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 »;<cak to )»U a minute’ "
Sonya »trwlghtened up nnd looked
at the owner of the voice. Straight
In the eye* she looked him, her
mouth shut hard again.
And at that »trwlght lo-k »be »a*
again the w llJ blue eye» un-ler the
level hr on»« brv»ws that ha l »fared
down In her face a» she hung to
the dead root of the plnoo »lump
on the windswept face of Uwie
1 Mesa.
But they were vastly changed.
The black pupils that had sprewd
so w ildly over the blue of the Iris
that day were normal now, the es
prvuslon anxious.
"W ell?" she said thinly. "Why
should you talk to me?"
“Why—why. Just because It seems
I must. I want t<*— to tell you—to
ask you If— Can you believe me
« hen 1 tell you that I've never had
a minute's peace since that day on
tbe M esa?
I've never forgotten
your face—or your hands—or tbe
wind blowing your hair up around
your head when you bung—(here.
I'm a bad lot. Miss Savarin. and not
fit to speak to you or look at you.
but no m atter what I am I've got
to tell you this—that there's enough
w hite man In me to make me live
in hell because of wbst I did—or
tried to do—to you.
I'm on my
knees to you. Not asking your fo r
glveness—that couldn't be—but Ju»t
down In the dirt and wanting you
to know It. T hat's all. Thanks
for listening.”
He took off his hat aftd turned
sharply on his heel, and as Sonya
threw In the clutch and roared
aw ay she « a t conscious of the two
dark strangers and Parks In the
shadow of the doorway Intently
watching them both.
So he was to hell, was he? In
the dirt, w as he? Well, that wa«
where he deserved to be. rotter that
he w as!
A tall man. Lean and built with
unusual g ra c e Narrow hlppe*L broad
shouldered, straight In the back, lie
wore a blue flannel shirt with pearl
buttons and a dark hat. and there
were belled spurs on hi« stltche
IM A
1
not know of any catt « rv h In
thla wide sheep country where he
might work.
Where did he come 'rum ? What
* * » he doing Ut tills part of the
country? Why had he tv-me round
the curve of Two PI tigers' hogan
that d ay—on foot? She j :,jg Two
lin g e r s about that mutter
“ W ell.'' said tk-r.’r at »ti|>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<l
**1 «a,
lug live g ir ls hand, “now Just Isn't » • r e si flr.t |,s.
this s Ireal I Ah. it«*nys. how glad I le** ••»<! -
They
** H
rlou# luvt « • I. g « ,r * ■"»
SIM to are *ou I”
, _ * ut
Mbs pul her arm around the g ir ls then, when he
w au t and Ibe two «o aten entered
lum e,I I »er ferity ¿ 1 *
the wide low ranch house where the I hay turn.,I
savory sm ell of baked mutton sod
«y- » like
» « s . mss'i
potatoes »«et.led the warm «ir.
f ,‘1 ■*
1 '» a ? 2 ?
... *g
_ “ Z >
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<U»htng painting» of
ibe ■tesrri land In o lisi rich. true, In duely ringlera ts
glowing m u x c e s (h it w tld have def* T-'-e IIfvd t a r ;« ¡ rut
t r¡ l ,
draw * their crowd» in any gallery | («m ieti#4 a:. ] Ikg
of the wori-1 1 ficea w ets Myra U l i «■ft the on« he rixts,
bev. 1« it «Ule k I IJ «
t ie » romance her valiafyIng draught ¡ I 11«ntiy
h lc t
***
of beauty, her outlet for that Inner
Myrw
laid
A
v#
n
t
•«§
g
fitienewa which found sn llttlw chance I
In I ha stars swrvlcw of I ha s heep ! went Inward tkls
Alway» they struck n -o ys anew j band ettebded
‘ Hello, »ir.” ah« H S4
with thc.r »»etera m igni tilde, and
gU
d lo ser yo*, tk m • »**»<
alw ays as n - e she *t. —Ì beforw
feevl In lb barns
rg 9
them marvel log,
“IPs a l i n a » M yra.” vk * swld f o u r slock an wave ve * * !
be r»«!| *
now shaking bar h eal, "th at theas p e ril
'*
*d
day.
n.y isjgkter* * ,(*
picture« can I bw hung In New York
k eta Ig
M*ybw *••«# -lay when fa t there Ml old man. ehaklag
*Tm
glad
to
be
w
*
tm ^ j
Se* «bouI tbe m atter.”
ruad la kn.g « r • (
,
" lo g i-iln Iher». S o n y»? T skin
f
r
o
m
J
u
a
!;«
-r
Tac*
l.day
*
a trip?* a.-hvd ily r s tgeichly.
“No.“ »ai-1 Sonya, “sed ye* N« 1 ” » hew al.M «,J Myra Tig I
a I -ng trail, a t a lard « a m*
trip Going to stay, I gurw*”
d a ily for burr-«*
“W h a ir
“uh . they da eeO. sy m g
The o -rd cvmw «jqtch an t »harp
l°w * TU y re true e n t i »
Sonyi moved iwteaally. t-»l !ed.
”1 i t ok v
•:.« *»ld. turning to Word, neve, rv * pistad* U
I'.elr rr-e»rg k net
lock at M> 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 w<d»|
farti.rr « ry n « t had » py|f af
tw in* and that Hata S atin a, notori
,
„ ,,
.,
“Ns Cm U y ,’ He « s i* ‘ Come
Here tor Other Horse.”
lame. I give him hurae. go get hi*
next day. In corral now. Good
horse. No see su good horse, ever
Come see.”
Sonya swung up on I>srknesa
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 <? farli ■
/ ff
y •» * a biifl
1
Mm « i ¡m* o r i i » N*f»ni,
li» brf in rt i •!»# u«t t H ifii #»f th# \
:*•',« i '.« m 9 **t
f?al Ì
•er and th H hU drrn b-c i„s,| g a ft,
erv-d in fr» <m Blue fianvl wash, shd I
finally of the ttian of M ine U - m I
and what ha<t happe (j c*r 1 that day
on th« wlndawept top of the table
la id .
“My heavens!“ asid Myra breath
ie»«ly as »he vUlone.) the g irl bang
Ing on the face of I),« precipice.
“why did you take that Jump?”
H-.nya flushed.
m~. r m s * v — . ^
“Why? |t„
lh |„k r ,j P tr-
n t SC ||f I I A
1 - ..- W
f j"
of a V U l «9 ret,.gad «? | f
i
V w » vt
‘ " h a t «M ha look l l k . r asked ,
tííS V
Myr* curiously. “ W . « h« « row ............
I tot fo
fvw*
*• sow
«rv» " —
h„j y»
I l»ey.
n i II n » » •*
o
.
u
to * * »# »
Sonya ronsldared.
TS FUih A<www*
w—
use
LEO N - „
E A R OIL
1