of the Times 
 
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 ‘6 THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN MUST BE SAVED.”’ 
 
 IN EXCHANGE. 
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 MAR 1 3 1916 
 
 
 
The Homesteader’s Daughter 
 
 A Story of the Times 
 
 (FOUNDED ON FACT) 
 
 
 
 BY 
 
 JeNNES’ BRYANSEN 
 
 
 
 NE We YORK 
 
 1900 
 

 
 CopyrRIGHT, Ig0o0 
 
 — 
 
THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER. 
 
 Cre Gren. 
 
 SAVED FROM A BLIZZARD. 
 
 Virginia Grafton awoke one morning a real heroine. Her 
 name had gone with lightning speed into every part of the 
 world where the daily newspaper was read. Already let- 
 ters and telegrams were on their way to her, conveying 
 congratulations and praise, and some of them tendering 
 more substantial appreciation. Presents of value and ele- 
 gance, accompanied by the most fervent letters of trans- 
 mittal, began to pour in upon her before she had _half- 
 opened her eyes to the fact that she had done anything to 
 entitle her to more than passing notice. What had she 
 
 *done, anyway, to cause all this interest and laudation? 
 
 a 
 a 
 
 She and her little school had been enveloped in a bliz- 
 -zard. It was impossible for them to stay longer in the 
 schoolhouse, and it seemed madness to go out into the 
 storm and hope to reach a place of safety. Yet something 
 ““tnust be done. No one dared venture to the coal-house for 
 
 fuel, and the benches. had been consumed to keep the chil- 
 dren from freezing. Every mouthful of food brought for 
 the noonday meal by pupils and teacher had been eaten. 
 The snow, mixed with sand and'particles of burnt stubble, 
 was beating hard against the windows; the howl of the wind 
 was like that df a maddened animal; the day had been 
 turned into night by the thickness of the storm; the house 
 trembled at times as if it would break in pieces; and, as a 
 last warning, a window gave way to the violence of the 
 
 4 MAND eh 
 » ms f 33 yf 
 Rel G axe yt >} 
 
4 Ture HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 blizzard., This threw the children into a panic, and it was 
 only by the greatest effort of the brave little teacher that 
 they were prevented from rushing out of the house into the 
 teeth of the storm. Something now had to be done quickly. 
 To wait longer for help from the outside would be suicidal. 
 The schoolroom was rapidly filling with snow, and every 
 child would be frozen to death within an hour. If any 
 father or brother had started out in the storm in the hope 
 of rescuing the blizzard-bound school he had been lost. 
 The: teacher gave up all hope of succor from this source. 
 The lives of the children must be saved, and the teacher 
 nerved herself to the hazardous -undertaking. She had 
 faced the dangers of many a storm on the prairie and she 
 fully realized the awful responsibility she was about to 
 assume. She hurriedly took off her underskirt, and, by a 
 skillful use of her.penknife, ripped it into strips. These she 
 tied together and with the line thus made of the strips 
 bound the children securely in a column, with the smallest 
 pupils near the head. She then took her bearings with a 
 small pocket compass, which she had used many times in 
 her life in determining her course on the ocean-like prairie 
 and upon which she placed implicit confidence. With this 
 as her guiding-star, she was ready to go forth into the 
 relentless sterm, hoping and praying that she might be 
 able to save the lives of the dear children under her charge. 
 
 “Now, my dear children,” said she, “ you must walk 
 close together; be brave and follow me. I shall lead you 
 by the line I have made of my skirt, and with the help of 
 our Heavenly Father, who has promised help in time of. 
 need, we shall endeavor to find safety in the nearest farm- 
 house. Do not pull back lest you break the line; try and 
 not fall down; but if you do, cry out, so we shall all stop 
 at once till you get up; the larger pupils must not go too 
 fast for the younger ones, and by being steady and strong 
 and patient we may be saved.” 
 
>. 
 
 A STORY OF THE TIMES 5 
 
 The door was thrown open and in the face of the cold, 
 pelting, whirling, merciless storm the courageous teacher 
 led forth her flock of precious souls to battle with the ele- 
 ments and make a struggle for their lives. She had placed 
 her compass in her mitten where she could consult it con- 
 stantly; and, having taken the bearings of every house in 
 the district tributary to the school, she took the direction 
 indicated by the compass to the nearest place of safety, 
 and pursued this course as the mariner does on the bosom 
 of the broad ocean in darkness and storm. ‘The prairie was 
 slightly undulating, and the snow on the protected sides 
 of the hills was piled in drifts, while in the more exposed 
 places the ground was comparatively bare. The teacher 
 occasionally reminded the children that they were going 
 in the right direction, and that if they would be brave and 
 hold out she believed all would be saved. She would say, 
 “The little compass I have shown you often cannot tell a 
 lie, and it is pointing straight to Mr. Browning’s house, 
 where we shall’be welcome till the storm is over. We shall 
 soon be there. Be brave, my darlings.” 
 
 The children believed in their teacher, and so far as they 
 were able, obeyed her every instruction. Now and then, 
 when a strong gust of wind would strike the little line of 
 struggling heroes, one or more of the youngest and weak- 
 est would fall, but they were quickly helped to their feet 
 and the column would move on. Thus they battled with 
 -the storm, which seemed to be increasing in violence and 
 fury every minute; but the children had faith in their 
 teacher and followed her in trusting determination. With 
 her eye on the compass she led the way, and believed she 
 had passed over most of the distance between the school- 
 house and the Browning home. Suddenly there was a 
 shriek from the rear end of the column and the line jerked 
 back hard enough to break: it. 
 
6 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 “Stand still,” cried the teacher, “let no one move while 
 I find out what the trouble is.” 
 
 She soon discovered that three of the largest boys had 
 deviated far enough from the direct line of march to fall 
 into a “ slough well” which had been left uncovered. For- 
 tunately it was not very deep and she was able to pull the 
 boys out and soon made them fast to the line. As she 
 went forward to the head of the column she cheered each 
 child with some encouraging word. Two little fellows 
 were nearly exhausted; indeed, all were in a condition not 
 to last much longer. The teacher herself was benumbed 
 and almost worn out with the exertion and anxiety she had 
 undergone. Suddenly the column was brought to a halt 
 by one of the smallest children falling completely exhausted. 
 The child was so far gone that it was impossible for the 
 teacher to rally him, and she took him up in her arms and 
 continued the march. With this additional burden upon 
 her it required all of her courage to continue the struggle. 
 She could hardly see the face of her compass. Two other 
 children gave out and lay down to die. She could not 
 carry all three, and two of the oldest pupils gallantly took 
 it upon themselves to bear them in their arms. The con- 
 dition of things was growing disheartening enough to try 
 the bravest spirit. The teacher braced herself to a last 
 effort. Her sweet voice rose above the hum of the storm 
 as she cheered the children with words full of the courage 
 of her own soul. Her words acted like a stimulant on the 
 children and they nerved themselves anew for the struggle 
 still before them. When it seemed that they must succumb, 
 the head of the column. came up suddenly against a 
 fence. The teacher cried out, “ Children, we have found 
 a fence and I think we are saved. It must be the fence 
 around Mr. Browning’s stable, for he has no other wood 
 fence on his place.” The children gave a cry of delight, 
 and all were made stronger except the little ones who were 
 
7s 
 
 A SToRY OF THE TIMES 7 
 
 being carried and seemed unconscious. The column 
 groped its way along the fence, touching it occasionally 
 to know that they had not lost their new-found guide. 
 When they had gone far enough to be on the side where 
 the house was indicated to be by the compass, the teacher 
 lay down on the snow and peered towards what seemed 
 to be the dim outlines of a house. To her inexpressible 
 joy she saw a light, very dim, but unmistakable. Taking 
 up the unconscious child in her arms and rallying the 
 others in the column, she moved in the direction of the 
 beacon-light from the window of a homesteader’s abode. 
 A few steps further and the teacher was at the door knock- 
 ing for admittance, and thanking God that she was there 
 with the thirty-five precious children who had followed her 
 lead with such abiding faith and enduring courage. The 
 door was thrown open and they were admitted to shelter 
 and warmth. Mrs. Browning and her two grown daughters 
 were wild with joy when they saw that the teacher and 
 children were safe in their home. Mrs. Browning’s joy 
 was greater because one of her own children was among 
 the saved, yet her heart was full of thankfulness on account 
 of the others. The children were wrapped in warm blank- 
 ets and given warm coffee to drink, and, as soon as pos- 
 sible, warm food. The unconscious children were stripped 
 and bathed in warm water and thoroughly rubbed until 
 the circulation of the blood was restored. Within a half- 
 hour all had been cared for and were resting comfortably. 
 Mrs. Browning and her daughters had been so engaged 
 with the children that they had not missed Mr. Browning, 
 who had gone out early in the storm for the purpose of 
 bringing the school children to his home. But now hav- 
 ing time to look about them and not seeing him, they all 
 asked, fixing their eyes upon Virginia: ‘ Where is papa?” 
 “We have not seen him,” she answered. 
 
8 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 “Why!” exclaimed Mrs. Browning, “did he not fetch 
 you from the schoolhouse? ”’ 
 
 “No,” replied Virginia, ““we have not seen him.” 
 
 “ Oh, merciful Father, he must be lost!” exclaimed Mrs. 
 Browning; ‘he went out into the storm to bring the school 
 here, and you have not seen him! ” 
 
 The two daughters at once began to cry in the most hys- 
 terical manner, declaring that they knew “papa must be 
 lost in the blizzard,” and the three began to pray for his 
 deliverance. 
 
 Virginia, though in a greatly weakened condition, en- 
 deavored to console and reassure them. She said: 
 
 “ Most certainly Mr. Browning can take care of himself. 
 If I was able to bring the children safely from the school- 
 house here, he would be able to find shelter.” 
 
 Mrs. Browning and her daughters were so wrought up 
 that they seemed unable to comprehend anything that 
 pointed toward the possible safety of Mr. Browning. The 
 one awful vision seemed to have engulfed them—that he 
 was lost in the blizzard. Finally, however, Virginia suc- 
 ceeded in quieting them, and, feeling the absolute need of 
 rest she drank a cup of coffee and retired to hed. 
 
 Toward morning the storm abated somewhat, and about 
 eleven o’clock in the forenoon had gone down sufficiently to 
 allow persons to go out. Mrs. Browning and _ her 
 daughters, assisted by Virginia, dug their way through the 
 drifts to the stable and shed to discover the fate of the 
 stock. They found the horses lifted nearly to the roof 
 of the stable by the impacted snow, mixed with dirt and 
 sand, and in a most pitiable condition. By great effort 
 they succeeded in digging away enough of the drift to 
 enable the animals to emerge from their prison of snow. 
 It was found that the cow-shed, which was made by run- 
 ning the straw from the thresher over a framework of poles, 
 was entirely free from drift, and to this the horses were, 
 
A SToRY OF THE TIMES 9 
 
 after some considerable trouble, transferred. As the 
 women were moving about in the stable, doing what they 
 were able to do to relieve the immediate wants of the stock, 
 one of the daughters stepped on something which gave 
 her such a fright that she screamed and ran toward the 
 door. Her mother and sister followed her, demanding in 
 an excited way the cause of her alarm. The girl was so 
 frightened that she stood speechless. Virginia, discover- 
 ing that nothing could be obtained from the girl in the 
 way of an explanation, went in search of the cause._ She 
 soon found the form of a man, half-buried in the straw, 
 in a semi-unconscious condition, with his hands and face 
 badly frozen. It was so dark in the unlighted stable that 
 she could not discern his features, but she took hold of 
 him and attempted to drag him to the light of the door. 
 Her strength was not equal to the task, however, and she 
 called to the other women to come to her aid. They all 
 cried out: 
 
 “Tt must be papa; oh! papa is dead.” 
 
 It took Virginia some time to persuade them that the 
 man was not dead and that he needed assistance to save his 
 life. She finally induced them to come to her aid. As 
 soon as they took hold of the man, however, they 
 screamed and ran away toward the door. In utter despair 
 of getting help from the frightened women, Virginia re- 
 doubled hersefforts and finally dragged the man to the door, 
 where she discovered that it was not the body of Mr. 
 Browning, but that of Mr. Moore, a ranchman whose place 
 was not far from that of her father. When Mrs. Brown- 
 ing and her daughters saw that it was not Mr. Browning, 
 they became sufficiently composed to take hold of the body 
 and assist Virginia in half carrying, half dragging it toward 
 the house.. They had not gone far when several men drove 
 up in a two-horse sled. They had been to the schoolhouse, 
 and finding the back of a book which Virginia had been 
 
IO THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 thoughtful enough to nail to the blackboard on which she 
 had written, “Started for Mr. Browning’s at six o’clock,”’ 
 they immediately drove over to the Browning ranch, arriv- 
 ing there in time to relieve the women of their painful task 
 of carrying Mr. Moore to the house. After this had been 
 accomplished they took Virginia aside and broke to her 
 the sad news that they had the body of Mr. Browning in 
 the sled, which they had found not far from the school- 
 house, partly buried in a snowdrift. They begged her to 
 communicate the dreadful fact to Mrs. Browning and her 
 daughters. They declared they had not the heart to do it. 
 
 The brave little teacher shrank from the ordeal, but 
 finally consented to undertake it. Calling Mrs. Brown- 
 ing and her daughters together, she accomplished her task 
 with rare good judgment and great tact, but the effect was, 
 nevertheless, crushing to a degree not easily described in 
 words. In the midst of this scene of sorrow other ranch- 
 men who had been to the schoolhouse came to the Brown- 
 ing home. Among them came the father and mother of 
 Virginia, who, after embracing their only child, and thank- 
 ing God that she was safe, turned their attention to amelior- 
 ating the sorrows of Mrs. Browning and her children. 
 The men and women of the district continued to arrive 
 until every child who had been saved by the intelligent 
 heroism of Virginia had been clasped in the arms of his 
 parents. Their feelings were those of mingled*sadness and 
 joy—joy because their own were saved, and sadness be- 
 cause of the sorrow which had come to the Browning home. 
 Probably no such scene was ever witnessed before. The 
 strong, brave men kissed Virginia, wrung her hand, 
 thanked God for such a woman, and hugged the children 
 up to them as if to reassure themselves that they were not 
 mistaken in finding their children alive, and gave expres- 
 sion to their sorrow for poor Mrs. Browning and her chil- 
 dren in a manner to leave no doubt of its depth and gen- 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES II 
 
 uineness. Their joy, however, was greater than their sor- 
 row. They could sympathize truly with Mrs. Browning, 
 but they could not appreciate the great loss that had come 
 to her and the blackness of the cloud of despair which over- 
 shadowed her heart and her home. 
 
 Other fathers had started out in the storm for the pur- 
 pose of rescuing the school, but, like Mr. Browning, never 
 reached their destination. Bewildered and overcome by 
 the whirling, blinding, cruel blizzard, they laid themselves 
 down and died. In three cases, brothers, who were 
 stronger than their fathers, attempted to brave the blizzard 
 to save members of their families, and were beaten down 
 by the storm into stupor and death. The entire community 
 was in mourning, and yet rejoicing was in nearly every 
 home in the district because the children had been saved. 
 With one voice the people blessed and praised Virginia. 
 
 Virginia’s father was among the number who _ had. 
 plunged into the blizzard with the determination of saving, 
 if possible. his daughter and the dear little children under 
 her care. After wandering over the prairie, he stumbled, 
 half dead, against a settler’s house, and was taken in and 
 cared for. When the storm had subsided, though in no. 
 condition to go out, Mr. Grafton insisted on being taken to 
 the schooihouse. Here he found the notice on the black- 
 board and at once started for the Browning ranch. He 
 had not driven far when he met Mrs. Grafton in a sleigh 
 with the hired man. Mrs. Grafton was informed of the 
 notice on the blackboard, and together the party drove to 
 the Brownings’, hoping and praying that they might find on 
 arriving their daughter and the children. 
 
 Mr. Grafton took Mr. Moore in his sleigh to his ranch, 
 where he could receive better care than at the Brownings’. 
 Mrs. Grafton and Virginia remained to administer to the 
 needs of Mrs. Browning and her sorrowing children. Yet, 
 as soon as she could do so, Virginia went to other homes 
 
12 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 in the district upon which the cold hand of death had been 
 laid. In fact, she was ubiquitous. Like an angel spirit 
 she seemed to be everywhere comforting and helping. She 
 had been popular in the district where she had lived all 
 her life, and was esteemed and respected, but now she was 
 the object of the admiration and love of every one, on ac- 
 count of the ideal character brought out by the most try- 
 ing circumstances. Notwithstanding the praise bestowed 
 upon her, and the universal love manifested toward her on 
 account of her great achievement in saving the school, 
 and her endeavors to soften the sorrows of those who had 
 suffered irreparable losses by reason of the storm, she 
 seemed unconscious that she had done anything outside 
 of the pale of simple duty. 
 
 Letters and telegrams began to pour in upon the heroine 
 school teacher, congratulating and praising her without 
 stint. Valuable presents, and sums of money ranging 
 from one to one hundred dollars, were received by her 
 from persons of whom she had never heard, but who had 
 read in’ the newspapers of her heroic deed. The money 
 amounted in the aggregate to several hundred dollars. At 
 first Virginia was disposed to return the presents and the 
 money, but she was dissuaded from this by those who ap- 
 preciated more fully than the modest teacher the estimate 
 placed upon her achievement by the country at large. Vir- 
 ginia insisted, nevertheless, upon using the money for relief 
 purposes. At her suggestion a committee was formed with 
 a view to carrying out this idea. Many of the farmers in 
 the community had recently settled upon land and were in 
 the struggle of a beginning. Many of these were ill-pre- 
 pared for the devastating blizzard which swept over that 
 part of the State. These suffered most, some of them being 
 in dire need of assistance. The money sent to Virginia 
 was used for their relief; and many families were actually 
 saved from prolonged suffering by this timely aid. The 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 13 
 
 older and better-fixed homesteaders gave freely of grain 
 and provisions to felieve the destitution of their newly- 
 arrived neighbors, and contributions of provisions were re- 
 ceived from older communities, but the money turned over 
 by Virginia was a Godsend. No one felt more thankful 
 than she toward those who had, by their generous apprecia- 
 tion of her act, enabled her in this way to meet the wants 
 of suffering humanity. 
 
 Among the presents received by Virginia was a beautiful 
 gold watch set in diamonds, and an elegant gold chain. 
 With it came a letter which somewhat annoyed her, and 
 decided her to return at once the valuable gift. The letter 
 was postmarked in a New Jersey city, and read as follows: 
 
 ‘“DEAR MISS GRAFTON :—I have read of your heroic act in lead- 
 ing more than thirty school-children through a terrible snow storm— 
 called in your country, a blizzard, I believe—to a place of safety, 
 and I have been so moved by the story that I beg you to accept of 
 the accompanying watch, duly inscribed to you. It is a small token 
 of my appreciation and admiration of the heroic teacher whose name 
 is given as Virginia Grafton. A young woman of suchrare qualities 
 of head and heart must. become the object of admiration, aye, even 
 more than that, the love of manly and womanly hearts everywhere. 
 Pardon me for saying to you that I am a wealthy young man, fancy- 
 free, and that I have for a long time been on the lookout for just such 
 a young woman as you have proved yourself to be, to whom I might, 
 in a proper way, and at the proper time, pay my attentions with a 
 view of making her my wife. May I have the honor and pleasure 
 of visiting you under these circumstances? I need hardly add that 
 I shall be extremely pleased to place in your hands the highest testi- 
 monials of my good character and position in society before I can 
 expect a favorable answer from you. Will you be kind enough to 
 consult with your parents, or such persons as you deem necessary, 
 respecting my wish, and either directly or through them, inform me 
 of your decision, at as early a day as shall be convenient for you? 
 
 Believe me, sincerely, 
 
 Your ardent admirer, 
 JOHN HAWLEY VAN KIrRK.”’’ 
 
 The epistle could hardly have been more manly in letter 
 and spirit. Virginia was bound to admit this, and made up 
 
 Y 4 
 
14 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 her mind at once to treat it in the broad and generous 
 spirit which prompted it. She showed it to her father and 
 mother, and asked their advice as to what answer she 
 should make. Both agreed that the letter could have 
 emanated from no other than a gentleman, and hence gave 
 their consent that a courteous and kindly reply should be 
 sent. All things considered, it was also determined that 
 the better thing to do with the watch and chain was to re- 
 turn them, with the explanation that it would be hardly 
 proper to accept a present of such value. This was done. 
 Within a few days another letter from Mr. Yan Kirk was 
 received by Virginia, accompanied by a plainer gold watch 
 and chain, with this inscription: 
 
 ‘*To Miss Virginia Grafton, the young school teacher who risked 
 her life to save the lives of her school, and by rare judgment and 
 
 great courage achieved an act which enshrines her name among the 
 most renowned of her sex.”’ 
 
 The letter urged acceptance of this simple token of ap- 
 preciation and admiration, and added that the giver would 
 consider it in no sense extravagance on his part if he 
 should lay at her feet a present worth many times the value 
 of the watch and chain. ‘The letter begged in most respect- 
 ful and earnest terms that the request of the writer ex- 
 pressed in his first letter—that he be permitted to visit the 
 home of the Graftons—be granted, 
 
 With the consent of her parents, Virginia wrote to her 
 generous admirer that the second watch would be ac- 
 cepted in the spirit in which it was offered; that, while she 
 felt he greatly overestimated her act in leading her school 
 through the storm to a place of safety, yet, she truly ap- 
 preciated his generous praise, and was thankful for all his 
 kindly words and his most generous gift. She also in- 
 formed him that after fully considering his request, with 
 the approval of her parents she invited him to visit her 
 home. She informed him that he would not find, perhaps, 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 15 
 
 the luxuries of the East in the houses of homesteaders on 
 the Western prairie, yet she felt certain he would find honest 
 cordiality and genuine hospitality. She added that it might 
 be well in the meantime to satisfy her father as to his char- 
 "acter. 
 
 Within a fortnight Mr. Grafton received from Mr. Van 
 Kirk a letter thanking him for his decision and that of his 
 family to allow him to visit their home. He enclosed let- 
 ters from well-known banking firms and large corporations 
 and trust companies endorsing him in the most unreserved 
 terms. No credentials could have been more to the point 
 or more exhaustive. The letters were all attested by record 
 seals so that their genuineness could not be doubted. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was well enough pleased with the prospect 
 of a visit from a person enjoying such distinction, yet he 
 had some misgivings as to the possible outcome of it all. 
 It was perfectly clear to him that Mr. Van Kirk had con- 
 ceived a strange admiration and fondness for his daughter, 
 whom he had never seen, and of whom he actually knew 
 nothing except what he had read in the newspapers, which 
 told the story of her heroism in saving her school from de- 
 struction by a blizzard. Mr. Grafton was not unmindful 
 or wanting in appreciation of the greatness of his child’s 
 achievement. Indeed, of all others he was most appre- 
 ciative and proud of his daughter because of her splendid 
 womanhood. In truth, he worshiped her as no other man 
 could. Yet he knew also that she was only a plain, sen- 
 sible, brave country girl, possessing very vague notions of 
 the kind of society to which the wealthy Van Kirk was 
 accustomed; and he felt that when the young man came to 
 see Virginia he would soon lose his fancy for her; not be- 
 cause she was not good enough for him—oh! no, not that, 
 for she was good enough for any man—but because his 
 notions would unfit him to judge of the real value of such 
 a girl as Virginia. He might be able to judge correctly 
 
16 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 of the merits of the ladies of wealth and aristocracy, for 
 he was of that class evidently, but what would he know 
 of the value of such a girl as his daughter? “ He wouldn't 
 know,” observed Mr. Grafton, “ anymore about it than he 
 would know the value of a Western steer on the range.” 
 Besides, Mr. Grafton had very decided ideas about plu- 
 tocracy, aristocracy, and all that, and he had a sneaking 
 notion that Van Kirk belonged to that class, else he would 
 not be endorsed so strongly by presidents of trusts and 
 corporations. He remarked very emphatically to his wife 
 one day, when they were talking about Van Kirk’s expected 
 visit, that he could never consent to have his daughter 
 marry a man who belonged to a class that looked down 
 upon the common people with contempt. No; he would 
 never consent to that. He was down on plutocracy be- 
 cause, as he contended, plutocrats are oppressors of the 
 people, and he would never compromise with them to the 
 extent of allowing his daughter to marry into such a set. 
 He recalled the fact that one of the strongest letters of 
 commendation sent by Mr. Van Kirk was written on the 
 letter-head of a trust, and calling the attention of his wife 
 to the matter he said: 
 
 “This looks suspicious, wife, and we must go slow in 
 this business. He may be a nice young man, and be sin- 
 cere in his admiration of Virginia; but if he is in a trust or 
 is backed by a trust, we’ll have very little to do with Him. 
 Why! what would our Governor, and our great Senator, 
 and all my friends, who are fighting like tigers against the 
 ‘tarnal trusts, think and say should they hear that my girl, 
 Virginia, my only child, was receiving the attentions of a 
 plutocrat—one of the very worst, too, living as he does 
 right down in New Jersey, which, as Mr. Bryan says, is a 
 regular hotbed of trusts? This will never do, wife. It 
 would ruin my prospects. I am talked of, you know, for 
 lieutenant-governor on the Pop ticket, and I’d stand no 
 
A STorRY OF THE TIMES 17 
 
 chance at all if it got out that I was harborin’ a plutocrat in 
 my house, and that Virginia was being courted by a pam- 
 pered son of a trust. I’m sorry now we wrote that letter 
 inviting him to come to see us. But it is done and I sup- 
 pose we will have to stand by it.” 
 
 “Yes, my dear,” said Mrs. Grafton, “I know what you 
 say is true about plutocrats and trusts, but you know Mr. 
 Van Kirk had not asked to be allowed to court Virginia. 
 He only asked to be permitted to visit us; that is all, my 
 dear.” 
 
 “Yes,” replied Mr. Grafton, “I know that; but you know 
 as well as I do that he is comin’ to see Virginia; that’s as 
 plain as the crime of ’73, as Mr. Bryan says, just as plain 
 as that—and I won’t consent to have any goldbug buzzin’ 
 around my daughter—not if I can help it.” 
 
 “You may be too prejudiced, papa, in judging of this 
 man,’ replied Mrs. Grafton. ‘He may be, like yourself, 
 on the side of the common people, and down on railroads 
 and corporations and trusts. Maybe he is for the rasho, 
 too, and for referendum, and all them things which that 
 great man, Mr. Bryan, talks so much about.” 
 
 “What! and he from New Jersey, right up there near 
 Wall Street? You must be crazy, wife; they don’t grow 
 ‘em up there. They are bloodsuckers, every one of ’em. 
 Bad as the Jersey ’skeeters which suck blood while the 
 piutocrat sucks your hard earnings. You can bet your 
 best cow, wife, that Van Kirk is a soulless plutocrat or else 
 he wouldn’t be trainin’ with ’em.” 
 
 “Tt may be so, my dear,” meekly answered Mrs. Grafton, 
 “but it might be well to wait and see before condemning 
 him.” | 
 
 “Of course we'll have to wait. We're in for it; but I'll 
 bet a horse it'll beat me for lieutenant-governor.” 
 
18 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 CHABIER WIL 
 
 RANCHMAN Moore, WHO WAS FOUND IN THE STABLE, IN 
 LOVE WITH VIRGINIA. 
 
 Mr. Moore, who made a heroic attempt to reach the 
 schoolhouse in the hope of rendering aid to the school— 
 but whose real motive was to help the teacher—and who 
 came near freezing to death in his wanderings on the 
 prairie, was now, thanks to the good nursing he had re- 
 ceived at the Grafton home, able to be about. His “face 
 had peeled off” and his ears had resumed their normal size, 
 while his hands were sufficiently recovered to enable him 
 to feed himself. He was still in a badly used up condition, 
 however, notwithstanding his rapid convalescence. He 
 was happy and contented in spite of his physical condition, 
 for the reason that he was under the same roof with Vir- 
 ginia, and was being nursed and cared for partly by her. 
 
 Mr. Moore was quite a favorite with Mr. Grafton be- 
 cause of his position in the county as one of the principal 
 ranchers, having eight hundred acres under fence, with 
 substantial buildings, and possessing a large herd of cattle 
 and a band of several hundred horses. In addition to this 
 he had rather coincided with Mr. Grafton in his political 
 views, and had taken quite an interest, in a certain way, 
 in securing his election to the legislature. This was 
 all accentuated by Mr. Moore’s having asked of Mr. Graf- 
 ton the privilege of paying his addresses to Virginia. For 
 some time the latter had coaxed himself to believe that 
 the match was practically settled, although Virginia had 
 said nothing to him to confirm it, nor had she shown any 
 _ particular interest in her suitor. In fact, she seemed more 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 19 
 
 interested in books, in the study of plants and flowers, in 
 the science of agriculture, in music, so far as she had op- 
 portunity to study it, and, indeed, in going with her father 
 hunting antelope and prairie-chickens, rather than in the 
 young gentlemen of her acquaintance. 
 
 It might be truthfully said that Mr. Grafton preferred 
 Mr. Moore as a suitor for his daughter to any other young 
 gentleman who had paid her any attention, not excluding 
 a young State officer whom the Graftons had met during 
 the winter Mr. Grafton had been in the legislature, and 
 who had made several visits to the Grafton ranch. This 
 young man, whom we shall know as Mr. Spellbinder, was 
 one of the strongest and most popular advocates of the 
 political doctrines which were as sacred to Mr. Grafton as 
 the tenets of his religion. He was looked upon as one of 
 the bright, particular stars of the Populist party, and was a 
 personal and loyal friend of Mr. Bryan. Mr. Grafton was 
 _ very proud of his friendship and highly gratified at the 
 attentions he paid to his daughter. Notwithstanding 
 all this, Mr. Grafton had not overlooked the fact that the 
 young officer was poor, and that he depended on his suc- 
 cess in politics for his income. While Mr. Grafton’s polit- 
 ical philosophy would not allow him to look with any con- 
 siderable degree of tolerance on wealth and the power ‘of 
 wealth, yet he thought it would be better for Virginia if 
 she could marry a man with an assured income. This Mr. 
 Moore had; and, after thinking the matter all over care- 
 fully, Mr. Grafton had arrived at the fixed conclusion that 
 Mr. Moore would make a more desirable husband for his 
 daughter than Mr. Spellbinder. To be sure, he had not 
 been active in politics and did not stand as high in party 
 councils as Mr. Spellbinder; yet he had frequently said 
 enough to indicate that his sympathies were with the party 
 to which Mr. Grafton belonged. At any rate, he had taken 
 enough interest in Mr. Grafton’s political aspirations to 
 
20 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 vote all the men on his ranch for him for the legislature, 
 and had otherwise taken a practical interest in his political 
 success. In fact, it had been whispered around that Mr. 
 Moore had “ put up” some money in different parts of the 
 county where it could be used to the best advantage in 
 securing votes for the Populist ticket. No one saw him 
 personally take any part in the canvass, yet it was quite 
 well understood that he had an agent at work carrying out 
 his plans in the interest of Mr. Grafton. Some of the lat- 
 ter’s opponents hinted that the consideration for Mr. 
 Moore’s interest in Mr. Grafton was .the hand of his 
 daughter. It was more than possible, however, that some 
 one of Mr. Moore’s envious rivals for the affections of Miss 
 Grafton had started the story. Let that be as it may, there 
 was something of the mysterious in Mr. Moore’s methods 
 as well as in the man himself. More than one had re- 
 marked this, and had expressed surprise at the apparent 
 intimacy which had sprung up so suddenly between him _ 
 and Mr. Grafton. Virginia had said nothing about it, but 
 she had felt this subtle influence of mystery when in the 
 presence of Mr. Moore, and had been repelled by it, despite 
 an effort on her part to like him because of the interest he 
 seemed to take in her father’s welfare. She had no fact 
 cn which to base this feeling toward him, and she rebelled 
 against it, but to no purpose. Whenever and wherever she 
 met him this feeling would take possession of her and mar 
 the pleasure she would otherwise have taken in his gifted 
 conversation. He was a well-traveled and well-read gen- 
 tleman, and was most engaging in his manner, much more 
 so than any gentleman she had ever met. But she could 
 not bring herself to be perfectly at ease in his presence. 
 This subtle something that she could not define influenced 
 the sensitive nature of Virginia in such a way as to make 
 her really feel insecure in his company when alone with 
 him. As has been suggested, it was her habit, however, 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 21 
 
 to demand a reason for all of her actions, and as she had 
 no basic fact to reason from to explain this feeling of re- 
 pugnance, she was unwilling to admit to herself that he was 
 wholly out, of the question with her. She knew how her 
 father felt about it, and she considered it her duty to pay 
 more than passing regard to his wish in the matter. She 
 had always consulted her father and mother in everything 
 involving her welfare, and she had no thought of disregard- 
 ing their judgment and wish in this, the greatest concern 
 of her life, the selection of a husband. She had not heard 
 her mother express herself respecting Mr. Moore as a pros- 
 pective son-in-law, although she had heard her speak very 
 highly of him, and had noticed what a genuinely motherly 
 interest she took in him during his convalescence under 
 their roof. 
 
 One day Virginia and her mother sat together engaged 
 in sewing, when Mr. Moore entered their presence, holding 
 in his hand an illustrated magazine which he had received 
 in his mail that day. He held the book out to Virginia, 
 and called her attention to the page he had marked. She 
 glanced at the page, and to her surprise saw a good half- 
 tone likeness of herself. She read the article accompany- 
 ing the illustration, and, as she read, it was noted that her 
 eyes brightened and a deep, rich color came to her cheeks. 
 When she had finished the article she looked up at Mr. 
 Moore and said: 
 
 “This is indeed, undeserved praise, and notoriety I 
 hardly relish. I have no doubt of the good intention of 
 the writer, but it seems to me an unwarranted intrusion 
 into one’s private life to have a picture of one’s self thrust 
 before the public gaze. I can hardly imagine how the 
 writer secured my photograph from which this half-tone 
 was made,” and she looked keenly into Mr. Moore’s face 
 as if she was waiting for an explanation. 
 
 He seemed somewhat confused and appeared to be re- 
 
22 THE HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 volving the matter in his mind with a view to an answer. 
 He was for the moment relieved, however, by Mrs. Graf- 
 ton’s asking for the magazine, and as she read the article 
 it was very evident that she was greatly pleased. Her 
 mother’s vanity was tickled, and while the story fell short 
 of doing Virginia full credit, yet she felt that it was some- 
 thing out of the ordinary for a country girl to have her 
 picture in a popular magazine. After reading the article, 
 she arose and crossed to where her daughter was sitting, 
 placed her arms about her neck, and kissed her most fer- 
 vently, saying: 
 
 “Daughter, you ought to be proud at being the subject 
 of such a fine notice as that.” 
 
 ‘““T suspect,” said Virginia, ‘Mr. Moore had something 
 to do with the publication of this article. Am I not cor- 
 rect, Mr. Moore?”’ 
 
 “Well,” he replied, ““I am almost persuaded to say that 
 I regret I did have something to do with it. I wrote a full 
 account of the storm and the rescue of the children, and 
 the fearful losses sustained by our community to a literary 
 friend who put it in proper form for a magazine article.” 
 
 “ But how did he get my photograph?” asked Virginia. 
 
 “I might as well confess, I suppose, Miss Grafton,” re- 
 plied Mr. Moore. “ My friend, after reading my letter, 
 wrote me that he would be greatly pleased if I could tell 
 him where he could obtain a photograph of you, and I gave 
 him the name of the artist who made a photograph of you 
 in Lincoln last winter when you were there with your father 
 and mother during the term of the legislature; and I de- 
 rived my information on that subject from the family album 
 which occupies a place on the table in the front room. I 
 feel that I made a mistake in not asking your consent to do 
 this, and all that seems possible now for me to do to show 
 my regret is to beg your pardon, which I do most sin- 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 23 
 
 cerely.”” He said this in a pleading sort of way, and with 
 a real or well-simulated expression of anxiety on his face. 
 
 Virginia sat silent for a moment, as if at a loss to know 
 what answer to make. With some animation, however, 
 she replied: 
 
 “It was perhaps pardonable in you to furnish in an indi- 
 rect way the story, but I cannot see my way to any possible 
 excuse for your act in furnishing my photograph for pub- 
 ication without my consent. Nevertheless, we can find no 
 pleasure or profit in pursuing the subject further.” 
 
 Mr. Moore was disappointed, He had believed that Vir- 
 ginia would be pleased with the article, but in this he was 
 mistaken. He had failed to understand the character of 
 this country school teacher. He had judged her by a 
 standard that fell far below her class, a standard which 
 answers well enough in society generally, but which must 
 not be relied on in measuring women of the delicate sensi- 
 bilities and modesty and high dignity of Miss Grafton. She 
 could not descend to the’level of the society woman who 
 works every scheme to get her picture into the newspapers 
 and magazines, even if money has to be used lavishly to 
 accomplish it. 
 
 Mr. Moore, realizing that he had made a mess of it, arose 
 and excused himself and went to his room. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was pained at what had occurred. She 
 realized that Virginia had sent a dart into the vitals of their 
 guest, and she ventured to observe that she did not think 
 Mr. Moore deserved such a severe rebuke. 
 
 “My dear mother,” cried Virginia, “I feel keenly this 
 humiliation. The very idea of Mr. Moore or anyone else 
 outside of our family, presuming to use my photograph 
 to illustrate a magazine article without our consent!. It is 
 simply an unpardonable intrusion into the privacy of one’s 
 life.” 
 
 “But, dearest,” said her mother, “ you must know that 
 
24 THe HomestEeapEr’s DAUGHTER 
 
 the whole country is interested in you on account of your 
 heroic conduct in saving your scholars from being frozen to 
 death, and Mr. Moore thought he was actually performing 
 a public service, as well as complimenting you by what 
 he did.” 
 
 “TI rather think my act is greatly overestimated, and, so 
 far as I am concerned, I crave no such compliment,’ re- 
 plied the modest but high-spirited girl. 
 
 “ Well, my dearest, let us drop the subject right where it 
 is. I see you are greatly wrought up on account of it, and 
 what has been done cannot now be undone; so let it go.” 
 
 “Certainly, mother, it cannot be undone, yet I must in- 
 sist that I was right in letting Mr. Moore know just how I 
 felt about it.” 
 
 Mr. Grafton entered the room at this moment and his 
 wife called his attention to the magazine article. When he 
 saw his daughter’s picture he gave an exclamation of joyful 
 surprise and kissed it. He was greatly pleased with the 
 notice concerning Virginia, and“%aid it was just splendid. 
 When he learned that Mr. Moore was partly responsible 
 for it, without saying a word to his wife and daughter, he 
 hurried to that gentleman’s room, and, in his excitement, 
 entered without knocking. ) 
 
 “Why, Moore,” he exclaimed, “ this article will be a help 
 to me in my race for lieutenant-gov’ner. Hundreds of 
 honest farmers will vote for me, after reading this article, 
 because I’m the father of such a girl. The article and pic- 
 ture will appear on the ‘ patent side’ of every weekly paper 
 in the State. I tell you, Moore, it’s a boomer, and I’m 
 greatly indebted to you for it.” 
 
 “ But,” replied Moore, “ Virginia doesy’t like it a bit; and © 
 has just now scored me to the quick for what little I did in 
 connection with the publication.” 
 
 “Vou don’t mean it,” said Mr. Grafton in a changed tone 
 of voice. 
 
A StToRrY OF THE TIMES 25 
 
 “Yes, I do mean it,” answered Mr. Moore, “ but please 
 don’t understand me as finding fault with your lovely and 
 sensitive daughter for anything she has said. I presume I 
 was imprudent and I’m very sorry for it.” 
 
 “Never mind, Moore, I'll fix that all right with Vir- 
 ginia, She doesn’t understard what a boost it will give me 
 throughout the State politically. When she does she will 
 be as tickled as I am over it.” 
 
 It was quite evident that Mr. Grafton had not learned the 
 real depths of his daughter’s nobility of character. He had 
 brought her up; had watched with pride the development of 
 her mind, and had discerned, in. a way, the growth of the 
 charms which had begun to distinguish her womanhood, 
 but he had not yet fully comprehended her. 
 
26 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 CHAP TK oie Te 
 
 A LETTER FROM Mr. SPELLBINDER. 
 
 Mr. Grafton had handed a number of letters to his 
 daughter when he came in and had his attention diverted 
 by the magazine article. On returning to the room he 
 found her much interested in one of them which was from 
 Mr. Spellbinder. He wrote that he had just read the mag- 
 azine article and had enjoyed gazing upon the beautiful 
 half-tone illustration, and that he could not delay writing 
 her a letter of congratulation. He also informed her that 
 he would soon make a visit to the Grafton ranch. After 
 reading the letter she handed it to her father, whose face 
 fairly glowed with animation as he read it. 
 
 “That’s just what I told Moore,” exclaimed Mr. Grafton, 
 ‘“Spellbinder sees it just as I do. That article will make 
 me lieutenant-gov’ner, I'll bet a horse on it.” 
 
 “What queer twists politicians give to things,’ observed 
 Virginia, 
 
 “You don’t call me a politician, do you?”’ quickly replied 
 her father. | 
 
 “No, my dear father, not if it’s offensive to you; yet, you 
 must admit that you talk politics a good deal, and that you 
 have been holding offices of different kinds ever since the 
 Populists got control of them; and you held several offices 
 before you changed from being a straight Democrat. And 
 really I don’t see any harm in being interested in politics, 
 do you?” 
 
 “ But, I’m no politician, that ll vow,” he answered. “I 
 am a plain farmer, and what part I take in politics is to 
 down the rascally Republicans. and to keep them out of 
 
A SToRY OF THE TIMES 27 
 
 office. I'll stay in politics, and hold office, if it’s necessary, 
 to help the common people defend themselves against the 
 Republican rascals.” 
 
 “ But, surely papa, you don’t mean to say that all Repub- 
 licans are rascals, do you?” 
 
 “ No, not exactly that,” he said, “ but every rascal is a Re- 
 publican.” At which he gave a self-satisfied pucker to his 
 lips as if he had said something quite original, and severe 
 on the Republicans. 
 
 At this point he took out of his pocket and handed to his 
 daughter a letter from New Jersey, which he seemed to 
 have forgotten in his exhilaration over the magazine ar- 
 ticle. It was from Mr. Van Kirk, who informed them that 
 he would start for the West within a few days, with the in- 
 tention of availing: himself of the pleasure made possible to 
 him by their invitation for him to visit them. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was a little flurried over the news but said 
 she was glad that he was coming, for she wished to thank 
 him in person for his kindly words of Virginia and the 
 beautiful present he had sent her. Mr. Grafton said noth- 
 -ing, but kept his eyes fixed on the face of his daughter, 
 as if he already suspected that she was indulging a romantic 
 interest for the New-Jerseyan. 
 
 Virginia gave no sign by word or facial expression that 
 she was glad or otherwise; so her father’s penetrating gaze 
 detected nothing in her face indicating that she was 
 specially interested in the announcement. Could he have 
 looked deeper and seen the emotions excited in her heart 
 by the letter, he would probably have been less satisfied 
 with what he saw. 
 
 The truth is, her feelings were those of mingled gladness 
 and regret. She was glad he was coming, because they had 
 invited him and it would give them an opportunity to show 
 the consideration due him under the circumstances; and she 
 was regretful because of the uncertainties connecting her 
 
- 
 
 28 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 with this young man of wealth and high social position who 
 had been very frank, and—it must be admitted—manly, in 
 his declarations toward her. 
 
 At supper the coming of Mr. Van Kirk was referred to, 
 and it was quickly noticed by Virginia that Mr. Moore col- 
 ored a little, and that he made no reference to the expected 
 event. This was not noticed by either Mr. or Mrs. Graf- 
 ton, yet somehow or other it made a very deep impression 
 on Virginia’s mind. She could not quite explain why it was 
 so, yet there flashed through her mind some remarks Mr. 
 Moore had made at one time respecting the watch and 
 chain Mr. Van Kirk had sent her, and certain little ques- 
 tions he had asked about the giver. The interest he had 
 shown was well guarded, however, and the effect made on 
 the mind of Virginia by what he said was not so much in 
 the words spoken as in the manner of their delivery and 
 the play of certain nerves in his face. This latter was 
 hardly noticeable to the superficial observer, but to the 
 keen and analytical eye of Virginia, this occult play of his 
 countenance was full of significance, which, once rightly 
 interpreted, would always prove disastrous to his attempt 
 at deception. She was thoroughly convinced in her heart 
 that Mr. Moore hated Mr. Van Kirk, and that he abhorred 
 the very thought of that gentleman’s coming to the Grafton 
 ranch. This consciousness made Virginia uneasy, and by 
 no means tended to elevate Mr. Moore in her estimation. 
 In fact it really belittled him, and intensified the mystery in 
 which he always appeared to Virginia. There was more 
 than this in her feelings. There came over her a sense of 
 fear that through Mr. Moore’s power, in some way, harm 
 would come to her expected visitor. She tried to dismiss 
 this thought from her mind on the ground that it was un- 
 reasonable, but she could not rid herself of it, 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A MEETING OF THE POPULIST COUNTY CENTRAL 
 COMMITTEE. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was chairman of the Populist County Cen- 
 tral Committee, and had called a meeting of the Committee 
 at the county seat. When he arrived there he was de- 
 lighted to meet, among other stanch workers in the popu- 
 listic reform movement, Mr. Spellbinder, who was making 
 a tour of the State in the interest of party organization. 
 His special mission on this trip was to arrange for a thor- 
 ough distribution of a pamphlet printed in German, and 
 made up principally of strong passages from the speech of 
 Hon. Carl Schurz against Imperialism. The plan was to 
 have a copy of this pamphlet put into the hands of every: 
 German reader in the State. To accomplish this effectually 
 it was proposed to place enough copies with each county 
 central committee to enable the township committees to 
 ‘ put one into the hands of every German secretly. It was 
 confidently believed that if this pamphlet could be thus dis- 
 tributed, the Germans, having so much admiration for and 
 confidence in Mr. Schurz, would quietly make up their 
 ‘minds to follow his advice’ and vote against the Republi- 
 cans. The anti-imperialist argument was summed up in 
 the pamphlet in a very direct and simple way by saying that 
 imperialism necessarily meant a large standing army; that 
 a large standing army meant increased taxation—possibly 
 a doubling of the taxes—and, ultimately, the destruction of 
 personal liberty. It was contended that if the Germans 
 could be made to believe this they would slump over to the 
 
30 Ture HoMEsTEADER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 side of the Populists and it would carry the State for Bryan, 
 and, possibly, elect a fusion legislature, which would send 
 one Democrat and,one Populist to the United States Sen- 
 ate. It was a right clever idea, and it was Mr. Spellbinder’s 
 business to meet all of the county committees to effect 
 through them the distribution of this anti-imperialistic lit- 
 erature. 3 
 
 The Committee met and each township was well repre- 
 sented. ‘The interest manifested by the delegates was all 
 that the enthusiastic chairman could have wished. It was 
 soon apparent, however, in the meeting that there was a 
 great diversity of opinion among the committeemen on the 
 plan of campaign to be adopted. They were unanimous 
 about the plan proposed by Mr. Spellbinder and others for 
 the distribution of the Schurz speech to catch the “ Dutch 
 vote,’ as they designated the Germans, but they soon got 
 into quite a spirited wrangle over other questions which 
 were brought to the attention of the Committee by remarks 
 made by Mr. Spellbinder. This gentleman was invited to 
 address the Committee, which he was very glad to do, and 
 in the course of his remarks he said that, there never had 
 been a time when there was greater need of the opponents 
 of the Republican party to stand together; that the battle 
 before them was a harder one than was fought in 1896; that 
 the conditions had changed a great deal since then, espe- 
 cially as regarded the prosperity of the State and of the 
 whole country, and the change was not favorable to the 
 _ Populist party; that the farmers had good crops and were 
 getting good prices for whatever they had to sell; that 
 every one desiring work could get it at good wages; that 
 mortgages, which were oppressing the farmers in ’96, were 
 being paid off by wholesale, and that few new ones were 
 being recorded; that the incentive to want cheap silver dol- 
 lars was not so prevalent nor so strong as it was four years 
 ago, for the reason .that most of the debtors of the country 
 
A Story or THE TIMES al 
 
 had become creditors; that the farmers who were anxious 
 to borrow money a few years ago and pay a high rate of 
 interest for it were now actually lending money at the low 
 rate of five and six per cent per annum, and finding little 
 demand for it at that low rate of interest. 
 
 “We have got to meet all this, gentlernen,’ exclaimed 
 the orator, “and there is one other thing we have got to 
 think about and fix up an argument to meet, and that is the 
 talk that Republicans throw in our teeth about the prophe- 
 cies made by Mr. Bryan and our speakers in 1896. You 
 all remember what was said by our speakers, who declared 
 emphatically that, if the Republican party was successful in 
 electing its candidate for President, it would increase the 
 purchasing power of the gold dollar, and make the prices 
 on everything the farmers had to sell fall as a stone falls 
 when it is thrown into the air; that the debts of the people 
 would be increased and their power to pay them be lessened; 
 that it would make times harder and harder, would starve 
 everybody except the money-changers and the money-own- 
 ers, make the rich richer and the poor poorer; that it would 
 increase the number of idle men; that it would decrease the 
 volume of standard money, and encourage the hoarding of 
 money; that it would make it more and more difficult for 
 the farmer to live, make employment less certain, discour- 
 age enterprise, and paralyze industry; that it would compel 
 depositors in savings banks to draw their deposits to pay 
 living expenses, and make it impossible to pay off the mort- 
 gages, that it would make it necessary to advocate the clos- 
 ing of the public schools; that it would make it more profit- 
 able to loan money than to invest it in enterprises of prop- 
 erty; that it would make dearer money, cheaper property, 
 harder times, more people out of work, more people desti- 
 tute, and all that, and we all know that none of these things 
 have come about. In fact, all these prophecies and predic- 
 tidns about the evils that would befall the country if the 
 
32 Tue HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 gold standard was adopted have entirely failed; and now 
 the Republicans are throwing it up to us and it is about the 
 worst thing we have to meet in this campaign. I thought 
 at the time it was foolish to make them, but Mr. Bryan 
 was the peerless leader, as he is to-day, and he sets the 
 pace for us all; but we all know now that it was short- 
 sighted for us to put our fingers in the trap by going into 
 the prophesying business. We told the farmers that if 
 silver was voted down the price of wheat would go down— 
 that wheat and silver went up and down together; but, noth- 
 ing of the kind has happened, and a good many farmers 
 say: ‘ You fooled us in 1896 and we have’nt got much confi- 
 dence in what you say now about the terrible calamities that 
 will come on the country on account of trusts and imperial- 
 ism.’ But we have got to keep up this cry against trusts 
 for that is about the only thing that we have got to talk 
 about in this campaign. We used to make a better show- 
 ing when we talked about the tariff, and the ‘robber bar- 
 ons,’ but that issue is dead now, and so is the silver ques- 
 tion, and whenever we drag these corpses out before the 
 people they turn up their noses as if they smelled something 
 bad—”’ 
 
 Here the orator from Lincoln was interrupted by the 
 chairman of the committee, who remarked with some ani- 
 mation that “It wouldn’t do to talk that way and let it get 
 to the ears of the Republicans or they would make it lively 
 for us around here. Besides I don’t agree altogether with 
 the gentleman. For my part I think that we’d better talk 
 free silver just as we did four years ago; and I think we 
 ought to give it to them hot on trusts.” 
 
 “Well,” resumed the interrupted speaker, “it won’t do 
 for us to get into an argument among ourselves over these 
 questions; for, what we want, and what we must have to 
 win this year, is harmony, But we should understand that 
 while Mr. Bryan still holds for free silver at 16 to 1, the 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES Ba 
 
 committee on resolutions of the Kansas City Convention, 
 which nominated him, came within one vote of turning it 
 down and leaving it out of the platform. I think now it 
 ought not to be forced to the front. The farmers of the 
 West have'nt any silver mines or any bullion, and what 
 interest have they got in free silver? Why! even the people 
 of Colorado, where silver mines are supposed to be the 
 best, have nearly lost their interest in the free silver ques- 
 tion, for they say that they are making more money out of 
 mining gold, and times are better there now than they ever 
 were before, notwithstanding that Senator Teller said: the 
 gold standard ruined his State. It seems to have had just 
 the opposite effect. I mention these things simply to call 
 your attention to the fact that we have got a mighty hard 
 row to hoe this year, and that we have got to stand to- 
 gether and whoop it up on trusts, imperialism and mili- 
 tarism. This is the red hot stuff for this campaign. We 
 have got to tell the people that the silver question will keep 
 until we have saved the country by settling the question of 
 imperialism and killing off the trusts, and then we'll take up 
 the silver question and settle that.’ 
 
 “Yes, that’s all very good,” said one of the committee- 
 men; “but just now you were blaming Mr. Bryan for 
 _prophesying about silver and wheat going up and down 
 together, and so on, and that none of these prophecies have 
 come true—now you propose to have us prophesy that the 
 country will go to the devil if the Republicans win, because 
 they are in favor of expansion and militarism. Now, sup- 
 pose none of our predictions about these things come true, 
 what kind of a hole will we be in four years from now when 
 we come before the people again? I think we had better 
 keep out of the prophesying business altogether.” 
 
 Several of the committeemen spoke up at once, and said 
 that they thought this was about right, and that they had 
 
34 THe HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 better pitch into the trusts tooth and nail, and “ lay low” 
 on the other things. 
 
 Otie committeeman thought that it wotld be the best 
 thing not to say much about anything except imperialisim, 
 which would scare the Germaiis into voting against the 
 Republicans. He said, “ We can make ’em believe that the 
 Republicans are going to increase the army and make it so 
 big that it will double their taxes, and in time crush them 
 down and make them as bad off as they were in Germany 
 before they came to America. If we can do this we can 
 carry several of the States in the West where the Germans 
 are pretty thick.” 7 
 
 “ But, then,” said another, “ the army is as big now as it 
 will be, unless we raise more troops to help punish ‘the 
 heathen Chinee’ for murdering our people; and I'll be 
 blamed if my taxes have been increased very much so far, 
 and I don’t believe anybody else’s have. How are you 
 going to make anybody believe—even a stupid Dutchman 
 —that his taxes will be doubled, when the army has already 
 been increased nearly three times its size without increas- 
 ing anybody’s taxes perceptibly? I don’t think we will be 
 able to fool very many of the Dutch with that kind of an 
 argument. My idea is we've got to stir up the people on 
 the subject of trusts.” 
 
 “ But,” said another, ‘“ what are you going to say about — 
 trusts that will take hold of the voters?” 
 
 “ Why,” interposed Mr. Spellbinder, “ tell the people that 
 the trusts will eat the very life out of the nation if they are 
 not put down,” | 
 
 “T don’t see much in this anti-trust argument, so far as 
 the farmers are concerned,” said another. “I don’t see that 
 any trust has ever hurt me. I buy agricultural implements 
 and everything I use on my ranch cheaper than I ever did 
 before. There is a good deal of talk against the Standard 
 Oil Company, but I recollect when I used to pay thirty-five 
 
 ‘ 
 
” 
 
 A STORY OF THE TIMES 35 
 
 cents a gallon for poor coal oil before this Standard Oil 
 Company got hold of all the oil wells, and now I get good 
 oil for eight cents a gallon. When it comes right down to 
 the point it seems to me that the trusts have made things 
 cheaper, than any other way.” 
 
 Chairman Grafton had become quite uneasy on account 
 of the way the talk had drifted, and he suggested that, while 
 it was well enough for them to give expression to their 
 ideas about things, yet he didn’t think that it was quite the 
 thing to take up all the time of the meeting in that way. 
 He thought they had better get down to business. 
 
 After some talk about organization, and the best way to 
 put Mr. Schurz’s speech into the hands of the Germans, the 
 committee adjourned. 
 
36 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 CHAPTER We 
 
 Mr. SPELLBINDER VISITS THE GRAFTONS. 
 
 Mr, Spellbinder informed Mr. Grafton that he had ar- 
 ranged his itinerary so as to go out to the latter’s ranch to 
 visit for a day. Mr. Grafton expressed unfeigned pleasure 
 at this, and as soon as he had made a few purchases and 
 attended to a little business they started for the ranch. On 
 their way out they talked a good deal about the prospects of 
 the Fusion party in the coming national election, but 
 neither seemed to be particularly enthusiastic over the 
 situation. 
 
 When they arrived at the ranch Mr. Spellbinder was 
 received with marked consideration and cordiality by Mrs. 
 Grafton and her daughter. He was regarded by them as 
 a very distinguished guest, probably the most distinguished 
 of any who had ever been entertained at the Grafton home. 
 He met them with unusual warmth, as if he felt that they 
 must be highly gratified at having a State officer for their 
 cuest; in fact, Virginia thought he was a trifle patronizing, 
 which she did not like but did not allow it to influence 
 her in her manner toward him. 
 
 Mr. Grafton called Mr. Moore into the room where Mr. 
 Spellbinder was airing his eloquence to the ladies, and de- 
 clared that he was anxious to have the two gentlemen meet. 
 He introduced them, remarking to Mr, Spellbinder that 
 Mr. Moore was his neighbor and a stanch friend; that he 
 had rendered him very valuable service when he ran for 
 the legislature, and that he hoped to see Mr. Moore take 
 a high place in the councils of the Fusion party at an early 
 day. To indicate to Mr. Moore the importance of Mr. 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 37 
 
 Spellbinder, he remarked to the former that the latter was 
 one of the most eloquent speakers in the Populist party 
 and a personal friend of Mr. Bryan. 
 
 The two gentlemen expressed mutual satisfaction at the 
 meeting; but it was noticed by the keen eyes of Virginia 
 that Mr. Spellbinder availed himself of the opportunity to 
 scrutinize the face of Mr. Moore every time the latter’s 
 attention was attracted away from him. She observed this 
 particularly at supper, at which the two gentlemen sat oppo- 
 site each other with Virginia occupying a position from 
 which she could observe the faces of those gentlemen with- 
 out appearing too much interested. She came to the con- 
 clusion that Mr. Spellbinder fancied he had met Mr. Moore 
 somewhere before and was trying to recall the time and 
 place. | 
 
 Supper was one of Mrs. Grafton’s best meals; and this 
 fact, together with the appetite of Mr. Spellbinder, which 
 had been whetted to a keen edge by the ride over the prairie, 
 made that gentleman relish the meal to an unusual degree. 
 He remarked that, if her supper was a sample of the living 
 enjoyed by the homesteaders, they were certainly to be 
 envied, especially by bachelors who were compelled to put 
 up with the average boarding-house fare. Mrs. Grafton 
 acknowledged the compliment; and her husband, who was 
 proud of the success of his efforts to make a comfortable 
 home on the western prairie, remarked: 
 
 “We are thankful to have plenty to eat and wear, but 
 I'll tell you we’ve had to work for it—Mrs. Grafton and I, 
 and I must not leave out Virginia, for she, too, has helped 
 to work out our success.” 
 
 “Please do not give me any credit, father, for surely I 
 have done little or nothing towards your success,’ inter- 
 posed Virginia. 
 
 “Yes, you have, my daughter, yes, you have,” answered 
 Mr. Grafton. “I am not ashamed to tell what you have 
 
 ’ 
 
38 ‘. Tue HomesteEapErR’s DAUGHTER 
 
 done. I don’t know what I would have done during the 
 long drought, without any cash to pay taxes and interest 
 with, if it hadn’t been for the money you earned teaching 
 school and generously turned over to me.” 
 
 “Oh, please say nothing about that, papa,” said Vir- 
 ginia, the color in her face heightening somewhat, “I sim- 
 ply performed a very pleasant duty.” 
 
 “Yes, but it isn’t every daughter who thinks that way,” 
 replied Mr. Grafton. 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder and Mr. Moore had both turned their 
 eyes upon the young lady in evident admiration, which had 
 the effect of increasing her embarrassment, Mr. Spell- 
 binder noticed this and sought to turn the subject of the 
 conversation by referring to the recent blizzard in which 
 Virginia had so distinguished herself; but Mr. Grafton had 
 his piece to speak and was not to be diverted from his pro- 
 eram. He was very proud of his success as a farmer, and 
 it was one of his weaknesses to tell the story of how he had 
 begun with nothing and worked out a reasonable success 
 in life on the border. Without encouraging further refer- 
 ence to his daughter’s heroic achievement, he said: 
 
 “You don’t know what we homesteaders had to over- 
 come in opening up this prairie country. You are new- 
 comers here—kind of ‘tenderfeet,’ as it were—and don’t 
 realize fully the hardships which every old settler in these 
 parts has endured. I took up this homestead twenty-eight 
 years ago, and when I located here and built a sod house 
 there wasn’t a human habitation that could be seen with 
 the naked eye. We came here in a ‘ prairie schooner ’—a 
 big covered wagon, in other words—hauled by a pair of 
 mares, and all I had in the world was my brave wife to en- 
 courage me; and between us we had some furniture, a cook 
 stove, a few groceries, a box of side-meat, five sacks of 
 flour, some shelled corn, potatoes and beans, a lot of gar- 
 den-seed, a breaking and stirring plow, and a corn-plow, 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 39 
 
 some nails, two window-sash, glazed, some boards, a coop 
 of hens and a rooster, a boar and a sow, a cow and a heifer, 
 and about fifty dollars in money. I took up a homestead 
 of a hundred-and sixty acres of good land, and afterward a 
 timber claim, which made three hundred and twenty acres 
 in the fatm. The fitst year I built a house of sod, of two 
 rooms, a stable for the horses, a cow stable, a pig and hen- 
 house, all of sod, and broke up twenty acres of land. I 
 ’ subsoiled five acres and planted it with potatoes, beans, cab- 
 bages, peas, and garden truck. I planted the remaining 
 fifteen acres to sod-corn, buckwheat and turnips. The 
 first year’s crops were all I could have desired and a great 
 deal mote than I expected. I assure you I was as happy 
 a man as anybody ever saw or heard of when fall came 
 and I had plenty for myself and wife to live on and to sub- 
 sist the stock for another year; but I worked day and night 
 to do it, that is, my wife and I did.” 
 
 “ How did you build the houses with sod, Mr. Grafton?” 
 asked Mr. Spellbinder. 
 
 “Well, I plowed up a half acre of sod of uniform thick- 
 ness, and cut it into even lengths of about fourteen inches. 
 I laid out the house by smoothirig away and leveling the 
 - surface of the ground. I then laid the sods carefully the 
 sathe as if they had been bricks of like size, only no mortar 
 was used. I left window and door openings and placed 
 in them rude frames made of the lumber I brought with me. 
 When the walls were high enough to receive the roof, I 
 made rafters of poles which I had cut and hauled from the 
 Loup River six miles away. On these rafters I laid two 
 thicknesses of tough sod; overlapping each other, so as to 
 shed water. I took the clay which I had thrown up when 
 I dug a well and made mortar out of it. With this I plas- 
 tered the rooms and made the walls hard and smooth. I 
 also used clay in making a floor to the dwelling, which I 
 
40 | THe HoMESTEADER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 was able to make very solid by tamping. I made a chim- 
 ney of sod and clay, and the job was done. Mrs. Grafton 
 used a sheet for a ceiling over the bed and the table which 
 I had made of boards. She made the house bright and 
 cozy with a new rag carpet which she had woven with her 
 own hands and brought from our old home in Missouri. 
 The outbuildings were made in the same way, only they 
 were not plastered. These houses were warm in winter 
 and cool in summer; and we came to be so strongly at- 
 tached to this our first home after we were married, that it 
 was with considerable regret we gave it up to occupy the 
 frame house we afterwards built, and which is a part of the 
 house in which you are now sitting at table. The first year 
 I cut large quantities of prairie grass for hay, in fact, put up 
 enough hay that fall to last me nearly three years. That 
 first year was a very happy one for Mrs. Grafton and me. 
 We were as contented and happy a pair as ever spent a 
 honeymoon.” 
 
 “ How interesting!” exclaimed Mr. Spellbinder. 
 
 “ But the next year,’ ‘continued. Mr. Gratton; wasea 
 very different one—it was by no means a continuation of 
 the dream. The second year I plowed up the break- 
 ing and harrowed the ground as fine and as smooth as any 
 garden, and got my seeds all planted in good time. The 
 seeds came up and the prospects were as bright and as 
 cheering as any farmer ever had. One beautiful day as I 
 was going out to turn over some more sod for the next 
 year’s crop, I noticed that the sun was suddenly darkened 
 as if by a cloud. This darkness continued so long that I 
 looked up toward the sun to see the cause of it, when, to 
 my amazement, I discovered that it was obscured by 
 millions of some kind of insect flying not more than two 
 hundred feet above the ground. It was one black mass 
 of fluttering insect life, so long and wide that the eye 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 4I 
 
 could not see the limits of it. Within a short time the 
 insects began to fall to the ground like raindrops which 
 precede a downpour, These were only forerunners— 
 prospectors, as it were—for within a half-hour enough of 
 the insects had alighted to cover the ground literally, and 
 in some places they were crawling over each other an inch 
 thick. They proved to be the Rocky Mountain grass- 
 hopper or locust. When the sun rose the next morning 
 not a grasshopper was to be seen; and the field, green with 
 vegetation the day before, was as barren as it was when I 
 got through harrowing it.” 
 
 “That was discouraging enough,” observed Mr. Spell- 
 binder. , 
 
 “Yes, that was bad enough, but it was not as bad as 
 what followed,” replied Mr. Grafton. ‘“ We had enough 
 of some things grown the previous year to run us through 
 the winter by exercising rigid economy. In addition to 
 this I raised some sod-corn and some turnips, planted after 
 the grasshoppers had gone. The wild grass crop was good, 
 for the grasshoppers did not disturb that, so we had abund- 
 ance of hay for the stock. The next year the hoppers came 
 again and staid all summer, and laid their eggs. They 
 kept the fields bare all the season, and were so thick every- 
 where that one could not step without crushing a number 
 of them. The next year, when the eggs had hatched, the 
 little hoppers proved more destructive to the crops than 
 had the old ones which fell from the clouds. By the time 
 they were large enough to fly they had eaten everything 
 they could eat, and when they left us it was too late to 
 plant any kind of- seed with any prospect of a crop. So 
 we were left in a very destitute condition. We had noth-. 
 ing to feed our hogs, and the horses and cattle were com- 
 pelled to subsist upon hay. A great many of the settlers 
 left the country, declaring that they would never come 
 
42 _ THe HoMmeEstEADER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 back, and that anybody who wanted their improvements 
 could have them. We sttck it otit by the help of contri- 
 butions received from friends in Missouri, and from relief 
 committees who solicited and forwarded food and clothing 
 to the grasshopper-stricken portion of the State. The rail- 
 roads hauled these things gratis, and also brotight coal in 
 
 from their own mines in Wyoming, which they distributed 
 
 free to the impoverished settlers who had the courage to 
 stay on their claims.” 
 
 “That was a very trying experience, I must say,” ob- 
 served Mr. Spellbinder, “and forms a very interesting 
 chapter in the State’s history.” 
 
 “Yes,” said Mr. Moore, “I think as much myself, but 
 I am glad the State got through the grasshopper experi- 
 ence before I made my advent.”’ 
 
 “There is one thing in your story, Mr. Grafton, that 
 rather astonishes me,’ said Mr. Spellbinder, “I was 
 hatdly prepared to hear you say that the railroads hauled 
 anything for nothing or made any contributions for the 
 relief of the settlers.” ° 
 
 “It is a little surprising after all you have heard against 
 the railroads, but they did even more than that: they 
 made a contribution of money to help the destitute settlers.” 
 
 “ That was certainly generous, wasn’t it?” remarked Mr. 
 Moore. i 
 
 “T don’t know about that,” replied Mr. Grafton, “ they 
 did it out of selfish motives, fot if the settlers had all left 
 the State it would have been a terrible backset to the rail- 
 road companies. They had millions of acres of land which 
 had been given them as a subsidy by the Government, arid 
 these wotild have become valtieless, at least for a great 
 many years, if the country had been entirely abandoned. 
 As it was, the country was set back at least ten years. For 
 one I always felt grateful to the railroads, but never allowed 
 
 - 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 43 
 
 them to put a brass collar with their brand on it around 
 my neck in politics. Most of us old settlers have been 
 against the railroads in the State politics. We joined the 
 anti-monopoly party when it started, and then went into 
 the Alliance, and from that into the Populist party. A 
 good many of us had always been Democrats, and it was 
 
 easier for us to work with these parties than with the ras- 
 
 cally Republicans. The Populist party was developed in 
 this way:—The old greenbackers and men who hadn't been 
 well treated in the old parties, and the temperance agitators 
 and the fellows who had proved up on their homesteads 
 and mortgaged them and were hanging on by the skin of 
 their teeth, and the anti-Union Pacific fellows, were kind-of 
 brought together by the grasshoppers and the drought, and 
 we now have a pretty strong party.” 
 
 At this last remark all laughed heartily. Mr. Spellbinder 
 observed that it had never occurred to him that the fusion 
 in the State included grasshoppers and drought; but it 
 seemed quite plain to him now, after what Mr. Grafton had 
 told them, that Providence really had something to do 
 with the organization of the fusion moyement. 
 
 Mr. Moore, who had been a quiet listener up to this 
 point, or nearly so, spoke up with sudden animation, prob- 
 ably encouraged to do so by the apparent disapproval of 
 Virginia of the remark of Mr. Spellhinder in connecting 
 Providence with politics—a conclusion he reached, not 
 from anything she had said, but from an involuntary shake 
 of her head and the expression of her countenance, which, 
 with her, sometimes meant a great deal more than words— 
 and said: 
 
 “I doubt very much the correctness of the suggestion 
 that Providence takes any part in political strife. I can 
 hardly bring myself to the conclusion that Providence 
 would send scourges upon womenaand children in order to 
 
A4 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 promote the ends of any political party. I have always 
 been a Democrat, and I am in favor of downing the Repub- 
 lican party, but I fail to see the necessity of dragging 
 Providence into the cesspool of politics in order to accom- 
 plish that end.” 
 
 This rather pleased Virginia, who said: 
 
 “T agree with Mr. Moore entirely; besides, I do not 
 believe with papa that everything advocated by the Repub- 
 lican party is bad. All the good is not in any one party, 
 nor is all the bad in any one party. It seems to me the 
 Republican party should be given credit for a good many 
 things it has done in the interest of the poor man, or the 
 plain people, as the politicians say.” 
 
 “T would like to know one good thing the Republican 
 party has ever done for the common people,” replied Mr. 
 Grafton. 
 
 “T am no politician,’ replied Virginia, “nor do I take 
 any special interest in the conflict of parties, but it seems 
 to me from what history I have read that when the Repub- 
 lican party enacted the homestead law, and the timber-claim 
 law, making it possible for the poor man, and woman too, 
 for that matter, to acquire good lands to make a home on, it 
 was a good thing for the common people. The Democratic 
 party, dominated by the slave-drivers of the South, had 
 always refused to pass such laws; but as soon as the Repub- 
 lican party came into power, about the first thing it did 
 was to pass these laws. Besides that, the Republican party 
 was in favor of saving the Union, and having but one flag 
 for the entire country, and really stood back of Lincoln, as 
 against the Democratic party, in all of the war measures 
 which resulted in saving the Union and preserving the one 
 flag, handed down by the fathers who founded the Union. 
 This was certainly in the interest of the common people; 
 and it seems to me that’when the Republican party struck 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES AS 
 
 the shackles off of four millions of poor black people, and 
 put it in the Constitution that every man, black and white 
 and red should have equal rights, it was doing something 
 for the common people. And I don’t think the Democratic 
 party, at least the bulk of it, which has put in the constitu- 
 tions of ten Southern States, and on the statute-books of 
 those States, provisions that disfranchise more than half 
 of the voters in some of those States because they are poor 
 and ignorant and comparatively helpless, can claim to be 
 a party devoted to the common people. It seems to me 
 also that the Republican party did something for the com- 
 mon people when it took such high ground in favor of giv- 
 ing liberal pensions to the soldiers and sailors who fought 
 for the Union and were wounded or lost their health by 
 exposure in the line of duty, and in taking care of their 
 widows and orphans. I have always thought that the Re- 
 publican party was in favor of doing a great deal for the 
 laboring people by favoring laws that kept out of the 
 country goods that were made by cheap or pauper labor in 
 foreign countries, and thus reserving the manufacture of 
 them for our own people; and I am not so sure but that 
 the Republican party has done a good thing for the com- 
 mon people by preventing the coinage of fifty-cent dollars, 
 and instead giving the country gold and paper and silver 
 dollars all of equal value. As a matter of fact, I could 
 think of a good many other things that the Republican 
 party has done for the common people if I would take the 
 time. If papa will excuse me for appearing to be personal 
 I will say that this splendid ranch that we live on was given 
 to him by the operation of a Republican law, and it seems 
 to me he ought not to be so bitter toward that party. But 
 then I am only a woman and I am not supposed to know 
 very much about politics, although I read political history 
 just the same as I do any other history.” 
 
6 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 4 . 
 
 Mr. Grafton had listened to his daughter’s remarks with 
 a good deal of interest, and while he certainly did not agree 
 with her, he yet manifested in his countenance paternal 
 pride on account of the fact that his daughter could speak 
 so well on current, political topics. He could not pass over 
 what she said in silence, and he replied: 
 
 “There, you see, gentlemen, I have a rebel in my own 
 camp. It looks very much as if my daughter had not 
 benefited from her home training, and I think that she 
 has been devoting too much time to ‘ancient history.’ 
 What do we care now what the Republican party may 
 have done years ago? It is what that party is doing now 
 that we are interested in. It is the party of expansion and 
 imperialism and favors protection which fosters trusts, and 
 is opposed to the free coinage of silver. These are the 
 burning issues of the present time, and I commend them 
 to my daughter for her careful consideration.” 
 
 “JT don’t pretend to know a great deal about such 
 things,” responded Virginia, “but it seems to me that if 
 there had ever been any good reason for the agitation over 
 the free coinage of silver, that reason no longer exists, and 
 therefore the question is dead. As I understand it, the two 
 principal reasons for the agitation are that we didn’t have 
 money enough in circulation, and that the gold standard 
 made money dearer. These two reasons for free coinage 
 of silver no longer exist because we have more money now 
 per capita than we ever had, and goid and silver and paper 
 money can be borrowed at a lower rate of interest than 
 ever was known before in this or any other country. The 
 business of the country is good; everything that a farmer 
 or manufacturer has to sell brings a good price and is paid 
 for in money that is worth one hundred cents on the dollar; 
 everybody is paying off his debts, and very few people-are 
 going into debt; and, so far as imperialism is concerned, 
 
A Story or THE TIMES 47 
 
 nobody—Republican or anybody else—is in favor of it, and 
 all the parties are in favor of regulating trusts. There is one 
 thing I like about the Republican party, and that is that they 
 ‘will not allow the flag of the country to be fired on without 
 firing back; and when people fire on it and keep firing on it 
 the Republican party will neither haul the flag down nor 
 run away with it to get it out of the way of the enemy’s 
 guns. I don’t think any patriot ought to vote against the 
 party on this account. The truth is I would vote against 
 any party that is not in favor of upholding the sovereignty 
 of the United States.” 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder and Mr. Moore both made no effort to 
 conceal their admiration for Virginia on account of her 
 clear and bold utterances, notwithstanding the fact that 
 she was rapping them hard over the knuckles, figuratively 
 speaking. The truth was that Moore, who was not a poli- 
 tician, was tickled away down in his boots at the way Vir- 
 ginia ripped Mr. Spellbinder up his political back. Moore 
 had never taken any interest in politics of any kind until 
 he had become acquainted with Virginia, and found that 
 in order to make any headway in paying court to her it was 
 necessary for him to appear to take an interest in and to 
 agree with her father. He was a close-mouthed man, and 
 very few persons learned from him anything respecting his 
 business affairs or his political views. Mr. Grafton had 
 told around that Moore was all right politically, and on this 
 account he had been classed with the Populists. 
 
 After supper the gentlemen adjourned to Mr. Moore's 
 foom, where they indulged in smoking some of his 
 imported cigars. Mr. Spellbinder referred to the lingering 
 effects of Mr. Moore’s bitter experience in the blizzard and 
 said: 
 
 “You must have had a pretty severe experience in your 
 battle with the blizzard the night you made the attempt 
 to assist Miss Grafton in rescuing her school.” 
 
48 THE HoMESTEADER’Sy DAUGHTER 
 
 “Yes,” replied Mr, Moore, “I did have a pretty severe 
 tussle with the storm. I was lucky though in stumbling up 
 against the cow-shed on the Browning ranch, Just how 
 
 I got into the stable and what happened after I got in, I- 
 
 don’t recollect. A part of the experience is very blank to 
 me, but I was fortunate in falling into the hands of the 
 
 Graftons after I was found. No one was ever nursed more 
 
 carefully and kindly than I have been by them, and I owe a 
 debt of gratitude to them that I shall never be able to pay. 
 
 “It was. a close call,” said Mr. Spellbinder. 
 
 “Yes,” replied Mr. Moore, “as close as I ever had, and 
 I have had some pretty narrow escapes with my life. I 
 owe my life in this case to Miss Virginia.” 
 
 “You owe your life to Miss Grafton?’’ exclaimed Mr. 
 Spellbinder. “She must have been an all-round heroine 
 in that storm. The papers were full of her heroism in say- 
 ing the school, but I did not read anything of her services 
 to you.” ; 
 
 Mr. Moore briefly told how she had bravely rallied to his 
 relief when he was found nearly dead in the stable, and 
 was very eloquent in his praise of her. 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder joined him in his estimate of Virginia, 
 but a careful scrutiny of his face would have disclosed the 
 fact that he was not particularly well pleased with the 
 thought that the blizzard had brought Moore and Miss 
 Grafton into such friendly relations with each other. He 
 had made up his mind to become an avowed suitor for the 
 hand of Virginia, and this new difficulty in his way aroused 
 in him a feeling of resentment, especially since it had be- 
 come apparent that Mr. Moore was really in love with Vir- 
 ginia. Just how far he had gone in his love-making 
 was a question in the mind of Spellbinder which he would 
 have given*anything in his power to have answered. He 
 made a mental resolve then and there that he would lose no 
 
 4 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 49 
 
 time in pressing his suit upon Virginia. He was ready to 
 hate any man who dared to place himself in a position to 
 be suspected even of loving Virginia. The truth was that 
 the two men looked upon each other as rivals, and hated 
 each other accordingly. 
 
 The conversation between Mr. Spellbinder. and Mr. 
 Moore turned on the business outlook of the country in 
 which the latter took a keen interest. Mr. Spellbinder 
 said: 
 
 “You have quite a large ranch, I understand, and a good 
 deal of stock.” 
 
 “Yes, I have a pretty good-sized ranch,” answered Mr. 
 Moore, “ fairly well stocked for this part of the country, 
 but of course it would be considered a small affair in Texas 
 where ranches are several hundred times larger than mine.” 
 
 “Stock-raising pays pretty well, doesn’t it?” asked Mr. 
 Spellbinder. 
 
 “Tt doesn’t always pay,” replied Moore, “but during 
 the last three years, or perhaps since the boom set in in 
 1897, stock-raising has been profitable. Since that time 
 stockmen have received the biggest prices ever known since 
 the Civil War for whatever they had to sell. The worst 
 feature of the times has been that we could not get hands 
 to run the ranches without paying them big salaries, and | 
 even at the wages paid it is hard to get good men to do the 
 work. The years referred to have been all that stockmen | 
 could wish.” 
 
 “You really think, then, that the Jast three years have 
 been prosperous years?”’ asked Mr. Spellbinder. 
 
 “Most certainly I do,” replied Mr. Moore. ‘“ The figures 
 show that. Stockmen, farmers, laborers, manufacturers 
 and everbody will attest to the truthfulness of the figures 
 which show that for the last three years, from ’97 to 1900, 
 the country has had such prosperity as never before. Our 
 
50 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 imports have been the largest and our exports have been 
 the largest ever known, and the balance of trade in our 
 favor has been so large that the United States has become 
 the creditor nation of the world. Instead of borrowing 
 money as a nation from foreign nations we are now lend- 
 ing money to them. While we are making internal im- 
 provements that astonish the world, and are enlarging our 
 Navy so as to make it the equal of that of any nation, we 
 are about to expend millions of dollars upon an inter- 
 oceanic canal and are carrying on a war at the same time. 
 To me it is perfectly amazing, viewed from a business 
 standpoint, what prosperity the entire country is enjoying, 
 and when you think of it in connection with the facet that 
 only six years ago the Government was borrowing money 
 at a big rate of interest to meet current expenses, and 
 Coxey armies were tramping from one end of the country 
 to the other begging for work and bread, and business 
 failures were more numerous than they had eyer been be- 
 fore, and everybody who had money was disposed to hide 
 it away, the present prosperous condition becomes more 
 and more incomprehensibie. 
 
 “You take a very cheerful, and, it seems to me, exag- 
 gerated view of the situation,” said Mr. Spellbinder. 
 
 “It is not a view nor a theory with me, Mr. Spellbinder,” 
 replied Mr. Moore. “ When the times are such as to in- 
 crease my income two or three hundred per cent I ought to 
 be pretty well satisfied with them. It is dollars and cents 
 with me. As long as I get good prices for my cattle and 
 horses it is not much consednence to me what the polis 
 ticians are saying and doing.” 
 
 “There is something more than business to be looked 
 at,” Mr. Spellbinder replied, “The Bryan platform is in 
 favor of the Declaration of Independence and is against 
 imperialism, militarism and trusts. To be sure it also de- 
 
A Story oF THE TIMES 51 
 
 clares for the free coinage of silver, but the miain isstie is 
 imperialism. We are against imperialism.” 
 
 “So am I, and so is everybody,’ answered Mr. Moore. 
 “ This imperialism talk is all tot. There isn’t a man in the 
 United States in favor of it; and if he was, everybody 
 would consider him a crank, without regard to party. And 
 so far as trusts are concerned, everybody is in favor of regu- 
 lating them—Republicans, Democrats and Populists alike. 
 They have all so declared in their platforms, as I under- 
 stand it. As to militarism, every patriot will be in favor of 
 havitig an army large enough to protect our interests at 
 home and abroad, and to defend the flag of the country 
 agaifist attacks of an erlemy no matter where he may be. 
 Expansion is a_ good thing if it makes our country larger 
 and stronger, and puts us in a position to make ourselves _ 
 felt as a world power. Certainly no one can deny that we 
 are better off because we own Hawaii, Porto Rico and 
 Alaska, any more than one can deny that the United States 
 is better off for having expanded so as to take in the 
 Louisiana Purchase. We have grown to be a great and 
 rich nation and can no longer live and prosper within the 
 narrow limitations which served the United States well 
 enough fifty years ago. There was a time when a twenty- 
 five-acre farm was considered too large for one man to 
 manage, but under present conditions you will find farms 
 in this broad western country covering thousands of acres 
 being successfully managed by one man. The great trouble 
 with the anti-expansionists is that they don’t realize that we 
 are a nation of nearly eighty millions of people and are 
 manufacturing more goods and producing more wheat and 
 corn and raising more horses and cattle than any other 
 -nation on earth. If we want to keep up prices and be 
 prosperous as a nation we have got to expand, and open 
 doors everywhere for the outlet of what we produce. | 
 
52 Tue HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 wasn’t particularly proud of the Democratic Convention 
 at Kansas City; for, in looking it over, | couldn't find a sin- 
 gle man in it that was at the head of or connected with 
 any great business enterprise. While it was a representa- 
 tive convention in the sense that it represented agitators 
 of all kinds and ward politicians, it seemed to me that it fell 
 very much below the Democratic Conventions of twenty- 
 five and fifty years ago.” 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder was conscious of being up against a busi- 
 ness man, and not the kind of a man his fluency of speech 
 would have much effect upon, and he very gracefully ended 
 the conversation by saying he was sleepy and thought he 
 would better retire to his bed; so bidding Mr. Moore good- 
 night, he withdrew. | 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 53 
 
 GHAR EER Va: 
 
 Mr. SPELLBINDER MAKES LOVE AND SPRINGS A MYSTERY. 
 
 The next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Spellbinder and 
 Mr. Grafton were alone together, looking at some Poll- 
 Angus cattle in which the latter took considerable pride and 
 which the former didn’t know from the old-fashioned 
 “muley,” although he agreed with Mr. Grafton fully on 
 every fine point described by him, and even went so far as 
 to take chances on exposing his ignorance by trying to 
 enlarge upon Mr. Grafton’s descriptions. At an opportune 
 time Mr. Spellbinder shifted the subject from Angus cattle, 
 Percheron horses and Berkshire hogs to a subject much 
 nearer his heart, namely, his love for Virginia. 
 
 “TI want to have a few words with you, Mr. Grafton, 
 about your daughter, if it is agreeable to you,’ said Mr, 
 Spellbinder. ! : 
 
 “Certainly, Mr. Spellbinder, it will be agreeable to me,” 
 replied Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “The subject is a trifle embarrassing to me,” said Mr. 
 Spellbinder, “but I feel it my duty to tell you that I am 
 deeply in love with your daughter, and with your permis- 
 - sion I shall endeavor to win her consent to be my wife. I 
 have loved her ever since you were in Lincoln attending 
 the legislature; and while I have not made bold to declare 
 my love to her, yet I have at different times endeavored to 
 impress her with the idea that I was deeply interested in 
 her. Since coming here last evening I have realized more 
 and more how deeply my love for her has taken root, and 
 
54 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 I have determined to ask her for her hand before I take 
 my departure, unless you forbid it.” 
 
 “T feel highly honored, Mr. Spellbinder, by your frank 
 statement, and I do not care to put anything in the way of 
 your wish toward my daughter; but Ill be equally frank 
 with you by saying that I fear that you are a little too 
 late” ;—and his eye falling upon a fine steer, Mr. Grafton 
 immediately changed the subject back to hoofs and horns 
 by saying to Mr. Spellbinder that that steer would weigh 
 more than three thousand pounds! 
 
 Paying no attention to his stidden descetit from the 
 stiblime to the ridiculous by Mr. Grafton, Mr. Spellbinder 
 called him back to the stibject in which he was interested 
 by asking: 
 
 “ What am I to understand; Mr. Grafton, from what you 
 say about my being too late? Is your daughter engaged to 
 that man Moore?” 
 
 He asked this question in a voice that itidicated a good 
 deal of feeling, and the look he gave the Angus steer which 
 Mr. Grafton was looking at so intently showed plainly 
 enough that he didn’t care a nickel whether the steer 
 weighed one pound or three thousand pounds. 
 
 Mr. Gtafton turned half around ahd looked Mr. Spell- 
 binder full in the face and answered: 
 
 “T don’t know whether she is engaged to him or not, but 
 I am of the opinion that they understand each other pretty 
 well; and from the way the talk drifted at the table last 
 night I guess he has a sixteen to one cinch on her, Maybe 
 I’m wrong, though. She hasn’t said as much to me, and 
 she always lets her mother and me know her plans. Moore 
 is a ptetty good man, so far as I know, and he has a big 
 ranch and heaps of stock, you know.” 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder leaiied against the cortal fence, lookirig 
 abstractedly at the steers for some time, when he said: 
 
A Story oF THE TIMES 55 
 
 “I guess you don’t know this man Moore or you 
 wouldn’t have him lying around your house taking advan- 
 tage of every opportunity to press his suit upon your lovely 
 daughter, who is worthy. of a better man than I know 
 Moore to be.” ; 
 
 “What do you know about Moore, that we don’t?’’’ 
 asked Mr. Grafton in an excited way. 
 
 “Well, one thing I know that you don’t seem to know, 
 judging from what I have heard you say about him, and 
 that is that he isn’t with us politically. You seem to think 
 he is all right in this respect, but I happen to know enough 
 of him to assert that if he isn’t a spy in the camp he is try- 
 ing to fool you for some sinister purpose.” 
 
 “What is this you are telling me about Mr. Moore? Mr. 
 Spellbinder; let’s have all you know,” said Mr. Grafton 
 earnestly. 
 
 “Last night after you left us in Mr. Moore’s room, our 
 conversation turned on the business of the country, and 
 Moore, under the guise of business, pounded the support- 
 ers of Bryan into the earth. He said the fusion movement 
 under Bryan was against business prosperity, and that all 
 business men and farmers and laborers ought to let well 
 enough alone; that prosperity was to be seen everywhere, 
 and that the agitation of the silver question, and all this 
 talk about expansion and imperialism and trusts, was cal- 
 culated to bring on another panic like that we had between 
 93 and ’96. He gave it to us Populists hard, [ tell you. 
 He said he wasn’t a politician but looked at things from the 
 standpoint of a business man. He gave me the hardest 
 knocks I have had from anybody this year, Do you think 
 that is the kind of man you want for a son-in-law?” 
 
 “He never talked iike that to me,” said Mr. Grafton. 
 “Come to think about it, though, he never talked much 
 about politics to me. But [ll tell you confidentially what 
 
56 THe HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 he did do. When I was trying for Congress he let me have 
 three thousand dollars to help me out in paying the ex- 
 penses of my canvass. I gave him my note secured by a 
 mortgage on all my personal property. He agreed not to 
 place the mortgage on record and to give me all the time 
 I might need to pay off the note. He voted every man on 
 his ranch for me when I ran for the legislature and seemed 
 to take a real interest in my success. It seems to me that 
 he wouldn’t have done all that if he hadn’t been with us on 
 the main issues.” 
 
 “So, you owe him three thousand dollars, do you? He 
 lent it to you to run your campaign on; and he holds your 
 note and an unrecorded mortgage on all your personal 
 property, does he?” Mr. Spellbinder said this in an ab- 
 stracted sort of way, partly to Mr. Grafton and partly to 
 himself. He thought he could see through Moore’s scheme 
 easily enough. He had made Mr. Grafton believe he was 
 all right politically by lending him the money to help him 
 in politics. Mr. Grafton, who, aside from his tendency to 
 run off after impracticable ideas in politics, was an honest, 
 straightforward man, and it was not difficult for a man of 
 Moore’s pleasing manners and standing as a business man 
 to deceive him. It was quite evident to Mr. Spellbinder 
 that Moore had woven his web around Mr. Grafton and 
 that he was completely in his power. He thought to him- 
 self how quickly he would release Mr. Grafton from his 
 money obligation to this unscrupulous man if he had the 
 power to do so. But three thousand dollars was more 
 money than the young State officer was able to raise, and 
 therefore he was powerless to extend the relief that he 
 would otherwise be glad to do. Breaking the silence which 
 had lasted for several seconds, Mr. Spellbinder said in a 
 very deliberate way: 
 
 “Mr. Grafton, my advice to you is to get that man out 
 
 . 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 57 
 
 of your house as soon as you can, and if it is a possible 
 thing relieve yourself of the obligations you are under to 
 him on account of the loan he made you. It will be better 
 for you and better for your family. I think, under the cir- 
 cumstances, I have a right to say this much to you without 
 violating any rule of propriety.” 
 
 “T don’t understand,” replied Mr. Grafton with a pain- 
 fully puzzled expression on his face. 
 
 “You take my word for it,” said Mr. Spellbinder, “there 
 is a mystery about that man. He bodes no good to you 
 or yours.” 
 
 “But he is going to let me have more money next fall, 
 when, as you know, I am to be the fusion candidate for 
 lieutenant-governor. I can’t give him the cold shoulder 
 unless I have good reasons for doing so, without disregard- 
 ing my own interests,” answered Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “Tf you don’t,” said Mr. Spellbinder, “ you wilb wish you 
 had and you can take my word for it.” 
 
 This was said in a tone and manner that sent cold chills 
 up and down Mr. Grafton’s back. Here the conversation 
 between them ended, and Mr. Spellbinder walked up to the 
 house, while Mr. Grafton turned his attention to getting 
 the horses ready to take him to the station. 
 
 When Mr. Spellbinder arrived at the house he found 
 Virginia alone in the parlor, and he at once engaged her 
 in conversation on the subject nearest his heart. He said: 
 
 “Miss Grafton, I am glad I have found you alone, for I 
 desire to talk with you before I leave on a matter that was 
 uppermost in my mind when I left Lincoln to visit your 
 home. I almost feel that you divine what I would say.” 
 
 “Hardly, Mr. Spellbinder,” replied Virginia; “my pow- 
 ers of intuition are scarcely equal to that, I assure you.” 
 
 “Then, I am to understand, answered Mr. Spellbinder, 
 “that I have failed in my conversations with you in Lin- 
 
58 Tut HomestTEADER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 coln and in my letters to you since then to conyey to you 
 what I really desired to do, the impression that I was really 
 in loye with you. I thought it proper to mention the mat- 
 ter to your father before making any declarations to you 
 on the subject, and we have just had a conversation in 
 which the matter was discussed. He informed me that I © 
 was probably too late; that you were practically if not 
 formally engaged to Mr. Moore, May I be > held enough 
 to ask you if this is true?”’ 
 
 “Of course I do not know what father may have teen 
 by whatever remarks he made to ou,” she answered, “ and 
 I have no comment to make on what you intimate to me he 
 did say; but I desire to say to you most emphatically that 
 I am not engaged to Mr. Moore, nor am I engaged to any 
 other man; and | wish to say further, in a perfectly frank 
 and kindly way, that I have no desire to engage myself to 
 any one af this time.” 
 
 “Tam delighted to hear this, Miss Grafton, I really in- 
 ferred from what your father said to me that you were en- 
 gaged to marry Mr. Moore. I may have misunderstood 
 him—in fact, I doubtless did misunderstand him— ” 
 
 “There, Mr. Spellbinder,’ interposed Virginia, at the 
 same time raising her hands in protest, “please do me the 
 kindness not to mention Mr. Moore’s name in this connec- 
 tion. I have answered you frankly and fully already, and 
 I think, finally.” 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder hesitated a moment and then seemed 
 about to speak, but restraining himself he held out his hand 
 which she took, and without speaking another word they 
 shook hands and parted. 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder bade Mrs. Grafton a hearty good-bye, 
 and she urged him to come again to visit them whenever he 
 might find it convenient to do so. 
 
 The leave-taking between Mr. Spellbinder and Mr. 
 
A Story oF THE TIMES 59 
 
 Moore was noticeably formal. It was very apparent that 
 they had conceived a positive dislike for each other. 
 
 On the way to the station Mr. Grafton tried several titnes 
 to engage Mr. Spellbinder in conversation, but that gentle- 
 man seemed singularly disinclined to talk on any subject, 
 even on politics. Once; however; he became interested 
 when Mr. Grafton remarked that it would be better for 
 meti in debt if free coiriage of silver could be brought about. 
 
 “TI guess you’re right about that,” replied Mr, Spell- 
 binder, “it would give you a chance to pay off that money 
 you borrowed from Moore in fifty-cent dollars, provided 
 you had any bullion to take to the mint to be coined into 
 money: And I wish you had, by George, for I would like 
 to see that rascal beaten out of about half that money he 
 lent you in order to get you into his power.” 
 
 “T have no desire,” replied Mr. Grafton, “to beat any- 
 body, and I don’t kiiow as it would be beating Moore to 
 pay off the debt I owe him in legal tender. But I wish I 
 did know for a certainty whether Mr. Bryan will be elected 
 or not, and whether if he was elected Congress would pass 
 a free-coinage act; | would manage some way to raise three 
 thousand dollars, and I would buy silver bullion with it at 
 the present price of forty-six cents an ounce. I would hold 
 this until the free-coinage act went into effect and then I 
 would take it to the mint and have it coined. I would get 
 back over six thousand dollars, which would enable me to 
 pay off the debt I owe Moore and have three thousand dol- 
 lars left. That’s how free-coiriage would help me.” 
 
 “Yes, btit what would Moore say about it?” replied Mr. 
 Spellbinder in a half-joking sort of way. “ Do you think 
 he would be satisfied to be paid back in dollars worth half 
 of the dollars he let you have? Doti’t you think he would 
 kick like a bay steer?” 
 
 “T don’t see why he would. Wouldn’t he have as many 
 
60 Tue HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 dollars as | borrowed from him?” replied Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “Yes, but they would be depreciated dollars. Possibly 
 you might say dishonest dollars,” replied Mr. Spellbinder, 
 who was in a mood to badger his friend Grafton a little. 
 “ Moore would think, if he didn’t say it—and I think he’d 
 say it—that he had been flim-flammed out of just fifteen 
 hundred dollars.” : 
 
 Noticing that Mr. Grafton was looking at him in a curi- 
 ously earnest way as if he was surprised at hearing such 
 talk fall from the lips of a leader in the Populist party, and 
 not desiring to make an entirely wrong impression on his 
 mind, Mr, Spellbinder gave a chuckling laugh and said: 
 
 ‘“ Of course I am saying this to you and not to the pub- 
 lic. I wouldn’t have you repeat it as coming from me, and 
 I don’t want you to take what I have said too seriously for 
 I have no desire to convert you into a gold-standard Re- 
 publican,” at which both laughed heartily. 
 
 After this Mr. Spellbinder became quite himself, and 
 was as talkative as was his usual habit. He said to Mr. 
 Grafton that there was a good deal in what the Republicans 
 had to say about fifty-cent dollars, and he repeated to 
 Grafton a conversation he had had with the President of 
 the Grant Smelting Works in Omaha, which caused an- 
 other laugh. Spelilbinder told Grafton that this official 
 who had always been a Republican informed him that he 
 would like to see Bryan elected and would give a consider- 
 able sum toward the campaign fund to help the Populist 
 cause. He said he didn’t want to take an active personal 
 part in the campaign, but he would quietly put up some 
 money. 
 
 “ But, what was his object in putting up the money for 
 Bryan?” asked Mr. Grafton in an innocent sort of a way. 
 
 “Well,” replied Spellbinder, “‘ there is no secret about it; 
 the Republicans have exploited it fully. The smelting 
 
 a 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 61 
 
 works had six hundred thousand dollars worth of silver 
 bullion lying in their vault, and if Bryan was elected and 
 a free-coinage law was passed it would double the value of 
 their bullion, for they could take it to the mint and have 
 it coined into over a million two hundred thousand silver 
 dollars, thus making clear at least six hundred thousand 
 dollars. It isn’t hard to see, is it, that they could afford to 
 put up a little money for Bryan to help bring about free- 
 coinage? ” 
 
 iyzublund man could see that,’ replied Mr. Graiton., “I 
 don’t think the Republicans worked that point for all there 
 was in it when they were pitching into the free coinage of 
 silver at a ratio of 16 to 1. My uncle is interested in a 
 silver mine in Mexico and he wrote me that the company 
 was going to give ten thousand dollars for the campaign 
 fund to help on the good cause; and I suspect the charges 
 made by the Republicans were about correct that the silver- 
 mine owners and bullion owners contributed more money 
 to the Bryan fund than was obtained from any other 
 source.” 
 
 “Yes,” said Mr. Spellbinder, “it would have been pretty 
 close picking for us if it hadn’t been for the silver-mine 
 owners and large bullion holders. Since then they have 
 turned their attention to mining for gold, and they have 
 made so much more money out of it I don’t believe they 
 will take so much interest this year in the campaign.” 
 
 They had reached the station, and while waiting for the 
 train to arrive, Mr. Spellbinder in a very confidential way 
 said to Mr. Grafton: 
 
 “Don’t you borrow any more money from that fellow 
 Moore, and pay off the debt you owe him, even if you have 
 to make a sacrifice to do it, as soon as possible. If you 
 can’t do it otherwise, transfer the loan. I think I can get 
 that amount of money for you at a reasonable rate of inter- 
 est. At all events you must get out of the hands of Moore.” 
 
62 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 Mr. Grafton looked at Mr. Spellbinder in a most earn- 
 est way and acted like a man who felt that his private busi- 
 ness was being pried into in a most impertinent manner. 
 Whatever his thoughts were, he contented himself with say- 
 ing: 
 
 “You don’t seem to like Mr. Moore, and it seems to me 
 you go further than you should to show it. Moore has been 
 neighborly with me and helped me when he had an oppor- 
 tunity to do it.” 
 
 “Yes, I know he helped you in a way,’ answered Mr. 
 Spellbirnder, “ but he never would have done it if he hadn't 
 thought that he could get you into his power by doing it. 
 I don’t want you to think that I’m impertinent and trying 
 to stick my nose into your private affairs; and to satisfy you 
 of this I will tell yott something in confidence about this 
 man, Moore. I cannot tell you all, for if I did it might pos- 
 sibly defeat the ends of justice. I will say this much to 
 you, however; he is a dangerous man, and it will not be 
 very long, I think, before you will have full proof of my 
 statement. I thought I recognized him when I first met 
 him at your house, but I was not quite stire of it until this 
 morning. His photograph is in the hands of the officers in 
 Lincoln at this time, and I am so sure that ] am not mis- 
 taken in the identity of the man that I shall put the officers 
 on to him as soon as I get back.” 
 
 “You don’t mean to say that he is a renegade from jus- 
 tice, do you?”’ exclaimed Mr. Grafton in a tortie of voice 
 that indicated a good deal of suppressed excitement. 
 
 “That is just exactly what I mean, Mr. Grafton, and I 
 trust you will not say anything that will give him warning 
 that he has been discovered,” replied Mr. Spellbinder. 
 
 The train came, at this point in the conversation, and the 
 two men shook hands and parted. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was in a not very comfortable state of mind 
 
A Story oF THE TIMES 63 
 
 for the rest of the day. He felt confident that Mr. Spell- 
 binder, who was a responsible man and a prominent State 
 officer, would hardly make such a remark about a man sit- 
 uated as Mr. Moore was unless he believed what he said. 
 Yet he could not dismiss the thought from his mind that 
 Mr. Spellbinder was mistaken. At least he hoped so. 
 
64 THE HomMesteaDER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Mr. Moore WELL Enoucu To RETURN TO HIs Own 
 RANCH. 
 
 The day after Mr. Spellbinder’s departure Mr. Moore an- 
 nounced his purpose to return to his “ bachelor’s den” on 
 his ranch. He said he felt quite himself, and while he 
 would be glad to prolong his stay with friends who had 
 been so good to him, he felt that to stay longer would be 
 imposing on hospitality. He expressed his thanks to Mrs, 
 Grafton and Virginia for their motherly and sisterly care in 
 the most felicitous words possible. His manner was so 
 deferential and earnest, and his gratitude was so full of 
 genuine feeling, that Mrs. Grafton was moved to tears, and 
 Virginia realized, as she had never done before, that the 
 man possessed unusual powers of fascination. 
 
 When he had expressed his gratitude and Mrs. Grafton 
 had recovered her composure, he said: 
 
 “T will not feel satisfied to have been the beneficiary of 
 all your kindness and helpfulness in my convalescence un- 
 less you will Shee to receive from me a suitable com- 
 pensation in money.” 
 
 He was about to go on when Mrs. Gr nite lifted up her 
 hands in protest to his saying anything further. Virginia 
 spoke up and said: 
 
 “Mr. Moore you are entirely welcome to what we have 
 been able to do for you and we only regret that it was not 
 in our power to do more. We cannot entertain the sug- 
 gestion for a moment that you have just made.” 
 
A Story or THE TIMES 65 
 
 “ Certainly not,” said Mrs. Grafton, “ we could not think 
 of doing such an unneighborly thing.” 
 
 At this moment Mr. Moore’s carriage appeared at the 
 gate, and the man who had come every day from the ranch 
 to see Mr. Moore and to bring such of his mail as needed 
 his personal attention alighted and came up to the house. 
 Mr. Moore met him at the door and told him that he was 
 ready to go and that he would find his effects already pack- 
 ed in his room. While the man was carrying out Mr. 
 Moore’s instructions the latter pressed upon Mrs. Grafton 
 and Virginia an invitation for them to ride over to his ranch 
 with him in the carriage, as in this way they would make 
 his departure from the Grafton home much pleasanter for 
 him. They accepted the invitation and really enjoyed the 
 ride over in Mr. Moore’s rather stylish turnout. In fact 
 the carriage was about the most luxurious one owned in 
 the. county, and the horses were probably as fine a team as 
 there was in the State. The ride over to Mr. Moore’s ranch 
 was in every way pleasant, and Virginia thought she had 
 never known Mr. Moore quite so brilliant and entertaining. 
 As they were nearing the ranch Mr. Moore said: 
 
 “T trust you will do me the honor of inspecting my bach- 
 elor quarters. I have many times felt like inviting you 
 over, but never was quite sure that you had enough inter- 
 est in a bachelor’s retreat to accept; and for this poor 
 reason doubtless proved myself, in your estimation, very 
 unneighborly and inhospitable.” 
 
 Mrs. Grafton said they would be very pleased to accept 
 his invitation. 
 
 When they entered the reception-room of the house they 
 were surprised at its coziness and elegance. Indeed, as 
 they passed from one room to another they were more and 
 more surprised at the exquisite taste shown in the furnish- 
 ings and appointments. The library was Mr. Moore’s spe- 
 
66 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 cial delight, and.he called attention to it with an enthusiasm 
 which showed that he was a true lover of books; and a mere 
 glance at the well-filled shelves was sufficient to satisfy an 
 intelligent observer that he was a man of refined taste and 
 broad culture. Another room which he called his museum 
 was filled with curios and bric-a-brac which he had col- 
 lected in his extensive travels. He gave a running ac- 
 count of some of the most attractive objects in the collec- 
 tion which caused a half-hour to pass very quickly. 
 
 “Why!” said Virginia, “you never told us anything 
 about’ these interesting curios and your fine library. It 
 seems to me you have been strangely reticent about what 
 you call your bachelor’s den.” 
 
 “And,” added Mrs. Grafton, “ you have said not a word 
 
 about your housekeeper.” 
 
 “T’m afraid,” replied Mr. Moore, “that I have been more 
 selfish than I should have been. There is danger of one’s 
 becoming too much of a recluse when he shuts himself up 
 in his library on a ranch situated miles away from his neigh- 
 bors. If I had thought, however, that you would have 
 taken such a positive interest in my quarters, I assure you 
 nothing would have given me more pleasure than to have 
 had you visit them long ago and often. I shall not be so 
 unneighborly in the future.” 
 
 “ But you haven't said anything about your housekeeper, 
 of whom I[ inquired a moment ago,” said Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 “T hope you do not think I have a woman housekeeper 
 here,” replied Mr. Moore, laughing. 
 
 “Everything is so neat and tidy one would be almost 
 forced to the conclusion that there was a woman around 
 somewhere,” replied Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 “My housekeeper,” replied Mr. Moore, “is a little 
 Frenchman who knows how to do everything. He was 
 my valet for a number of years when I devoted my time 
 
A Story oF THE TIMES 67 
 
 to globe-trotting; and when I located here he astonished 
 me by informing me that he knew how to cook and take 
 care of a house. The truthfulness of his claim you have 
 already attested, and I will fail in my duty to him not to 
 fully agree with you. He certainly is as particular in his 
 housekeeping as any one could be. In addition to all that 
 he is a most excellent cook, and I hope to have the pleasure 
 of giving you an opportunity to judge of his accomplish- 
 ment in this direction some time very soon. He is the man 
 who has been coming to see me every day while I was con- 
 fined at your house, He insisted that I] should come home 
 instead of remaining there, boldly informing me that he 
 was as good a nurse as anybody and that he could take care 
 of ime quite as well as anybody else. But I was too well 
 contented where I was to think of yielding to his persuasive 
 eloquence.” 
 
 “You certainly do us a great honor and pay us a very 
 high compliment, Mr. Moore,” said Virginia. 
 
 “TI only wish,” earnestly replied Mr. Moore, “that you 
 would allow me to pay you something more substantial 
 than compliments,” addressing himself particularly to Mrs. 
 Grafton. He continued by saying: 
 
 “T have been thinking ever since you refused to accept 
 money from me that | would be most happy if you would 
 accept as a present from me, as a small token of my grati- 
 tude, the carriage and horses now awaiting your return 
 home. I have another carriage and a buggy and plenty of 
 horses, and do not need this rig; and I do hope you will - 
 accept it, not as compensation—oh! no—but as an expres- 
 sion of my regard and gratitude.” 
 
 Mrs. Grafton gave signs of yielding to Mr. Moore’s in- 
 fluence, and Virginia took the matter into her own hands 
 by saying in a very emphatic, yet kindly way, that they 
 could not think of accepting such a gift; that while they 
 
68 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 fully realized he was in earnest and was prompted by the 
 highest motive, yet they could not accede to his wish in 
 the matter. And lest her mother might yet yield, Vir- 
 ginia arose and said they must be going, and led the way 
 at once to the carriage. 
 
 On their way home Mrs. Grafton remarked to her 
 daughter that she had never met a more delightful gentle- 
 man, nor a more appreciative and generous one than Mr. 
 Moore. 
 
 Virginia, making no reply to this remark of her mother, 
 the latter construed her silence to mean really what it did 
 not, and she continued by saying: 
 
 “T am satisfied that Mr. Moore is greatly interested in 
 you, Virginia, and while I don’t desire to interfere with 
 your choice of a husband, I feel quite sure he would make 
 you a most excellent one, and I do hope you will give hinr 
 encouragement,” 
 
 “T agree with you, mother,” replied Virginia, “that Mr. 
 Moore is a very interesting man, and appears to have that 
 charming quality of gratitude which must be admired in 
 every one as a crowning virtue.” 
 
 Mrs. Grafton seemed pleased with this answer, notwith- 
 standing it was so general in its character. She would not 
 have been so well pleased had she been able to read Vir- 
 ginia’s thoughts. As a matter of fact the visit to Mr. 
 Moore’s house had accentuated, rather than diminished, 
 Virginia’s fear of this man. She had read the subtle work- 
 ings of his countenance, and the conclusions she reached 
 from her analysis were entirely satisfactory to her. She 
 recognized the superior bearing of the man, his carefully 
 selected words, his charming deference to ladies, his re- 
 fined reserve, and cleverness in turning every point to his 
 advantage without seeming to have any such purpose, but 
 this fact did not envelop him in a disguise that was so com- 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 69 
 
 plete as to prevent Virginia from seeing through it and dis- 
 cerning something of the real character of the man. She 
 saw how strangely her mother was fascinated by him, and 
 she had discovered that her father for some reason was in 
 his power. This only determined her the more to avoid 
 the man as much as possible and to await developments. 
 
 Not long after this event Mr. Moorein his carriage over- 
 took Virginia on her way from her school. He invited her 
 to ride with him, which she consented to do. Mr. Moore 
 was a good conversationalist and never lacked for some- 
 thing interesting and appropriate to say. Overtaking Vir- 
 ginia on her way from school suggested to his mind the 
 circumstance of her having passed over a part of the road 
 they were on the night when she so heroically led her 
 school through the blizzard to a place of safety. He re- 
 marked: 
 
 “This is a very different evening from the one of the 
 awiul blizzard when you passed over a part of this road at 
 the head of the column of children you were trying to save. 
 Looking at the approaching sunset and the peaceful land- 
 scape, than which I never have seen anything more beauti- 
 ful in any part of the world, one can hardly realize that this 
 landscape was the theater of such a storm as that which 
 swept over this community and brought sorrow and mourn- 
 ing to so many homes.” 
 
 “T never allow myself to recall the fearful storms I have 
 witnessed on the prairies when I am enjoying such an even- 
 ing as this. I prefer to drink in the glorious ecstasy with- 
 out attempting to make the picture more positive in its 
 coloring by contrasting it with the effects produced by the 
 wild and violent blizzard,” replied Virginia. 
 
 His conversation all the way to her home was of the kind 
 to intoxicate and entrance, but it fell short of that effect on 
 Virginia. She recognized the gifts of the man, and the 
 
70 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 treasures of exquisite knowledge he seemed able to weave 
 about even the most commonplace subjects, to the delecta- 
 tion of his hearer, but the effect on her was simply intel- 
 lectual. 
 
 When he assisted Virginia to alight at her home he beg- 
 ged her to allow him to call on her soon. 
 
 “It will give us all pleasure, Mr. Moore, to have you 
 visit our home at any time,” said Virginia in her usually 
 frank and cordial manner. 
 
 Acting upon this invitation Mr. Moore drove over to the 
 Grafton ranch the next evening. Mrs. Grafton and Vir- 
 ginia met him with pleasing cordiality, but it was noticed 
 by Virginia, if not by Mrs. Grafton and their visitor, that 
 Mr. Grafton’s reception of Mr. Moore lacked its usual en- 
 thusiasm. Virginia ascribed this conduct on the part of 
 her father to a slight indisposition of which he had been 
 complaining, being in ignorance of the real cause. How- 
 ever, Mrs. Grafton and Virginia made it very pleasant for 
 Mr. Moore, and the evening passed off enjoyably enough 
 for that gentleman, notwithstanding his disappointment at 
 not having an opportunity to broach the subject uppermost 
 in his mind. 
 
 Mr. Grafton had very little to say during the evening, 
 but just before Mr. Moore took his departure he asked him 
 if he had read Mr, Bryan’s great Fourth of July speech, 
 delivered at Lincoln. | 
 
 “No,” replied Mr. Moore, “but I should like to, be- 
 cause I usually enjoy reading his speeches; they are always 
 so eloquent.” 
 
 “Tl be glad to let you have the speech,” replied Mr. 
 Grafton. ‘“ There are some things in it, however, that I 
 do not like very much. One passage in particular it seems 
 to me he might better have omitted. For example, in re- 
 ferring to the political battle of this year he said: ‘The 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 71 
 
 fight this year will be to carry out the sentiment of that 
 song we have so often repeated, ‘My country ’tis of thee.’ 
 If we lose, our children and our children’s children will not 
 succeed to the spirit of that song, and-celebrations of the 
 Fourth of July will pass away; for the spirit of Empire will 
 be upon us.’ ”’ 
 
 “What is there in that, Mr. Grafton, that you object to?” 
 asked Mr. Moore. 
 
 “Well,” replied Mr. Grafton, “it’seems extravagant. If 
 it means anything, it is intended to convey the idea that if 
 Mr. Bryan is defeated the victors will be in favor of de- 
 stroying the liberty and independence which we celebrate 
 on the Fourth of July.” 
 
 “Yes; that seems to be what he says,” replied Mr. 
 Moore. 
 
 “T’m a pretty good Populist,” said Mr. Grafton, “and 
 am.a great admirer of Mr. Bryan and expect to vote for 
 him, but I don’t believe that Mr. McKinley and those who 
 will oppose Mr. Bryan at the election would be in favor of 
 anything that would take from us our liberty and inde- 
 pendence. Every intelligent citizen would oppose any 
 proposition or any measure looking to such a result. The 
 Republicans love liberty and independence and the insti- 
 tutions of the country just as well as Democrats and Popu- 
 lists and Free Silverites. Everybody knows this; and 
 however much one admires Mr. Bryan, he will be forced by 
 his own conscience to regard the prediction as extravagant 
 and foolish. Don’t you think so?” 
 
 “It appears to me,” replied Mr. Moore, “to be a rhetor- 
 ical flight—a kind of political extravaganza on a small 
 scale.” 
 
 “Mr. Bryan,’ replied Mr. Grafton, “seems given to 
 prophesying. He did a good deal of that four years ago in 
 his speeches throughout the country, and because many of 
 
 ce 
 
72 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 his predictions utterly failed, thousands of people have lost 
 confidence in him, and will not vote for him this fall. Iam 
 sorry to see him beginning so early in the campaign in the 
 role of a prophet. I’m afraid it will do him no good.” 
 
 “JT rather agree with you, Mr. Grafton,” answered Mr. 
 Moore, “ but I have always noticed that men who talk over 
 much and indulge in flights of eloquence say things that 
 won't bear the closest and most candid criticism.” 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 73 
 
 CHAPTER Vili 
 
 A LOovER’s DISAPPOINTMENT, 
 
 A few evenings after Mr. Moore’s visit to the Graftons, 
 described in the previous chapter, he was driving by, and 
 observing Miss Grafton in the yard replacing straw about 
 some valuable rose-bushes to prevent their budding too 
 early for the late frosts, he stopped and very gallantly offer- 
 ed to relieve her of the work she was doing. 
 
 “T thank you, Mr. Moore,” said Virginia, “but I have 
 nearly finished my task, which I assure you was a pleasant 
 one; for I feel in caring for these bushes which I set.out 
 with my own hands and have carefully nursed, much as a 
 
 ‘mother doubtless feels for her child when she does some- 
 
 thing for it to insure its greater comfort and safety. My 
 work being done, will you not go with me to the house? 
 Mother is there and she will be glad to see you.” 
 
 “T trust you will pardon me,” replied Mr. Moore, “ for 
 not accepting your invitation, which I would be glad to 
 accept but for a business engagement at my ranch with 
 some gentlemen from Chicago, who have probably arrived 
 there ere now. Kindly convey to your lovely mother my 
 kindest regards and explain to her why I did not pay my 
 respects to her in person. I noticed you in the yard and I 
 could not resist the temptation to speak to you. In fact 
 I thought the opportunity presented itself for me to speak 
 to you on a subject that is very near to my heart and which 
 I intended to broach at our last meeting—”’ | 
 
 “Had we better not go to the house, Mr. Moore?” Vir- 
 ginia answered in a way to suggest that she anticipated 
 
74 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 words from Mr. Moore’s lips that she would rather not 
 have him utter. 
 
 Disregarding this suggestion, he moved close to her and 
 in an earnest way said: 
 
 “Miss Grafton, I have at different times endeavored by 
 suggestions and manner to impress on your mind the 
 thought that I was deeply interested in you, aye, that I 
 loved you, and lately I determined to declare openly and 
 boldly my love and devotion for you—” 
 
 “T think,’ interposed Virginia, ‘“ we would better go to 
 the— ” 
 
 Paying no attention to Virginia’s words and evident de- 
 sire to go to the house, Mr. Moore continued: 
 
 “T will not multiply words, for I deem it quite unneces- 
 sary to do so with one of your intelligence and determined 
 character, but I must in obedience to the demands of my 
 heart say to you that I love you dearly and devotedly and 
 would be glad to be able to make you my wife. J am sure 
 I can make you happy. I have abundance of means and 
 all will be laid at your feet. By your answer you can make 
 me a happy or a miserable man.” 
 
 Virginia listened attentively and respectfully until he had 
 finished, and then calmly replied: 
 
 “T must say in all candor, Mr. Moore, that I consider 
 your offer one not to be lightly brushed aside—indeed, one 
 which any young woman might regard as an honor and a 
 compliment to her, I so consider it; but, I must be as di- 
 rect in my answer as you were pleased to be in making your 
 offer.’ Here she hesitated, and her voice trembled a little 
 with emotion, but she continued and said: “I cannot en- 
 tertain your offer of marriage.” 
 
 Mr. Moore was apparently much affected by her answer. 
 He essayed to speak several times before he was able to 
 control his voice. Finally he said: 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 75 
 
 “T am greatly disappointed. Perhaps I had no good 
 grounds for expecting a favorable answer. It may be that 
 I was blinded by my love for you. But I hope you will for- 
 give me, Miss Grafton, if I have been too bold and pre- 
 suming. Will you not give me some word of hope—some 
 encouragement to believe that I may yet be able to change 
 your decision? ” 
 
 “TI have but the one answer,” she replied; “ it cannot be.”’ 
 
 “Then, farewell, Miss Grafton, I must give you full cred- 
 it for knowing your mind and of being thoroughly sincere, 
 and, therefore, I realize that it would be futile for me to 
 press my suit further, at least at this time,” said Mr. Moore. 
 
 She extended her hand which he took in his and pressed 
 it to his lips. 
 
 As Virginia walked back to the house her thoughts were 
 somewhat tempestuous and conflicting. She began to 
 realize that she had had an offer of marriage from a very 
 superior man—one whom almost any young woman would 
 regard as a “ good catch,” and that she had rejected the 
 offer. This fact agitated her as she had never been agi- 
 tated before; and contrary to any experience she ever had 
 in her life. She half repented a decision which she had 
 made deliberately and felt certain when she made it that she 
 had done what was for the best. This conflict in her mind 
 was a new experience and made her feel that her will was 
 not as strong as she had always thought it to be. She said 
 to herself: 
 
 Sebeami clad itis over,, 1. am sure that I did right.. I 
 could never marry that man. My soul rebels against the 
 very thought. I really don’t want to marry any man.” 
 Having given vent to her feelings in this way she felt better. 
 
 The reflections of Mr. Moore as he rode home were any- 
 thing but comforting. Besides being grievously. disap- 
 pointed, his pride was stung. He felt humiliated. He fan- 
 
 ® 
 
76 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 cied that when he got ready to propose marriage to a lady 
 the response would be not only favorable, but full of eager- 
 ness. To have been turned down by a country school 
 teacher, the mere daughter of a homesteader, was really too 
 much for his proud nature to bear with any degree of com- 
 placency. As he reached his ranch and was about to give 
 his team into the hands of the stableman, he said to himself, 
 and couched his thoughts in the slang of the cowboy: 
 
 “The round-up isn’t over yet. T’ll rope that heifer. She’s i 
 
 my maverick, and I’ll put my brand on her as sure as my 
 name is—is—”’ for some reason or other he did not finish 
 his sentence, but went hurriedly to the ranch office where 
 he expected to meet some gentlemen from Chicago. 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES Th 
 
 rN TER Wks 
 
 A MEAN PROPOSITION WHICH WAS PROMPTLY REJECTED. 
 
 A few days after the occurrence detailed in the previous 
 
 # chapter, Mr. Grafton was passing the Moore ranch on his 
 
 way to the railroad station when he was hailed by Mr. 
 Moore, who asked him to alight and come in and look at 
 a lot of corn-fed steers which would be shipped to market 
 in a few days. Mr. Grafton had a pronounced weakness 
 for fat steers and he readily accepted the invitation, After 
 looking the smooth, sleek animals over with a critical eye 
 and noting their fine points, Mr. Grafton remarked: 
 
 “T would be mighty glad if I had as fine a lot of steers to 
 
 - market just at this time as these are. I think I would bea 
 
 little easier than I am now, for it would enable me to pay 
 off some debts I owe, especially the debt I owe you.” 
 
 “Now, see here, my dear Grafton, you need not worry 
 about that little sum of money I loaned you for campaign 
 purposes. It is not such a big sum, and I am in no hurry 
 about it, I assure you,” said Mr. Moore in his most suave 
 manner. - 
 
 “That’s all well enough, Mr. Moore, for you to say, but 
 I owe it to you and you hold my note and a mortgage on 
 my property, and I would feel a great deal happier if the 
 debt was paid,” replied Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “Since you have mentioned the matter, Mr. Grafton, I 
 think I ean suggest a way by which you can liquidate the 
 debt quickly and easily, if you desire to do so,” said Mr. 
 Moore. 
 
 “ How—what do you mean?” asked Mr. Grafton eag- 
 erly. 
 
78 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 ’ “TY will be plain and direct with you, Mr. Grafton,” re- 
 plied Mr. Moore. “I let you have the money to aid you in 
 your race for Congress. I wanted to see you get there, and 
 I did what I could for you—”’ here he rather hesitated. 
 
 “Yes, I know you did,” replied Mr. Grafton, “and ?m 
 under lasting obligations to you for what you did, but what . 
 are you trying to get at?” | 
 
 “Simply this,’ answered Mr. Moore, “I want to marry 
 Miss Virginia. I love her more than I thought I could 
 love any woman. I proposed to her last week and she 
 flatly refused me. Now, if you will persuade her to change 
 her mind, and marry me, I will cancel the debt you owe me. 
 I have no doubt you can do this if you want to. Will you 
 do it?” As he finished his extraordinary speech he seized 
 Mr. Grafton’s hand, and continued in the most beseeching 
 way, “ will you do it—will you do it, my friend?” 
 
 Mr. Grafton seemed dazed for a moment, but soon ral- 
 lied, and with ill-concealed indignation, replied: 
 
 “Virginia is my daughter, Mr. Moore, but I have no 
 right to dictate to her or to attempt to dictate to her in a 
 matter of this kind. If she refused you, the matter must 
 rest there unless she voluntarily changes her mind.” 
 
 ‘“T’m surprised, Mr. Grafton, that you would let a girl’s 
 caprice stand in the way of such an advantage as | gener- 
 ously offer you,” said Mr. Moore. 
 
 “See here, Moore, you have mistaken your man. I may 
 be a blamed fool as some of my neighbors say I am, in 
 politics, but when it comes to my daughter’s rights and 
 happiness I am a Grafton of good old Virginia stock. I 
 wouldn’t try to persuade my daughter to marry you or any 
 other man she had refused to marry any quicker than I 
 would be unmanly or indecent towards her.” 
 
 “ It’s an easy way to pay a debt, Grafton,” replied Moore 
 in a somewhat taunting way. 
 
& 
 
 A STORY OF THE TIMES 79 
 
 “Not for me—not for me,” quickly replied Mr. Grafton, 
 “ Tf it was three million instead of three thousand dollars it 
 would be all the same. My daughter’s happiness is more 
 to me than money.” 
 
 “JT hope you will never have occasion to regret your re- 
 jection of my offer, Grafton,” answered Moore. 
 
 Mr. Grafton drove on his way in rather an uneasy state 
 
 of mind. He was satisfied with himself for the stand he 
 
 had taken, and had nothing to regret for anything he had 
 said to Moore. In fact it was the only stand a manly 
 father could take under such circumstances. But to his 
 mind the conversation foreshadowed evil to him and his 
 family. He had come to regard Moore as a mysterious, 
 and in some sense, a dangerous character. He could not 
 explain to himself why, except it was because of what Mr. 
 Spellbinder had said to him. At all events, there was but 
 one thing for him to do and that was to get the money 
 together in some way and pay off the debt he owed Moore. 
 He went so far in the analysis of the disagreeable predica- 
 ment in which he found himself as to say that he was a 
 stupendous fool for allowing his name to be used as a can- 
 didate for Congress. He said to himself: 
 
 “JT was an idiot for doing it. Politics don’t pay, and as 
 soon as I get out of this scrape and get through running 
 for lieutenant-governor, I’ll be done with the whole busi- 
 ness. I have fooled away time and money enough on poli- 
 tics, and I’ll quit as soon as I’m elected lieutenant-governor. 
 It isn’t every man that can write a book on a campaign in 
 which he was defeated—a kind of an elaborate obituary on 
 himself, as Mr. Bryan did, and get rich out of it.. A good 
 many of us farmers spend our time and money making the 
 political pot boil only to enable smarter cooks to boil their 
 potatoes in; I believe that there was a good deal of truth 
 in what Spellbinder said jokingly—but jokes are sometimes 
 
SO THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 half truth—when he said that the farmers and laboring men 
 in the West who had no silver mines or bullion stored away 
 hadn’t much reason to be spending their time whooping it 
 up for free silver, for they would have to work just as hard 
 to get silver dollars as any other kind, and when they got 
 them maybe they wouldn’t be worth more than fifty cents © 
 on the dollar. Blamed if I see much in politics anyway.” 
 
 Mr. Grafton had worked himself into a strange confusion 
 of ideas and a most uncomfortable state of mind by the time 
 he reached the station. He put up his horses and went 
 over to his favorite trading-place, on which was a conspicu- 
 ous sign which read: 
 
 “THE FARMER’S ANTI-MoNnop. AND Co-Op. STORE.” 
 
 After doing his trading he went down to the court-house 
 to meet some of the county officers who were leading Popu- 
 lists in the county, and he found that the old soldiers were 
 holding a reunion in the court-house and court-house yard. 
 Although he had been a Confederate soldier from Mis- 
 souri, he believed in the union of the Blue and the Gray, 
 and maintained very fraternal relations with the Union sol- 
 diers of the county. In fact, one of his main objections to 
 William Jennings Bryan as a candidate for office was that 
 he had never shown himself to be particularly interested in 
 the old soldiers. The explanation made by the old veter- 
 ans that Mr. Bryan’s father was a bitter opponent of Presi- 
 dent Lincoln. and his war policy, and that this fact ac- 
 counted for the indifference of William Jennings for the 
 Union soldiers, was not calculated to help Mr. Grafton over 
 his difficulty in giving his undivided support td the brilliant 
 son. | 
 He mixed in with the boys in blue and crowded his way 
 up as near to the platform as he could, from which General 
 Paul Vandervoort, a middle-of-the road Populist, and a 
 great reunion orator was speaking. The General had been 
 
at 
 
 A STORY OF THE TIMES SI 
 
 orating a little while before Mr. Grafton came up, but he 
 was able to hear quite a good deal of the speech notwith- 
 standing. The General was saying: 
 
 “Tl tell you, boys, we want to vote as we shot—straight 
 at the enemy. Bryan was in Congress for four years from 
 Nebraska—a soldier State—and what did he say or do for 
 the soldiers during that time? I have been unable to find 
 in the Congressional Record a single law or an amend- 
 ment to a law, in the interest of the soldiers, which was 
 proposed by him. I have been unable to find reported in 
 the Congressional Record a single speech made by Bryan 
 on the floor of Congress supporting any measure looking 
 to the interest of the Union veterans. I have searched in 
 vain in the Record for a speech delivered by him defending 
 the Union soldier against the vile attacks of Democrats. 
 He sat in his seat silent as a clam when Jones of Virginia 
 and Talbot of South Carolina were making the Union sol- 
 dier the subject of severest and most unjust criticism. 
 When the Democrats charged that the Union pensioners 
 were looting the Treasury, and that they were no better 
 than highway robbers, Bryan opened not his mouth, He 
 sat and heard the abuse of the soldiers of his own State and 
 gave consent by his silence. He was no friend of the sol- 
 diers then, and if we judge righteously by what he has 
 been, he will be no friend to the Union soldier if he is 
 elected President. All of the men who have insulted the 
 Union veteran time and again in Congress, and always 
 cast their votes against him, are rampant supporters of 
 Bryan for President. These men come for the most part 
 from ten States of the Union, where half of the people are 
 governed without their consent, and they will run Bryan as 
 President precisely as they did when he was in Congress. 
 We had better trust the party which has put on the statute- 
 books every law ever enacted for the benefit of the Union 
 
82 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 soldier. We had better not run off after strange gods, as 
 too many of us did when we voted against Comrade Harri- 
 son for Cleveland. We got our reward then in vetoes and 
 in seeing comrades turned out of office simply because they 
 were Republicans and Union veterans; and as sure as there 
 is a God in Heaven we will get the same kind of reward if 
 we help elect Bryan President. Let us stay in the house of 
 our friends and we will be given bread instead of stones. 
 
 “ Bryan quotes a good deal from the sainted Lincoln in 
 the hope of fooling somebody. He would make the people 
 believe that the mantle of that great man has fallen upon 
 his shoulders. He says that Lincoln was in favor of the 
 plain people, and so is he; but, he does not tell you that 
 Lincoln once said: ‘ You can fool all of the people a part 
 of the time, a part of the people all of the time, but you 
 cannot fool all of the people all of the time.’ If that wise 
 saying of the sainted Lincoln ever applied to a man and a 
 party it applies to Bryan and to the conglomerate party 
 whose candidate for President he is. 
 
 “He does not tell you that the sayings and doings of 
 Lincoln when he was President were denounced and be- 
 littled by the organized Democracy of the North, and un- 
 less Bryan is an entirely different man from what his father 
 was, had he lived then, he would have been as stanch a sup- 
 porter of Vallandigham as was Judge Silas Bryan, from 
 whose loins William Jennings sprang. Bryan would have 
 been prominent among the men referred to by Mr. Lincoln 
 in 1863, when he said: 
 
 ““F{[e who dissuades one man from volunteering or in- 
 duces one soldier to desert, weakens the cause as much as 
 he who kills an American soldier in battle. Must I shoot 
 a simple-minded soldier boy who deserts, while 1 must not 
 touch a hair of a wily agitator who induces him to desert? 
 This is none the less injurious when effected by getting a 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 83 
 
 father or mother or friend into a public meeting and there 
 working upon his feelings till he is persuaded to write the 
 soldier boy that he is fighting in a bad cause, for a wicked 
 administration of a contemptible Government. I think 
 that, in such a case, to silence the agitator and save the boy 
 is not only Constitutional, but withal a great mercy.’ 
 “William Jennings Bryan, the agitator, never quotes this 
 language of President Lincoln. If he did, he would be 
 striking too near home. This language was spoken in 
 1863, yet it applies to William Jennings Bryan, of to-day, as 
 it did to the copperheads of that day. The Bryan of to-day 
 is encouraging our soldiers to desert in the Philippines, by 
 persuading them to believe that they are waging war for an 
 unholy cause. He is saying in his speeches substantially 
 to Aguinaldo and his followers who are firing on the United 
 States flag and ambushing our soldiers whenever they can: 
 ‘Be of good cheer; hold out a little longer, and, if I am 
 elected President, I’ll withdraw the United States army, 
 haul down the American flag and let you have your own 
 way. 
 “What more did the copperheads do from 1861 to 1865 
 than this? Did they not say to Jeff Davis and his follow- 
 ers, ‘ Hold out a little longer; be of good cheer—we will 
 elect a President who will obey the Constitution, and let 
 you go in peace’? Did not the copperheads write letters 
 to soldiers who were battling at the front encouraging them 
 to desert by telling them that they were exposing their lives 
 for a ‘wicked administration of a contemptible Govern- 
 ment’? Did they not obstruct every measure proposed by 
 President Lincoln and those supporting him in order to 
 defeat the Union cause? This is history, boys. Will you, 
 with your eyes open, vote for a man who by his speeches is 
 encouraging the men who are firing on Old Glory in the 
 Philippines and shooting down your sons, and is thereby 
 
84 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 emulating the copperheads of 1861 to ‘65?” (“ No, no,” 
 went up a shout from the throng, “ we'll never do that.’’) 
 
 “See that you don’t,” cried the speaker in a louder voice. 
 “ Stand together for your own rights and welfare; stand by 
 Old Glory; stand for the principles for which you fought 
 four long years; stand by the party that stood by you in 
 those bloody days; stand for Comrade McKinley, who 
 stood by us, shoulder to shoulder, and who has stood 
 for the welfare of the old soldier from that day to this.” 
 
 At the close of General Vandervoort’s speech three rous- 
 ing cheers were given for Comrade McKinley and Comrade 
 Vandervoort, friends of the old veteran. 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 85 
 
 GEAR TH Rex: 
 
 A CRISIS IN THE GRAFTON HOME. 
 
 On his way home Mr. Grafton endeavored to settle in 
 his own mind whether he would speak of what had occur- 
 red between him and Mr. Moore to his wife and daughter 
 or not. He felt it his duty to impart to them everything 
 involving the happiness of the family, yet he did not want 
 to give them unnecessary anxiety and worry. He had 
 kept from them the money transaction between himself and 
 Moore, and it had been a source of humiliation and trouble 
 to him because he did so. The folly of this was now em- 
 phasized by the trouble which had grown out of it to him, 
 and seemed likely to be the fruitful source of misery to his 
 wife, and especially to Virginia. He was in a state of inde- 
 cision on the subject when he arrived at the ranch. 
 
 After supper the family repaired to the cozy sitting room 
 as was their custom, and Virginia read to her parents as 
 she was wont to do, and as Mr. Grafton really expected 
 her to do. She had not read long, however, when Mr. 
 Grafton, whose mind had not really been on the subject of 
 the magazine article she was reading, stopped her and said 
 he desired to tell them something of importance which was 
 occupying his mind to the exclusion of every other subject. 
 This- unusual proceeding caused Mrs. Grafton and her 
 daughter to look at Mr. Grafton in surprise. He went on 
 to tell them the whole story in detail. After he had fin- 
 ished he looked at his wife and then at his daughter with an 
 expression of pain and anxiety on his face, which they had 
 never seen there before, and which caused them to feel some 
 alarm. 
 
 Virginia arose and crossed the room to her father and 
 
86 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 folded her arms about his neck in a most gentle and lov- 
 ing-manner. Looking him affectionately in the face she 
 said: 
 
 “ My dear father, I beg you not to allow this experience 
 to make you unhappy. You showed your love for me and 
 your true manhood in spurning the unmanly proposition of 
 Mr. Moore. While I am sorry you owe him a dollar, still 
 all you do owe him can be paid. We may be compelled to 
 make some sacrifices to discharge the obligation, yet it 
 must be done. Then we shall be free of him. Do not 
 worry, my dear father; mother and I are well and strong, 
 and we shall be perfectly willing to bear our share of the 
 sacrifice, whatever it may be, in order to pay the debt we 
 owe this man, who has shown, I think, his real character.” 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was in tears when Virginia had finished her 
 truly womanly speech, but she quickly rallied and said: 
 
 “Virginia has given utterance to my own thoughts, and 
 has expressed my feelings better than I could have done for 
 myself. We will pay this. debt, and thus be done with this 
 man.” 
 
 Mr. Grafton was a brave man when it was necessary to 
 be brave; and like most men of real courage he was easily 
 touched by gratitude and sympathy, His love for his wife 
 and daughter and the consciousness that he was about to 
 bring trouble upon them made him weak. for the time 
 being, but the courageous speech of his daughter, seconded 
 by his wife, and the generous sympathy they manifested 
 toward him aroused within him the true elements of his 
 nature. With an emphatic gesture he said: 
 
 “The debt shall be paid, and we shall be under no obli- 
 gations to a man who had the audacity to propose that I 
 sell my daughter for money. Oh! I should have brained 
 him on the spot!” 
 
 “No, my dear husband,” said his wife, “it is better just 
 as it is—I am glad you dealt with the matter precisely as 
 you did.” 
 
 Virginia’s eyes seemed ablaze with indignation, and for 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 87 
 
 the moment the blood of her Virginia ancestors got the 
 better of her and she really agreed with her father that he 
 should have brained the man without hesitation. But a 
 few moments afterwards she repented of this speech and de- 
 clared that her mother was right, as she always was, and 
 that her father acted wisely and well. 
 
 At this juncture in the conversation there was a knock at 
 the front door, and Mr. Grafton at once answered the call. 
 A well-dressed gentleman, with a young and attractive face, 
 stood before him when he opened the door. 
 
 “Will you come in, sir,” said Mr. Grafton, in a very cor- 
 dial and hospitable voice. 
 
 “T beg your pardon,” said the gentleman, “is this Mr. 
 Grafton?” 
 
 “Yes, sir, I’m Mr. Grafton, will you do me the pleasure 
 to come in?”’ 
 
 “Tam Mr. Van Kirk, of New Jersey,” he replied, “ with 
 whom you have had some correspondence. I regret very 
 much to have taken you by surprise. It was not my inten- 
 tion at all, but it came about through a misunderstanding 
 on my part in sending youa telegram of my coming. I did 
 not realize that there would be delay in your receiving a 
 telegram, else I would have written a letter, instead, in time 
 for you to get it.” 
 
 “We're certainly glad to see you, Mr. Van Kirk,” re- 
 plied Mr. Grafton, and taking his hand he extended a gen- 
 erous welcome by half drawing him inside of the door. 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk informed Mr. Grafton that the man who 
 had brought him out was in the buggy at the gate and that 
 he had better go and dismiss him. 
 
 “Tl attend to that, Mr. Van Kirk,’ said Mr. Grafton. 
 “Take off your overcoat, and I will show you into the sit- 
 ting-room where Mrs. Grafton and my daughter are.” He 
 conducted Mr. Van Kirk into the sitting-room and intro- 
 duced him to the ladies, and then hurried out to look after 
 the man who had brought Mr. Van Kirk from the railroad 
 station. His purpose was to have the man stay all night 
 
88 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 at the ranch rather than drive back to the station, and he 
 said to him: 
 
 “T would like to have you stay all night with us.” 
 
 “No,” said the man, “I will have to go back to-night, as 
 it is the orders. I can get back easy enough by ten o'clock.” 
 
 “T would like to have you stay if you can do so,” cor- 
 dially replied Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “Oh! no thank you, Dll be off. That’s an awful fine 
 man I brought out here, Mr. Grafton. He must be a rich 
 feller, for he give me ten dollars besides payin’ the regular 
 price for the rig, and he’s about the most interestin’ feller 
 I ever heerd talk.” After delivering himself of this enco- 
 mium on Mr. Van Kirk, in his homely way, he started off 
 indulging in a merry whistle as he left. 
 
 Mr. Grafton returned to the house and found the stranger 
 in an easy conversation with his wife and daughter. He 
 seemed to be already at home and Mrs. Grafton and Vir- 
 ginia instead of thinking the stranger too bold really en- 
 joyed the elegance of his familiar conversation and manner. 
 Mr. Grafton very soon shared the feelings of his wife and 
 daughter, for he, too, quickly came within the charm of 
 Mr. Van Kirk’s conversation. Though hardly conscious 
 of the fact, Mr. Van Kirk was really a perfect master of 
 the art of conversation and pleasing address, so that even 
 strangers who came within the sphere of his influence never 
 failed to feel at ease. 
 
 Mr. Grafton joined in the conversation, and the evening 
 passed away so quickly that it was a matter of regret to all. 
 The prejudice which Mr. Grafton had conceived for Mr. 
 Van Kirk because he came from New Jersey and was en- 
 dorsed so strongly by bank presidents and heads of trusts, 
 had nearly vanished before the evening was half over, and 
 Mrs. Grafton and Virginia were both charmed with him. 
 Considering what soon followed the acquaintance thus so 
 happily begun between Mr. Van Kirk and the Graftons, it 
 may be readily assumed that the former was no less pleased 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 89 
 
 with at least one of the Grafton family than they were with 
 him. 
 
 Mr, Van Kirk was installed in the bedroom off the parlor 
 which had been occupied by Mr. Moore during his conval- 
 escence from the painful effects of his exposure to the bliz- 
 zard. Somewhat to the astonishment of Mr. Van Kirk he 
 found the room quite to his liking. It was furnished neatly 
 and in some respects, richly, and compared favorably with 
 his own bedroom in his more pretentious home in Trenton. 
 This evidence of refined taste made him feel that the Graf- 
 tons were very different from those pictured by people in 
 the Eastern States as living on farms and ranches in the 
 far West, who seem not to have learned from their reading 
 that in many of the ranch and farm homes, even on the 
 cattle-ranges of Wyoming and Montana, may be found the 
 highest order of culture. Of course Mr. Van Kirk very 
 promptly ascribed this proof of refinement in the Grafton 
 home largely to Virginia, who was growing upon him rap- 
 idly as a prodigy in all that was extraordinary in woman. 
 He had pictured her completely in his imagination before 
 he saw her; that is, he had fancied her to be what he would 
 really like to have her be, and strange as it may seem, she 
 proved to be the counterpart of his vision. With this 
 rather remarkable beginning it was not at all surprising that 
 she should unfold, so to speak, like a beautiful flower to 
 charm and to satisfy. The difficulties with Mr. Van Kirk 
 were external to himself—difficulties which he feared he 
 would not be able to overcome. He loved Virginia. ‘The 
 anxious question which already began to torture his heart 
 was, “ Would Virginia return his love?” This thought 
 made his heart beat faster than usual, and for the first time 
 in his life he was timid to the point of cowardice. 
 
 A very dainty and satisfying breakfast was served in the 
 cozy dining room, and Mr. Van Kirk declared he had never 
 enjoyed a meal more in his life. It was so apparent that 
 Mr. Van Kirk was enjoying every moment of his visit at the 
 Grafton home that Mr. and Mrs. Grafton had already ad- 
 
go THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 mitted to each other that they were heartily glad to have 
 him for a guest, Virginia had said very little about the 
 visitor to her parents, but it was plain to be seen that she, 
 too, was glad to have him with them. 
 
 Virginia’s duties at the school compelled her to be absent 
 from home most of the day, and she informed Mr. Van 
 Kirk that her father would esteem it an honor and pleas- 
 ure to take him in the spring wagon and show him the 
 farms and ranches, where the finest stock was to be seen, 
 and she thought he would be able to entertain him pleas- 
 antly, and perhaps profitably for several days. 
 
 “Yes,” said he, “I shall be interested in seeing the large 
 farms and ranches of which I have heard so much, and 
 will no doubt find much to entertain and profit me.” 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk expressed himself as highly pleased when 
 Mr. Grafton informed him that they would take Virginia 
 to her school before starting on their rounds. The vast 
 prairie, which rolled away as far as the eyt could see, like 
 the mighty ocean, was a picture in itself which excited the 
 admiration of Mr. Van Kirk and called forth from him ex- 
 clamations of surprise and admiration. He remarked upon 
 the extensive and fine improvements he observed on some 
 of the ranches, and was much interested in the sod houses 
 which still stecod not far from the more modern improve- 
 ments as monuments to the humble beginning of many of 
 the ranchmen. The pretty groves of soft maple and wal- 
 nut trees so evenly planted and so uniform in size, he 
 thought, made up a relief to the landscape worthy of the 
 brush of a master. These groves were planted for the pro- 
 tection of houses and barns and corrals, and their vigorous 
 growth and healthy» appearance gave evidence of the 
 strength of the soil and what man may accomplish by in- 
 telligent effort and persevering industry. The vastness of 
 the prairie seemed to excite his wonder most and he said: 
 
 “The prairie is simply bewildering in its grandeur and 
 vastness.” 
 
 “So this is the little schoolhouse of which I have read 
 
A Srory oF THE TIMES Ol 
 
 so much in connection with the awful blizzard, and a certain 
 little heroine whose courage and intelligence saved from 
 death an entire school,” exclaimed Mr. Van Kirk, as they 
 drove up to the little schoolhouse. 
 
 “Yes,” replied Mr. Grafton, “this is the schoolhouse, 
 and here come the same children.” 
 
 The school children came trooping out towards them, 
 with eyes beaming with gladness and cheeks ruddy with 
 health and happiness, unmindful of the stranger, with ap- 
 parently but one thought, and that was to get near the 
 teacher. As she alighted they gathered around her and 
 gave her a hearty welcome. ‘“ Good morning, dear teach- 
 
 39 ce 
 
 ery good morning, dear teacher,’ they cried as they 
 pressed up to her to receive her kind words of greeting, and 
 to get within the charm of her smile. She caressed sev- 
 eral of the younger ones who nestled up close to her, as 
 if they were anxious for her blessing. 
 
 “ Children, this gentleman is Mr. Van Kirk who is visit- 
 ing in our neighborhood,” said the teacher. 
 
 They courtesied prettily and said, “ welcome are you, sir, 
 to our neighborhood.” 
 
 Bidding Virginia and the children good-bye Mr. Grafton 
 and Mr. Van Kirk took their departure. The latter re- 
 called that on their way to the schoolhouse they met a 
 spanking team hitched to a single road wagon and driven 
 by a man who seemed perfectly at home behind fast step- 
 pers. Mr. Van Kirk had noticed that both Mr. Grafton 
 and Virginia bowed formally to the man, and that he had 
 returned the bow in equally as formal a manner. Mr. Van 
 Kirk also noticed that *as they passed the man fixed his 
 eyes very intently on him. This was so noticeable that it 
 produced a rather strange effect on him. It was not the 
 gaze of an impudent man, but rather that of envious scru- 
 tiny. 
 
 “That was a very fine turnout, Mr. Grafton, we passed 
 on our way to the schoolhouse,” remarked Mr. Van Kirk 
 soon after they had left the schoolhouse. 
 
92 THe HoMestTeADER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 “Yes, that was Mr. Moore, a wealthy ranchman whose 
 place is not far from my ranch,” answered Mr, Grafton. 
 “ He is a breeder of very fine horses and prides himself 
 on knowing how to break and handle them.” © 
 
 After this remark, Mr. Grafton, without intending to be 
 discourteous, said nothing further about Mr. Moore, and 
 Mr. Van Kirk, noticing that his companion did not seem 
 desirous of continuing the subject pressed him no further, 
 although he was really curious to know more of the man. 
 
 The ride was full of interest and genuine delight to Mr. 
 Van Kirk, who said he had never breathed purer air, fuller 
 of ozone, had never seen a country more beautiful to look 
 at, and had never seen finer horses and cattle and hogs. 
 He talked about all he saw in a way to surprise Mr. Graf- 
 ton, who had supposed that a wealthy young man from 
 New Jersey would hardly know a horse from a steer. In 
 this he was agreeably mistaken, for Mr. Van Kirk seemed 
 to know all about both, and talked about the fine points of 
 both horses and cattle in a way to interest and instruct Mr. 
 Grafton. The fact was Mr. Van Kirk had several fine 
 stock farms, small in size compared with the ones he had 
 been visiting, and had given to the subject of breeding 
 horses, cattle and hogs, special and scientific attention. 
 As they were nearing the ranch of Mr. Grafton on their re- 
 turn, Mr. Van Kirk noticed the fine improvements on Mr. 
 Moore’s ranch, and in one of the corrals some specimens 
 of Short Horns, and in another corral some most beautiful 
 Clydesdale horses, and noticing that Mr. Grafton was not 
 driving into the lane leading up to the house and barn he 
 asked if they could not spend a half hour or so inspecting 
 this ranch. Mr. Grafton replied that he was in somewhat 
 of a hurry to return home, but that he thought they could 
 spare a half hour at least in looking over the stock. Mr. 
 Grafton really had no desire to meet Moore, but he yielded 
 eracefully and without any manner of protest to Mr. Van 
 Kirk’s wish, and drove up to the house. Mr. Moore came 
 out and greeted them very cordially, and took more than 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 03 
 
 his usual pains in showing them around the barns and sheds 
 and corrals, and in having some of the finest specimens of 
 his horses and cattle exhibited to their best advantage. 
 Mr. Van Kirk expressed great pleasure at what he had 
 seen, and complimented Mr. Moore very highly on the 
 character of his improvements and the excellence of his 
 stock. 
 
 After Mr. Moore had shown them what he had at the 
 barn, he extended them a cordial invitation to go into the 
 house, which was accepted with the suggestion by Mr. 
 Grafton that they expected to make a brief call simply to 
 look over some of his fine horses and cattle, and with no 
 intention of making a visit. Mr. Moore said he would ‘be 
 eratified to have them stay, even for a few minutes. There 
 was nothing in Mr. Moore’s conduct towards Mr. Grafton 
 to indicate that he had any lingering ill feeling towards him 
 on account of the result of their last interview. In truth, 
 Mr. Grafton thought that his neighbor made an unusual 
 effort to be agreeable. When they had entered the house, 
 Mr. Moore led them to his lounging room and set out 
 cigars and invited them to smoke. Mr. Grafton was fond 
 of a fine cigar and lighted one and under its quieting in- 
 fluence became more resigned to making a short visit with 
 Mr. Moore. Mr. Van Kirk did not* smoke, but seemed 
 very much pleased to meet a gentleman of Mr. Moore’s 
 general information and knowledge of the world. He was 
 also much interested in the many curios artistically placed 
 in this room for its ornamentation. There were guns and 
 revolvers and knives of every kind and description hung 
 about the room which gave it the air of an armory. These 
 articles of warfare Mr. Moore had collected from all parts 
 of the world, and took great pleasure in giving the history 
 of each specimen: Mr. Van Kirk was no less interested in 
 the library which Mr. Moore seemed to take special pleas- 
 ure in showing to him. The effect of the twenty minutes’ 
 visit on Mr. Van Kirk’s mind was that he had found in the 
 person of Mr. Moore a very remarkable character. He did 
 
04 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 not communicate the fact to Mr. Grafton that while Mr. 
 Moore had proven very interesting, yet he brought away 
 with him an impression that was not altogether favorable 
 to Mr. Moore. 
 
 Mr. Moore pressed Mr. Van Kirk to honor him with 
 another call before he left the neighborhood. The latter 
 naturally expected Mr. Grafton to invite Mr. Moore in re- 
 turn to call on his visitor at his house, and was somewhat 
 surprised as well as disappointed that no such invitation 
 was given. Mr. Van Kirk fancied he saw resentment and 
 annoyance on the face of Mr. Moore on account of it, but 
 he said nothing to Mr. Grafton about it after they left. He 
 did say, however, that he was surprised to find a bachelor 
 with such splendid quarters on a western ranch; that Mr. 
 Moore himself was an interesting study. 
 
 “Has Mr. Moore been in this neighborhood very long?” 
 asked Mr. Van Kirk. 
 
 “About six years,’ replied Mr. Grafton, “and during 
 this time he has not cultivated the acquaintance of a single 
 family except my own, He does most of his business 
 through a superintendent who has an office on the place, 
 and who is as strangely unsociable, except in matters of 
 business, as Mr. Moore himself. Mr. Moore attempted to 
 reach the schoolhouse the night of the blizzard in the hope 
 of being of some service to my daughter in rescuing the 
 school but he lost his way and nearly lost his life in the 
 undertaking. We took him to our home and nursed him 
 until he had fully recovered from the effects of his expo- 
 sure to the storm. He proved himself to be a very inter- 
 esting person, and we came to think a good deal of him. 
 Since that, however, I have had a reason to dislike and 
 distrust him.” 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk had the good judgmerit and tact to pur- 
 sue the subject no further. 
 
 Dinner was ready when they arrived at the Grafton ranch, 
 and Mr. Van Kirk remarked to Mrs. Grafton that he 
 thought he had acquired an appetite by his delightful ride 
 
A SToRY OF THE TIMES 95 
 
 with her husband that would enable him to do full justice 
 to the meal. 
 
 “T am glad you feel so, Mr. Van Kirk,” replied Mrs. 
 Grafton, “for it gives every housewife a pleasure to cater 
 to good appetites. We usually have a good supper on ac- 
 count of my daughter, who is obliged to take her dinner to 
 school in a pail, and she generally feels quite hungry when 
 she returns home.” 
 
 “JT must say, if you will pardon me,” replied Mr. Van 
 Kirk, “that you have a most remarkable daughter. Her 
 wonderful pluck and intelligence in saving her school is 
 the subject of enthusiastic comment all through the Fast. 
 She is better known almost than any other woman, and I 
 do believe better beloved. The American people almost 
 deify any one who heroically saves the life of a single child, 
 and. it is not to be wondered at that they have deified one 
 who saved a whole school. Since coming here and becom- 
 ing acquainted with her I am impressed more than ever 
 with her grand character. And to know that this justly 
 celebrated young lady is so truly democratic as to carry 
 her dinner to her school in a tin pail, and prefers to walk to 
 and from her school, adds immensely to the interest, if not 
 the romance, with which her life is invested. Surely an 
 interesting novel could be written, with her as the heroine.” 
 
 “T certainly hope no such literary effort will be attempt- 
 ed,’ answered Mrs. Grafton. “ Virginia simply dreads no- 
 toriety. She was very much put out by a magazine ar- 
 ticle, describing the part she took in the blizzard, and using 
 as an illustration her photograph which the writer of the 
 article obtained from a photographer in Lincoln without 
 her knowledge.” 
 
 “People who do great things,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “are 
 as a rule, I think, too sensitive. Great deeds of men and 
 women really belong to the public and should be told in 
 song and story to stimulate others to try and rise above 
 mediocrity.” 
 
96 THE HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 After a lull in the conversation Mr. Van Kirk remarked 
 that Nebraska had another well known person for a citizen. 
 
 “T refer to Mr. Bryan,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “ who has 
 been in the public eye and in the public press more con- 
 stantly for several years than any other young man in the 
 country.” ; 
 
 “Yes,” replied Mr. Grafton, who had come in from the 
 barn and who had heard the last remark of Mr. Van Kirk, 
 “the State is highly honored by having such a citizen. He 
 is not an old timer among us but he has stirred up things 
 in the State politically more than any other man in it. He 
 is a great man, I think. “ When he first came to the State 
 he began to make speeches on the tariff and the interest he 
 injected into that dry old question brought him into prom- 
 inence at once. I suppose he made more converts to free 
 trade than any hundred men in the country. I have sat — 
 under his eloquence when he was discussing the tariff ques- 
 tion and I tell you he aroused every drop of blood in me, 
 and made me feel like a young soldier under the inspiring 
 influence of martial music. I was ready to be led into the 
 very front of the battle against the robber barons, who 
 were pictured by Mr. Bryan as they had never been pic- 
 tured before, as high-handed robbers of a helpless people. 
 The hard knocks he gave high tariff are felt to this day in 
 this part of the country. His tariff speeches landed him in . 
 Congress, and I believe if the silver question hadn’t come 
 up his reputation as a tariff debater would have Janded him 
 in the White House. As it was he came near getting there 
 by his great 16-to-I campaign. This time I believe he'll 
 make it on the anti-trust, anti-expansion and anti-imperial- 
 ism issues. I have an idea he will stir things up more than 
 ever on these questions. He is a gifted man, I tell you. He 
 can take up a question that doesn’t.seem to have anything 
 in it and make more out of it than any man I ever heard 
 talk. I declare until I read some of his speeches I had 
 thought that expansion would be a good thing for the 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 97 
 
 country. In fact, Bryan’s influence was what got the Dem- 
 ocrats in the Senate to vote for the ratification of the Paris 
 Treaty. It would have been defeated if it hadn’t been for 
 his great influence, and I was surprised when he turned 
 around and began to denounce the Republicans for doing 
 just what he had influenced the Democrats to do. He’s 
 pretty sharp, and it looks to me like he wanted to put 
 McKinley in a hole in order to get a better chance at him. 
 Everything’s fair in politics, you know.” 
 
 “Yes,’ answered Mr.-Van Kirk, “I suppose so, but it 
 seems to me that a little more of honesty and sincerity in 
 politics would be better for the country in the long run, 
 There is really too much demagogism in politics to assure 
 stability to our institutions. Political success seems to be 
 the aim of most politicians regardless of the means to 
 achieve it. There is one thing to be deplored especially, 
 and that is the effort of some men, from whom one would 
 expect better things, to persuade the farmers and laborers 
 of the country that their lot is a hard one, and that certain 
 men who are enterprising and successful in projecting and 
 carrying out large schemes in railroading and manufac- 
 tures, indeed, various kinds of financial operations, are op- 
 pressing them and bent on keeping them from getting 
 reasonable prices for their commodities and their labor. 
 Thus they generate a feeling of discontent, and bitterness 
 in one part of the community against another, which is no 
 more nor less than a condition of anarchy. My idea is 
 that the truth ought to be recognized and admitted. The 
 whole country is in a high state of prosperity. The re- 
 ports from every kind of enterprise show this to be true. 
 The common laborers are getting higher wages than they 
 ever got before in this country, and higher than are re- 
 ceived by the laborers of any country; everything produced 
 by farmers and stock raisers brings high prices; the manu- 
 facturing output of the country is larger than ever before, 
 and while margins of profits are close, manufacturers seem 
 well satisfied. And when you consider in connection with 
 
98 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 this that everybody who earns and gets a dollar is able to 
 realize on that dollar a hundred cents everywhere, it would 
 seem that there is very little just cause of complaint. This 
 is the simple way I look at the condition of things, without 
 stopping to consider how it will affect any party.” 
 
 “What party do you belong to, may I ask?” said Mr. 
 Grafton. 
 
 “ Well, I have always voted the Republican ticket,” an- 
 swered Mr. Van Kirk, “ but I have not been at all active in 
 any party.” | 
 
 “Il suppose you are in favor of trusts,” said Mr. Grafton, 
 “living as you do in New Jersey?” 
 
 “T hardly know how to answer your question, Mr. 
 Grafton, as the name ‘ trusts’ is rather indefinite and some- 
 what ambiguous. If you mean a combination of capital to 
 carry out certain enterprises that would not be undertaken 
 by an individual, I am certainly in favor of trusts of that 
 kind. For example, not long ago ten of my friends, in- 
 cluding myself, put in ten thousand dollars apiece for the 
 purpose of establishing a tannery for making leather by a 
 new process which seemed to me to be a good one, and 
 would enable the concern to manufacture leather a great 
 deal cheaper than by the old methods of tanning. Not one 
 of the number who went into this would have risked a hun- 
 dred thousand dollars in the new venture, but each one was 
 
 willing to risk ten thousand. The result of this venture. 
 
 has been that we are now producing a good quality of 
 leather equal to almost any on the market, so that we are 
 able to sell our product a good deal cheaper than the same 
 quality of leather was ever sold before. Our success led 
 to the organization of another trust, in which I put ten 
 thousand dollars with nineteen other men who each put 
 in a like sum. With this capital: we established a shoe 
 factory, which has given employment to three hundred per- 
 sons from the'day it was opened. Manufacturing our own 
 leather cheaply, and using the most modern machinery and 
 
 a” 
 
i? 
 
 A STORY OF THE TIMES 99 
 
 some new inventions which had never been used before, 
 enable the factory to turn out the very best and finest shoes 
 at a lower cost than they were ever manufactured at before. 
 The general effect of this is the lowering of prices of shoes 
 to consumers. Assuredly in this case two trusts are doing 
 good, by furnishing to men, women and children shoes at 
 a lower cost. Another good effect is that other shoe manu- 
 facturers in the country were compelled to put in newer and 
 more economical machinery in order to compete with us. 
 This increases the demand for labor by enlarging the de- 
 mand for a better class of machinery. As you know, the 
 prices of shoes are now lower than ever before. I have 
 heard my father say.that when he was a boy it was impos- 
 sible for the rich to get as good and stylish shoes as are 
 now within the reach of all; that a much inferior grade of 
 shoes cost them at least thirty per cent more. All through 
 the country there are building and loan associations which 
 are trusts, and certainly no one can raise his voice against 
 a trust of this character. In fact, as I have studied the 
 question of trusts I find that not more than one trust out 
 of twenty-five is objectionable. But as I understand it, all 
 political parties, as well as nearly every individual, are in 
 favor of such laws as shall regulate and control objec- 
 tionable trusts. At least I am, and I am absolutely unac- 
 quainted with a single person in the East, where I live, who 
 disagrees with me. When I read some of the sensational 
 articles in the newspapers about the terrible calamities they 
 will bring on the country, | am simply amazed at the au- 
 dacity and presumption of the writers. It strikes me that 
 they presume upon the ignorance of their readers. I don't 
 really know of a single trust that is injuring the people. 
 What trust is there, Mr. Grafton, that is injuring you or the 
 farmers of this State?” 
 
 “JI don’t just now think of any one,” answered Mr. 
 Grafton, “ but it’s the proposition, the principle of the thing 
 —that is, we are putting up a fight against the idea—the 
 
100 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 principle, for fear there might be trusts created that would 
 hurt people.” 
 
 “ Well, then,” replied Mr. Van. Kirk, “it’s not something 
 that is really in existence which you are striking at in the 
 Kansas City Platform so much as at the idea.or principle 
 involved. It may be well enough to agitate for political 
 purposes an idea that something may happen and that 
 therefore we ought to be prepared to guard against it, yet 
 it seems to me that this sort of politics is a little premature. 
 
 What do you think of the trust the farmers and wool grow-. 
 
 ers of Texas have formed for the purpose of enabling them 
 to hold certain crops and wool clip for better prices?” 
 
 “T think it’s all right for the farmers and wool growers 
 to form a combination of this kind for their self-protec- 
 tion,’ answered Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “Then you are not opposed to the idea or principle in 
 certain cases?”’ observed Mr. Van Kirk. 
 
 “Well, no,” replied Mr. Grafton, “I’m not opposed to 
 laboring men forming societies for the purpose of keeping 
 up the price of labor and in regulating the hours of labor, 
 and I think the farmers and stock raisers ought to com- 
 bine for the purpose of keeping up prices on the commodi- 
 ties they produce, but I’m down on trusts like the Standard 
 Oil Company, for instance.” 
 
 ““Isn’t it true, Mr. Grafton,” said Mr. Van Kirk) that 
 the entire country has been benefited by the operations of 
 the Standard Oil Company? ”’ 
 
 “Well, I’m bound to admit, Mr. Van Kirk,” said Mr. 
 Mr. Grafton, “that I’m able to buy coal oil now for eight 
 cents a gallon, and I used to have to pay thirty-five cents a 
 gallon for oil that was not half as good. But what I object 
 to is that the Standard Oil Company should be running the 
 whole shooting match.” 
 
 “T fear the operations of the Standard Oil Company are 
 not well understood,” replied Mr. Van Kirk, “ what I mean 
 is that the Standard Oil Company has not only cheapened 
 
 we " 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES IOI 
 
 the oil that you consume by reducing the cost of manufac- 
 turing it, but it has, by employing its vast capital, developed 
 a hundred or more enterprises depending entirely upon the 
 coal oil output. For instance, anilines for coloring pur- 
 poses, medicines of great usefulness and of great variety, 
 and an endless number of enterprises have grown up, giv- 
 ing employment to thousands of people and conferring 
 blessings on everybody. Besides this the Company has 
 created a foreign trade that brings millions of dollars into 
 the United States for its enrichment. Wherever coal oil 
 is supposed to exist, there the Company’s energies and 
 capital are directed. For example, if you should discover 
 coal oil on your ranch the Company would at once make a 
 _ contract with you for every barrel you could produce, and 
 pay you a reasonable price for it. In this way the Com- 
 pany is giving employment to tens of thousands of people 
 all over the country. There are perhaps thousands of 
 farmers in the different States who were comparatively poor 
 until they were encouraged to put down coal oil wells on 
 their farms by the Standard Oil Company. So that it may 
 ‘be, I think, honestly and reasonably concluded, that on 
 the whole the Standard Oil Company has been a great 
 blessing to mankind.” 
 
 “ But, isn’t it true, Mr. Van Kirk,” asked Mr. Grafton, 
 “that the Republican party has favored laws like the high 
 tariff law which has been a fruitful source of trusts?” 
 
 “T have thought about this considerably, but I have not 
 been able to satisfy my mind that tariff legislation has any- 
 thing to do with the creation of trusts,” replied Mr. Van 
 Kirk. “The very fact that trusts exist in England where 
 free trade is almost absolute, proves to my mind that 
 tariff legislation has nothing to do with the origin of trusts. 
 There are two things that every one should keep in mind, 
 it seems to me, in considering the subject of trusts: first, 
 that trusts are organized only when times are good; and, 
 second, that since the organization of trusts in the United 
 States, nearly every commodity handled by a trust is cheap- 
 
102 Tur HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 er now than it was before. I might add that, if Mr. Gomp- 
 ers and other prominent men in the labor union are correct 
 in their views, that trusts increase the demand for labor and 
 maintain a higher.and more uniform standard of wages. 
 For this reason most of the labor unions, if not all in the 
 country, are in favor of trusts.” 
 
 “You present this subject in a way that sets me to think- 
 ing,” said Mr. Grafton. “I don’t know after all of any 
 trust that really hurts the farmer or stock raiser, and hence 
 I don’t see why we should look upon them as menacing our 
 interests, or threatening the interests of the country gen- 
 erally. What do you think of imperialism, Mr. Van Kirk?” 
 
 “To answer you briefly,’ said Mr. Van Kirk, “I would 
 say that the hue and cry about imperialism is purely for 
 campaign purposes. There may be a few people who really 
 believe that there are Republicans in power who would foist 
 upon this country what-they are pleased to call imperialism. 
 But you know the same cry was raised against Washington, 
 and in a certain sense of the word against President Jack- 
 son, and still later against President Grant. If you will 
 
 take the pains to read the political history of the period’ 
 
 covering Washington’s time you will find that his enemies 
 charged him with imperialistic tendencies, and even went so 
 far as to declare if he was entrusted with power he would 
 use it to enthrone himself as king and to make vassals of the 
 people. There were many intelligent people who actually 
 believed that he would do this, but now people laugh at the 
 very idea. General Jackson was charged with imperial 
 ideas because he threatened to visit prompt and severe pun- 
 ishment upon certain men in South Carolina for threatening 
 nullification. There were a great many people in this 
 country who warned the people against voting for Grant 
 for President because he was a military man, flushed with 
 victory, and that as sure as he was elected he would pro- 
 claim himself an emperor, with imperial powers; that he 
 would use the army, which had obeyed him so many years 
 implicitly, to overthrow the liberties of the people and re- 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 103 
 
 duce them to a state of vassalage. And there were doubt- 
 less a great many people who believed this campaign rot. 
 The fact is that any man or set of men who would propose 
 a policy that looked to their imperial aggrandizement, or to 
 any serious modification of the liberties of the people, 
 would be hurled from power instantly by an indignant na- 
 tion. Every man and woman in this broad land loves the 
 Republic, loves its Constitution, loves its flag, and it would 
 be practically sure death for any man to propose their over- 
 throw. Imperialism is absolutely impossible in_ this 
 country. President McKinley fought for the Union, fought 
 for the flag, fought for the rights of not only the white peo- 
 ple of this country, the free people of the country, but for all 
 of the people without regard to color or previous condition. 
 He would no more consent to a policy that would impair 
 the liberties of the people or weaken the institutions of the 
 country, than he would consent to a wholesale slaughter of 
 the mothers and the children of the country. Seven-eighths 
 of the Union soldiers and sailors who fought with him for 
 the Union, the stars and stripes and universal equality be- 
 fore the law, voted for him for President in 1896, and will 
 vote for him again in 1900. Will any one have the hardi- 
 hood to say that this grand army of men who passed 
 through the fires of war for the liberties of the people could 
 be induced to support a man or a proposition favoring im- 
 perialism? Impossible! Those who make the charge know 
 it to be false. On the other hand many of the leaders of 
 the movement which has emblazoned upon its banners as a 
 paramount issue of the campaign, ‘ Anti-Imperialism,’ are 
 men who voted and fought for principles of imperialism; 
 men who risked their lives and everything they possessed 
 to erect a confederacy based upon the principles of im- 
 perialism; men who shot at President McKinley and the 
 brave men who stood side by side with him battling for 
 universal liberty; men who to-day wear red shirts in North 
 Carolina and with guns and pistols and knives deprive 
 American citizens of their rights under the Constitution 
 
104 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 and before the law; men who have put into the State Con- 
 stitutions of ten States articles which disfranchise Ameri- 
 can citizens, and condemn them to a condition in which they 
 are governed without their consent. These are the men 
 who are leading the so-called anti-imperialistic movement; 
 who undertake to make the people of this country believe 
 that they are the champions of liberty, of freedom, of equal 
 rights. These are the men who tell you that your liberty 
 is endangered, that your rights are menaced, that the 
 country is on the brink of ruin, that your safety can be as- 
 sured only by following them. Does it not appear, Mr. 
 Grafton, in the light of these facts, that the cry of imperial- 
 ism by such men is purely and wholly campaign bun- 
 combe?”’ 
 
 “You put it in a pretty strong light,’ answered Mr. 
 Grafton, “and you may be right. But somehow I can’t 
 help thinking that we ought not to force the Filipinos into 
 accepting the authority of the United States against their 
 will.” 
 
 “What would you do under the circumstances?” said 
 Mr. Van Kirk. “ Would you haul down the flag we hoist- 
 ed over Manila after we destroyed the power of the Spanish 
 nation in Manila Bay, and after the sovereignty of the island 
 was transferred to us by treaty? By the victory of our 
 arms and by treaty we acquired national rights in the Phil- 
 ippine Islands. Nobody can dispute this, and before we 
 had time to consider a rational proposition from, citizens of 
 the Island, an army of Filipinos fired on our flag and shot 
 down our soldiers without cause and without provocation. 
 In fact, they did this when we were actually considering 
 how to give them independence, and at the same time pro- 
 tect our interests as a nation, the interests of American 
 citizens resident in the island, and how to maintain law and 
 order there for the protection of citizens and interests of 
 other nations, who, under international law, had a right 
 to demand of us that we give at least as much protection as 
 had been assured them by the Spanish nation. This we are 
 
A SToRY OF THE TIMES © 105 
 
 bound to do by virtue of the obligations imposed on the 
 Government by its success in the war with Spain, by its 
 treaty obligations, by international law, by its duty to its 
 own citizens and by the requirements of civilization. When 
 these obligations are discharged, and the hostile forces in 
 the islands are reduced to a condition to recognize the au- 
 thority of the United States, it will remain for Congress 
 to determine what shall be done with the Filipinos. If any 
 right minded man can see imperialism in this he must have 
 a very distorted vision.” 
 
 “ But do you think that we need all of these islands?”’ 
 asked Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “My best reply to that se lel is, I think, that the 
 erowth of the United States has been such within the last 
 twenty-five years that our physical safety as a nation, and 
 the business interests of the country demand that we should 
 have a permanent foothold in the islands we have acquired. 
 Besides we need them for naval and coaling stations, and 
 bases for naval and military operations, and as great depots 
 from which to supply promptly the demands of commerce. 
 To meet the competition of trade in the far East we must 
 have such depots in the Philippine Islands; and the prompt- 
 ness with which we were able to send men and vessels to 
 the relief of Americans and American interests in China, 
 must convince every thoughtful man that we cannot afford 
 to give up the Philippine Islands. Any other view than 
 this, it seems to me, is narrow and short sighted. The 
 older we become and the larger our interests become the 
 more valuable will be Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philip- 
 pine Islands to us. I am satisfied that within a few years 
 the entire nation will feel grateful, as we all do now for the 
 Louisiana purchase, for the acquisition of these islands. 
 Intelligent and well meaning men opposed sharply the 
 Louisiana purchase, the purchase of Alaska, yet everyone 
 now applauds the action that made this territory part of 
 the United States. A great many intelligent and patriotic 
 men opposed the accession of the Hawaiian Islands to the 
 
106 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 United States. The proposition was rejected by the Demo- 
 cratic party. Yet within a period of three years the people, 
 without respect to party, have come to realize that it was 
 wise and statesmanlike to annex them to the United States. 
 So far as imperialism is concerned in connection with these 
 islands it is simply and utterly out of the question, because 
 whatever permanent policy is adopted by the United States 
 towards these islands must be approved by Congress. The 
 great business concerns of the country are not so much 
 interested in what a few men think of expansion or im- 
 perialism, for they know that the politicians use these words 
 as the Chinese soldiers use their gongs in battle, for the 
 purpose of scaring somebody, but the real issue in this cam- 
 paign is that of 1896—free silver at the ratio of 16 to I. 
 Mr. Bryan and those who are with him are endeavoring by 
 indirection to win what they failed to do by direction four 
 years ago. Their howl against trusts and imperialism is 
 simply to distract and to deceive. This is what the business 
 men of the country are afraid of, and this is why the men 
 who are really the business pushers of the country will vote 
 solidly against the Kansas City candidate. There was 
 hardly a business man of any prominence in the Kansas 
 City Convention which nominated Mr. Bryan. The con- 
 vention was dominated by men who have never been in any 
 way identified with an enterprise that has made this nation 
 great. Not a single man in the convention appears in the 
 commercial history of the United States, covering its grand 
 progress during the last twenty-five years. The conven- 
 tion was actually composed of theorists, wild-eyed cranks, 
 ward politicians and keen manipulators like Boss Croker 
 of New York. Just look at the whole situation as you 
 would look at a business proposition, and you will hardly 
 consider it the duty of any honest man to support the 
 Kansas City Platform and ticket. Of course, I do not say 
 this to influence you to change your opinions or your vote, 
 but because ycu asked me for my views.” 
 
 “Yes,” replied Mr. Grafton, “1 did ask you for your 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 107 
 
 views, and I thank you for giving them to me in such a 
 straightforward way. While you have not spared my party 
 in the least, I feel sure you would not have imposed your 
 views upon me uninvited, and I’m not sure but what you 
 have said some things that will enable me to think more 
 clearly, and perhaps more rationally on the questions that 
 are now being forced to the front in the campaign. I am 
 disposed to think more and more that we ought to have 
 stuck to.the free silver issue and let the question of im- 
 perialism alone.” 
 
108 THE HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 COAT Ue a 
 
 A STARTLING REVELATION TO Mr. VAN KIRK. 
 
 After dinner Mr. Grafton invited his guest to go with 
 him to the barn and stock sheds to look over the stock. 
 It was the daily custom of Mr. Grafton to inspect his 
 stock, to see that all of their needs had been looked after 
 by the hired help, and to gratify the fondness, characteristic 
 of all stock men, for actually associating with their horses 
 and cattle. Mr. Van Kirk, as has already been intimated, 
 was very fond of finely bred horses and cattle, and he was 
 very glad of the opportunity to accompany Mr. Grafton. 
 He became very: much interested in a bunch of Holstein 
 yearlings and lingered over them after Mr. Grafton had 
 left him to visit other stock. Acting upon the suggestion 
 of Mr. Grafton, that he take his own time and visit such 
 sheds or parts of the barn as might strike his fancy, he 
 went from the Holsteins to the barn where there were some 
 very fine young: Percherons. While looking at these he 
 overheard loud and animated conversation which came to 
 him through a partition in the barn. He was an unwilling 
 listener at mhiree but when he heard the name of Virginia 
 spoken he became a willing listener. 
 
 “If you don’t use your influence to pee Virginia to 
 consent to marry me,” he heard spoken in an unfamiliar 
 voice, “I'll put the mortgage on file and sue on the note 
 immediately. I'll take everything covered by the mort- 
 gage and will give you no quarter. I have my suspicions 
 about that sleek fellow from New Jersey you have hanging 
 around here, and I don’t propose to smother my love for 
 your daughter, and stand by sucking my thumb while he 
 gets in his work. Now, Grafton, I’ve been a good friend 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 109 
 
 to you when you needed a friend, and I was a disinterested 
 one, too, and I want you to do the right thing by me. I 
 love your, daughter, and will make her a good husband, 
 and I will see that you and Mrs. Grafton never want for 
 anything—if—”’ 
 
 “You get out of here, you coldblooded scoundrel,” ex- 
 claimed Mr. Grafton excitedly, “or I'll run this pitchfork 
 through you.” 
 
 “Don’t come at me with that,’ was the reply in the un- 
 familiar voice, “or I'll puncture your ungrateful skin too 
 quick. I’m fully prepared for you.” 
 
 “Yes, you go armed in a peaceful neighborhood, and 
 dare to draw your gun on me, an old man, which shows 
 you are a miserable coward, but you can’t scare me, nor 
 make me yield a single point by your threats. You can 
 take all the property I have, but you can’t make me con- 
 sent to a dishonorable proposition; so do your best, Moore; 
 but, Pll have you understand that no Grafton will ever 
 knuckle to a scoundrel and coward like you. Besides, I 
 will tell you that my daughter despises you, and would 
 no more think of marrying you than she would think of 
 marrying a snake.” 
 
 “ Before I get through with you,” replied the other, “ I'll 
 show you that you can’t tread on this snake with impunity. 
 You'll repent this before twenty-four hours have rolled over 
 your ungrateful head.” 
 
 This seemed to end the conversation and the footsteps 
 of one of the speakers were distinctly heard by Van Kirk 
 retreating towards the door of the barn. Mr. Van Kirk, 
 was, as may well be imagined, very much agitated by what 
 he had overheard. He had been, without any intention on 
 his part, placed in a position to overhear what was not 
 intended for his ears. What in honor should he do? He 
 quickly made up his mind what a frank and honorable 
 man should do, and he immediately sought Mr. Grafton 
 for the purpose of carrying out his intentions. He found 
 him in another part of the barn leaning over a manger 
 
TIO THe HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 looking in a painfully abstracted way at a horse. He was 
 pale and trembling from head to foot, and when spoken to 
 by Mr. Van Kirk, he looked around in a dazed sort of way. 
 
 “Mr, Grafton,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “I was forced to 
 hear the conversation you just now had with some man 
 you called Moore. I deem it my duty to tell you that I 
 heard every word that passed between you.” 
 
 “Tam sorry that you heard any part of the conversation, 
 Mr. Van Kirk,’ replied Mr. Grafton, who was making a 
 heroic effort to regain his composure, “I’m very sorry 
 that anything has happened to mar the pleasure of your 
 visit here. I hope it will not—but—but, I—I feel humiliated, 
 and I know that you will not continue to enjoy your visit 
 with us.” | 
 
 “Do not concern yourself, I pray you,’ responded. Mr. 
 Van Kirk, “about my enjoyment. That is a secondary 
 consideration. It is your happiness and the happiness of 
 your family. that is more directly involved. At any rate 
 it seems so to me from what has happened just now, and I 
 am more concerned in that, 1f you will pardon me for say- 
 ing so, than in my own enjoyment.” 
 
 “You speak like a true bred gentleman, sir, and I be- 
 lieve you are one,” replied Mr. Grafton, “ but do not allow 
 what you have heard pass between me and that scoun- 
 drel Moore, to disturb you in any way,” and he wiped 
 large drops of perspiration from his face and looked at 
 Mr. Van Kirk as if he would read his innermost thoughts, 
 to reassure himself that he could trust him. His experi- 
 ence with Moore had begun to unsettle his confidence in 
 every man. 
 
 “T don’t want to be obtrusive, Mr. Grafton,” said Mr. 
 Van Kirk, “nor offensive in any way, but I would like to 
 ask you if the Moore who was just now talking with you 
 and using such unmanly, and what appeared to me to be, 
 indecent language, is the same Moore we called on to- 
 day?” 
 
 “Yes, it is the same,’ 
 
 bf 
 
 answered Mr. Grafton, 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES III 
 
 “T am surprised beyond expression,” said Mr. Van 
 Kirk. 
 
 “This is not the first time,’’ said Mr. Grafton, “that he 
 has approached me offensively on the subject of marrying 
 my daughter. She rejected his offer of marriage, and 
 then he tried to get me to persuade her to tahoe her 
 mind. I politely but firmly told him that that was impos- 
 sible; that while she was my daughter, yet it was not 
 within my right to dictate to her whom she should marry. 
 I had hoped that the matter was ended, although he created 
 some alarm and misgivings in my mind by what he said 
 at that time.” 
 
 “Will you tell me as a friend, Mr. Grafton,” said Mr. 
 Van Kirk, “what hold he has on you? I heard him say 
 he would take everything in the way of property you pos- 
 sessed if it was necessary to get even with you.” This 
 was said in such a kindly tone of voice that the question was 
 robbed of whatever inquisitiveness there was in it. Mr. 
 Grafton seemed to take this view of the question and an- 
 swered: 
 
 “Yes, I will tell you, that you may know all,” replied Mr. 
 Grafton. “I was a candidate for Congress and was anx- 
 ious, of course, to win. He voluntarily offered to loan me 
 money to meet my campaign expenses and I was foolish 
 enough to borrow from him three thousand dollars. I 
 gave him a mortgage on my personalty as security. At the 
 time he assured me that he would not record the mortgage 
 and as he had no special need of the money, I could take 
 all the time I wished to pay the debt. He encouraged me 
 to believe, as others did, that if I made a vigorous canvass 
 I would be elected, and would then soon have money 
 enough to take up the note. But I was beaten and the debt 
 is hanging over me. I[ shall sell off my property, even if 
 I have to make sacrifices, and pay this debt. I shall not 
 consider the consequences—this debt must be paid. When 
 my wife and daughter know all an, will join me in this 
 determination.” 
 
112 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 “J can understand, now, Mr. Grafton,” observed Mr. 
 Van Kirk, “where your noble daughter gets some of her 
 courage; and I assure you I honor you for the course you 
 have taken in this whole matter.” 
 
 “T certainly thank you,” replied Mr. Grafton, “for these 
 words. They strengthen me in my purpose.” 
 
 It was with considerable effort the brave man suppressed 
 the emotion which seemed about to unman him. 
 
 “This man Moore said you would have to take care of 
 your paper within twenty-four hours,” said Mr. Van Kirk, 
 “supposing, of course, it would be impossible for you to 
 do it. I will let you have the money with which to take 
 up this paper, and as much more as you may need, on one 
 condition,” 
 
 “This is unexpected kindness, sir,’ exclaimed Mr. 
 Grafton, “but I cannot consider your generous offer. You 
 are a stranger to me and mine comparatively, and you are 
 under no obligations to aid me in the way you propose.” 
 
 “Yes,” eagerly replied Mr. Van Kirk, “I think I have 
 sufficient reason to want to help you, and if you will accept 
 my help, and promise me one thing, you shall soon be out 
 of the clutches of this unscrupulous man.” 
 
 “Your earnestness and frankness, Mr. Van Kirk,’” said 
 Mr. Grafton, “almost persuade me to consider your offer. 
 I am so undone that I am hardly fit to decide what to do 
 in the matter. But tell me what I must promise.” 
 
 “Simply,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “that you will not say a 
 word about what I have offered to do, to your wife and 
 daughter.” 
 
 “Tt has been the custom of my life,” replied Mr. Grafton, 
 “to tell my wife everything about my business affairs, and 
 since Virginia has been old enough she has also shared my 
 confidence. I departed from this rule when I borrowed 
 money from Moore, and I vowed then never to do it again.” 
 
 “The reason I ask you, my good friend,” said Mr. Van 
 Kirk, “not to say anything to your wife and daughter is, 
 that with your consent, I shall ask your daughter to con- 
 
av 
 
 A Story OF THE TIMES 113 
 
 sider an offer of marriage from me; and if she knows of 
 this she will be in no position to entertain such a proposi- 
 tion from me. She will think, and have good reason to do 
 
 _so, that I had a sinister motive in letting you have the 
 
 money. . | disavow any such motive to you, and I think it 
 is due her and me that she shall know nothing about it.” 
 
 “You are a man of honor, sir,” exclaimed Mr. Grafton, 
 “but I hesitate to consent to the arrangement, though 
 generous and disinterested it is.” 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk was anxious to follow up the advantage 
 he had gained, and lest Mr. Grafton should yet decide 
 against him he quickly said: 
 
 “T take it that the matter is closed, Mr. Grafton, and that 
 you will accept my aid. I am anxious and ready to go 
 with you to Mr. Moore to-morrow and release you from 
 every obligation you are under to him.” 
 
 It was a great struggle for Mr. Grafton. He trembled 
 from head to foot, like one in an ague. He tried to speak, 
 but seemed unable to do so. At last he held out his hand 
 to Mr. Van Kirk as if in despair, and willing to be helped 
 by any friendly hand. He finally gasped in scarcely audible 
 
 words: 
 
 “T will accept your friendship—I will accept your help 
 —and God bless you, as my heart struggles to do, and as 
 my wife and daughter will when they are permitted to 
 know what a generous thing you have done.” 
 
 After this effort on the part of Mr. Grafton, Mr. Van 
 Kirk had to really support him to keep him from falling. 
 He was ashen pale, and as weak as if he had just risen from 
 a bed of fever. Mr. Van Kirk begged him to be seated 
 and not to give way to his feelings; and then hurriedly 
 brought some cold water from the well and gave him to 
 drink, and bathed his forehead, the veins and arteries of 
 which stood out like .whipcords. Presently he recovered 
 sufficiently to walk into the open air, and by the time they 
 reached the house, in a roundabout way, was quite himself. 
 
 Virginia-had returned from her school, and the greeting 
 
114 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 between Mr. Grafton and his daughter showed how strong 
 and sweet was the affection between them, 
 
 She held out her hand to Mr. Van Kirk, which he took 
 with more of satisfaction than she divined. 
 
 “T am really pleased to find you looking so well after 
 what must have been a very fatiguing ride,” said Virginia 
 to Mr. Van Kirk. ‘‘ Father is such an enthusiast over the 
 beautiful prairie, and the stock to be found on the ranches 
 around us that he is apt to overdo.” 
 
 “T feel splendidly,” replied Mr. Van Kirk, “and think 
 my buoyant and vigorous feelings are largely due to the 
 way I have spent my day. I scarcely recall a day in my 
 life fuller of more genuine pleasure. The never-ending 
 beauty of landscape, the mellow sunshine, and the great 
 variety of fine stock have filled the measure of my enjoy- 
 ment during the day to overflowing. I have certainly en- 
 joyed it all more than I can easily express.” 
 
 The rosy cheeks and bright eyes of Virginia were addi- 
 tional evidence of the exhilarating qualities of the prairie 
 air and the splendor of the day. Mr. Van Kirk thought he 
 had never seen a sweeter face nor one of more character. 
 He was really hopelessly in love with her the first day. To 
 be sure he had not far to go, for he had fallen in love with 
 her before he left home. 
 
 The evening passed off pleasantly. Virginia read in her 
 usually charming way, and the conversation was full of life 
 and interest. These evening readings had become a part 
 of the home life, and her father particularly seemed to 
 look forward to this part of the evening program with an 
 eager interest. His eyes were somewhat weak, and his 
 daughter found real pleasure in reading to him, besides it 
 was a recreation to her after the routine of her school work. 
 
 Noticing a guitar in the corner of the room, Mr, Van 
 Kirk inquired of Virginia if she played, and being answered 
 in the affirmative, he asked her to play. She readily con- 
 sented, and played and sang very sweetly, although she 
 protested that he must not be too critical as she had been, 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 115 
 
 for the most part, her own teacher. In truth, she played 
 and sang so well that Mr. Van Kirk, who was a very good 
 musician himself, was well pleased with her performance. 
 He joined in several of her songs with a rich bass voice 
 which blended delightfully with Virginia’s contralto, and 
 the Grafton home was given a musical treat that evening 
 which it had never enjoyed before. 
 
 Once during the evening Mr. Grafton was somewhat 
 startled by what seemed to him to be a pair of eyes peering 
 through the window under the drawn curtain. He said 
 nothing about it, and dismissed the matter from his mind, 
 thinking that it was undoubtedly the result of the excite- 
 ment through which he had passed during the day. After 
 retiring, however, those eyes haunted him, and several 
 times he was on the verge of leaving his bed to investigate 
 and, if possible, defcuhiae whether any one was prowling 
 about. He finally persuaded himself-to believe that it was 
 only a fancy, and he fell asleep. 
 
 The Grafton family occupied rooms in the second story, 
 and Mr. Van Kirk, as has been stated, was given the spare 
 bedroom off the parlor. The windows of this room came 
 well down to the floor and opened on a porch running 
 across the entire south end of the house. After retiring 
 to his room, Mr,..Van Kirk, upon extinguishing his Gat 
 sat down near one of the windows and looked out into the 
 starlit sky. He was in a romantic state of mind and en- 
 joyed the quietude of his surroundings. As he looked out 
 of his window at the stars they seemed more beautifully 
 brilliant than they had ever appeared to him before. He 
 compared them to the bright eyes of Virginia, and ad- 
 mitted to himself that the stars lost by the comparison. He 
 realized now more than ever before that his life was bound 
 up with hers—that he loved her, and he trembled at the 
 thought which flashed through his mind that when the test 
 came she might not return his love. His love for her was 
 not without a practical side, for he was eager that the 
 morrow should come when he could perform his promise 
 
116 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 to her father, and thereby render a service of substantial 
 value to the daughter. He sat thus for an hour or more 
 in the darkness of his room gazing at the diamonds of the 
 heavens, and listening in a way as if wooing from them 
 some evidence that his love, when he should declare it, 
 would not be turned aside. He was happier than he had 
 ever been in his life. He could account for this only 
 by the thought that he was near her, yes, under the same 
 roof with her. His heart declared that Virginia was the 
 queen who wielded the sceptre of irresistible power over 
 it, and forced him to confess that he was ready to serve her 
 as a willing subject all through life. *He asked himself, 
 “Why should she not love one so devoted as this?” He 
 half believed that she did; and having argued himself by 
 this sort of heart reasoning to so happy a conclusion, he 
 prepared for bed without lighting the lamp, and was soon 
 wrapped in peaceful and refreshing slumber. 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 117 
 
 CLAP Ti Rax Lh. 
 
 THe Depr DISCHARGED. 
 
 After breakfast Mr. Grafton and Mr. Van Kirk rode with 
 Virginia to the schoolhouse and then went directly to the 
 Moore ranch, where they found Mr. Moore and his super- 
 intendent busily engaged in the office. Mr. Moore re- 
 ceived them with his usual politeness, and invited them to 
 the residence. 
 
 “ No, we have not time to accept of your invitation, this 
 morning,” said Mr. Grafton. “I have come over to take 
 up my note in accordance with your demand that it be 
 paid within twenty-four hours.” 
 
 Mr. Moore locked surprised, and then his face took on 
 an expression that had in it the elements of deadly hatred 
 and revenge. He quickly asserted his mastery over his 
 feelings, however, and replied blandly that he would be glad 
 to attend to the business at once. 
 
 He directed his superintendent to get the note and mort- 
 gage out of the safe which stood in one corner of the room, 
 near, which was the superintendent’s desk, and that func- 
 tionary pretended to obey, but the quick eye of Mr. Van 
 Kirk detected the pretense, and noted the fact that the 
 papers were already on the desk of Mr. Moore. This ‘sug- 
 gested to Mr. Van Kirk that the papers had been taken 
 out earlier in the morning for the purpose of carrying out 
 the threat Mr. Moore had made in the barn the day before. 
 
 The interest was computed and agreed to by the parties, 
 and Mr. Grafton laid down three certified checks of one 
 thousand dollars each which had been endorsed to him by 
 Mr. Van Kirk. He also laid on the table enough currency 
 to cover the amount of the interest. 
 
 Mr. Moore looked at the checks, and a scowl, full of 
 
118 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 malevolence, flashed over his face, but he quickly resumed 
 his mechanical smile and said: 
 
 “I do not know Mr. Van Kirk well enough to accept 
 his checks, notwithstanding they are to all appearances 
 regularly certified. I would prefer cash, Mr. Grafton.” 
 
 Mr. Grafton looked at Mr. Van Kirk as if he was at a loss 
 for an answer. ‘The latter noticing the embarrassment of 
 Mr. Grafton, quickly replied: 
 
 “If the checks are not acceptable to Mr. Moore it will 
 be necessary for us to go to a bank and have them cashed.” 
 He then asked Mr. Grafton if they would be able to go to the 
 nearest bank where the business could be attended to and 
 be back to Mr. Moore’s ranch by evening. 
 
 “It will be necessary to go to the county seat, which will 
 take up most of the day,” said Mr. Grafton, “ but we can 
 be back by four o’clock, I think.” 
 
 “ Will that be agreeable to you, Mr. Moore?” asked Mr. 
 Van Kirk. 
 
 “Yes, | reckon that will do,” replied Mr. Moore doggedly. 
 
 “Very well, then,’ answered Mr. Van Kirk, “we shall 
 be here at four o’clock to meet you and conclude the 
 business.” 
 
 The two gentlemen drove over to the station and took 
 the first train to the county seat, twelve miles away. Mr. 
 Grafton introduced his friend to the bank officials and the 
 checks were cashed without delay. They were compelled 
 to wait some time for a train going in their direction. One 
 came, however, in time to put them down at their station in 
 time for them to drive out to the Moore ranch by four 
 o'clock. 
 
 The note and mortgage were taken up by Mr. Grafton, 
 and he and Mr. Van Kirk were soon on their way to the 
 Grafton ranch. The conduct of Mr. Moore when the 
 money was paid over was so brusque that Mr. Van Kirk 
 felt it his duty to treat him with a cold formality bordering 
 closely on disdain. Mr. Grafton left the office without 
 even saying good-bye to Mr. Moore, who looked wickedly 
 
a 
 
 A Story OF THE TIMES 119 
 
 enough at Mr. Van Kirk to suggest that he would be only 
 too well pleased if he could do him bodily injury. On their 
 way home Mr. Van Kirk remarked to Mr. Grafton that he 
 had never seen a more wicked countenance in all his travels. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was so full of gratitude to Mr. Van Kirk 
 that he could hardly speak. He undertook to express his 
 eratitude several times, but the effort was too much for 
 
 him, and his feelings were more eloquently expressed in 
 
 the tears which rolled down his cheeks. Mr. Van Kirk 
 noticing this said: 
 
 “My dear Mr. Grafton, I know what you would say, 
 but it is quite unnecessary that you should say a single 
 word. What I have done is a very small thing for one 
 friend to do for another when he is as well able to do it 
 as Iam. I assure you it has given me genuine pleasure; 
 indeed, enough pleasure to liquidate both principal and 
 interest.” He said this in a voice so full of frankness and 
 sincerity that it carried conviction with it. Mr. Grafton 
 by great effort replied: 
 
 “T am truly grateful, and I want you to know it.” 
 
 1 dos know. it, Mr.’-Graiton,” said, Mr. Van Kirk, “and 
 that is enough.” 
 
 They found supper ready for them on their return. Vir- 
 ginia was at the gate to welcome them and greeted her 
 father in her usually affectionate manner, and gave Mr. 
 Van Kirk so cordial a greeting that in his ecstasy a vision 
 passed before him of greetings yet to come. Certain it was 
 he truly appreciated the welcome and showed it very plainly 
 in his happy face and satisfied manner. 
 
 The evening was passed in much the same way as the 
 preceding one, only Mr. Van Kirk, at the request of Vir- 
 ginia narrated in his exquisite style experiences he had 
 had in his travels in foreign lands. These narrations were 
 intensely interesting to all of his hearers, but Virginia found 
 in them an interest peculiarly her own. She had never 
 heard a person so interesting and profitably entertaining 
 in her whole life. | She was simply charmed with their guest. 
 
120 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE REVENGE OF DISAPPOINTED LOVE. 
 
 When the hour came for the family to retire Mr. Van 
 Kirk went to his room and flung himself on the floor by 
 the window where he had communed with the stars the 
 night before. He again looked up into those mysterious 
 brilliants of the universe. They had a greater attraction 
 for him than ever before, and shed a light into his heart 
 that illumined his whole being. His soul was filled with 
 the majesty of the heavens, and he was thrilled with the 
 wonder of the skies, but the glory of it all seemed to him to 
 revolve around the face and soul of Virginia. While thus 
 giving full sway to the poesy of his nature, and indulging 
 to an intoxicating degree, the imagery of his soul, he was 
 suddenly disturbed and brought to earth again by stealthy 
 footsteps which he distinctly heard on the porch outside 
 and near his window. His first impulse was to light his 
 lamp, but on second thought he determined not to do it, 
 and instead arose and noiselessly took a position at one 
 side of the window where he could discern any. object dimly 
 outside without being seen himself. His handbag stood 
 on the table near him, containing a revolver and knife, 
 which he had carried with him in his travels, and which he 
 had never been called upon to use but once, when he had 
 doubtless saved his life in defending himself against an at- 
 tack of brigands in the mountains of Italy. Why he at- 
 tached any importance to the footsteps he had heard he 
 hardly knew. Somehow the noise had conveyed to him a 
 strange fear, Possibly it was because of the high nervous 
 tension caused by the exciting events of the last 24 hours. 
 The reference of Mr. Moore to himself in the conversation 
 overheard in the barn had made a deep impression on him, 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 121 
 
 not of fear of the man so much as a kind of conviction that 
 he would do him harm if he had an opportunity, not openly, 
 but by some underhanded means. He had come to feel that 
 he must be on his guard against this man. As soon as he 
 heard the footsteps the sense of fear which came over him 
 was at once associated with the man from whose unscrupu- 
 lous power he had delivered Mr. Grafton. In the shadow of 
 the house and of two large spruce pines which stood near the 
 edge of the porch, it was difficult to distinctly discern any 
 object on the porch. He waited for a few seconds almost 
 breathlessly, when he saw dimly the outlines of two men 
 standing close under one of the trees referred to. One of 
 them slunk back and half buried himself in the dense 
 branches of the tree, while the other in a half stooped pos- 
 ture, with a cat-like tread, approached the window. Mr. 
 Van Kirk could not make out the features, but he was sat- 
 ished that the approaching figure bore a marked resem- 
 blance to Mr. Moore. The man examined the window 
 closely and then withdrew to the figure concealed in the 
 tree. The two men appeared to be holding a consultation. 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk had almost made up his mind to call Mr. 
 Grafton down stairs that they might go out together and 
 ascertain, if possible, the object of the intruders. On more 
 mature thought, however, he concluded not to disturb the 
 family and to await further developments. He thought it 
 more than possible that the resemblance he saw between 
 one of the men and Mr. Moore was due to imagination, and 
 that it was more than likely the men were tramps hunting 
 a place to lodge for the night. The state of the weather, 
 however, tended to preclude this idea, and he determined 
 to remain dressed and to keep himself in readiness for any- 
 thing that might happen. He sat down on a chair near the 
 window and waited. He had not long to wait when he 
 heard the footsteps again approaching the window. As 
 nearly as he could make.out it was the same man who first 
 approached and examined the window. The only differ- 
 ence observable was that the man did not assume the 
 
122 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 crouching posture of the first one. He seemed more bold 
 in his movements, and acted like one who had assured him- 
 self that the coast was clear. Presently, Mr. Van Kirk 
 distinctly heard a scratch on the window pane very much 
 like that made by the diamond of a glazier. Mr. Van Kirk 
 soon discovered that the man was really cutting the window 
 glass with a diamond. As the work progressed Mr. Van 
 Kirk became satisfied that the man intended to effect an 
 entrance into the room by cutting a hole in the glass so 
 as to enable him to push back the sash lock. The scratch- 
 ing ceased and the man placed against the glass a round 
 black object which he pressed against the pane firmly with 
 his hand for some seconds. Then followed a sharp, quick 
 tap and a current of cold air rushed into the room through 
 what was evidently a hole in the glass made by the clever 
 work of the would-be burglar. 
 
 By this time the purpose of the men was so well defined 
 that Mr. Van Kirk realized that he must act. His fear had 
 deserted him, and he was thinking and feeling as deliber- 
 ately as if no danger threatened him. His first thought 
 was to shoot down the burglar through the window. This 
 course, however, would arouse the family and give unneces- 
 sary alarm to Mrs. Grafton and her daughter, This quickly 
 determined him not to use his revolver, and he took out of 
 his bag the heavy knife already alluded to. The man had 
 inserted a part of his hand through the hole in the window 
 and was’ endeavoring to move to one side the lock. For 
 some reason the lock was not easily displaced, yet the man 
 persevered as if he felt confident that the lock would yield 
 to his manipulation in time. Mr. Van Kirk took a favor- 
 able position, and raised his knife above the burglar’s hand 
 _and quickly brought its sharp edge down upon the inserted 
 fingers, and then sprang back to one side away from the 
 window. The burglar gave a distinct exclamation of pain, 
 and with one bound joined his companion against the trees. 
 Two quick flashes of light were almost instantaneously fol- 
 lowed by two distinct pistol reports. The bullets crashed 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 123 
 
 through the window and were distinctly heard to embed 
 themselves in the wall of the room. Two other shots fol- 
 lowed quickly, and the rapidly receding footsteps of ’the 
 two men were heard by Mr. Van Kirk, who threw up the 
 window and sprang out on the porch and followed in the 
 direction of the fleeing men. He had reached the end of 
 the porch when two more shots were fired from the road- 
 way. Before the flash of the revolvers had disappeared, 
 Mr. Van Kirk had discharged his revolver several times 
 hoping to get at least one of the men who was exposed by 
 the flash of his pistol. Other shots were exchanged when 
 the burglars rode hurriedly away on horseback. After the 
 first shot fired by Mr. Van Kirk he threw himself flat on 
 the ground to be less exposed to the return fire. The battle 
 being over for the time being, Mr. Van Kirk returned to his 
 room where he found Mr. Grafton and the ladies in a high 
 state of excitement, Virginia, however, was the calmest 
 of the three, and at once began to question Mr. Van Kirk 
 as to what had happened. He hurriedly explained what 
 had taken place, and treated the matter so calmly and so 
 lightly that it greatly relieved the situation of its tragical 
 effects. Suddenly, however, Virginia noticed two severed 
 fingers lying on the floor. Her attention was drawn to 
 them by the reflection of a diamond ring on one of the 
 fingers. Upon holding the light nearer to the ghastly 
 scene she gave a startled cry and said: 
 
 “JT cannot be mistaken. It is surely his ring.” 
 
 She was so much overcome that she looked like one in a 
 faint. Mr. Van’ Kirk quickly caught her in his arms and 
 asked Mr. Grafton to hand him some water. Before the 
 water was brought, however, Virginia had recovered her- 
 self and begged them to not be concerned on her account. 
 Mrs. Grafton was so greatly alarmed that it was with much 
 difficulty that she was quieted. Virginia noticed blood 
 trickling down one of Mr. Van Kirk’s hands and she ex- 
 
 claimed: 
 “Why, Mr. Van Kirk, you are wounded,” and she point- 
 
124 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 ed to his hand which was covered with blood. He looked 
 at his hand and remarked that it could not be much of a 
 wound for he had not felt any pain on account of it. Vir- 
 ginia fetched some water and a towel while Mr. Van Kirk 
 removed his coat, and it was discovered that he had re- 
 ceived a flesh wound between the elbow and the shoulder, 
 Virginia washed the arm and wound while Mrs. Grafton 
 brought an antiseptic from the medicine cabinet. Virginia 
 insisted on doing the role of surgeon, and as a result of 
 her skill and deftness the wound was soon dressed in a 
 manner that would have done credit to a more experienced 
 nurse. 
 
 There was no more sleep in the Grafton house that night. 
 Mr. Van Kirk urged the ladies to retire and get some sleep, 
 assuring them that the danger was over, and that he and 
 Mr. Grafton, in order to give them greater assurance, 
 would stand guard till daylight. But Mrs. Grafton and 
 Virginia insisted that it was their duty to remain up and 
 share with Mr. Van Kirk and Mr. Grafton whatever of 
 danger might come during the rest of the night. 
 
 After the household had become somewhat quieted, Mr. 
 Van Kirk said: 
 
 ‘Miss Grafton, when you saw the severed fingers of the 
 would-be burglar you made a remark respecting the ring 
 on one of the fingers which was somewhat suggestive.” 
 
 “Yes, I remarked, I\ believe, that I could not be mis- 
 taken, it must be his, or something like that,’ answered 
 Virginia. “I simply meant that the diamond ring on one 
 of the fingers lying on the floor, which had been severed by 
 your dextrous use of the knife, was a ring that Mr. Moore 
 had been wearing ever since 1 have known him. 1am sure 
 that it is his ring.” 
 
 “Do you mean, daughter, that it is Mr. Moore’s ring? ” 
 exclaimed Mrs. Grafton, “ How can it be?” 
 
 “Yes,” replied Virginia, “I recognized the ring in- 
 stantly.” 
 
7 
 
 A Story OF THE TIMES 125 
 
 “Well,” said Mrs, Grafton, with a puzzled expression on 
 her face, “the burglars must have been at Mr. Moore’s 
 house and succeeded in getting in and robbing him, else 
 how could the burglar have had Mr. Moore's ring?” 
 
 It had not dawned on Mrs. Grafton’s mind that Mr. 
 Moore himself was the would-be burglar. In her excite- 
 ment she suggested that some one ought to go imme- 
 diately to Mr. Moore’s ranch in order to find out if a mur- 
 der had been committed as well as a burglary. 
 
 “It would be better, I fancy, for Mr. Moore if his house 
 had been burglarized and the fingers lying in there on the 
 carpet had ‘been chopped from ae hand of some one other 
 than Mr. Moore himself,” replied Virginia. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton arose from her chain and staring in a be- 
 wildered way at her daughter, exclaimed: 
 
 “You do not mean to, insinuate, surely, that Mr. Moore 
 tried to break into our house?”’ 
 
 Mr. Grafton went across the room to his wife and ex- 
 plained to her that possibly there might be some mistake 
 about it, but that both Mr. Van Kirk and himself were 
 seriously of the opinion that Mr. Moore was the would-be 
 burglar. Mrs. Grafton sank back in her chair exclaiming: 
 “How can it be? How can it be?” 
 
 When daylight came a careful inspection was made of the 
 porch and the grounds between the porch and the road 
 where the would-be burglars stood when they fired the last 
 shots. The porch in front of the window was covered with 
 blood stains, and blood spots were found on the ground 
 near the edge of the porch, and there was a trail of blood 
 from the porch to the fence, and on the fence, showing 
 where the burglars had climbed over in their flight. On 
 ‘the ground just over the edge of the porch was found the 
 piece of glass which had been cut from the window. The 
 neatness and precision with which it had been removed 
 showed that the hand which did the work was a steady - 
 one, and not without skill in that kind of business. Against 
 one side of the piece of glass was a round piece of tough 
 
126 THe HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 substance, harder than leather, and about two-thirds of the 
 size of the piece of glass. It was so firmly glued to the 
 glass that it was almost a part of it. From the center of 
 the adhering patch was a projecting piece of leather large 
 enough and long enough to enable the fingers to clutch it 
 firmly. This patch was pressed against the window pane 
 until. it adhered and the incision around it having been 
 made all that was necessary was.a quick rap with some kind 
 of instrument to complete the job, and the piece of detached 
 glass was jerked outward with the other hand. A close 
 examination of the window frame and the wall of the room 
 opposite the window showed that four bullets had been 
 fired before the men retreated. One of the bullets plow- 
 ed through the window frame very near to where Mr. Van 
 Kirk was standing. The other three bullets entered the 
 window near the center and too high up to have struck him 
 if he had been actually standing in front of the window. 
 One of the bullets fired by the burglars from the road 
 struck the corner post of the porch at about the height of 
 Mr. Van Kirk’s breast. Another bullet struck the corner 
 of the house at about the same distance from the floor of 
 the porch. The other bullets went wild. It was thought 
 that the bullet which struck the post was the one which in- 
 flicted the wound in Mr. Van Kirk’s arm. An examina- 
 tion of the fence showed bullet marks from Mr. Van Kirk’s 
 revolver at about the right height to show that he had taken 
 very accurate aim at the flashes of the burglars’ revolvers. 
 It was quite evident that his fire was so accurate and rapid 
 that the burglars mounted their horses and retreated hur- 
 riedly to escape the fire. 
 
 Both Mr. Grafton and Mr, Van Kirk expucted to fd 
 the tracks of the horses leading in the direction of Mr. 
 Moore’s ranch, and were Botany surprised, and somewhat 
 nonplussed, to find that they led in exactly the opposite di- 
 -rection. .Mr. Grafton suggested, however, that it was a 
 blind—that they took the opposite direction in order to 
 mislead. He was firmly convinced that the guilty man 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 127 
 
 was none other than Mr. Moore, accompanied by some one 
 of his desperate cowboys. Mr. Van Kirk agreed with him 
 in this conviction, and they determined to act upon this 
 theory in working up the case. 
 
 After a hurried breakfast Mr. Grafton started for the 
 county seat for the purpose of laying the matter before the 
 sheriff of the county. Mr. Van Kirk remained at the ranch 
 as company for the ladies, and as a sort of guard of the 
 premises. Mrs. Grafton continued to labor under great 
 excitement, and it required all of the quieting influence of 
 Virginia to keep her from becoming hysterical. Virginia 
 showed calmness and courage in perfect keeping with the 
 qualities which had shown themselves in her conduct the 
 night of the blizzard. 
 
 Mr. Grafton had not travelled more than half the distance 
 to the railroad station when he met Mr. Spellbinder in 
 company with the sheriff and two other men who were in- 
 troduced to him as detectives from the State of Texas. Mr, 
 Spellbinder explained that the detectives were armed with 
 an extradition warrant for the arrest of Osmond Blackburn 
 alias Thomas Moore, indicted for burglary and man- 
 slaughter. 
 
 Mr. Grafton gave the sheriff the details of the attempted 
 burglary of his house, and the narrow escape of his guest, 
 Mr. Van Kirk; and stated with great positiveness that it 
 was his belief that Moore was the guilty man. 
 
 A hurried consultation between the sheriff and detectives 
 and Mr. Spellbinder, evolved the plan. that they would re- 
 turn to the station and that Mr. Grafton should go back to 
 his home and endeavor to watch the movements on the 
 Moore ranch. ‘This plan was carried out. 
 
 When the sheriff and Mr. Spellbinder arrived at the rail- 
 road station they immediately communicated by telegraph 
 with the warden, of the penitentiary, requesting him to send 
 a couple of bloodhounds, with their keeper, by the first 
 train. They arrived the next day; and by noon the sheriff 
 and his party were at the Grafton ranch. 
 
128 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 In the evening the detectives mounted on good horses 
 rode out to a point near the ranch and took positions from 
 which they could plainly see everything occurring about 
 Mr. Moore’s buildings. In this way the ranch was watched 
 from two sides so vigilantly that had anybody attempted 
 to leave it he must have been seen, but nothing unusual 
 was observed during the night. In fact, it seemed to Mr, 
 Grafton that there was less activity on the ranch than usual. 
 Lights were seen in the house and office, but nothing of a 
 suspicious nature was detected by either Mr. Grafton or the 
 detectives. 
 
 The detectives looked over the work at the window care- 
 fully and pronounced it that of a professional. They also 
 inspected the amputated fingers and the ring. They agreed 
 that the ring was the one used in cutting the glass, and that 
 the fingers belonged on the left hand. This latter fact they 
 declared pointed towards Moore, because, as they asserted, 
 he was left-handed, and it was for this reason the burglar 
 used his left hand in manipulating the sash lock. 
 
 They showered compliments upon Mr. Van Kirk for his 
 calmness and courage, but expressed regret that he did not 
 shoot dead the would-be burglar at short range while he 
 was trying to unfasten the lock. One of them remarked 
 that the only rule to follow in dealing with burglars was to 
 shoot them down without warning if possible. 
 
 The hounds were taken to the. spot where the burglars 
 stood near the tree from which led the trail of blood to the 
 fence. The dogs sniffed the ground a few seconds and 
 then started with a deep bay on the trail. Climbing over 
 the fence, they circled round once or twice in the road 
 where the burglars had made confused tracks in mounting 
 their horses, and without hesitation they started on the trail 
 down the road. On they went for two miles, when they 
 veered to the west and went out on the prairie. Without 
 slacking their speed and without deviating in the least in 
 their general course, they followed the trail to a point al- 
 most due north of the buildings on Moore’s ranch. Here 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 129 
 
 they turned east and kept that course until they reached the 
 windmill which pumped water for Mr. Moore’s stock. The 
 dogs hesitated here and made several circles around the 
 windmiil. The posse following the dogs caught up with 
 them here, and discovered blood marks on the side of one 
 of the watering troughs, near which they found a handker- 
 chief saturated with blood partly hidden under a board. 
 The dogs soon struck the trail again and bounded off in 
 the direction of the ranch house. About half a mile from 
 the windmill the dogs separated, one going on direct to- 
 wards the house, and the other towards the bottom of the 
 Loup River where Mr. Moore maintained what he called 
 the “ Bottom Ranch.” The man in charge of the dogs 
 promptly interpreted this movement to mean that the two 
 burglars had separated at this point for some reason or 
 other, 
 
 “Tf the dogs,” he said, “ don’t abandon one trail or the 
 other to travel in company we'll run them both to cover.” 
 
 Presently the dog which had turned towards the river 
 whirled in his tracks and came back to the point from 
 which he had made his detour and followed, with increased 
 speed, the trail held by the other dog. 
 
 The keeper got off his horse and stuck a stake with a 
 handkerchief tied to it at the point of divergence, and then 
 galloped on after the dogs. Within a few minutes both 
 dogs were at the door of the ranch barn baying like mad. 
 When the posse caught up the dogs were rearing up against 
 the door of the barn and fiercely gnawing the boards as if 
 to force an entrance. The keeper was of the opinion that 
 one of the burglars had put his horse in the stable and after- 
 wards had gone to the house. Acting upon this theory, 
 he caused the hounds to circle around the barn a little dis- 
 tance from it for the purpose of determining whether his 
 theory was correct. Sure enough the dogs struck the trail 
 leading to the house, and immediately followed it. When 
 they reached the house, they attacked the rear door as 
 fiercely as they had the barn door. This satisfied the keep- 
 
130 THE HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 er that one of the men they were after had entered the 
 house. To prove this, he started the dogs in a circle 
 around the house and when they came to the trail from 
 the barn to the house, they again took it and attacked the 
 door of the house as in the first instance. One of the de-. 
 tectives went to the front door, while the other one remained 
 at the back door with the sheriff. The dogs were leashed by 
 the keeper in order that he might have them under control 
 should the burglar be found. After repeated knocking at 
 both doors, the rear one was opened by a man wearing a 
 white cap and white apron such as are commonly worn by 
 cooks. He asked what was wanted. 
 
 “We desire to see Mr. Moore,” said one of the detectives. 
 
 “ He is not at home,’ answered the man without betray- 
 ing any excitement. “ He started to Chicago the day be- 
 fore yesterday, and will not be back for several weeks, I 
 am expecting the superintendent from the railroad station 
 every minute. Perhaps he will do, as he attends to all of 
 Mr. Moore’s ranch business.” 
 
 The frankness and straightforwardness of the man was 
 somewhat puzzling to the officers; and they determined to 
 wait awhile for the return of the superintendent. They had 
 _ not waited long till he drove up in a runabout, and seemed 
 surprised to find such a party at the house awaiting him. 
 He turned his horse over to a stableman, and after being 
 introduced to the gentlemen of the party, he very politely 
 and cordially invited them into the house. At this mo- 
 ment the keeper with his dogs came around the corner of 
 the house, and almost instantly both dogs gave a startling 
 bay and leaped with such violence toward the superintend- 
 ent that the keeper was jerked to the ground and dragged 
 some distance before he succeeded in stopping them. They 
 seemed determined to get at the superintendent, and it re- 
 quired the keeper and sheriff both to restrain them. No- 
 ticing the danger he was in, the superintendent-turned as 
 pale as death, urging the party the while to enter the house 
 out of the way of such vicious animals. The keeper whis- 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 131 
 
 pered to one of the detectives that without doubt this was 
 one of the men they had trailed from the Grafton ranch. 
 Acting upon this suggestion the detectives at once arrested 
 the superintendent and put handcuffs on him. He ex- 
 pressed great indignation at such treatment, and demanded 
 to know the cause of it. 
 
 He was told that a crime had been committed in the 
 neighborhood, and that the bloodhounds had tracked at 
 least one of the criminals to the Moore ranch. 
 
 “The hounds,” continued the detective, “have spotted 
 you as one of the men we are after, and under the authority 
 of the law we take you in charge.” 
 
 The superintendent denied all knowledge of any crime, 
 and pleaded his innocence with such earnestness that all of 
 the party except the detectives and the keeper of the hounds 
 were led to doubt his guilt. 
 
 Mr. Grafton had remarked upon the absence of the usual 
 number of hired men about the ranch, and he suggested to 
 the sheriff that he ask the superintendent where the men 
 were. 
 
 “Where is Mr. Moore?” inquired the sheriff of the su- 
 perintendent. 
 
 “Mr. Moore,” he replied, “left for Chicago a few days 
 ago, to be gone some fime.”’ 
 
 “Where are the men usually seen about the ranch?” 
 asked the sheriff. 
 
 “ Most of them are at the Bottom’ Ranch,” he replied. 
 
 This was said without hesitation and with such candor 
 that it rather staggered the sheriff and those who heard it. 
 
 The keeper of the dogs was not satisfied with what they 
 had accomplished. He said that he had no doubt whatever 
 that the other man they wanted had gone to the Bottom 
 Ranch, and he proposed going back to where he had stuck 
 
 the stake in the ground on which he tied his handkerchief 
 
 and putting the dogs on that trail. Two men were left in 
 charge of the superintendent, and the rest of the party 
 started for the other trail. When they arrived at the stake 
 
132 THE HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 the dogs took the side trail which they followed without a 
 wobble until they came to a small creek called the Never- 
 sink which fiowed into the Loup a mile below. Here they 
 wavered, and ran up and down the creek for some little dis- 
 tance. Finally they plunged into the water, swam across, 
 and in a short time struck the trail on the opposite side. 
 They followed this trail in a direct line towards a log cabin 
 with a large stockade corral near it, located about a quarter 
 of a mile from the north bank of the Loup River. When 
 they had reached the corral, they attacked the door with 
 the same fierceness they had the door of the ranch resi- 
 dence. By the time the posse following arrived at the 
 stockade, several men in cowboy attire, with the usual ar- 
 senal strapped to their hips, had come out of the cabin and 
 were eying the dogs suspiciously. 
 
 ‘Good mornin’,” they said to the sheriff who was leading 
 the posse. 
 
 “Good morning,” answered the sheriff. 
 
 “What the devil do them hounds want yelpin’ and bitin’ 
 around here like that?” asked one of the men who looked 
 as if he might be the boss. 
 
 “We are trailing the perpetrators of a crime that has 
 been committed in the neighborhood,” replied the sheriff. 
 
 “Well, there ain’t no criminals about this ranch, and 
 you'd better call them d— brutes off mighty quick or we'll 
 feed ’em some cold lead,” said the man with a good deal 
 of braggadocio. 
 
 “You had better not undertake to do that, my man,” re- 
 plied the sheriff. “ Those dogs belong to the State and 
 they are here under the protection and by the authority of 
 ine lara 
 
 “We don’t give a d— for that,” replied the man defiantly, 
 “Dogs is dogs, and if you don’t call ’em off we'll plug ’em 
 sure.” | 
 
 “The dogs will not hurt you. They are perfectly harm- 
 less to every one except the criminal they are trailing, and if 
 he isn’t here the dogs will do no harm to anybody on the 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 133 
 
 ranch. Open the gate and let us in, and if the criminal is 
 not in there, we shall withdraw and take the dogs with us.” 
 
 “T don’t know as we have to open the gate; it’s Mr. 
 Moore’s and we’re here to take care of it, and if you hain’t 
 got an order from him I: reckon the gate will not be 
 opened right away to accommodate you,” replied the man 
 in an insolent, dogged way. 
 
 “We shall see about that,” replied the sheriff. “I have 
 an extradition warrant for the arrest of Mr. Moore, as you 
 call him, and the State hounds have located him at this 
 ranch, and in the name of the law I insist on your opening 
 the gate that we may execute the warrant.” 
 
 The sheriff produced the warrant and read it to the man, 
 and endeavored to satisfy him that he must not obstruct the 
 officers in the discharge of their duty. The sheriff asked in 
 a polite way if Mr. Moore was in the stockade or had been 
 within a few hours. 
 
 “T don’t know as it is everybody’s business whether he 
 is or is not,” answered the man in a swaggering way, “ but 
 as you're an officer of the law I'll kinder condescend to say 
 that Mr. Moore aint here; I reckon he is in Chicago, as 
 he started for there several days ago.” 
 
 “You said a while ago,” observed the sheriff, “that we 
 would have to get an order from Mr. Moore before we 
 could enter the stockade. Now you say he is in Chicago. 
 How do you expect us to get an order from him under 
 these circumstances?” 
 
 “An order from the superintendent will do,” answered 
 the man bluntly. 
 
 “The superintendent is under arrest and in irons. You 
 must open that gate at once,’ demanded the officer, 
 
 -At this juncture the gate opened far enough for five men 
 to squeeze out. The dogs seeing the opening made a lunge 
 forward as if to enter. At this several of the cowboys drew 
 their revolvers in a threatening way, and it looked as if the 
 crisis had come. 
 
 “These dogs will not hurt you,” said the sheriff, “and 
 
134 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 the man who dares to shoot will do so at his peril.” 
 
 “Put up your guns, boys, maybe you'll have better use 
 for ’em,” said the boss. 
 
 The guns were put up with ill-concealed reluctance, and 
 the men stood as if ready for “ gun play” at any moment 
 —indeed, as if they were eager for it to begin. The sheriff 
 recognized one of the men who squeezed out of the corral 
 as probably the worst character who had ever come up the 
 trail from Texas to Ogalalla. He had the reputation of 
 being a dead shot and had “ killed his man,” and never met 
 his Waterloo until he ran up against Captain Smith, who 
 distinguished himself in the capture of “ Gold-tooth ” Mid- 
 dleton. 
 
 Knowing this man’s reputation, and the evident purpose 
 of the outfit to resist the execution of the warrant, he made 
 up his mind that it would be rash for him with his present 
 posse to undertake to force the gate. Going aside he called 
 the two detectives, Mr. Grafton and Mr. Spellbinder to him 
 to hold a consultation. 
 
 “There is trouble in sight, gentlemen,” said the sheriff, 
 “and our posse is not large enough to tackle the job. 
 There are eight of Moore’s men in sight and how many 
 more,there may be out of sight in the stockade and cabin 
 can only be guessed at. I know that Moore has as many 
 as twenty-five men in his employ, and there were not more 
 than three or four at the residence this morning. The su- 
 perintendent said that the others were at this ranch, con- 
 sequently there must be not less than: twenty men that we'll 
 have to deal with if we undertake to force the gate. So, 
 what shall be done? ” 
 
 “Tt will be necessary for us to withdraw from here and 
 collect a larger force, if it can be done,” suggested Mr. 
 Spellbinder. 
 
 “There are but two things to do,” replied the sheriff, 
 “either to abandon the job or get a big enough force to 
 carry it out. I don’t propose to adopt the former course, 
 I assure you,” 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 135 
 
 After some consultation, it was agreed that the posse 
 should withdraw to the higher ground overlooking the 
 stockade, where some of the men would be left to perform 
 picket duty while the sheriff, Mr. Grafton and Mr. Spell- 
 binder went to gather a larger force. Before they started, 
 however, the sheriff returned to the boss of the outfit, and 
 again demanded, in the name of the law, that the door of 
 the stockade be thrown open. 
 
 “Tl see yer and the scabby lot yer got with yer in h— 
 first,’ was his insolent reply. 
 
 “Then we'll have to take the necessary steps to maintain 
 the dignity of the law and the sovereignty of the State,” 
 said the sheriff. 
 
 “Do yer darndest,” replied the boss, “we'll be with yer 
 when the play begins. We've got a little sovereignty of 
 our own to take care of, and that’s what this stockade is fer.’ 
 
 The other cowboys stood as if waiting for a word or mo- 
 tion to begin the “ gun play,” and all seemed surprised, if 
 not disappointed, when the sheriff’s posse rode off leading 
 the dogs. 
 
 Within three hours thirty determined men assembled at 
 the Grafton ranch, armed with Winchester rifles and re- 
 volvers. The evidences of the attempt to break into the 
 house and to murder Mr. Van Kirk, fired them with de- 
 termination and an eager desire to capture the would-be 
 murderers. Refreshments were served, and several bask- 
 ets of provisions were put up for the men to eat later on. 
 When the posse was about ready to start, Mr. Van Kirk in- 
 dicated his purpose to go along, notwithstanding his 
 wounded arm had swollen considerably, and had developed 
 some inflammation. Some of the gentlemen told him it 
 was quite unnecessary for him to go, and Mrs. Grafton 
 and Virginia protested, declaring that it was really a species 
 of recklessness on his part. All of the protestations were 
 unavailing, for he said he was determined to go. He made 
 the necessary preparations and was in readiness when the 
 posse was ready to move. He persuaded Mr, Grafton, who 
 
 ‘ 
 
136 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 was very much fatigued on account of loss of sleep and the 
 exertions he had gone through during the day, to remain 
 with his wife and daughter. 
 
 About this time Mr. Spellbinder came up and indicated 
 his purpose to stay at the ranch, saying that he was nearly 
 worn out, besides he said: 
 
 ‘“[T have been extremely anxious all day lest something 
 might have happened to the ladies here who have no pro- 
 tection except Mr. Van Kirk, who was wounded, and I 
 consider it the duty of some able-bodied man to stay here 
 and act as a guard.” 
 
 “That is quite unnecessary, Mr. Spellbinder,” said Vir- 
 ginia. ‘ We are in no danger even if left alone, but father 
 will remain and allow Mr. Van Kirk to use his riding horse 
 and Winchester. Besides, I know something about the 
 use of a gun myself.” 
 
 “T am about used up,’ answered Mr. Spellbinder, “ and 
 I feel as if I am about fit for a ‘home-guard.’ I think 
 the number of men we have got together, who are used to 
 the saddle and outdoor hardships, will be able to capture 
 the stockade without me.” 
 
 “Of course Mr. Spellbinder, we shall be glad to have 
 you stay,” said Virginia, “ but somehow I feel that you will 
 be more needed at the stockade.” 
 
 “T think I'll stay,” rejoined Mr. Spellbinder. “In my 
 used-up condition I don’t think V’ll be of much use to the 
 sheriff. I’m not used to this sort of thing, you know. It’s 
 not in my line. Now, if it was a campaign against the Re- 
 publicans, 1 could go it from now until election day and 
 speak every day and night without feeling it,’ and he cast 
 a wistful eye towards the dining-room., 
 
 Virginia noticed his glance in the direction of the edibles, 
 and divining its meaning, she said: 
 
 “You are doubtless hungry, Mr. Spellbinder, and if you 
 will go with me to the dining-room I will help you to some- 
 thing to eat.” 
 
 “That I will, Miss Grafton, for I am as hungry as a 
 
 ’ 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 137 
 
 wolf,” he replied. “I am truly grateful to you for the 
 suggestion.” 
 
 Virginia helped him to a bountiful supply of victuals, in- 
 cluding a hot cup of coffee, to which he addressed himself 
 with promptness and vigor. 
 
 Virginia excused herself, saying that she desired to see 
 the men and bid them Godspeed before they left. She was 
 just in time to do this, for the column was moving when 
 she arrived at the gate leading into the roadway where her 
 father and mother were standing. Mr. Van Kirk lingered 
 for a few seconds at the gate talking with Mr. Grafton and 
 the two ladies, and before he went shook hands with each. 
 Virginia wished him Godspeed and success, and followed 
 him apparently with eager eyes until he had rejoined the 
 column and the posse was out of sight. 
 
 “ He’s a brave fellow,” said Mr. Grafton. 
 
 “T think so myself,’ answered Virginia. “I like a man 
 of his mettle. A wound to him seems nothing at all, and he 
 courts opportunity to do what appears to him to be his 
 duty. He proved his courage last night.” 
 
 “You have left Mr. Spellbinder alone, Virginia,” ob- 
 served Mrs. Grafton, 
 
 “Yes, I think, however, he will. be able to take care of 
 himself at the table,’ Virginia replied rather sarcastically. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton hurried into the dining-room and found 
 Mr. Spellbinder apparently satisfied with himself and all 
 the world. She made some apology for his having been 
 left alone. 
 
 “Oh, I’m getting on first rate,” he answered with his 
 mouth full of victuals. 
 
 } What a terrible experience this is, father,’ said Vir- 
 ginia, “I do hope there will be no further bloodshed. 
 Wouldn’t it be dreadful if Mr. Van Kirk siralatty be killed 
 or seriously wounded? ” 
 
 “TI trust no one will be hurt,” replied her father. “There 
 has been tragedy enough already. But I share with you 
 your solicitude for our guest, Mr. Van Kirk. I’ve truly 
 learned to admire him for his genuine manly qualities.” 
 
138 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 Virginia looked at her father intently for a moment, and — 
 
 then said: 
 
 “So do I father, so do I.” 
 
 “Tam glad of that, Virginia, for I happen to know that 
 he would give a great deal to hear you speak the words 
 you have just uttered,” he answered. 
 
 ‘Why, what can you mean, father?” exclaimed Virginia. 
 
 “ Just this, daughter,” answered Mr. Grafton, “ he has de- 
 clared to me that it was his purpose, with my consent, at a 
 fitting time to ask you to become his wife.” 
 
 ‘What did you say to him, father?” asked Virginia. 
 
 “TI scarcely recall what I did say,” he answered, “ but I 
 think I said enough to him to indicate that I had no ob- 
 jections.” { 
 
 “Why have you said nothing to me about it before, 
 father?” she asked evincing more interest than her father 
 was prepared to see. 
 
 “Why, my dear daughter, how could I have said any- 
 thing to you about it?” he replied, ‘“ with all the tragical 
 happenings of the last day or so. It was only the day be- 
 fore yesterday he said this to me.” 
 
 “True, my dear father, you have had no opportunity,” 
 she replied, “ I spoke thoughtlessly. JI am extremely glad, 
 however, that you have told me this.” 
 
 “T am glad also,” replied her father, “and I hope that 
 you will treat him with the utmost consideration.” 
 
 “TI certainly have every reason to do so,” she replied, 
 coloring a little. : 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder had finished his meal, and had come out 
 where Mr. Grafton and his daughter were seated on the 
 porch. Mr. Spellbinder remarked that he felt more like 
 himself now since‘he had regaled the inner man with some 
 of Mrs. Grafton’s well-cooked victuals. 
 
 “Tm certainly glad to know that you feel better,” an- 
 swered Virginia. 
 
 “Yes,” said Mr. Spellbinder, “I got pretty hungry chas- 
 ing after those hounds, and I’m not used to horseback 
 
 a 
 
A Story OF THE TIMES 139 
 
 riding. I'll feel pretty stiff in the morning, I apprehend. 
 I hope we'll succeed in catching the scoundrels, especially 
 that arch-scoundrel, Moore.” 
 
 “Do you really think he had anything to do with the at- 
 tempted burglary?” asked Virginia. 
 
 “Do I?” he exclaimed, ‘I am satisfied he is at the bot- 
 tom of it all, if not the principal actor,” and he looked at 
 Virginia as if he would read her innermost thoughts. 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder felt pretty well satisfied that Virginia had 
 more than a passing interest in the man, Moore, and he 
 attributed her apparent confidence in his innocence to that 
 fact. He availed. himself of this opportunity to exploit 
 what he knew about Moore. He also took occasion. to 
 say to Mr. Grafton and his daughter that he had worked 
 up the case against Moore which had brought the detec- 
 tives and himself into the neighborhood just in the nick of 
 time. He explained to them that the Governor of Texas 
 had made a requisition for Moore’s return to that State 
 where an indictment was hanging over his head for a hein- 
 ous crime committed ten years ago. 
 
 “Is it possible,” exclaimed Virginia, “that what you say 
 can be true? One can hardly conceive of such hypocrisy.” 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder put his part of the matter in the strong- 
 est light possible,,and a complacent smile spread over his 
 countenance indicating that he felt satisfied with his effort. 
 
 “T can hardly realize,’ said Mr. Grafton, “that it is pos- 
 sible that we have been harboring such a man under our 
 roof,’ and he excused himself to go to the barn to look 
 after his stock. 
 
 “T hope you will pardon me, Miss Grafton,” said Mr. 
 Spellbinder, “ but I desire to say that the interest I have 
 taken in bringing Mr. Moore to justice, aside from my gen- 
 eral desire to see criminals punished, was because of my 
 love for you. I know you rejected my offer of marriage, 
 but despite of that I love you still.” 
 
 Virginia turned towards him as if startled, and looked 
 
140 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 him in the face as one who could not believe her ears. 
 “ Because of your love for me?” she exclaimed. 
 
 “Yes, Miss Grafton, because of my love for you,” an- 
 swered Mr. Spellbinder, and he made a move as if to get 
 nearer to her, 
 
 Virginia stayed him with a motion of her hand and said: 
 
 “T am surprised, Mr. Spellbinder, both at what you have 
 said and the time you have chosen for saying it. You will 
 agree that this is hardly a proper time to broach such a 
 subject. A terrible tragedy may be enacting at this very 
 moment within a few miles of us in which some of our 
 friends may be sacrificing their lives in an effort to uphold 
 the authority of the law. You will pardon me if I abso- 
 lutely decline to discuss the subject.” 
 
 “T beg your pardon, Miss Grafton,” he replied. “ Per- 
 haps the time is inopportune, but my heart was so full of 
 the subject that I couldn’t restrain myself.” 
 
 “T will say this much, Mr. Spellbinder, on the subject,” 
 she replied, “ I do not consider myself free to listen to your 
 declarations of love, and I[ shall be obliged to you if you 
 will not refer-to the subject again.” 
 
 “Can it be, as I have suspected,’ he exclaimed, “ that 
 you are engaged to marry that scoundrel, Moore? I will 
 see that that will soon come to an end,” and his whole framé 
 shook with excitement and anger. 
 
 “T do not admit your right, Mr. Spellbinder, to cate- 
 chise me in this way,” she replied, “ but I deem it proper 
 and due to myself, under the circumstances, to inform you 
 that I am not engaged to Mr. Moore, and that I never 
 have been.” 
 
 Mr. Spellbinder excused himself and walked down to- 
 wards the gate. Virginia remained seated, with her eyes 
 anxiously looking in the direction of the stockade, where 
 it was possible that at that very moment a desperate con- 
 flict was going on. The thought made her tremble. She 
 offered a silent prayer for all on the side of law and justice, 
 and almost involuntarily her most fervent prayer was for 
 the safety of Mr. Van Kirk. 
 
 / 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 141 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE Cowsoyrs DEFIANT TO THE LAST. 
 
 The re-enforced posse proceeded to the stockade, and was 
 met by the same men who had come outside in the morn- 
 ing. The sheriff in a polite but firm way demanded that 
 the gate be opened for the execution of the law. 
 
 “T wus ordered by Mr. Moore,” said the boss of the out- 
 fit, “to take care of his property and I’ll do it if it costs me 
 my life.” 
 
 “We are not here,” replied the sheriff, “to interfere in 
 any manner with the property of the man you call Moore. 
 What the State wants and what it insists upon having is 
 access to this stockade and cabin for the pur pose of arrest- 
 ing a man under indictment for crime, and who is suspected 
 of having attempted a burglary the night before last. We 
 believe you are harboring and saientias this ecriminal, and 
 in doing so you are resisting an officer in the discharge of 
 his duty. You are doing aa at your peril, and | advise 
 you to desist at once.’ 
 
 “TI suppose,” replied the boss doggedly, “that we’ve 
 got the whole State to fight, and maybe it’s a bigger job 
 than a few fellers ought to tackle, but if you think we’re 
 afeered to try it you’re clean off, mister. We can clean 
 out this outfit you’ve got here and do it dead easy.” 
 
 “You had better get your men together,” said the sheriff 
 in a kindly tone, “and talk the situation over calmly. It 
 may be that you will come to the conclusion that it will be 
 better for you to open the gate than to take the chances of 
 armed resistance. We'll give you a reasonable time to 
 talk it over, and I hope you will come to the conclusion not 
 to defy the authority of the State any longer.” 
 
 The boss turned to his men and béckened them aside a 
 
 39 
 
142 THE HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 little way where they engaged in a consultation which last- 
 ed several minutes. At the conclusion the boss advanced . 
 to the sheriff and said: 
 
 “Mister, I guess we'll fight, and you'd better git back 
 before the ‘gun play’ begins.” 
 
 “That is your answer, is it?”’ asked the sheriff. 
 
 “Sure; and the boys will stand by me you bet,” he re- 
 plied. 
 
 The sheriff was not wholly disappointed in this answer, 
 yet he had hoped that the better sense of the men would 
 prevail. It hardly need be said that the sheriff was 
 troubled somewhat to know what was the best course to 
 pursue. After a consultation with the detectives and other 
 members of the posse, he gave directions for his men to 
 fall back to the brow of the hill commanding the stockade. 
 He had fully made up his mind to bring the rebellious out- 
 fit to terms, and he hoped to accomplish it without losing 
 aman. Reaching the brow of the hill he posted his men 
 at points fully covering the stockade. When he had done 
 this he gave orders that they form themselves into reliefs 
 so that pickét duty could be performed in the most satis- 
 factory way. 
 
 Several men were sent for blankets and provisions, and 
 the sheriff started to the nearest telegraph office on a fleet 
 horse to order two field pieces and ammunition, from the 
 county seat. This he accomplished and was back on the 
 field with ten additional men by ten o'clock. Nothing of 
 importance had occurred during his absence, and he found 
 the men well posted and the reliefs all arranged for the 
 night. 
 
 “Tt seems to me, sheriff,” said. Mr. Van Kirk, “ that men 
 ought to be posted between the stockade and the river to 
 intercept any one trying to escape in that direction.” 
 
 “T agree with you,” replied the sheriff, “ but it’s a dan- 
 gerous undertaking. I don’t want to lose a single life if I 
 can help it.” 
 
A Story oF THE TIMES 143 
 
 “1 will volunteer,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “‘ to take up such 
 a position, if you will permit it.” 
 
 This was agreed to, and the two men walked up to the 
 picket post nearest the river where five men were stationed, 
 and from here reconnoitered the situation. 
 
 “TI have a plan,” said Mr. Van Virk. “I will follow the 
 ridge and when far enough above the stockade to be well 
 concealed I will crawl down to the river bank, and under 
 cover of that take up a position under the bank as near as 
 possible to the stockade.” 
 
 “Tm a little shaky about this proposition of yours, Mr, 
 Van Kirk,” said the sheriff. “It’s a good move, but ’m 
 a little afraid that the keen eyes of those cowboys will de- 
 tect your movement and send a bullet into you. I think 
 we can compel the surrender of the stockade without hay- 
 ing a man wounded or killed. You’ve been wounded once 
 within the last forty-eight hours, and I should consider 
 myself culpable if I were to consent to allow you to un- 
 necessarily expose yourself and be shot the second time, 
 perhaps more seriously.” 
 
 “I have volunteered, sheriff,’ replied Mr. Van Kirk,’ 
 “and I absolve you from all responsibility in the undertak- 
 ing. _It seems to me that the point between the house and 
 the river ought to be guarded by all means.” 
 
 “Well, I waive my judgment in the matter,” said the 
 sheriff, and will allow you to take your own course. But 
 you must exercise extreme caution in your movements.” 
 
 “There is a sand-draw about half a mile above here,” re- 
 marked one of the men. “I know this country pretty well, 
 and I’ll guide the gentleman if he would like to have me, 
 and stay with him if the sheriff says so.” 
 
 “That is a good idea,” said the sheriff, “I think it will 
 be better for two to go rather than one.” 
 
 The two men took their blankets and some “ grub” and 
 started.on their perilous undertaking. Half a mile above 
 they found the sand-draw which led down to the river bank. 
 It was easy enough for them to follow this down without 
 
 “c 
 
144 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 being seen from the stockade, and it was practicable for 
 them to sneak along under the bank to a point opposite the 
 cabin. They prepared for the night by making a nest 
 with their blankets under the bank, and arranged for 
 prompt work in the event any attempt was made by the 
 criminal to escape from the stockade. 
 
 It might be well here to give a brief description of the 
 Loup River. and the topography of the ground at this point. 
 This river, like the Platte, is a rather wide and shallow 
 stream most of the year. At times the bed of the river is a 
 succession of sand bars, with here and there puddles of 
 water and a current, sometimes on one side of the river and 
 sometimes on the other, which carries the water along 
 sluggishly for a few miles and then wholly disappears, to re- 
 appear again below. When the water is as low as this it 
 is possible to drive across without the water coming to the 
 knees of the horses, yet there is always danger of plunging 
 into a quick-sand hole from which it would be impossible 
 to extricate man or horse. These quick-sand holes are 
 found in the most unexpected places in the river and are 
 shifting in their nature. Many human beings and animals 
 have been buried alive in these quick-sand graves. 
 
 When the snow melts in the spring or in a wet season, 
 the Loup becomes a deep and rapid stream, sometimes 
 overflowing its banks. At such times it is impossible to 
 ford it, and no one familiar with its whirlpools and suck- 
 holes would venture upon its turbulent waters in a small 
 boat. | 
 
 At the time of the tragical occurrences being described 
 in this chapter the Loup contained but little water. There 
 were pools of water as already described here and there, 
 and towards the south bank was a current not more than 
 fifty feet wide. Before bridges were built across the Loup 
 in this vicinity, it was not uncommon for cattlemen to ford 
 the river at this point. Because of this fact a ranch was 
 established here which for many years was known as the 
 “Ford Ranch.” After the ranch passed into the hands of 
 
: 
 A Story OF THE TIMES 145 
 
 its present owner and was merged into his other ranch it 
 was known as Moore’s Bottom Ranch. The cabin and 
 stockade of the ranch were located about three hundred 
 yards from the river bank, and were protected by the 
 “breaks” of the river which arose considerably above the 
 cabin and described a semi-circle. For this reason the 
 cabin and stockade were poorly located for successful de- 
 fense against an attacking force. 
 
 “What sort of men have we got to deal with?” asked 
 Mr. Van Kirk of his companion. 
 
 “ Bad—the whole outfit,” he answered. “I used to work 
 for Moore and I know the whole lot. Moore wouldn’t 
 have any but bad men very long on his ranch.” 
 
 “What do you mean by bad men?” asked Mr. Van Kirk, 
 noticing the emphasis on the word “ bad.” 
 
 “On the range it means men who are on the shoot and 
 don’t care much who they shoot,” replied the man. “ All 
 of them fellers in there come up the trail, and most of ’em 
 has killed his man.” 
 
 “Pretty desperate men I should say, * answered Mr. Van 
 Kirk. 
 
 “You bet yer sweet life,” he replied. ‘“ They’ll give us 
 a hot brush if we tackle ’em. If any comes out here to- 
 night we must git the drop on ’em or they'll wing us sure.” 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk liked the courage and candor of the 
 young man, notwithstanding he lacked culture and con- 
 stantly murdered the King’s English. He showed the 
 right kind of mettle when he volunteered to go with Mr. 
 Van Kirk, and from that moment he was well established in 
 the kindly regard of that gentleman. Although he had 
 known him but a few hours he had complete confidence in 
 his courage and his loyalty. It was not long till he had 
 ample evidence of the young man’s worthiness of the esti- 
 mate he had placed upon him. 
 
146 Tue HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER  ' 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A RUSH FOR THE RIVER, 
 
 About midnight three men could be distinctly silhouetted 
 against the stockade. They had come out of the wide gate 
 of the enclosure and each was leading a horse. They en- 
 tered a shallow sand-draw a little down the river from the 
 stockade, and it was apparent to Van Kirk and his com- 
 panion that they would either attempt to ford the river or, 
 under the cover of the bank, attempt to escape in that way. 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk and the young man got their arms ready, 
 and prepared for whatever might happen. Mr. Van Kirk 
 addressed the young man and said: 
 
 “T have not learned your name.” 
 
 “My name is Hank Miller,” he replied, “ but they call 
 me ‘ Black Hank’ on account of my dark complexion.” 
 
 “ Hank,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “if anything happens to 
 me to-night, I would like to have you take possession of 
 my watch and a pocket-book you will find in the pockets 
 of my vest and deliver them to Mr. Grafton.” 
 
 “T’ll do what you say, sir,’ answered the young man, 
 “but I don’t believe anything will happen to yer so I'll have 
 to do that.” 
 
 “T trust not, but one cannot tell,’ responded Mr. Van 
 Kirk. | 
 
 The three men by this time had reached the mouth of the 
 draw, and were not more than twenty yards from where 
 the two men were concealed. 
 
 “It’s a d— dangerous undertaking in the dark,” said 
 one of the three men, “ but if we can keep in a line with 
 the bunch of cottonwood trees on the other bank, we'll 
 make it all right.” 
 
 At this they all peered in the direction of the opposite 
 bank as if to locate the bunch of trees. 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 147 
 
 “I can’t make ’em out,” said one, “ but when we get to 
 the water it'll be all right. We can see the trees from 
 there, but no feller can tell about the d— quick-sand holes. 
 If we drop into one of them we’re gone, and it would have 
 been better to fight her out agin the whole State.” 
 
 “That’s what I’m afraid of,” interposed another, ‘“ but 
 I see no other way out of it. I'll lead the way, and if I 
 drop into a quick-sand pit you can pull me out by the lariat 
 tied around me. Don’t get too near me no matter what 
 happens. I’d be in favor now of going up to the bridge 
 and take chances on a fight with the sheriff's men, but I 
 don’t want you fellows to take any chances of that kind 
 on my account.” 
 
 “Go anyways you please, boss, and we'll foller yer if we 
 have to fight the whole darn gang,” said one of the other 
 men, “ but I reckon we can make the ford if we are careful. 
 -That’s the quickest way to git to the station. If we make 
 
 it you'll be out of the way before the boys surrender the 
 fort.” : 
 
 “Well,” said the man addressed as boss, “ mount your 
 horses and we'll make the run. If it wasn’t for my hand,” 
 continued the man, “I’d have more confidence, but as it is 
 I can’t handle my horse and the gun at the same time if it 
 becomes necessary to shoot.” 
 
 “Never mind that, Mr. Moore,” replied one of the men, 
 “we'll handle the guns; you look out for your horse and 
 keep your eye on the cottonwoods.” 
 
 “Follow me,” said the man in the lead who had been ad- 
 dressed as Mr. Moore, and they headed their horses for 
 the bed of the river. 
 
 They had not advanced far when Mr. Van Kirk 
 shouted: 
 
 Lae ea 
 
 The challenge had no sooner been made than the two 
 men in the rear began to “ pump” their guns in the direc- 
 tion from which they had heard the challenge. Mr. Van 
 Kirk and “ Black Hank” returned the fire, and being able 
 
148 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 to take fairly good aim, emptied two of the saddles. The 
 rear horse also reeled and fell, and the riderless horse 
 broke and ran down the river. The man in the lead 
 quickly disappeared in the direction of the bed of the river. 
 Mr. Van Kirk and. his companion fired a few shots after 
 the fleeing man, but thought it prudent to give their par- 
 ticular attention to the two men lying on the ground. 
 “ Black Hank” suggested that they might be “ playin’ 
 possum.” 
 
 “It is possible they are,” said Mr. Van Kirk, “and we 
 would better hold our guns on them until we are satisfied 
 on that point.” 
 
 The prostrate men, however, lay as still as death, and 
 after the horse had made a few convulsive kicks, it, too, lay 
 still. 
 
 Hearing the firing, the sheriff at once concluded that an 
 attempt had been made by Moore to escape, and that Mr. 
 Van Kirk and the man with him had fired on him. He 
 gave orders for his men to open fire on the cabin and stock- 
 ade, and to keep it up at least a half-hour, while he would 
 take two men and endeavor to reach the scene of the shoot- 
 ing. With true soldierly instinct, the sheriff believed that 
 by firing on the stockade it would cause a diversion in 
 favor of Mr. Van Kirk and “ Black Hank,’ 
 
 The sheriff and his men had reached the bank of the 
 river and were hurrying down to the two men, when they 
 met ‘“ Black Hank,’ who had been ordered by Mr. Van 
 Kirk to report what had happened, and to ask for re-en- 
 forcements. The three hurried on and were soon with Mr. 
 Van Kirk, who was keeping a sharp eye on the two pros- 
 trate men. 
 
 The sheriff and Mr. Van Kirk held a whispered conversa- 
 tion, in which it was decided not to make a move until day- 
 light. | 
 
 “T wish we had thought of placing a guard at the bridge 
 above and to send.a couple of men over the bridge and to a 
 point opposite the stockade,” said Mr, Van Kirk, “ Had 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 149 
 
 we done that, the man who escaped would probably be cap- 
 tured on the other side of the river.” 
 
 “ That is just what I did,” replied the sheriff, ‘ after you 
 left us.” 
 
 “Good,” responded Mr. Van Kirk. “I want to con- 
 gratulate you on your splendid management of this whole 
 affair.” 
 
 The sheriff noticed that Mr. Van Kirk’s voice was a little 
 weak and tremulous, noticeably unlike what it was in the 
 evening, and he asked him the cause of it. 
 
 Suen, said Mr. Van Kirk, “that. I have. .been 
 wounded in my leg just above the knee. My trousers leg 
 seems moist, and the: lower part of my leg feels numb. 
 When I discovered that I had been hit, I took my hand- 
 kerchief and made a tourniquet and ligated my leg as 
 best I could above the mound, But I don’t think it 
 amounts to much.” 
 
 The sheriff thought differently and began to feel alarmed 
 on account of it. He felt of the limb sai to his horror the 
 trousers leg was thoroughly saturated with blood. He con- 
 cluded that the man was much worse off than he was will- 
 ing to admit, and he proposed to him that he allow himself 
 to be removed to the upper picket post where the wound 
 could be examined by a light. After some persuasion, Mr. 
 Van Kirk yielded and allowed himself to be supported by 
 two of the men, who actually had to carry him a part of the 
 way to the ridge. An examination by an improvised light 
 showed a bad flesh wound just above the knee. The light 
 also enabled them to see that Mr. Van Kirk was very pale 
 from loss of blood and suffering from shock. He was 
 given whiskey and water, and the wound was washed and 
 bandaged with cloths saturated with the liquor. It was pro- 
 posed to take him at once to Mr. Grafton’s ranch, but Mr. 
 Van Kirk would not listen to. any such proposition. 
 
 “Tl feel better in a little while,” said Mr. Van Kirk, 
 “and if there is going to be any fighting done I want to be 
 here to do my share.” 
 
150 THE HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 CHAPTERAAY L. 
 
 THE TRAGEDIES OF A NIGHT. 
 
 Daylight finally came and the weary watchers were 
 thankful enough. The two men who had been watched 
 half the night because it was thought they might be “ play- 
 ing ‘_possum” were found to be stiff in death. Both had 
 been pierced through the body and evidently were uncon- 
 scious when they fell from their horses. The horse had 
 fallen upon his rider and pinned him to the ground. It 
 was truly a ghastly sight. The men were covered with 
 blankets, and the pickets resumed their place under the 
 bank to await developments at the stockade. They had not 
 long to wait, for within a half-hour after daylight a man 
 left the stockade carrying a flag of truce. He ascended 
 the hill and was permitted to advance to within a few 
 yards of one of the picket posts, when he was ordered to halt. 
 
 “What is your wish?” said the captain of the squad. 
 
 “We want to give up,” he said. 
 
 He was taken in charge and the two detectives and four 
 other men rode down to the stockade. They found the 
 door wide open and nineteen men tunarmed within the 
 enclosure ready to surrender. The boss of the outfit was 
 not among them, and the man who had been recognized 
 by the sheriff the day before as the “ bad man from Texas,” 
 was also missing. 
 
 “You'll find our guns all in the cabin,” said one of the 
 outfit, “and we’re ready to go with the sheriff without any 
 more talk.” 
 
 The detectives went through the cabin and looked in 
 every nook and corner of the stockade, and satisfied them- 
 selves that the man they were after had made good his 
 escape. To be sure of it, however, the hounds were turned 
 loose and they bounded into the. stockade and then into 
 the cabin and out again without paying any attention to 
 the men who were in there, and took a trail leading direct 
 to the river. 
 
Fl 
 
 A Story oF THE TIMES 151 
 
 When the men who had been watching the stockade 
 from the river bank saw the man ascending the hill with a 
 flag of truce, they immediately started on the trail made by 
 the horse ridden by the man who escaped during the night. 
 The hounds soon overtook them on this trail and led the 
 way to the narrow current which was nearer the south 
 than the north bank. Over the sand they went, plunging 
 through pools of water, and on until they reached the 
 main channel. Here they stopped. They ran up and down 
 the edge of the water several times, and then threw theit 
 noses into the air, as much as to say: “ We have lost the 
 trail.” They whirled .instantly and took the back track 
 and returned to the stockade. The keepet of the hounds 
 explained that the scent must have run out before the dogs 
 reached the water, else they: would have plunged in and 
 swam to the other side, expecting to find the trail on the 
 opposite bank. 
 
 The sheriff took possession of the rifles and revolvers 
 belonging to the men who had surrendered the stockade, 
 and loaded them in a wagon and under guard started them 
 for Mr. Grafton’s ranch. 
 
 Presently two men were seen on the south bank of the 
 river approaching the channel from that side. They were 
 soon made out to be the party sent around by the bridge 
 to intercept any attempting to escape from the stockade 
 from the ford. When they had reached a point as near the 
 channel as seemed practicable, they were observed pointing 
 to some object lying partly in the water and partly in the 
 
 sand. The sheriff, with a number of his men, ventured 
 
 down to the channel, and got as near the object as possible. 
 Finally it was made out to be a horse that had succeeded in 
 swimming the channel and had struggled in vain to climb 
 up the pielding sand that formed the opposite bank. The 
 animal was buried in the sand and water with the exception 
 of a part of the head and neck and the pommel of the 
 saddle. A lariat was attached to the pommel of the saddle 
 and led back to a man who was entirely submerged in the 
 sand and water with the exception of the upper part of 
 his head. It was impossible to get to them, and within 
 
152 Tur HomestEaApER’s DAUGHTER 
 
 an hour both had been completely buried out of sight by 
 the shifting sands. As neither of the men shot by Mr. 
 Van Kirk and “ Black Hank” was Mr. Moore, and as 
 there were but three escaped from the stockade, it was con- 
 cluded that the man drowned in attempting to cross the 
 channel was the man they were after. He had escaped 
 from the stockade only to be engulfed in the quick-sands 
 of the Loup. 
 
 The bodies of the men who had been shot were carried 
 up to the stockade where their companions were, and who 
 admitted that they were the remains of the foreman and the 
 desperate character the sheriff had recognized the day be- 
 fore. His former comrades, with the exception of one, 
 were much affected by the scene. When they were told 
 of the fate of Moore, some of them shed tears, and all 
 evinced signs of sorrow, except the one man already referred 
 to, which showed that they had a real attachment for him. 
 
 The sheriff took the young man who had exhibited no 
 feeling at the sight of his dead comrades, and who seemed . 
 to have no regret at the fate of Moore, to one side for the 
 purpose of getting from him a statement as to what had 
 occurred in the stockade during the night. 
 
 “My young fellow,” said the sheriff, “I judge from your 
 conduct that you take very little interest in the death of 
 Mr. Moore and the two men who were shot last night.” 
 
 “You're right, I don’t care a nickel for ’*em,” answered 
 the young man. “I was forced to stay with ’°em or I would 
 have left before you and your outfit came to the ranch. 
 They threatened to kill me if I left the stockade. Half of 
 the outfit ought to be killed.” . 
 
 ‘Where is the man known as Moore now?” asked the 
 sheriff. : 
 
 ‘“T don’t know,” replied the young man, “unless he is 
 in a quick-sand hole in the river, where you seem to think 
 he is. He and the boss and ‘ Bloody Sam’ left the stock- 
 ade last night about twelve o’clock, intending to make a 
 break for the other side of the river, by the cottonwood ford.” 
 
 “When did Moore come to the stockade?” asked the 
 sheriff. | 
 
 bd 
 
A SToRY OF THE TIMES 153 
 
 “Day before yesterday, about two o’clock in the morn- 
 ing,’ replied the young man. 
 
 “Do you know whether one of his hands was wounded? ” 
 asked the sheriff. 
 
 e Yes,” replied the young fellow, “he had two fingers 
 shot off in a fight over a girl, so he said.” 
 
 The sheriff was satisfied with the identity of the man 
 Moore, and had no doubt left that he was the one who at- 
 tempted to enter Mr. Grafton’s house, and was now buried 
 in the quick-sands of the river. He stated his conclusions 
 to his men, and they set about getting ready to leave the 
 stockade. 
 
 RETURN OF THE PosSE—ALARMING CONDITION OF 
 Mr. VAn KIRK. 
 
 The teams and wagons belonging to the ranch, and 
 those which had brought provisions and blankets and am- 
 munition to the sheriff's posse, were got ready and loaded 
 with camp equipage, the prisoners and the dead bodies 
 and started for Mr. Grafton’s ranch. The light spring 
 wagon belonging to the ranch was used as an ambulance 
 for the removal of Mr. Van Kirk, whose wounds had be- 
 come painful, and the one in his leg sosmuch inflamed and 
 the limb so swollen that he was unable to walk even to the 
 wagon, and had to be carried to it and lifted in. He was 
 very pale and very weak, -but was uncomplaining and 
 cheerful. He expressed great satisfaction at the result, 
 but could not conceal the fact that he was very much wor- 
 ried over the two men who had been shot by “ Black 
 Hank” and himself. The sheriff assured him that he had 
 done his simple duty, and in that way sought to quiet what- 
 ever of compunction he had on account of the killing. 
 
 ‘When the cavalcade reached the Grafton ranch there 
 were quite a number of people gathered from neighboring 
 farms to meet it and to learn the particulars of the capture. 
 When Mr. Van Kirk was carried from the wagon to the 
 house, it was the first the Graftons knew of his having 
 been wounded the second time, and Mrs. Grafton was pre- 
 vented from fainting only by a generous use of smelling 
 
154 THe HOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 salts and stimulants, while Mr. Grafton shed tears and 
 gave expressions of sorrow as if the than had been his own 
 son. Virginia was very much moved, but maintained a 
 degree of calmness and presence of mind that seemed to 
 be peculiarly hers under exciting conditions. She imme- 
 diately dispatched a messenger for Doctor Kingsman, their 
 family physician, and set about dressing the wounds of Mr. 
 Van Kirk with antiseptics in a manner to indicate that she 
 had not studied physiology and hygiene without purpose. 
 She improvised a small tank of a tin bucket, which she 
 suspended over the -wounded limb and caused a small 
 stream of water to trickle on the wound in order to reduce 
 the inflammation, and to prepare it for such treatment as 
 the surgeon might adopt on his arrival. She re-dressed 
 the arm which had become very much inflamed and 
 swollen since it was dressed before he joined the posse to 
 capture the stockade. Mrs. Grafton, who had regained 
 her self-possession sufficiently to assist Virginia, under the 
 direction of the latter, had prepared a milk punch and some 
 tempting food for the wounded man, who occasionally en- 
 deavored to impress his friends with the idea that his 
 wounds were of little consequence and were not giving him 
 any special pain, but it was quite evident from the expres- 
 sion of his eyes and his pinched face that he was suffering 
 more than he was willing to admit. 
 
 The doctor came post-haste and gave the wounded man 
 immediate attention. He found the patient suffering from 
 shock, and really in a very dangerous condition. He in- 
 formed Mr. Grafton and his family that Mr. Van Kirk 
 needed the very best of care to save his life. The wounded 
 man was told plainly that his condition was extremely 
 critical. He hardly realized that such was the case, and 
 would not admit it to be so, yet he signified his willingness 
 to place himself in the hands of the doctor, and under the 
 kindly administrations of Mrs. Grafton and her daughter. 
 
 “IT regret,” said Mr. Van Kirk, addressing himself to 
 Mrs. Grafton ‘and Virginia, “that anything has happened 
 to bring additional worry and work into your life, but I 
 sincerely trust it will not be of long duration.” 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 155 
 
 “We hope you will not allow any thought that you are 
 a burden to us to cause you the least uneasiness, Mr. Van 
 Kirk,” answered Mrs. Grafton. ‘“ Under the circum- 
 stances it is our duty to care for you, and, furthermore, 
 since you must be nursed, we are glad that it is our privi- 
 lege to nurse you.” 
 
 The excitement in the community ran high for days 
 after the tragical events described, and Mr. Van Kirk and 
 “ Black Hank” were the heroes talked of now quite as 
 much as had been Miss Grafton after the blizzard. 
 
 Mr. Van Kirk expressed a desire that “ Black Hank” 
 should remain on the Grafton ranch and be given com- 
 fortable quarters at his expense until his recovery. This 
 was Satisfactory to Mr. and Mrs. Grafton, and when this 
 plan, with Mr. Grafton’s approval, was submitted to “ Black 
 Hank,” he went into ecstasies of joy over it. : 
 
 “T just want’er stay with that man all my life,” ex- 
 claimed “ Black Hank.” ‘“ He’s as brave a man as ever I 
 see under fire, and he’s as kind-hearted as a woman. I’ve 
 larnt to love him, and I ain’t knowed him more’n two days.” 
 
 The wounded man received every attention possible, yet 
 his case grew worse and worse until the physician, who 
 now remained at the ranch much of his time, had grave 
 doubts of his patient’s recovery. The best physicians of 
 the county were called into consultation, and they agreed 
 that the chances of recovery were so slight that if the pa- 
 tient had any important business which needed attention 
 he had better attend to it at once. | 
 
 The Graftons were greatly alarmed. Virginia was at the 
 patient’s beside unceasingly, and endeavored by every 
 means in her power to encourage and reassure him. 
 
 “He must not die,” she said to her mother in a deter- 
 mined yet supplicating voice. “ We must save him! We 
 must save him!” This was the first time Virginia evinced 
 signs of breaking down. She rallied, however, and brush- 
 ing away the tears which came unbidden to her eyes, she 
 repeated the words again, “ We must save him!” 
 
 Mr, Van Kirk was gently told that his case was so serious 
 
156 THe HoMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 that he had better send for any relatives or friends he 
 might desire to see. 
 
 He called Virginia to him and gave her the names of his 
 mother and two sisters, and the name of the family phy- 
 sician, to whom he dictated a telegram asking him to 
 charter a special car and fetch his mother and sisters with 
 the least possible delay. The telegram was hardly finished 
 when “ Black Hank” on a fleet horse was bearing it to 
 the nearest telegraph office. An answer came back at once 
 that they would be with him as soon as a special train could 
 take them. A telegram from his mother said: 
 
 “Be brave, my boy, be brave for your mother’s sake. 
 She will pray to God to spare you to her, and He will.” 
 
 THEIR LIPS MET IN HOLY ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 
 
 After the message had been dispatched, Mr. Van Kirk 
 turned his face full towards Virginia and asked her to come 
 nearer to him. He took her hand in his and said: 
 
 ‘Pardon me for this liberty, but I desire to say to you 
 now that I came all the way from my home in New Jersey 
 to tell you that I love you and earnestly desire to make 
 you my wife. The more I have seen of you the more I 
 have loved you; and if you esteem me worthy and consent, 
 you will make my life, if prolonged, happier than it has 
 ever been, and if I die my last moments will be hallowed 
 and glorified by the thought that you love me.” 
 
 He looked her calmly in the eyes and paused fonan answer. 
 
 Virginia placed her other hand on his and returned his 
 gaze sweetly and lovingly, and simply said: 
 
 “Tt shall be as you wish,” and their lips met in a holy 
 acknowledgment that they were one in soul. 
 
 “Thank you, dearest, thank you,” he answered as his 
 face lighted up and a new strength came into his eyes, 
 “Tam unworthy of you, unworthy of your great love, but 
 if God spares my life it will be devoted to your happiness, 
 and in proving to Him my gratitude for being spared.” 
 
 “As soon as my mother and sisters arrive,” he said after 
 a few seconds of reflection, ‘‘ we shall be married if it is 
 
A STORY OF THE TIMES 157 
 
 your pleasure. But lest I may not be alive when they 
 come, I desire to dictate a codicil to my will in your favor; 
 for I consider the tie that unites us quite as sacred as any 
 ceremony could make it, and that you are as much entitled 
 to a portion of my property as if you had been formally pro- 
 nounced my wife.” 
 
 The physician was called to the bedside and was re- 
 quested to reduce to writing the codicil as it should be 
 dictated by Mr. Van Kirk. When finished the new pro- 
 vision in the will read: 
 
 “To Virginia Grafton, the one woman whom I have 
 loved and promised to marry, five hundred thousand dollars.” 
 
 Four days later the special car bearing his mother and 
 sisters and the family physician of the Van Kirks, with two 
 eminent specialists from New York, arrived at the station, 
 and was quickly side-tracked. Mr. Grafton and “ Black 
 Hank ” were there with a carriage to convey them speedily 
 to the ranch. 
 
 The meeting between Mr, Van Kirk and his mother and 
 sisters was most affecting, and would be difficult to describe 
 in words. After embracing her son, the mother sank in- 
 voluntarily on her knees in prayer that he might be spared 
 to her, and thanking the Father in heaven that she found 
 him still alive and conscious. The sisters evinced a love for 
 their brother that was touching and beautiful. 
 
 The old family physician, who regarded Mr. Van Kirk 
 as one of his children for the reason that he had presided 
 at his birth, shed tears of thankfulness because they had 
 found him alive, and promised “his boy” that he should 
 get well, and that they would soon take him back with them. 
 
 The arrival of the mother and sisters, and the new treat- - 
 ment prescribed by the specidlists, had a most potent and 
 electrifying effect on the patient, and within a few days the 
 specialists gave substantial hope that he would recover. 
 
 Before Mrs. Van Kirk and her daughters knew anything 
 of the engagement between Mr. Van Kirk and Virginia, 
 they had been completely captivated by her. 
 
 ~ We love the dear girl,’ they said to Mr. Van Kirk, 
 “she is sweetness itself; an angel of goodness and helpful- 
 
158 THE HoOMESTEADER’S DAUGHTER 
 
 ness. We owe her a debt for her attentions to you that 
 can never be paid.” 
 
 “ Virginia says the debt has been paid already,” he an- 
 swered. “ Whenever I refer to the debt I owe her for her 
 goodness and that of her father and mother, she insists that 
 the balance is on the other side of the ledger,’ and he made 
 a feeble attempt to laugh. 
 
 His mother cautioned him and shook her finger com- 
 mandingly to emphasize her desire that he should not 
 exert himself. 
 
 ‘““T will look serious, then, dear mother,” said the patient, 
 “if that is in better form and more helpful to a wounded 
 man,’ and he gave another suggestive laugh. 
 
 The mother and sisters looked at each other and then at 
 the patient gravely and wonderingly, as much as to ask, 
 “What do you mean?” 
 
 “T will tell you. something, mother,” he said, “if you and 
 sisters will promise me, ‘pon honor, that you will say noth- 
 ing to the doctors about it,’ and he made a comical effort to 
 look roguish. 
 
 ‘“We promise, dearest,” they answered almost in concert, 
 and then eagerly awaited the revelation he seemed ready to 
 make. 
 
 “Virginia promised to become my wife,” he said as some 
 color came into his pale face and his eyes became fairly lu- 
 minous, “as soon as you came if the doctors would permit it.” 
 
 “ But how is the consent of the doctors to be obtained,” 
 they asked, “if we are held to our promise to say nothing’ 
 about it to them?” 
 
 “ T will release you from that promise,” he replied, and a 
 sweet smile passed over his countenance, “on the one con- 
 dition that you will immediately lay the matter before them 
 and get their consent.” 
 
 “This is the work of angels,” exclaimed the mother. 
 
 “Tsn’t it romantic!” said the sisters. . 
 
 The promise was kept, and a happier bridal party, which 
 included Mr. and Mrs. Grafton, and “‘ Black Hank,’ never 
 inaugurated a honeymoon under happier or more aus- 
 picious circumstances. 
 

 
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