Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/82

 hovel.

CHAPTER XVII.

VISIT OF MY FRIEND HIS CHANGED APPEAR ANCE SINGULAR MANNER OF PRAIRIE

FLOWER HER ABRUPT DEPARTURE HER

RESEMBLANCE TO ANOTHER OUR SURMISKS

HER MY FRIEND IN LOVE,

REGARDING

ETC.

HALF an hour of the most anxious sus pense followed the disappearance of Prai rie Flower, during which, in spite -of my self, I suffered the most intense mental excitement, and my hands shook like the quaking aspen, and I felt both sick and faint. At the end of die time mentioned, Piairie Flower appeared and announced that my friend would shortly be with me.

"But you seem agitated," she added, with an expression of alarm.

"0, no mere nothing, I assure you," I quickly replied, fearful she would alter her arrangement and put off our meeting to another day. " My hand shakes a little perhaps but you see, Prairie Flower, I am quite composed quite collected, in deed."

She shook her head doubtingly, and was about to reply, when Huntly made his appearance, and approached me with a feeble step.

Heavens! what a change in sooth! A wild exclamation of alarm and surprise was already trembling on my lips, when, remembering the injunction of Prairie Flower, I, by a great effort suppressed it.

Could this feeble, tottering form ap proaching me, indeed be the gay, dashing, enthusiastic Charles Huntly, whom I had known from boyhood? His face was pale and thin his lips bloodless his eyes had lost much of their luster, and moved some what nervously in their sunken sockets his cheek bones protruded, and his robust figure was wonderfully emaciated while the wonted expression of fire and soul in his intelligent countenance, had given place to sedateness and melancholy. To complete, his head was rudely bandaged, and his habiliments exhibited marks of the recent conflict. If such was his ap pearance, what, judging from the remarks of Prairie Flower, must have been mine! I shuddered at the thought.

As he came up, so that his eye could

rest upon me, he suddenly started back, with a look of horror, threw up both handa and exclaimed :

"Merciful God! can this be Francig Leigh ton?" and staggering to my side, he dropped down upon the ground and burst into tears.

"Beware! beware!" cried Prairie Flower earnestly, her features turning deadly pale. " Remember, Charles Hunt ly remember my warning! or you will

do what can never be undon

and all our have been

efforts to save you both will made in vain."

"Charles," gasped I: "Charles Huntley my friend compose yourself, or you will destroy us both!"

"Oh, Frank, Frank!" he rejoined some what wildly, " I never thought to see you thus, when in an evil moment I urged you to leave home. Oh! why did I do" it! Forgive me my friend forgive me, for God's sake! or I shall go distracted."

"For Heaven's sake, my friend, do not blame yourself! I left home by my own desire and free will. You are not to blame, any more than I. Of course, we could no4 foretell what fate had in store for us. Rather thank God, dear Charles, that we are both alive and likely to recover!"

"And you think, dear Frank, I am not to blame?"

"Not in the least."

"God bless you for a generous soul! Oh! if you could but know what I have suffered! Tortures of mind beyond the strength of reason to bear."

"1 have heard so from the lips of our sweet benefactor."

"Ay, sweet benefactor, indeed! God bless you, lovely Prairie Flower!" lie ad ded, passionately, suddenly turning his eyes upon her. " If you are not rewarded in this world, I am sure you will be in the next."

At the first sentence, the face of the maiden flushed, and then changed quickly to an ashen hue, while her breast heaved with some powerful emotion, like to the billowy sea. She strove to reply, but words failed her, and turning suddenly away, she rushed from the lodge, leaving us alone.

"Angelic creature!" pursued Huntlv. gazing after her retreating foim