| Show i AT THE I 1 I 1 G GULCH 1 I 1 tsy awn arant jf 1 1 1 ZI 1906 by ruble I 1 Jot niu H pertly ward of the lato late spencer baird of the three bars rose from ito stiffened form and glanced glanc fd about with face plo S to was onry only two weeks from coin boarding school but in those two weeks things had bad happened spencer baird bod bad bad a 4 bitter fin forre 1 I with hla his son eon and tied had disowned him and then hid bad sent a peremptory summons for or his want wishing to see beo her before ho be died file telegram stated in ID this short hort it specs space she had mado made tho the long journey jo rite cared for tho the diloff man ca ils as she could u id a da galust her ber pretest protest boon been ando m ado hel r oma 0 of the three bars bara and tile other property ind and now death suddenly she ebe was alone on tho the much with till all the cowboys watching tho the herds at the dry season bottom inta a days journey away theoan the owner eliud u been too ill III for removal so go had been left to her caro care and the cooks anil and the his bis opportunity had bad loaded a horse borao with booty and ridden a c n an anny it Y persia did not discover it until uni the man was a mile from fora the raich it couo aud anti then thad her guardian lay di CL biga lg As 1 alie lie 1 rose from ahe the motionless form ithe fi hesitated a moment then thea went ent out closing the door reverently behind hor bar it might bo be two days perhaps three before nay of the cowboys would return jond rite must have help tile tho corral was only a few yards awny away anti in m it ial a well broken borse which alch had bad been given her by spencer baird she had only a vogue vague ideal of ahe cowboys position the direction and fand that it was A days journey alu herds berdg and from a few words of 0 the tooksie cook took sho she knew there wnm a small frontier boin oft air that way somewhere but T bother naother ther this sado or beyond tho the dry season bottom she did not know another tiling thing elio did not know find that vas as the fickleness of the dakota voc rither though lato late in october it uan nan like a june morning when sho she started across the prairie two hours later 1 1 ter fl a chill litiff ot of wind touched her glibly 1 and there was a bily iness blurring the horizon behind but sho she was bending over tho the horses neck urging him to grenter greater speed anti and th laking of tile rigid form behind and abo did not I 1 I 1 I 1 1 4 I 1 I ill 11 1 1 ie I 1 I 1 I 1 it 1 V 1 11 1 I 1 in 11 i 1 1 af I 1 TO BEAD FROM A BOOL notice until a whirl of fine snow struck bar face apparently from a cloudless sky ly ten minutes intent a later she was in tile the mills midst I 1 of a dakota blizzard b liz tard after that thoro them was nothing but to urge the boreo on no direction no it 0 possibility lity of turning back against such fury only just juat to trust to too the lial animals mals instinct and not think but barange things sometimes happen eves even la ili a blizzard A rd which seems to laid bold nothing but death perhaps it was war chance josol bly something else elbe maybe merely the horses superior sense of direction but at long length th when body had grown numb and her mind was beginning to wander the animal stopped suddenly with his dose nose preyed against a door and it almost seemed as it if sho she were expected for the doorways door was flung open nud bud carer solicitous hands brinds lifted nor her front from tho the biddle oud and hurried her inside tile poor licari dcarl a womans comans voice ci exclaimed aimed beti between Neen sobs and laughter abod lime hani thought of her being caught 1 in a at adorm but it was brave of her to keep on ca and d hes bes a good deal vorse off for ho be focused it a thing since bo be was took brou frou the borse luat aft before tho the girl came lea as DO wonder though for ho be was fall fac ing a blizzard i ith only summer cloth lug lag on but coma briskly briny bring bur into tile parlor she wont hayo have time for any changes and sho she con can rest afterward a rd its a half b alf hour late allow and the preachers in a mighty burry to get away to a dying job 0 O to the parlor several persons were waiting expectantly and on a couch near them a young roan man was waa half reclining ell ning apparently asleep but from tim 0 to time be stirred uneasily un and n a it its his half 1 I alf closed eyes gazed about an fn i A a dazed sort of ways way he was assisted to his feet and persia led idd to a position bc then an old man slipped in front of at them and beg began to read a hurriedly or ricilly from a book beoh presently he be turned to the young annu anni 1 do you take this young woman to b be your TI itce be asked wooman woman out to in tula this wild country murmured minced the young oman man needs help ot of course give her my life everything I 1 can do glad to yes yea yoe yes of course and you to persia do you accept this thia young man to bo be your lawful husband hu shandy persia gazed about inquiringly and into her numbed mind penetrated Toted th thought that they viere ere expecting her to boly bay aei e so she muttered yes and tried to smile I 1 el a fe few more quick BCD 1111 toco a f perfunctory congratulation and then the old man humped bumped himself anxiously into his ble overcoat see ce you again in the morning be said to the young roan man you can let the too tee go until I 1 I 1 then vo no time to wait now goodby all and thank you mr mor wells to their host for helping ui boni so in this 1 1 1 lints lint fl all right the hoft best good natu lintur edly im glad to help bell you in a thing of at this sort but youre mis wien about the name im john briggi I 1 q Q alia wells to Is on tho the jether other te algo side 81 of f tho street llie old man stopped short abort in ILI tho the buttiging butti ping process this the abo Ral no 0 nor o its tho gulch tho the hIes across s lo in Conato consternation mation and abut this man vance green of tho the two color lie bo made au an appointment with we uy by inciter letter I 1 no a it its 0 young baard aud 1 think from r hut ivo ive board beard of her that the 9 garle alls the old mans ward you lou g alvo vo any ob BO I 1 thought it was it t the uw stia atol should of married and aej ith th the a old man sick lck and the son sent off air this was the only way well la ili su all profile disgust youve certainly made a mesa of it what going yes rca I 1 must couba the old man looked at the figure which was again rc clining OD an the couch leaping into unconscious nos nebb and aal at the girl now seated and go gazing ing a bout about wonderingly no use trying to 0 o explain to thum now lie he said bald ill be in tomorrow nud and atud try to make it right but when to be arrived at the gulch tho the next day ho he found young baird in ID the act of assisting persia to hor her rad mad life die the young iuan own onn borse boree stood bear the all allward rd had bad passed and aad it was IVOR again ngali like a juno june day iles all right parson young baird bald and I 1 talked it over this morning and found out who we orth arelt 9 was wai I 1 refused to marry 1 her ifor tant at father and I 1 quarreled I 1 accept an unknown girl offhand that way of course but persia tells mo me that she Is mail ant I 1 dont think theres any need for uio too to express myself on the subject now ive Iv omet triet tier her 1 hope on nil all como come out and see BOO us and bo be neighborly now well go ond and look after rather father and oh ob yes here if ha slipped something into the old mana ns hand and then rallied raised himself to his bla saddle and rodo rode awry away uio the girl by big side aide As they swung off ob across the prairie the old man looked at its hla fee it was the largest he hod bad ever re ca ived |
