The Mysterious Rider

ering and scurrying to carpet the dells and spot the pools in the brooks and color the trails. When the weather cleared and the sun rose bright again many of the aspen thickets were leafless

formerly worked for Belllounds and had recently gone into the stock business for himself. He had a rather young wife, and several chil

walked down there for a little visit and a ch

arn some news about Wilson Moore. If anything had been heard at White Slides it certainly had not been told her. Jack Belll

got was awkwardly evasive. That nettled Columbine. Also it raised a suspicion which she strove

loved and called father! Columbine had not divined that until lately. She felt it now in the fact that she no longer sought the rancher as she used to, and he had apparently avoided her. But then, Columbine reflected, she might be entirely wrong, for when Belllounds did meet her at meal-times, or anywhere, he seemed just

ted out to walk down to the Andrews

oing?" he inquir

ee Mrs. Andrews

he declared, qui

ds or acts of Jack Belllounds. She gazed steadily at him, and he returned her look with interest. What he was thinking she had no idea of, but for herself it was a recurrence a

," she repl

t have you running off down there to

Columbine, very quietly. H

what I

lllounds," she flashed, her spirit risi

atter of a week or a month?" he

my promises.... But I didn't say when. If you talk like that to me

again an assurance that had troubled her. No matter how she was reacting to this new relation, it

u stay home," he burst ou

wheeled as

e got less sense

g. It's to see that clu

e catch you

claimed

ee that club-footed cowboy Moore!..

throbbing and smarting. She hurried on into the road. She wanted to run, not

e's mean--mean--MEAN! What's the use of me denying that--any more--ju

She reproached herself for the tart replies that ha

ore'!... Oh, that was vile. He's heard, then, that poor Wilson has a bad foot, perhaps permanently crippled.... If it

orgotten, and that a sadder, stranger truth was dawning upon her--she was discovering another C

the Andrews ranch. So swiftly had she walked! It behooved her to hide such excitement as ha

ve been otherwise than rosy and smiling. Mrs. Andrews, ruddy and strong, looked the pioneer rancher's hard-wo

olumbine," was her greeting. "You

but just put it off

l round-up, and the near approach of winter with its loneliness, and the c

you're to marry Jack Belllounds

is," replied Co

rs or even a particular, close

t," interpos

anythin'. It's a pity, though, onless you love this B

ove a husband. But I'll try, and if--if I--I

unds," declared Mrs. Andrews with a grim

n up at the ranch?" asked Col

e hunter, He

hat ridiculous nam

twice; once as he was passin' with the hounds, an' the other night. I like him, Columbin

ike that," rejoined Columbine. "H

e. I laughed when I seen him first. Little lame fellar, crooked-legged an' ragg

rget his homeliness right off," replied Columbine, wa

re on what Wade can do. He fixed up Tom's gun, that's been out of whack for a year. He made our clock run

good many head of stock from this poison-weed. I saw so many dead steers on my last ride up the mountain. It's

ck cow, said she'd eat poison-weed--larkspur, I think he called it--an' then when she drank water it formed a gas in her

oring! But if it saves th

can be got to right off

ake her query casual, "do you know whether or not Wilso

end to Denver, an', as Wils couldn't take that trip or wait so long, why, Mrs

red Columbine. "He'll not be cr

here. He was drove up night before last an' is stayi

easure, but with more of woman's subtle motive. Her eye

instant she was at the mercy of conflicting surprise

looking out of the door. "He ought to be in

ied Columbin

e him nowheres. Mebbe he went in when he see you co

gling with embarrassment and discomfiture. What if she happened to meet him! W

nd Wils quarreled, for he told me. An' it's a pity.... Wal, if you

had to pass, and before she had time to recover her composure, she saw Wilson Moore, hobbling along on a crutch, holding a bandaged

ant the name left her lips she regretted it.

im, suddenly as brave as she had been

ant to avoid me," she

!" he drawled, ig

out. "And now I'm so glad--you're--you're ...

e down a bit

d healthy, but now it bore testimony to pain and strain and patient enduranc

now. Dad was angry when I asked him. I'd never have asked Jack. And the freighter who drove up--he lied to me. So

kly kind, yet strang

. "I knew you'd feel badly about my acc

d, with a strong tremor in her v

Pronto went out of his he

inters out of him. He'll be all right soon--none the wor

ly. Moore turned his thou

l is well," he

f your accident?" asked Col

N

o have sent for them, or

when I got in trouble? I

--home--soon--to Denver-

replied

do? Surely you can'

gain--like I used to," he said, tragicall

ch she placed a hand on the rude crutch would have been enlightening to an

smash, Columbine! I just

d have.... Wilson, do you intend

eir own. Columbine, I'm going to ho

e exclaimed, in

t pretty little valley under the red bluff. There's a fine spring. Yo

e--fine valley, but Wils, you ca

I'd like

roof all gone, chinks open, chimney crumbling.... Wilson

u think?" he repl

? Well, I wouldn't, even if a

are of you?" she aske

e got a few friends who'll help me fix up the cabin. And that reminds me. There's a lot of

h grave wonder. "Are you going to homestead ne

lming disaster, for which she ha

ed. "Funny how things

aid, dazedly, and she turned s

lled out after her, with fa

al consideration of the increasing perplexity of her situation. And to make matters worse, when

announced, with an accent that reca

tily. "From the courteous way you

sat on the porch, where evidently he had await

d?" continue

ne that opened into the room the rancher used as a kind of offic

re angry?" he sa

am," repli

y," implored Jack. "He's angry, too--an

in the interest of self and then had awakened to possible consequences. S

called th

n. "Hello, dad!

iled ledger, with a stubby pencil in his huge han

been?" he as

on Mrs. Andrews,"

go thar t

red Columbine, with a s

go to meet W

N

ll say you hadn't

," flashed

id you

did, but quit

ine, are you

olumbine's cheeks, as if s

cried, in

as deeply involved. The habitual, cool, easy, bold, and frank attitude in the meeting of all situ

epeated, either blind to o

you," she faltered, "

eyes was bent upon her as if she had

u seen

Columbine's

lked wi

cour

t, an' I ain't likin' the

. I can't h

is cowboy

tly about his

ent on Belllounds,

t he meant

homesteadin' the S

s,

ant him to

eed I d

wasn't sweet on you. An' do you still say that to me

ver believed it ... and

as sure you didn't care anythin' part

to save a new and growing pride would she evade any question from this man upon whom she ha

f hearing more from her or from an awakening of former kindness. But her reply was a shock to him, and, th

, sonorously and pathetically. "You know what my hopes are--fer the boy--an' fer you.... We needn't waste any more talk. From this minnit yo

. I'll keep my word," re

"I'm respectin' you fer what you say.

bine's vague, blank sight. All seemed t

the sooner the--bet

if I didn't believe it's best fer Jack an' you, why I'd never let you marry.... So we'll set t

she kissed him as if in token of what she knew she ow

tily got up, with more tha

you look!... Tell me. What happened?

ic amaze at this truth about to issue from her li

e tell you. And I've grown worse and worse. To-day I--when I saw you going down there--where that Wilson Moore is--I got terribly jealous. I was sick. I'd been glad to kill him!... It made me see how I loved you. Oh, I didn't know. But now ...

have waited." Breaking from him, she fled, and got inside her

xultation, half furious at her esc

peared to awake him to the fact that there

o scared you'd never have me? Collie, I've felt that you were the one thing in the world I wanted most and would never get. But now.... October first! Listen. I promise you I'll not drink any more--nor gamble--nor nag dad for

away!" cried Col

ied to reason out what had happened to her. Over and over again she named the appeal of the rancher, the sense of her duty, the decision she had reached, and the disgust and terror inspired in her by Jack Belllounds's reception of her promise. These were facts of the

e I--I might have--cared, too.... But I do--care--something. I couldn't lie to dad. Only I'm not sure--how much. I never dreamed o

nder of the hunter Wade flashed up. She stifled another impulse to confide in him. Wade had the softness of a woman, and his face was a record of the trials and travails through which he had come unhardened, unembittered. Yet how could she tell her troubles to him? A stranger, a rough man of the wilds, whose name had preceded him, no