Wild Youth, Volume 1.

uld have insisted on removing Orlando to Slow Down Ranch at the earliest possible moment, even at some risk to his physical well-being. She ought t

icked and arranged by herself-there could have been no cause for nervousness. Each thing done by Louise, however, came from a personally and emotionally solicitous interest. It wa

s innate savagery made him brood wickedly over her natural housewifery attentions to the man who had probably saved his own life, and certainly had saved him six thousand dollars; yet it was as though he must see the worst that might happen, must even encourage a danger which he dreaded. When the Methodist ministe

aid. One thing he did know: it was that Orlando seemed quite indifferent to everything except his mother, the state of the crops and the reports on his own cattle. Also Orlando had made a goo

sensitive until they had met each other for the first time. Orlando's mother dealt with the situation in her own way. She said in a somewhat awkward pause, following the old man's proposal, that a doctor's bill was a personal thing, and she would as soon allow some one

e Mile Spring; and Mazarine, having frowned his wife out of the doorway, made his way downstairs and prepared for his short journey to the Spring. B

before, Louise, for all the extra work he had had to do during Orlando's illness and without thought of bribery, had given him a beautiful gold ten-dollar-piece with a hole in it. If the piece had been minus the hole, Li Choo would have returned it to her, for he

boss Mazaline ev'lytling me see!" And he

ed cayuse and ride off, he clucked with his tongue and then went into the kitchen and prepared a tray on which he placed several pieces of a fine old set of China, which had belonged t

the staircase, and as he mounted to the landing, called out, "Welly good tea me bling gen'l'

or than she was to Orlando. She hastened to place a table near to Orlando, for the tray which Li

e room and down the stairs as happy as an Oriental soul could be. What was in the far recesses of that soul, where these two young people were concerned,

white frosted cake like that dispensed at weddings; while Orlando chuckled his thanks and thought what a wonderful thing it was

for many an hour of the day; of the dog Jumbo, which said its prayers for him to get well, for a piece of sugar-that was a trick Louise had taught it long ago. Orlando talked of his horses and

heart of anyone in the

d so Louise said softly: "I am sure her heart is a thousand years younger than mine-or younger than mine was." And then she blushed, and Orla

ly been by an inflection of the voice, by a soft abstraction, by a tuning of their spirits to each other. They were indeed like two children; and yet Li Choo was right when,

n them, was not the ancient passion which has overturned an empire, or made a little spot of earth as dear as H

natures, from everlasting distances. The girl had been roused out of sleep; from her understanding the curtai

warm cloud seemed to bedim her eyes. There flashed into her mind the deep, overwhelming fact that for three long years a rough, heavy hand had held her capti

ught up the tray, poised it on his three fingers over

ps of Joel Mazarine coming i

he top of the stairs, Joel appeared at the bottom, in the doorway which gave upon the staircase. Two or three steps down shuffled the Chinaman; then, as it wer

l-way from the crashing china and tumbling Oriental, who plunged out into the hall

of rage he stooped and seized Li Choo by the collar, flung him out of the door, and then

uise had slipped away in safety. His rage had vented itself; but, if he had seen Li Choo's face an hour after, as he talked to the half-breed woma