The Sagebrusher

s divide on time, and to-day it was more than usually late. A solitary figure long s

the first time he ever had com

pressed his perspiring brow, new and pointed shoes agonized his feet, a new white collar and a tie tortured h

stice claimed him. But all this and all his sullen anger was wiped out in this great shyness of a man not used to facing women. Sim Gage was product of a womanless land. This was the closest his orbit ever had

ined with this growing sense of guilt. A few passengers from the resort hotel back in the town began to appear, lolling at the ticket window or engage

s heart seemed to go to his brain. He was seized with a panic, but, fascinated by some agency he could not resist, he stood uncertainly until t

to entangle themselves dangerously, but he did not cross the street to care for them

her after all. He felt sudden relief that she had not come, mingled with re

ain conductor near the station door. The conductor held the young woman's arm reassuringly, as they both looked questioningly from side

conductor spoke to him s

e you Mr

that ever in his life he had been so accosted before; he ha

of the young woman seemed to recognize this. She reached out, groping for the arm

woman caught a cinder down the road. Better see a doctor s

suddenly to him. "It's all rig

looking at him, but she seemed

e'll go up and see the doctor. Why, I had a cinder onct in my eye, time I was going dow

he know of railway travel that he had not noted that this young woman came not from a sleeping ca

her throat was fluttering, did not know that tears were coming from back of the heavy glasses. He could not tell that M

not know what to do. A woman seemed to mean a sudden and strangely overwhelming acc

last, "I'll go acrosst and git my team

ted; reached out a hand. "

l. You set right down here on the aidge of the side walk, till I git th

hat's

urning back, suddenly and by miracle, recallin

t bring one. I thought-what I had would do." He could not know that

to leave us so soon

ice was gentle. Surely he was the kind-hearted and chivalrous rancher of his own simple letters. She began t

awhile, eh?" said Sim

y-y

ike. You don't need no trunk full of thing

dge of the platform. Then she heard his footsteps passing, heard the voices of two men-for now a bystander had gone across to do something for the plunging horses, one of which had thrown itself under t

o Mary Warren. She had been unfair to this man! He was a trifle crude, yes; but kind, gentle, unpr

le battle with his team. "Nothing busted much. Git up on the seat,

other, who had not failed

Sim Gage. "That is, it's my housekeepe

ths' start?" gr

m Gage, in grim reply, which cl

it up and threw it into the back of the buckboard. Then he spoke again. She felt him st

foot up on the hub of the wheel here, and grab the iron on

wheel," said Mary

ub of the wheel, the horses started, and she almost fell-would have done so had not he caught her in his arms. It was almost the first time in

yourself, any?" s

I'm blind-I'm blind

know that her words brought to

the hub of the wheel, steadied her arm, c

d the other man on the high seat. The horses plunged forward. S

ter hour of it, in spite of all, done in sheer self-defense. But at the western edge of the great Plains, it had come-what she had dreaded.

written those letters to her. She could catch only the wine of a high, clean ai

somewhat quieted his wild team, and he looked a

f felt almost like tears, as things now were. "It'll all come right. Don't you worry none. Don't

he half mile to the village, he lear

"Drive on-we'll go. I don't think

pless blindness, a permanent thing. The retina of each eye now was ruined, gone. So she had been warned. Agai

poke suddenly. "Listen!" said she. "I belie

ws I'm sorry I deceived you like I have. But I'll take care of you un

me. I tell you I've deceived you. I

re. You can blame me fer everything. Why, almost I was a notion never to come near this here

," said Mary Warren, weeping now. "Any

o fool a woman such as you, and I'm sorry. Only, just don't you git

ht along. I couldn't see anything to-day. You didn't know. I lost my place. I have no relatives-there wasn't any place in the world for me.

w, and you didn't know. Can you ever

mean?" she said. "Oh, m

e was frowning

'm concerned-it ain't just what I want to say, neither-I can't make it right plain to you, ma'am. It ain't right fer me t

en. She caught emotion in this man

be setting here. But I don't want you to see. I got that advantage of you, ma'a

-the place where we're goi

ly. "Road's pretty fair now. I wish't you could see ho

rned up, sensible of no more than

e white clouds, not very big.

tre

ma'am-pine tr

wheels on planks, caught t

'am," said her companion. "It's right pret

try like on ahead, wh

ey like, ma'am,

clean as glass, ma'am-you can see right down into it, twenty feet--" Then suddenly he caught himself. "That is, I

s about the place-ch

you want 'em. We'd ought to have some eggs, oughtn't we? And I got several cattle-not many as

t is it-t

now like a man

d that's the truth. I've got a log cabin with one room. I've s

s off, in the flat, beyond the first row of willers between the house and the cree

life," said she slowly, in her

ma'am," sa

ew what was the wish