, ber aweet face flushed with excitement. At that moment Dr. Dunwlddle opened the bedroom door and spoke to Mrs. Allen, and she entered with him, young Green coming out Dora flushed as she saw him, and she aroused from the settle, shaking her head sunnily, "Mr. Green, I beg your pardon for detaining you 1 do. Indeed. Truly, I did not think." He smiled reassuringly at her. "It has been pleasant to ma, Miss Johnson so pleasant that 1 had forgotten for-gotten the caae on at eleven at home. It la now ten mlnutea of that hour, and If you will pardon my leaving you I will send the carriage for you at any time you name." Dolores did not move or speak. The rase on hand. Her ears seemed sharp to catch and hold sueh sentences. These words only were clear, the rest were distant and Jumbled. Kven when be spoke to hir she seemed incapable of hearing or replying. That her alienee al-ienee was caused by anything be aald he did not Imagine, hut he waa growing grow-ing accustomed to her silence. "I wlah I could stay with you alwaya." al-waya." Dora said softly when the young man had gone, "but I cannot leave father. Dolorea. you know. You do not blame me, I am aura. And I will come over every clay or whenever I can. Father would have come over with me thla morning, but Judge Green wished him to be in court. They have a strauge rase on hand, and 1 am so Interested In It; aren't you, Dolores? Do-lores? About the laming of young Mr. Green's beautiful mare, you know? I believe they have some new evidence to be beard this morning. Young Mr. Green was to have been there early to attend to some Important matter before be-fore court opened, and here I have dotnlned him." Still Dolorea did nut move or speak. In a vague manner the thought presented pre-sented llaelf to her that one of the marble gods Dora had been telling ber about could scarcely be more like stone than she, and she wondered, too, In that strange halt aense If these marble men and women were capable of suffering as human men and women? wom-en? And Dora continued in her low voire, rising and pulling Dolores by the hand for her to follow. "Let us go out of doors, cousin mine; it Is so beautiful there with the plues and the mountains. I feel as though Cod were ery nenr In the sfc lence of Hie hills, and 'to be alofit with silim e Is to lie alone with God;' Imt I think lie is Fomch'iw nearer II the henna of lit humanity. You hart not even a church here. Dolores. Why, whnt do ynu do with no church, nor schools, nor anytliliiK?" And Dolores, driven at last to speak, asked niH hnnleally: "Why should we have a church, and what la a church?" CHAPTEft XIX. Tlmt'a Developments. Johnson alowly recovered; the daya pnsscd, and the weeks, while he lingered lin-gered weak and complaining. Dolores' presence annoyed him. and drove blm to fits of temper, until Dr. Dnnwlddle advised her to remnln away from blm aa much as possible. Dr. Dunwlddle regularly drove over to see Johnson onre a week, and Mra. Allen remained In the low, unpalnted house In the tulnst of Ita desolate garden, gar-den, tilling the rooms with her presence, pres-ence, but dally growing more hardened toward the quiet girl who waa winning Dora'a affection away from her, ahe 3ii "It Is Bo Bssutlful There." told herself, In excuse for ber unfriendly un-friendly feeling, hut the girl herself, , burled In other thoughts, believed It waa from the kindness of her heart ' that ahe talked to hor so often during ( the long evenings of the lite outside of the quiet settlement and of the manners man-ners she would there be expected to copy, and aha accepted In alienee th many words of advice as to ber lack of prldo In allowing young Oreen to see so clearly her feelings toward him, . and the cautioning uttered with a kindly smile or soft touch on ber arm ! against allowing herself to be ao In' j; fluenced by almost an utter stranger t who was kind to her only out of pity, ' ,. and who could never care for her other iban aa the merest acquaintance, r ahe, the daughter or the blacksmith ) who waa waited for to prove the malic i In the laming of his mare. I The woman knew well the atorlea l adrift In the aettlement that had somehow come to her she scarcely knew how herself, and of the glrl't dread of what might follow the proving prov-ing of the case waiting In the towa for her father's presence. That th ' ' girl had never done her harm to cause this feeling of hatred she would not r' believe. Had she not won Dora's heart In a fashion she could never do? Could she accept thla unmurmurlngly? Waa there nothing alio could do to hurt th " girl In Dora's eyes? And If that war Impossible and she soon learned that It waa was It Impossible for her to wound the girl herself In every way ; conceivable to a narrow mind. I (To be continued.) ) I |