Hope Hathaway

ral places by a small mountain stream through which the horse plunged, splashing the girl plentifully. She had an impression that she ought to go back to the corra

. The past half hour seemed remote and unreal, yet the picture of it passed through her brain again and again before she reached the house. She could hear the first shot, so startling and unexpected, and the man's terrible groans rang in her ears until she cried out as if to drive them from her. Was he

eak, she felt faint and wearied. At the house her courage failed, she sank limply beside the window, and looked into the light

been him who had been shot-that she might find him at the house. But he was not there! Then it must have been he; his groans she had heard-that still sounded in her ears. He had brown hair that waved softly from a brow broad and white. His face was boyish

turned a hand touched her on the shoulder,

scarcely believe that it was you-Miss-H

s in a dream. "Whe

e, hid the surprise th

t some. I followed them a great distance, and night overtook me up there so suddenly that I've

m, her head thrown back from her shoulders, her position,

ow why I was peeking into your

" He threw the prairie chickens down beside the house, watching meanwhile the girl's erect figur

er you, and wouldn't offer one, anyway-under the circumstances. I'll tell you what brought me here, though. While passing by your corral, down the road, I heard a great com

saw with you this morning? It isn't right that

ly," she replied hesitatingly. He did

declared. "You should never ride alone, p

pted. "I came to tell you about

, but thought it must be down at Harris'. There is very often a commotion down there,

o more time, but get your men and a lantern, and come on. There's evidently been trouble down there, Mr. Li

would like mutton for their Sunday dinner. It seemed to me there was co

ion, Mr. Livingston,

something to pay! But unless something occurred to delay the sheep they should have been put in before dark. I w

ring their guns and hurry up! I'm going alo

for the corrals; then leading her horse she walked on ahead with him, followed closely by th

if the herder had been injured in any way. She knew that he was not only hurt, but in all likelihood fatally so. His groans rang continually in her ears, yet it brought her not the least pain, only a horror, such as she

erns were lighted she felt still more nervous for his safety, and could not restrain her foolish concern until she had mounted her horse, and made a complete circuit of the corrals, riding into e

er an inert figure stretched upon the ground. Livingston was kneeli

ead?" sh

y more than a boy, yet possessing a man's courage and a man's heart!" He looked up at the girl's face, and was amazed at her indifferenc

e of the dead herder. Hope watched him, wondering at his depth

tz, a bright, good German boy.

much,-seemed to feel so badly,-t

ould be near to one another. Are you not also pained at this sigh

g or worrying about it. That cannot bring him back to life again. Of course I would rather he had lived-that this had

what he holds so tightly in his hand,-his last thought,-a letter from his sweetheart over in Germany, the girl he was to have married, who is even now on her way to him. He had been reading her letter all day. It came this morning, and he held it in his hand planning their future with a happy heart, when some brute sent a bullet here. If it could have been me, how

orse for support. "Stop! How dare you talk like that to me! His groans-

ng. "I am so sorry, forgive me! I did not realize what

y. She raised her head, and l

is all unreal. I have seen men dead like this before, and I could not feel anything but horror-no sorrow. I am as I am. I

ed, then left her and retur

nce more into place. He did not realize her motive until she stood beside him, holding in her hand the gayly colored saddle blanket. Kneeling opposite him, beside the body of

ou are thinking of him tenderly, as a sister might,

ink; but of one who might be lying here in his place-one who has no sw