i m in n f y i i . i i OF THE By owiróht ocvsacAt x ' ías ìc * i«*. THE STORY CIIArTrK I —Seeking dealt» b» thr^Y» htrsv'.f troin th* ».iv.iMvit of Lon# M«*4. to #* paj '# dishonors At th# hand* of a drunken d#*p*f* Ado. Sony* SAXArtn allows h#r##if to h* r#»Otted by her *uddenljr »o- be red And repentant Attacker The (t:rl is A »elf - Appointed i'hy»tci*n to t h e Naeajo It»*: at living on *o Am ona »be« p ranch with her broth» er Ser»:e, h;» wife, Lila, and their »mall daughter. Paha For a >«ar »he has been en£:i*;cd to Rodney Rlak#, wealthy Ne» Yorker, but her fteart !» with the friends«*»» and •he evadee a wedding CHAIT: R I! Sorya pull» LlttU Moon, w :fe of Tv» F n*c#r* a Nava* kk through the c r l»i» of an lUnesa. Two Finsert t» deeply gratefuL C H A P T E R III A M in L*. 1 »e• and Another Speak* HE little to « a, close on the bur Je r of tbe llrsv-rvstlnn. was tj> leal of all dcr-rt town«, lonely and bleak and washed continually with wind and sand. It held a store or two. a blacksmith «hop, a tiny station on the raiiroad line, and the customary tanks of water. Sonya parked the car In front of the gen­ eral store, and taking her handbag from the seat beside her, climbed out and entered. Tbe store boast­ ed two clerks besides the owner. T his owner was a bland fat mm by tbe name of parka. a man whom Sonya disliked Instinctively, hut who never allowed anyone except him self to w ait on her. “Why, Silas S a v a rin !” he aald unctuously, “what can we do for you? Like some nice fresh fruit? Got In some right good oranges an* grapefruit this * eek.“ Sonya spent some time In the store, buying a fair supply of the oranges, thinking of L ittle Moon, and of mere staple things for Lila. As she walked briskly at«>ut se­ lecting this and that, there was the stir of arrival at the high hoard porch outside. Three men were coming In. and Sonya looked up from her t.iMc casually, as one does In such circum stances. instan tly she felt the annoying prickle of her skin, the odd anger that ahad seared her before, for one of the newcomers was the ta ll bronze man of Lone Mesa. The two with him w ere dark and rough men. of secret eyes and narrow Ups, In appear­ ance the worst of the Border types which Sonya knew. and she pride«! h erself that she had seen them all in this man’s country. Bad born bres, she told h-ro-lf, after that first sw ift glance, fit companions to that drunken libertine who had dragged her from her horse on the top of Lone Mesa. She strode forward, head up. eyes straight, and had to pass within five feet of the three men who had entere«l. As she did so «he was con selous «>f the eves, und«-r the tilted hat-brim, tm t«-r face. It was a« If a strut • •■mjjnetlc current palled her In pa« ing, as If some Inarticu­ late power focus ed al! Its strength upoi* her that f!ie might look aside. 8«» strong and compelling was this th at to save her life she could not help the flicker of her eyelids, the almost unbearable «leslre to turn and look. But she did not turn. Angry to her boot heels, both with h er outraged memory and with her- •elf, she walked to the door and out So stlrr* 1 was she within h erself that she sat slumped In her ■eat, her hands thrust in her sw eat­ e r p«>ckets, and did not turn even when she heard Parka, or who she thought was parks, come out across the porch with her bo* of supplies. “Put them In beck." she said, nodd ng over her shoulder, “and thanks.” T V I N O I t E • R O L ...» VN.N.V. SSftVlCI a » sue readied tor tne g«-«r»nm »he »topped in the set. arrested by s voice that was not Parks’. “Miss Savarin.” It »«Id. ”c»o I »;i«-r. ‘ It ■o»*ms lonely without |{.«L Good old scout. You're a lucky girl. Sonya.'' “Am I?" said S-*nja. “Sometimes 1 wonder.” “ W hat? About U««d W ake? No finer man In this w orld! l ie s »till young, and one of the !»•*«( inwvers in New Vork; rich, partly by hi» own effort», partly by fumity In her Itanee, of good blood and impec­ cable principles. Pin surprl»ed at you.” “ Yes. Well, maybe.” said the girl. Lila looked at her aero«» the table for a long moment with a atrange expression in her eyes hut said nothing Later, as the two women washed the dishes and set the house to rlghte for the night, she looked at her again. “Sonya, darling.” she said calm ly. ‘ Rod B lake Is not the man. I don't bellevs you lovs Rod. honestly, deep down, as a woman should lovs the man she m arries I haven't thought •o foe s loog time, for nearlv all i * » m « n m »n n ot this last visit of his " A flame of lo jslty flsrvd up In Sonya. “Piffle!” she said holly "o f course I love him. the old dear Go on. pul lUbs to bed. and don't worry that yellow head of your* By this time next year I'll be Mr* Rodney Blake, riding around New York In s limousine- and you'll h* darued lonesome out here without jua* "And bow !" said I.IU Inelegantly but fervently. “I d o n l » a n t to think about It." '*Th»n don't. There's s Ion* time and s lot of things between.” Ilow long and how innuy. mee* ured by »heir Importance. Uonye herself could not foresee The nett day she rode over to Ghee wash sgsln and found U ltle Moot! so much better thsl »be w »• silting up. And »he found one of her enemies. This s a t Yellow Buck, s medicine man, who regard od her »cr« leva to hi» people as a direct Inroad on his territory and bated her accordingly. f*;-e was trying to replace Ms aings and devll-chasing slth tti# medicine In her saddlebag* She was *11 had. "Two Finger*” said Sony# sh eo she was reudy io leave that «lay. "who waa that man who came here on foot the day my man came after me? Tali mao with sun hair, sky eyes?” Two Fingers shook his he» l. “No can say.” he »Aid. "f'onje here for other h«-r»e Ills h r»* g» bad “ »»evi he was Just as she « s s p o llin a dinner on y*t I the la b i* for. «n ee : M ira, s (all, gaunt woman. dea w, e ri blllen of face and form but • here, you k> • AM dawn fair inahte her so u l • • • • ! I«» '•**•» SL l al| .„ J ' •*••* her stirrup before site could d i* »•»h lh# I •’ » ■ - .... M V les* ,M* . tase . .a . **• flu mount * wg, “My soul alive !” she cried ewtrti change in . , Wl0 hat I I I n___ n .-,a w ' f * flonys smiled around nt the eoot, | sew w ha >*».' »? deep nwun. so plain, so Comfort»ble, ancient h u t..,, , r , , where this coor4gcv*u» sud lui tepid Uy An«) h-w t,a h-4% My re lived Uef hard working Ilfs AolhlDl }«>qr%rlf ||w« Tbe meal steam ing on Ibe table * ,h* m s« i l*l It was IWtltshl was plain b«»l g«wwl hot biwad. the 1 ■»#» i%S mutton and | f i i ’ e » on lone Sliced out Into Ibe fa *M 2 to < l i r . t r . and a can of fruii otte was mmh ** *•* jj^ stockade c fr«| wUy, ^ ^ ’’»I opened In bet honor M yra owned sMmn-ered with i . , ^ s»i ^ and ran the Ituck t*he*v »«neh S 'Oli. Sonya.“ said Mi r a h ap p ily.; the well ut >rf w*s a sirs tig. cfeatuay \f w “1 Just cwii'l tell y.«u bow g --d It la to tew you! It s been a tong U nte1 waa one. j m , Ml sinew we ba«l a talk, an' I'm )uat I1UI» g t A| V gotn' to lay off Iba whole atlem non •fit) «k *. , i «gars u r s e y ^ fur ibe m ailer. Pome it». Sonya, a iMn »« «*»"< •» t ) « i c “ let s go an real ” m>w>ethl.' 4 of the Itonys followed her Into the dark <•»? * rued room tteyot-I. Which tc lio -l M and ia , r »ty, * »Gskr.iwg the best rueca of I he bouse On Its hia> ,__ . k . In! h i ' «»My n tb • taj, ^ w alls s e r e ••to ra gravely ' l l ben a 1 tiling I n • -r* If I •*rm \ r i b s woman I» engaged to m arry a man aha guvr» w here be U*** 4 «w u | ' «i-p y . they tr« *> fta m . • m lie “ *h*r II# looked ai i f y n u n a k k “Why. I didn’t know—* *V u |l !»n 1 p-thllc p'opeffy, but hie fa-fe-t old «lark ryv* “S ere.* s a il the eawas k«A I am I'- itvey |1i»ke. an old college ~»ure Ibey be reearM M t fyund «f h e r .» * t in s man.” to re aa anytbi&g* M ira •'-•»-I »Kent. «»arching Tlie We-ciaal tn leg Sony»'« face a u n :>ef clear gray ”1 k ' e * youd • k n rn t t •y » * f tttW.” be val V ~ tom rffts Ml "Why *•>») «* e aald present They entile »io n 1 1*6 On* 91 ly. “bus s it i we ail ever 4 » with •>ut you? And yet t bal » only aelflth Now f ll go up * A Hill« later they sfl «M M k new* It will 1 « line for you. You've a stmpl# pievi, sud fc*y* lived So favt and deeply Ut th is dee him with rarefai p»ar*a 8» M ert that It's only right you go beck beard «-■ much »best kUk where you belong, get the rest an Where be had mew has » life lh a rs cornin' I» y o * You de country did not knee, sr swwk serve IL” I mi r t f Is wff 9t| *WeH—ttw yb* ’ . on. In min « 1 Aia» » « r i down and v l» 't -i « h a v e u t h a d ) , . ,« * | ,« * 1 S resi talk test for months and lu• r .f »tre* m ■ b kls AM moni h a ” carry ing > we sad 19 »9W S »n ys brard thal thè U nghia stili k it U «: y * If* kt k»4 wsrknesa and followed him ar<>und the Irngan and up a Utile ri»w to w ere »eversi brush and stick corrals »! —d among some low tree* There, in one of them, stood »uch a horse a» she had not s.-.n ever, either Taller than I > irkiie»s. who v i i a fine spertmeti of native animal which ti e Indian« called American horse bright as new gnhl and of Its color, 1 bough paler, this hnrv- was built with S grace and beauty that tra v ende J description. “ My fu-.» «en* v e n a r aald Sonya won d e r itx 'v “ "My My heavens! You rw right. Two FU ;• Vo I.-*- »•> goo-f horse ever. A tin» U n»t the «tie*— She had sl'it* Id. “hr rode on Lone M>- i ' |.t, it chi cke«| I iprvclf. “Well •" * 1 1 • 1 1. 1V - Ite g.ilti'if- L-f-2 ri-Ie tn-me You Pike goo*l cure of Little Moon. In he back In three day*" ftty BÜ» )»/m sv**-i d wiijf ii.nmli ( wash, her hat down over her eyea. »lulling a Ultle Ju«t la the J.ty of U*lf»»C nnd the t«*!iuty of the desert There was no one sick at>out. now that Little Moon was getting well, and she would do some of the thing« •he wanted to do for herself for « long time. For ons, ah« would go over »nd »pend a roupl« of days with her friend Myra Little, on the Black Sheep ranch. She hadn't seen her for three months, and she was very fond of her. She started early to avoid as much of the day's heat as pot.lhl«!, and made the long hard ride In good time, trotting Into Myra's door yard otta horder fh<-' h ad h een fn«md Juat a< f'-v» thè Ria Grande cruci fled, a grim if<-iicwn w efbing lo htw kind Alao «DI o f Ihe M ie­ li!- hita f «fir? Ilf ft»r : liitft fn fin