Bret Harte's New Romance.

IN THE CARQUINEZ WOODS

A TALK OF CALIFORNIA.

CIIAPTEB. V

Tin', wind was blowingtoward tho stranger, so that ho was nearly upon her, when Teresa first took the alarm. Ho was a man ovor six feet in height, .strongly built, with a slight tendency to a roundness of bulk which suggested reserved rather than im peded energy. His thick board and mous tache were closely cropped ground a small and handsomo mouth that lisped except When he was excited, but always kept fellowship with his blue eyes in ft perpetual smile of half-cynical good humour. His dress was superior to that of tho locality ; his "cnor.-il expression that of a man ot the wot. I, albeit a world of San Francisco, Sacramento, and Murderers' liar. Me ad vanced inward her with a laugh and an out stretched hand. " Ymi here, !" she gaspod, drawing bank.

Apparently neither surprised nor morti fied at this reception, lie answered frankly : "Veth. N'ou didn't expect mo. I know. Hut Union-th showed mo the letter you wrote her, and—well -hero I am, ready to help you, with two mini and a tliparo horthe waiting outside tho wood-h on the blind trail."" , "Yon- 7rti7—hero?" she only repeated. Curson shrugged his shoulders. " Yufcli. Ofcoiirth you never expected to thee mv a'.iin, and loath of till her,: I'll admit that, I'll thay. I wouldn't if I'd been iv your plat lie. I'll go further and thay you didn't want to thee mo again—any where. Hut it all comoth to tho thame thing; here I am. I read Die letter you write to Doloroth, 1 read how you wore biding hern, under Dunn'th very notlie, with hi. th whole potho out, cavorting round and bavkin' up the wrong tree. I made up my mind to conic down bete with a few nathy friends of mine and cut you out under Dunn'th notho, and run you over into Yuba, that'th till."

"How dared she show yon my letter? you of'all men. How dared she ask your help?" continued Teresa fiercely. ••But theo didn't nthk my help," he re sponded coolly. "!) dif I don't think tlie jullr calculated I'd be glad to know you were being hunted down and thtarving, that 1 iniirht put Dunn on your track." li You lie !" said Teresa furiously, " she was my friend. A better friund than thoso who professed— more," she added, with a contempt nous drawing away of her skirt as if she feared Curson's contamination. " All right. Thottlo that with her when you go back," continued Curson, philosophically. "Wo can talk of that, on the way, tho thing now ith to _ut up and get out of the woodth. Como !" Teresa's only reply was a gesture of scorn. " I know all that," continued Curson half soothingly, "but they're waiting." '• Let litem wait. 1 shall not go." "What will you do?" "Stay here—till the wolves eat me." " Teresa, listen. D —in it all--Torcsa —Tita ! sec here," ho said with sudden ouofgy. I -won. to (iod it's all right. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones and take a new deal. You shall como back as if nothing had happened nnd take your old place as before. 1 don't mind doing tho square thing—all round. If that's what you mean, if that's all that stands in tho way, why, look upon the thing a> settled— there, Tila, old girl, come." Careless or oblivious of he:- stony silence and stiinin'eyes, he attempted to take her hand, but -he disengaged herself with a quick movement, drew back, and suddenly crouched like a wild animal about to spring. ( .it-son folded his arms as she leaped to hor feot: tho little dagger she bad drawn from her garter flushed menacingly in the air, but she stopped. The man before her remained erect, im passive, and silent, the great trees around and beyond her remained erect, impassive, and ..lent : there was no sound in the dim aisles but tho quick panting of her mad passion : no movement in the calm motion less shadow but tho trembling of her up lifted st i.l. Her arm bent and slowlvsnnk, her tirnreis relaxed, the knifo fell from her hand.

" Tlmt'th quite enough for a thow," he said with a ret urn to his former cynical caso and a perceptible tone of relict in his voice. "It 'th the thnme old Terc'.ha. Woll, then, if you won't go wilii me, go without, me, tike the led horthe and cut away. Dick Athley and IVtertli will follow you over the conn trv lino. If you want t'honie monoy, there it ith." lb- took a buckskin purse from his pocket. "If you won't tako it from me"— lie hesitated 'as she made no reply— " Athley'th Hush and ready to lend you thotno."

Sho had not seemed to hear him, but) had stooped in somo embarrassment, picked up the knife and hastily hid it, thon with averted face and nervous lingers wan be ginning to tear strips of loose bark from the noarost trunk.

" Well, what do you thay ?*' " 1 don't want any money, and 1 shall stay how." She hesitated, looked around her, and then added with an effort, "1 sup rose ymi meant well. Be it so ! Let bygones be bygones. You said just now, ' It's the . .uni) old Teresa.' So she is, and seeing she's the same, she's hotter here than anywhere else."

There was enough bitterness in her tone locall for Curson's half perfunctory sym pathy. "That bed d,"ho respondod,quickly, " Jutht thnv yo'll come, Tita, ami -"

She stopped his half-spoken sentence with n negative gesture. " You don't understand. I shall stay here." " But even it they don't theek you here, you can'l live hero for ever. The friend that you wrote about wath tho good to you, yon know, can't keep you here alwnyth, and are you thuro you can alwayth trutht her". ' "It isn't n woman, it's a man." She stopped short, and coloured to the line of liol- forehead. " Who said it was a woman?" she continued fiercely, as if to cover her confusion with n burst of gratuitous anger. " Is that another of your lies ."

Curson's lips, which for a moment had completely lost their smile, were now drawn together in a prolonged whistle. . Ho gazed curiously at her gown, at her hat, at the bow of bright ribbon that tied her black hair, and said, "Ah I" " A poor man who has kept my secret," sho went on hurriedly, " a man as friendless and lonely as myself. Yes," disregarding Curson's "cynical smile, "a man who has shared everything—" "Naturally," suggested Curson. " And turned himself out of his only shelter to give me a roof and covering," she continued mechanically, struggling with the new and horrible fancy that his words awakened.

"And thlept every night at Indian Thpring to thave your reputation," said Curson. "Ofcourthe."

Torcsa turned very white. Curson was prepared for an outburst of fury—perhaps even another attack. But the crushed and beaten woman only gazed at him with frightened and imploring eyes. .or God's sale-, Dick, don't say that?" The amiable cynic was staggered. His good humour and a curtain chivalrous in stinct he could not repress got the hotter ofhim. lie shrugged his shoulders. "What 1 thay, and what you th, Teretha, needri t make nth quarrel. I've no claim on you—l know it. Only "—a vivid senso of the ridiculous, poworftil in men of his stamp, completed her victory. "Only, don't thay anything about my coming down here to out you out from tho—tho—the Sheriff. He gave utterance to a short but unaffected laugh, made a slight grimace and turned to

° Teresa did not join in his mirth. Awk ward as it would have been if ho had taken a severer view of tho subject, she was morti fied evon amidst her fears and embarrass ment at his levity, .lustas she had bocomo convinced that his jealousy had made her over conscious, his apparent good-humoured iiulill'oi-enoo gave that ovor conscious ness a guilty significance. Yet this was lost in her sudden alarm as her com pan ion, looking up, uttered an exclama tion and placed his hand upon his revolver. With a sinkingi conviction that the climax had come, Teresa raised her oyes. From the dim aisles beyond, Low was approach ing ! The catastrophe seemed complete. She had barely timo to utter an implor ing whisper : " In the name of Cod, not a word to him." Hut a change had already come over her companion. It was no longer a parley with a foolish woman ; ho had to deal with a man like himself. As Low's dark face and picturesque figure came nearer, Mr Curson. proposed method of dealing with him was mado audible. " Ith it a mulatto or a thircuth, or both ?" ho asked, with affected anxiety.

Low's Indian phlegm was impervious to such assault, lie turned to Teresa without apparently noticing her companion. "I turned back," ho said quietly, " as soon as I know then: wero strangers here ; I thought you might need me." She noticed, for the first lime, that, in addition to his rillo, he carried a revolver and hunting knife in his bolt.

"Yet.h," returned Curson, with an in effectual attempt to imitate Low's phlegm, " but as I didn't happen to be a stranger to this lady, perhaps it wasn't necessary, par ticularly as 1 had two friends -" " Waiting at the edge of the wood with a led hotse," interrupted Low without ad dressing him, but apparently continuing his explanation to Teresa. But sho turned to Low with feverish anxiety. "That's so—he is an old friend—" sho gave a quick, imploring glance at Curson, "an old friend who came to help me away —he is very kind," she stammered, turning alternately from one to the other, "but! told him thero was no hurry—at least to day--that you—wcro very good—too, and —and would hide mo a littlo longer, until your plan—you know your plan—" she added, with a look of beseeching signifi cance to Low, " could bo tried." And then with a helpless conviction that her oxcusos, motives, and emotions were equally and perfectly transparent to both men, she stopped in a trumblu. " i'erlmpth it'th jutht ath woll, then, that tho gentleman camo thraight hero and didn't tacklo my two friendth when he patliod them," observed Curson, half sar castically. " I have not passed your friends, nor have 1 been near them," said Low, looking at him for tho first timo with tho samo ox asperating calm, "or perhaps I should not be here or they there. I know that one man entered tho wood a few moments ago, and that two men and four horses remained outside."

"That's true," said Teresa to Curson excitedly, "that's true. He knows all. Ho can" see without looking, hoar without listening. He —he—"she stammered, coloured, and stopped. Tho two men had faced each other. Curson, after his first good-natured impulse, had retained no wish to regain Teresa whom he felt he no longer loved, and yet who, for that very reason perhaps, had awakened his chivalrous instincts ; Low, equally on his side, was altogether unconscious of any feeling which might grow into a passion, and prevent him from letting her go with another if for her own safety. They wero both men of a certain taste and refinement. Yet, in spite of all this, some vague instinct of tho baser male animal remained with them, and they were moved to a mutually aggressive attitude in tho presence of tho female.

One word more and tho opening chapter of a sylvan Iliad might have begun. But this modern Helen saw it coming and ar rested it with an inspiration of feminine genius. Without being observed she dis engaged her knife from hor bosom and let it fall as if by accident. It struck tho ground with the point of its keen blade, bounded, and roiled between them. The two men started and looked at oach other with a foolish air. Curson laughed.

" I rockon sho can tako care of herthelf," ho said, extending his hand to Low. "Im off. But if I'm wanted she'll know whore to find mo." Low took the proffered hand, but noither of the two men looked at Terosa. The reserve of antagonism onco broken, a fow words of caution, advico, and oncouragement passed between them in ap parent obliviousness of hor presence, or her personal responsibility. As Curson at last nodded a farewell to hor, Low insisted upon accompanying him as far ns tho horses, and in another minute she was again alone.

Sho had saved a quanel between them at the sacrifice of herself, for her vanity was still keen enough to feci that this exhibition of her old weakness had degraded her in their eyes, and worse—had lost the respect her late restraint had won from Low. They had treated her like a child or a crazy woman, perhaps even now were exchanging criticisms upon her—perhaps pitying her ! Yet she had prevented a quarrel, a tight --possibly tlie death of either one or other of theso men who despised her, for none knew better than she tho trivial beginning and desperate end of theso encounters. Would they—would Low ever renliso it and forgive her? Her small, dark hands went up to her eyes, and she sank upon the ground. She looked through tear-veiled lashes upon the mute anil giant witnesses of her deceit and passion, and tried to draw from thoir immovablo calm strength and consolation as before. But even they scorned to stand apart—reserved and for bidding. When Low returned sho tried to gather from his eyes and manner what had passed between him and her former lover. _ But beyond a mere gentle abstraction at times, ho retained his usual calm. Sho was at last forced to allude to it herself with simulated recklessness.

" I suppose I didn't get a very good char acter from my hist place !" sho said with a laugh. " I don't understand you," ho replied, in evidont sincerity.

She bit her li]) and was silent. But as they were returning homo she said, gently, "I hope you were not angry with me for the lie I told when I spoke of 'your plan.' I could not give the real reason for not re turning with—with —that man. But it's not all a lie. 1 have a plan, if you haven't. When you are ready to go to Sacramento

to take your place, dress mo as an Indian boy, paint my face, and let mo go with you. You can leavo me—there—you know."

"It's not a bad idea," ho responded, gravely. "We will see." ° On the noxt day and tho next tho ren contre seemed to be forgotten. The herb arium was alreaily tilled with rare specimens. Torcsa had even overcome her feminine re pugnance to "bugs" and creoping things so far as to assist in his entomological collection. He had drawn from a sacred cache in the hollow of a tree tho few worn text-books from which he had studied.

"They seem vory precious,"she said, with a smile.

"Very," ho ropliod gravely. "There was ono with plates that the ants ate up, and it will be six months before I can afford to buy another." Teresa glanced hurriedly over his well worn buckskin suit, at his calico shirt, with its pattern almost obliterated by countless washings, and became thoughtful. " I suppose you couldn't buy one nt Indian Spring," she said innocently. For onco Low was startled out of his phlegm. "Indian Spring," ho ejaculated ; " perhaps not even in San Francisco. These came from the States." "How did you get them?" persisted Teresa. " 1 bought them for skins I got over the ridge." "I didn't mean that—but no matter. Then you mean to sell that bear-skin, don't you ?" she added. Low, in fact, had already sold it, the pro ceeds having been invested in a gold ring for Miss Nellie, which she scrupulously did not wear except in his presence In his singular truthfulness he would have frankly confessed it to Teresa, but tho secret was not his own. He contented himself with saying that he had disposed of it at Indian Spring. Teresa started, and communicated unconsciously somo of her nervousness to her companion. They gazed in each other's eyes with a troubled expression. "Do you think it was wise to sell that particular skin, which might be identified?" she asked timidly. Low knitted his arched brows, but felt a strange sense of relief, " Perhaps not," ho said carelessly; " but it's too late now to mend matters."

That afternoon she wrote several letters and tore them up. One, however, she re tained, and handed it to Low to post at In dian Spring, whither he was going. She called his attention to the superscription being the samo as the previous letter, and added, with affected gaiety, " But if the answer Isn't as prompt, perhaps it will bo pleasanter than the last." Her quick feminine eye noticed a little excitement in his manner and a more studious attention to his dress. Only v few days beforo she would not have allowed this to pass with out some mischievous illusion to his myste rious sweetheart; it troubled her greatly now to find that she could not bring herself to this household pleasantry, and that her lip trembled and her eye grew moist as he parted from hor. Tho afternoon passed slowly ; he had said he might not return to supper until late ; nevertheless a strange restlessness took possession of hor as tho day wore on ; sho put aside hor work, tho darning of his stockings, and rambled aimlessly through the woods. She had wandered, she knew not how far, when sho was suddenly se. Ed with the same vague sense of a foreign presence which she had felt before. Could it bo Curson again—with a word of warn ing ? No ! she know it was not he; so subtle had her sense become that she even fancied that sho detected in the invisible aura projected by the unknown no signi ficance or relation to herself or Low, and felt no fear. Nevertheless sho deemed it wisest to seek the protection of her sylvian bower, and hurried swiftly thither. But not so fixedly that she did not once or twice pause in her flight to examine tho new-comer from behind a friendly trunk. Ho was a stranger—a young fellow with a brown moustache, wearing lieavy Mexican spurs in his riding boots, whose tinkling he apparently did not care to conceal. He had perceived her, and was evidently pur suing her, but so awkwardly and timidly that she eluded him with ease. When she had reached the security of the hollow tree and pulled the curtain of bark beforo the narrow opening, with hor eye to the inter stices, sho waited his coming. He arrived breathlessly in tho open s]_ice before the tree whero tho bear onco lay ; the dazed, bewildered, and half-awed expression of his face as ho glanced around him and through thb openings of the forest aisles brought a faint smile to hor saddened face. At last he called in a half-embarrassed voice :

"Miss Nellie!"

Tho smile faded from Teresa's cheek. Who was " Miss Nellie ?" She pressed her ear to the opening. " Miss Wynne I" the voice again called, but was lost again in the echoleas woods. Devoured with a now and gratuitous curiosity, in another moment Teresa felt sho would havo dis closed herself at any risk, but the stranger rose and began to retrace his steps. Long after his tinkling spurs were lost in the distance Teresa remained like a statuo staring at the place where he had stood. Then she suddenly turned like a mad woman, glanced down at tho gown sho was wearing, tore it from her back as if it had been a polluted garmont, and stamped upon it in a convulsion of rago. And then, with her beautiful bare arms clasped together over her head, she threw herself upon her oouch in a tempest of tears.

CHAPTER VI.

Wires Miss Nellie rooehed tho first mining extension of Indian Spring, which sur rounded it liko a -fosse, sho descended for one instant into one of its trenches, oponed her parasol, removed her duster, hid it under a boulder, and, with a few shivers and catlike strokes of her soft hands, not only oblitornted'all material traces of the stolen cream of Carquinez Woods, but as sumed a feline domureness quite incon sistent with any moral dereliction. Un fortunately, she forgot to remove at tho same timo a certain ring from her third linger which sho had put on with her duster and had worn at no other time. With this slight exception, tho benignant fate which always protected that young person brought her in contact with the Burnham girls at ono end of tho main stroet as tho returning coach to Excelsior entered the other, nnd enabled her to take leavo of them before the coach ollice with a certain ostentation of parting which struck Mr Jack Brace, who was lingering at the doorway, into a state of utter bewilderment.

Here was Miss Nellio Wynne, tho belle of Excelsior, calm, quiet, self-possessed, her chaste cambric skirts nnd dainty shoes as fresh as when she had left her father's house ; but where was tho woman of the brown duster?, and whero tlie yellow dressed apparition of the woods? Ho was feebly repeating to himself his mental adjuration of a few hours before when he caught her eye and was taken with a blush and a fit of coughing. Could he havo been such an egregious fool—and was it not plainly written on his embarrassed face for her to read? "Aro we going down to gether?" asked Miss Nellie, with an exceptionally gracious smile.

Thero wasneither affectation nor coquetry in this advance. The girl had no idoa of

Brace's suspicion of her, nor did any un easy desire to placate or deceive a possible rival of Low's prompt her graciousness. She simply wished to shako off in this en counter the already stale excitement of the past two hours, as she had shaken the dust of tho woods from her clothes. It was characteristic of her irresponsible nature and transiont susceptibilities that she actually enjoyed tho relief of change ; more than that, I feared she looked upon this infidelity to a past dubious pleasure as a moral principle. A mild, open flirtation with a recognised man liko Brown, after her secret passionate tryst with a nameless nomad like Low, was an ethical oquipoise that seemod proper to one of her religious education. Brace was only too happy to profit by Miss Nellie's condescension ; he at once secured the seat by her side, and spent the two hours and a-half of thoir return journey to Excelsior in blissful but timid communion with hor. If ho did not dare to confess his past suspicions, ho was equally afraid to vonturo upon the boldness he had pre moditated a few hours before. He was therefore obliged to take a middle course of sli-htly egotistical narration of his own personal adventures, with which he beguiled the young girl's ear. This he only departed from once, to describe to hor a valuable grizzly bear skin which he had seeu that day for sale at Indian Spring, with a view to divining her possible aecoptanco of it for a " buggy robe ;" and once to comment upon a ring which she had inadvertently disclosed in pulling off her glove.

"It's only an old family keepsake," she added with easy mendacity. And affecting to recognise in Mr Brace's curiosity a not unnatural excuse for toying with her charm ing lingers, she hid them in chaste and virginal seclusion in her lap, until she could recover tho ring and resume her glove. A week passed — a week of peculiar and desiccating heat for even those dry Sierra table lands. The long days wore rilled with impalpable dust and acrid haze sus pended in the motionless air ; tho nights wcro breathless and dewless—the cold wind which usually swept down from the snow line was laid to sleep over a dark monoto nous level, whose horizon was pricked with tho eating fires of burning forest crests. The lagging coach of Indian Spring drove up at Excelsior and precipitated its passen gers with an accompanying cloud of dust before tho Excelsior Hotel. As they emerged from tlie coach, Mr Brace, stand ing in the doorway, closely scanned their begrimed and almost unrecognisable faces. They wore the usuul type of travellers ; a single professional man in dirty black, a few^traders in tweeds and flannels, a sprink ling of miners in red and grey shirts, a Chinaman, a negro, and a Mexican packer or muleteer. This latter for a moment mingled with tho crowd in the barroom, and oven penetrated the corridor and dining room of the hotel, ns if impelled by a certain semi-civilisedcuriosity.andthenstrolledwith a lazy dragging step—half impeded by the enormous leather leggings, chains, and spurs peculiar to that class —down tho main street. The darkness was gathering, but the muleteer indulged in the same childish scrutiny of the dimly - lighted shops, magazines, and saloons, and even of the occasional groups of citizens at the street cornors. Apparently young, as far as the outlines of his figure could be seen, he seemed to show oven more than the usual concern of masculine Excelsior in the charms of womankind. Tho few female figures about at that hour, or visible at window or verandah, received his marked attention ; he respectfully followed the two auburn haired daughters of Deacon Johnson on their way to choir meeting to the door of tho church. Not content with that act of discroot gallantry, after they had entered ho managed to slip in unperceived behind them. The memorial of the Excelsior gambler s generosity was a modern building, large and pretentious for even Mr Wynn's popu larity, and had been good-humouredlyknown in the characteristic language of the gene rous donors as ono of the •' biggest reli gious bluffs" on record. It. groined raftors, which were so new and spicy that they still suggested their native forest aisles, seldom covered more than a hundred devotees, and in the rambling chcir with its bare 6pace for the future organ, the few choristers gathered round a small harmo nium were lost in the deepening shadow of that summer ovening." The muleteer re mained hidden in the obscurity of the ves tibule. Aft.r a few moments desultory conversation, in whicli it appeared that the unexpected absence of Miss Nellie Wynn, thoir leader, would prevent their practising, tho choristers withdrew. Tbe stranger, who had listened eagerly, drew back in tho darkness as they passed out, and remained for a few moments a vague and motionless figure in the silent church. Then, coming cautiously to the window, tie flapping broad-brimmed hat wa3 put aside, and tlie faint light of the dying day shone in the black eyes of Teresa ! Despite her face, darkened with dye and disfigured with dust, the matted hair piled and twisted round her head, the strange dress and boyish figure, one swift glance from under her raised lashes betrayed her iden tity. See turned asido mechanically into the first pew, picked up and opened a hymn book. Her eyes became riveted on a name written on tho title page, " Nellie Wynne." Her name and her book. The instinct that had guided her here was right; the slight gossip Jof her fellow passengers was right; this was the clergyman's daughter whose praise filled all mouths. This was the un known girl the stranger was seeking, but who in Tier turn perhaps had been seeking Low—the girl who absorbed his fancy—the secret of his absences, his preoccupation — his coldness ! This was the girl whom to seo—porhaps in his arms—she was now perilling her liberty and life unknown to nim. A slight odour, some faint perfume of its owner, came from the book ; it was the samo she had noticed in the dress Low hail given her. She flung tho volume on the ground, and, throwing her arms over the back of the pew before her, buried her faco in her hands.

In the light and attitude she might have seemed some rapt acolyte abandoned to self communion. But whatever yearning her soul might have had for higher sympathy and deeper consolation, I fear that tho spiritual Tabernaclo of Excelsior and the llev. Mr Wynne did not meot that require ment. She only felt the dry oven-like heat of that vast shell empty of sentiment and beauty, hollow in its pretence and dreary in its desolation. She only saw in it a chief altar for glorification of this girl who had absorbed even the puro worship of her companion and converted and degraded his sublime paganism to her petty creed. With a woman's withering contempt for her own art displayed in another woman, she thought how she herself could have touched Trim with tho peace that tho majesty of the woodland aisles—so unlike this pillared sham—had taught her own passionate heart, had she but dared. Ming ling with this imperfect theology, she felt sho could havo proved to him also that a brunette and a woman of her experience was better than an immature blonde. Sho began to loathe herself for coming hither, and dreaded to meot his face. Here a sudden thought struck her. What if he had not come hero ? What if she had been mistaken? What if her rash interpretation

of his absence from the woodtt^^ was simple madness? What ifflg-^t return—if he had already returnfiS onlll rose to her feet, whitenin-, vet ,"?J' She the thought. She would ret .^TI*-- what was the girl to her now; "vSfiyS I was time to satisfy herself if h. „»!, ™*- I house. She had been told when. .** j she could find it in the dark : anon, j1 ior window would betray some sisun °°r lof the occupants ~ iS_^ Und hat ny- " ' It . —_«£. sc- :M ' % - ' ■ • i

. r ..«_^. .-.ourea guest within, in a tone ot loud enough for a pulpit. Jack BraS paused. The visitor was the convalesr»? Sheriff, Jim Dunn, who had publicly cZf memorated his recovery by making .j,^ call upon the father of his inamorata, •% Rev. Mr Wynne had been expatiating.-: 9 the unremitting heat as a possible preen.,? of forest (ires, and exhibiting some CatiCj t knowledge of the designs of a Deity in H regard, and wliat should bo the policy of 'tj. Legislature when Mr Brace concluded t enter. Mr Wynne and the woundedman who occupied an armchair by the wi__ot. w-r« the only occupants of the room. R n 'i. in spite of the former's ostentationi^wj? ing, Brace could see that his visit *_}„!" opportune and unwelcome. The Sheriff nodded a _ quick, impatient recognitim? which, had it not been accompanied by an anathema on the heat, might have been taken as a personal insult. Neither Bpoke of Miss Nellie, although it was patent to Brace that they wore momentarily eipeot. ing her. All of which went fatto strengthen a certain wavering purpose in his mind.

"Ah, ha! strong language, Mr Dunn" said Father Wynn, referring to the Sheriffs adjuration, "but, ' out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh.' Job e _. cursed, we are told, and even expressed himself in vigorous Hebrew regarding his birthday. Ha, ha ! I'm not opposed to that. When I have often wrestled Tjjt. the spirit I confess 1 have sometimes said 'D—m you.' Yes, sir, ' D—m you.'" ' There was something so unutterably vile in the reverend gentleman's utterance and emphasis of this oath that the two men albeit both easy and facile blasphemers, felt uneasy. As the purest of actresses is apt to overdo the rakishness of a gay Lothano Father Wynne's immaculate conception of an imprecation was something terrible, But he added, "The law ought to interfere with the reckless use of camp fires in the woods in such weather by packers and proj. pec tors."

" It isn't so much the work of white men " broke in Brace, "as it is of Greasers, China, men, and Diggers*, especially Diggers. There's that blasted Low, ranges the whole Carquinez Woods as if they were his. I reckon he ain't particular just where he throws his matches."

"But he's not a Digger ; he's a Cherokee, and only a half-breed at that," interpolated Wynne. "Unless," he added, withthe artful suggestion of the betrayed trust of a too credulous Christian, "he deceived me in this as in other things." ;,

In what other things Low had deceived him he did not say ; but to the astonishment of both men, Dunn growled a dissent to Brace's proposition. Either from some secret irritation with that possible rival, or impatience at the prolonged absence of Nellie, he had " had enough of that sortof hog-wash ladled out to him for genuine liquor." As to the Carquinez Woods, he (Dunn) " didn't know why Low hadnrss much right there as if he'd grabbed it under a presumptive law, and, didn't live there." With this hit at certain Spolia tions of Father Wynne in public lands fora homestead, he added that if they (Brace and Wynne) could bring him along.aoy older American settler than an Indian, they might rake down his (Dunn's) pile.""Un prepared for this turn in the convensatioti, . Wynne hastened to explain that he _idh_ refer to the pure aborigine, whose gradual extinction no one regretted more than -ins self, but to the mongrel, who inherited only the vices of civilisation. " There should he a law, sir. against the mingling of ___ There are men, sir, who violate thelawsof the Most High by living with Indi»_ women—squaw men, sir, as they are called."

Dunn rose with a face livid with weak ness and passion. "Who dares say that! They are a d—d sight better than sneaking Abolitionbts, who married their daughtenJ to buck niggers like—" But a spasm,of pain withheld this Parthian shot at flii politics of his two companions, and he sank back helplessly in his chair. An awkward silence ensued. The three men looked at each other in embarrassment and confusion. Dunn felt that he hid given way to a gratuitous passion. Wynne had a vague presentiment that he had said something that imperilled his daughter1! prospects, and Brace was divided between an angry retort and the secret purpwe already alluded to. "It's all the blasted heat," said D__- ( with a forced smile, pushing away th» whisky which Wynne had ostentatiouilr placed before him. "Of course," said Wynne, hastily; "only it's a pity Nellie ain't here to give you her smelling salts. She ought to be back ricrtr.* he added, no longer mindful of Brace'i i presence; " the coach is overdue nOf, though I reckon the heat made Y_baßill tike it easy at the up grade." "If you mean the coach from Indiin Spring," said Brace quietly, "it's in already; but Miss Nellie didn't come ffl it." ■d>m " Maybe she got out at the Crossing, said Wynne cheerfully; " she sometime! does."

"She didn't talce the coach at Indil- Spring," returned Brace, "becauselist it leave, and passed it on Buckskin; t<_ minutes ago coming up the hills." 'Jl^ "She's stopped over at BurnhafflV said Wynne reflectively. Then, inrespow to the significant silence of his guestej'to added, in a tone of chagrin which hisfotwd heartiness could not disguise : '• Wrell,-0$ it's a disappointment all round ; but we must take the lesson as it comes. I. _? over to the coach office and see if she's._Ss any word. Make yourselves at home until I return." rffS When the door had closed behind -l» Brace arose and took his hat as if to go. With his hand on the leek, he turned to bi. rival, who, half hidden in the gathering darkness, still seemed unable to comprehend his ill-luck. I "i

" If you're waiting for that bald-headed fraud to come back with the truth aboot his daughter," said Brace coolly, "youd better send for your things and take up your lodgings hero." "What do you mean?" said Dunn sternly, ■■',> '' I mean that she's not at the BurnhanMJ I mean that he either does or doesw know where she is, and that in either «-« he is not likely to give you information. But Jean."

• Diprscrs. -A local name fr. a peaoofnl WHB ot Indians inhabiting northern California ww live on roots and herbs.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 15, 1883.

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