The Brand

For two days the westbound train had hurried over the prairies as if it understood the heart of the girl and strove to gratify her impatience for a glimpse of the mountains. She sat at the car window and gazed fascinated at the scenes which were so new and strange that she forgot the coach with its tired people-forgot even her brother, who sat with his book, bored and indifferent to the flying panorama. Her soul left the plush-covered seats and suit-cases to follow the wild creatures that moved in the gorges or climbed the wonderful mountain slopes. She did not hear the repeated "I'm going for a smoke, Bess." Her soul was without, her eyes following a mysterious, half-hidden form. "It's a deer! Oh, Jim, it's a deer!" she exclaimed excitedly, turning to her brother for corroboration. But the flashing brown eyes looked into the face of a stranger. "Oh, I beg pardon," she breathed, her cheek flushing. "My brother sat there only a moment ago, and I thought I was addressing him."