, PROLOGUE.
A young man and a beautiful
young woman, lost and alone in
a wilderness for months, half
starved and in daily peril of
death from wild beasts and still
more savage Indians this is the
central theme of the most fasci
nating romance that has come
from Emerson Hough's pen.
Read and you will learn how
love came to them; how they
conducted themselves in this try
ing, unconventional situation;
how the man's chivalry and the
woman's purity held them stead
fast to the ideals of civilization,
and how the strange episode
brought tragedies, estrangements
and happiness.
"Now then, you men," ordered Mandy
McGovern, "get some wood out and
start a Are right away. This hero girl
is shaking the teeth plumb out'n her
head." Mandy drew forth two flasks,
each stoppered with a bit of corncob.
The one held sulphur matches, thus
kept quite dry, and this she passed to
me. The other she handed to the
young woman.
"Ilere," said she, "take a drink of
.that. It'll do youjrood."
I beard the girl gasp and choke as
she obeyed this Injunction, and then
Mandy applied the bottle gurgllngly, to
her own Hps. .
Presently we bad a roaring blaxe
started, and-Mandy, seating-herself
comfortably npon a log and producing
a corncob pipe and a quantity of oat
oral leaf tobacco, proceeded to enjoy
herself In' ber own fashion. "This
here's all ri.-ht-" sJifi.iemjirked. ."We
might be a heap worse off'n we air."
I could not help pitying the young
woman who crouefbed near her at the
fireside, still shivering. She seemed so
young and helpless and so out of place
in such surroundings. The firelight
showed In silhouette the outlines of
ber face. It seemed to me I had never
seen one more beautiful. Perhaps she
felt my gar.e. for presently she turned
and said: "Indeed It might be worse.
I thank you so much. It was very
brave of you."
We had waited perhaps not over an
Lour, undecided what to do, when Au
berry raised a hand. "Listen," be
flaid. "There's a boat coming," and
presently we all heard the splash of
oars. Our Ore bad been seen by one of
the boats of the River Belle, out pick
ing up such stragglers as could be
found. So our little bivouac on the
beach came to an end.
I did not get the name of the girl I
bad seen there la the firelight What
did remain and that uot wholly to my
pleasure, so distinct It seemed was the
picture of her high bred profile, shown
la chiaroscuro at the fireside, the line
of ber chin and neck, the tumbled
masses of ber hair. These were things
I did not care to remember, and I bat
ed myself as a soft benrted fool, sit
ing that I did so.
"Son," said old Auberry tome after
t time as we trudged along up the
bank, stumbling over roots and braided
grasses, "that was a almighty fine look
In' gnl we brung along with us there."
"I didn't notice." snld I.
"No," said Auberry solemnly. "I no
ticed you didn't take no notice."
"1 suppose you're married," I sug
gested. "Some," said Auberry, chuckling.
"In fact, a good deal, I reckon. My
present woman's a Shoshone we're
livln' up Ilorse creek, below Laramie.
Them Sliosbones make about the best
dressers of 'em all."
"I don't quite understand"
"I meant hides. They can make the
best buckskin of any tribe I know." lie
walked on ahead In the dark for some
time before he added Irrelevantly,
"Well, after all, In some ways women
is women, my son, and men Is men,
that beln' the way this world is made
Just at these here present times. As
I was sayln'. that's a powerful nice
lookin' gal."
It seemed to me that I saw gazing
down directly at me one cold, bright,
TDCCllEC ?tarJtaring straight Into m j
THE WAY
OF
A MAN
By Emerson Hough
Copyright, IW, by the Outlag Publlshlnj
Company
soul andaccuslng me'of being nothing
more than a savage, nothing better
than a man-
CHAPTER VIII.
Her Infinite Variety.
A"
T our little village on the follow
ing morning Auberry and I
learned that the River Belle
would He up indefinitely for
repairs and that at least one, perhnps
several days would elapse before she
resumed her Journey up stream. Our
plans were changed again, for a young
army officer came down from that post
with the information that Colonel
Meriwether bad been ordered out to
the posts up the Platte river, had been
gone for three weeks, and no one could
tell what time ho would return. The
Indians were reported very bad along
the Tlatte. Possibly Colonel Meri
wether might bo back at Leavenworth
within the week, possibly not for n
month or more. This was desperate
news for me, for I knew that I ought
to bo starting home nt that very time.
I wrote home once more, stating that
I was not starting east, but going still
further west.
Auberry, as It chanced, fell in with
a party bound for Denver, five men
who had two wagons, n heavy Conesto
ga freight wngon or prairie schooner.
and a lighter vehicle without a cover.
We arranged with these men and their
cook as to our share in the mess box
and so threw in our dunnage with
theirs, Auberry and I purchasing us a j
good horse apiece. By noon of the
next day we were on our way west
ward.
At Inst we approached the vnlley of
the Platte. We were coming now In
deed into the great plains, of which I
bad heard all my youth. A new at
mosphere seemed to Invest the world.
The talk of my companions was of
things new and wild and strange to
me. All my old life seemed to be slip
ping back of me, into a far oblivion.
Many things became more clear to me
as I rode and reflected. In some way.
I know not how, it seemed to me that
I was growing older.
We bad been out more than; two
weeks when , finally we reached the
great valley along which lay the west
ern highway of the old Oregon trail.
now worn deep and dusty by countless
wheels. We pushed up the main trail
of the Platte but a short distance that
night
We looked forward to meeting hu
man faces with some pleasure. But
an hour or so later as we rode on t
saw Auberry pull up his horse, with a
strange tightening of his Hps. "Boys,"
said he, "there's where it was." Ills
pointing finger showed nothing more
than a low line of ruins, bits of bro
ken fencing, a heap of half charred
timbers.
They've been here," said Auberry
grimly. "Who'd have thought the
Sioux would be this far east?"
We rode up to the station, guessing
what we would see. Five dead horses
lay near by, a part of the stage stock
kept there. We kept our eyes as long
as we could from what we knew must
noxt be seen tho bodies of the agent
and his two stablemen, mutilated and
half consumed, under the burned out
timbers. I saw the bodies, for tho
lower limbs of all three had been
dismembered and cast in a heap
near where the bodies of the horses
lay.
The third day passed until tho sun
sank toward the sand dunes and cast
a long path of light across the rippling
shallows among the sand bars of the
Platte. But still we saw no signs of
newcomers. Evening was approach
ing when we hoard the sound of a dis
tant shot and saw our horse guard
running toward the camp. As be ap
proached be pointed, and we saw a
faint cloud of dust coming toward us.
The travelers" were horsemen, perhaps
thirty or forty in alL Following them
came tho dust whitened top of an ar
my ambulance nnd several camp wag
ons. We hesitated no longer and
quickly mounting our horses rode full
speed toward them.
They were a seasoned lot of Flar
ney's frontier fighters, grimed and
frizzled, their hats, boots and clothing
gray with dust, but their weapons
bright. Their lender approached me
when I trode up.
"Lieutenant Belknap!" I exclaim.
"Do you remember meeting me down
at JetTeuon?"
"Why, Mr. Cowles, how on earth did
you get beret Of course I remem
ber you."
"Yes, but how did you got here your
self? You were not on my bont."
"Orders to take this detachment out
to Laramie." be said, "and meet Colo
nel Meriwether there."
"ne'll not be back? I was hoping
to meet him coming east"
"No," said Belknap; "you'll have to
gq ro wiw-tf7nn yi jn gee him.
I'm afraid the Sioux are bad on be
yond" He turned toward the am
bulanee. nnd 1 glanced that way.
There stood near it a tall, aueular fig
ure, bead enshrouded in an enormous
suuhonoet.
"Why, tout's my friend. Mandy Me-
Oovern, said I.
At that moment, descending at the
rear of the auibulnnce. I saw the other
uue.
it was a young woman who left tho
etep of the ambulance and stood for
moment shading ber eyes with her
tin nd and looklug out over the shim
mering expnuse of the broad river.
All nt once tho entire laudscape was
changed. It was not the desert, but
civilization, which swept about us. A
transfiguration had been wrought by
one figure, fair to look upon. The
swift versatility of my soul was upon
the point of calling this ns fine a tig
lire of young womanhood as I bad
(ever Been.
I was about to ask some questions
lof Belknap when all at once 1 saw
"Why, that' my friend, Mandy Mo
Govern." something that utterly changed my
pleasant frame of mind. The tall fig
ure of a man came from beyond the
line of wagons a man clad In well
fitting tweeds cut for riding. I im
agine it was the same swift male jeal
ousy that affected both Belknap and
myself as we saw Gordon Orme.
"Yes; there is your friend, the Eng
lishman," said Belknap rather bitterly.
"I meet him everywhere," I answer
ed. "The thing is simply uncanny.
What is be doing out here?"
"We are taking blm out to Laramie
with as. Do has letters to Colonel
Meriwether, it seems. Cowles, what
do you know about that man?"
"Nothing." said I. "except that he
purports to come from the English
army"
"He's prowling about every military
post he can get into."
"With a special reference to army
qfflcers, horn in, the south?"" I looked
Belknap in the eye.
There's something in that." be re
plied. "I don't liko the look of It
These are good times for every man to
attend to bis own business."
A moment later I ran across my for
mer friend, Mandy McGovern. In her
surprise she stopped chewing tobacco.
"Well, I dee-clare to gracious," she
began, "If here ain't the man I met on
the boat! Ilow'd you git away out
here ahead of us? Have you saw airy
buffeler? I'm gettln' plumb wolfish fer
something to shoot at"
What I was doing at that precise mo
ment, as I must confess, was taking a
half unconscious look once more to
ward the tall of the ambulance, where
Orine and the foung woman stood
chatting. But it was at this time that
Orme came forward.
"By Jove," ho said, "here you are
again! Am I your shadow, Mr. Cowles,
or are you mine? It is really singular
bow wo meet I'm awfully glad to
meet you, although I don't In the least
see how you've managed to get here
ahead of us." ,
I explained to him the changes of
my plans that bad been brought about
by the accident' to the River Belle.
"Lieutenant Belknap tells me that you
are going through to Laramie with
blm," I added. "As it chances, we
have the same errand. It Is my pur
pose also to call on Colonel Meriweth
er there in case we do not meet blm
coming down."
"now extraordinary! Then we'll be
fellow travelers for a time and, I hope,
have a little sport together. Fine
young fellow, Belknap. You'll eat at
our mess tonight, of course. Thnt's
our fire Just over there, and I'm think
ing the cook la ncorly ready. There
comes Belknap now."
The confusion of these varied meet
ings bnd kept me from learning the
identity of tho late passenger of the
ambulance. I presume both Orme and
Belknap supposed that tho young lady
and I bad met before we took our
places on the ground at the edge of the
blanket which served as a table. I
sought a glance at her face, which the
text Instant was hid by the Hm of ber
'hat as she looked down, removing her
loug gloves. At least I law her bands
-email bands, aun browned now. On
one finger was a plain gold ring with
a peculiar aettlng-tbe figure of a rose
carved deep Into the gold.
"After all," thought 1 to myself.
."there are some things which cannot
be duplicated, among these hair like
this, a profile like this, a figure like
this," 1 gated In wonder, then in cer-
l
talnry.
No; there was no escaping the coa
edition Thl was not another girl,
but the same girl seen agaiu.
Belknap caught the slight nwtralnt
It the girl and I both raised our eyes.
"Oh. 1 fay. wny-what In the world
llr. Cowles, didn't you that Is, haven't
Jou"-
"No.'" said I. "I haven't and didn't, I
think. But I think nlso"-
TUe girl's face was a trifle flushed,
fiut her eyes were merry. "Yes." said
he. "I think Mr. Cowles and I have
nu t once before." She slightly erapha
Mm! the word "oneo," as I noticed.
"Hut still I may remind you all, gen
tlemen," said 1. '"that 1 have not yet
heard this lady's neuie and am only
ri'.esslng. of course, that It Is Miss
Meriwether, whom you are taking out
o I.nraiiile."
"W hy, of course," snld Belknap, and
or course" echoed everybody else.
"Yes," said she. Tin going on out to
J ln my fattier ou the front This is
us y second time across, though. Is it
)or,r tirst. Mr. Cowles T
"My tirst. and I am very lucky. You
know I also am going out to meet
your father, Miss Meriwether."
"How singular!" She put down her
tin nip of co (Tee on the blanket.
"My father was an associate of Colo-
nl Meriwether In some business mat
ters bock In Virginia"
"Oh. 1 know-it's about the coal
lands that are going to make us all
rich some day. Yes, I know about
(hut, though 1 think your father rarely
came over Into Albemarle."
Uiiuerthe circumstances I did not
care to intrude my personal matters,
o I did not mention tho cause or ex
plain the nature of my mission in tho
west. "1 suppose that you rarely came
Into our county either, but went down
the Shenaudeah when you journeyed
to Washington?" 1 said simply, "I
have never met Colonel Meriwether."
As we rose from the ground at the
conclusion of our meal the girl drop
ped one of her gloves. 1 hastened to
pick It up. walking with her a few
paces afterward.
"The next time we ore shipwrecked
together," said 1. "I shall leave you on
the boat You do not know your
friends!"
"Why do you say that?"
"And yet I knew you nt onre. I saw
the ring on your baud and recognized
it. It is the same I saw in the fire
light on the river bank the night wo
left the Belle."
"How bn'tomt of you I At least you
can remember a ring."
"I remember seeing the veil you
wear once before nt a certain little
meeting between Mr. Orme and my
self." "You seem to have been a haber
dasher In your time, Mr. Cowlesl
Your memory of a lady's wearing ap
parel Is very exnet I should feel very
much flattered." None the less I saw
the dimple come in her cheek.
She was pulling on her glove as she
spoke. I saw embroidered on the
gauntlet the figure of a red heart
"My memory Is still more exact In
the mutter of appnrel." said I. "Miss
Meriwether, Is thU your emblem In
deed -this red heart? It seems to me
I have also seen It somewhere before."
"When Columbus found America,"
she answered, "it Is said that tho sav
ages looked up and remarked to htm,
'Ah. we see we are discovered!'"
"Yes," said I; "you are fully discovered-each
of you, all of you, all three
or four of you Miss Ellen Meri
wether."
But you dtd not know It until now
until this very moment You did not
know me, could not remember me, not
even when the musk were off. Ah,
It was good as a play!"
I have done uothlng else but re
member you."
"How much 1 should value your ac
quaintance, Mr. Cowles of Virginia!
How rare an opportunity you have giv
en roe of seeing on tho Inside of a
mnn'a heart!" She spoke half bitterly,
and I saw that in one way or other
she meant revenge.
"I do not understand yon." 1 rejoined.
"No; 1 suppose you men are all alike
that any one of you would do the
same. It Is only the last girl, the near
est girl, that Is remembered. Is It not
o?"
"It Is noc so," 1 answered.
"IIow long will you remember me
this time-me or my clothes, Mr.
Cowles until you meet another?"
"All my life," I said, "and until 1
meet you again In some other infinite
variety. Each last time that 1 see you
makes me forget all tho others, but
"TrSIS th.
girl, "all men talk very much alike.
"Yes, I told you at the masked ball,"
laid I, "that somo time 1 would see
you, masks off. Was It not true? I
did not at first know you when you
broke un my match with Orme, but X
swore that some timo V wouTu I"vW
you. And when I saw you tbat night
on the river It seemed to me I certain
ly must have met you before, have
known you always, and now"
"My experience with men," went on
this sage young person, "loads me to
believe that they are the stupidest of
all created creatures. There was nev
er once, there Is never once, when a
girl does not notlco a man who Is
well, who is taking notice."
"Very well, then." 1 broke out, "I
admit it I did take notice of four
different girls, one after tho other, but
It waa because each of them was fit
to wipe out tbe image of all th oth
ersand of nil the others In tho
world."
This was going far. I was a yonng
man. I urge no more excuse. I am
setting down simply the truth, as I
have promised.
The girl looked about gladly, I
thought,, at fjia sound, of j, h.ufllJng
Tell Your Automobile Sup
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We are in a position to assist you in all your
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We carry a limited number of tires, tubes and all
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Tell Us Your Needs and We Will
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- Kroehler Bros. -
Plattsmouth,
step approaching. "Yon, Auat Man
dy?" she called out. And to me. "I
must say good night, sir."
I could not sleep. I looked up again
into the eye of my cold, reproving
star. Bui now, to my surprise and
horror, when 1 looked into the eye of
my monitor my own eyo would not
waver or admit subjection. 1 rebelled
nt my own conscience. I, John Cowles,
bnd all my llfo been a strong man.
Now, toulght, I was meeting the
strongest antagonist of all my llfo, tho
ouly ono 1 had ever fen red. It was
nono other than I myself, that other
John Cowles, young man, and now
loose In the vast free garden of living-
Yet I fought with myself. I tried to
banish ber face from my heart with
all my might and all my conscience
and all mv remaining principles I did
try. I called up to mind my promises,
my duties, my honor. But nono of
these would put her face away. I tried
to forget the softness of ber voice, the
fragrance of her hnlr, the sweetness
of her body onco held In my arms, all
the vague charm of woman, the enig
ma, the sphinx, the mystery magnet of
the world, the charm tbat has no analy
sis, that knows no formula. But 1
could not forget. A rage filled me
against all the other men in the world.
I have said I would set down the truth.
The truth Is that I, longed to rise and
roar In my throat, challenging all the
other men in the world. In truth, it
j was my wish to stride over there Just
beyond into the darkness to take this
woman by the shoulders and tell her
what was In my blood and in my heart
even though I must tell her in bitter
ness and self reproach.
It was not the girl to whom I was
pledged and plighted, not she to whom
I was"bound ln honor. That was not
the one with the fragrant hair, and the
eyes of night, and the clear cut face,
and the graciously deep bosomed fig
urethat was not the one. It was an
other of infinite variety, one more Irre
sistible with each change, that bad
set on this combat between me and
my own self.
I beat my fists upon the earth. All
that I could say to myself was that she
was sweet, sweet and wonderful, here
in the mystery of this wide, calm, in
scrutable desert
(To He Continued.)
LOCAL NEWS
From Friday's Dally.
T. I,. Amick went lo Omuha Hi is
uflernooii to get Home repairs for
his automobile
L. II. Hrown of Kenosha was a
visitor in this city today and was
a pleasant caller at this olllce.
Mrs. Lee or Louisville came
down on No. this morning to
visit IMattsmouth friend for a
lime.
tl 1 fnidinirnl. .f Poil'ip P.t'imb
,..; down on the morning train
todav to look after business mat
ters for a time
Hen Dill and wife drove in from
their home near Murray yesterday
and did some shopping with
Plattsmouth merchants.
HtlMlltHtll M
Gauze
We are showing a full line of Gauze Hose in Black,
White and Tan for Ladies. We believe we can fur
nish you with the best 25c hose ever offered to the
trade. Call and see them.
iZuckweiler&Lutzi!
MM IIIMIII
Nebraska
J. J. Schneider and wife of
Cedar Creek arrived on No. 4 this
omrning to spend the day with
friends and relatives.
L. It. Young and son, Parr, of
near Nehawkn, were in the city to
day looking after business mat
ters at I lie court house.
V. M. Thomas of near Louis
ville arrived on the morning train
today and looked afler matters of
business at the court house.
Henry llirz, jr., and wife drove
iu from their home this morning
ami lioiit-iled the train for the mo
Iropolis, where they spent the day.
Orval llandley of Omaha, who
has been visiting his mother for a
hoii time, returned to the me
tropolis on the early train today.
Conrad Mcisingei and daughter,
Miss Laura, departed for Madison,
Neh., on I lie afternoon train to-
lay, where they will Visit his son,
M. P. Meisinger.
John Kopka of Cedar Creek
ranic in to look niter his citizen
ship papers today. Mr. Kopka
has beerfcn resident of the United
States for twenty-eight years.
Mrs. Ilohert Sherwood, sr., and
daughter, Mrs. Hoover, were pas
sengers to Omaha on the morning
train today, where they looked af
ter business matters for a time.
V. T. Smith went (o Council
muffs this afternoon, where he
was called on account ot tne
serious illness of his mother-in-law,
Mrs. Ferrer, who was much
worse last night. Mrs. Smith has
been at her mother's bedside for
some days.
I. S. While of Murray and his
granddaughter, Miss Margerite
Hint I, of Sidney, who lias heen at
tending school at Lincoln Hip past
year, were guests of Mrs. Frank
(inhclmnn today, departing for
Sidney this afternoon.
Mrs. C. N. Heverage and little
daughter of the vicinity of Murray
were visitors in this city yester
day, being guests nt the home of
Mr. and Mrs. John MeNurlin.
Miss Ft lit It Heverage being a dele
gate from Weeping Water to the
Y. W. C. A. convention at Cas
cade, Colorado, departed for that
point yesterday afternoon, and
Mrs. Heverage and little daughter
had accompanied her to this city.
Threshing Machine for Sale.
Caar-Scott 13 h.-p. engine, J. I.
Case Sepcralor, 32, 50 rear. In
running order and under shed.
Will sell or trade for stock or
town properly. See T. W. Vallery,
Murray, Neh., or write me at
Ogallala, Neh. Frank Vallery.
Shetland Ponies for Sale.
I have an excellent team of
Shetland ponies for sale. Well
broke and at a price that is right.
Win. fiilmour,
I. F. D Plattsmouth.
Hit H t
Hosiery! jj
IHHIIMIIIMIIIIIIHM
-A.
