Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-11-15

IIpeu across inc Wluc SlIPICl VI "hlLt
desert fats that reached to the sand
hills, shutting the ranch from sight,
! the twilight fell and with it came
sharp gusts Of wind that now and then
brought whirl OF desert dust. Hard
or and harder It blew Then It fell up
on them In It's malcvolcnce, to catch
them, to hold them In Its uncanny
clasp an instant, and then, releasing
them, 20 madly racing off into the far
thcr twilight, moaning in undertonc as
It went. Then heat lightning struck
wildly at the horizon, and the air cv-
erywhcrc became surchargcd with the
electric current OF coming desert
sandstorm. They heard It's roar com
ing up the valley. Audrey Glcndower
felt her nerves a-tinglc This, too, was
an experience. In sheer delight she
laughed aloud at the excitement show
ing IN the quivcrlng horses, their ears
ncrvousIy pointing forward, their nos
triIs distcndcd, as, with long, eager
strides, they pounded away ut the wind
blown Levels.
Then the storm caught them at its
widest Suddenly n tumblcwccd-dry
md uprottcd from It's slight mornings
somewhere away on the far side OF the
fats ~ came whirling toward them
brOadsdc IN the vortex Of mad rush
Of wind in which, without warning,
they were in an instant cnyclopcd. AS
the great, rolling, ball-llkc weed struck
her horse Miss GlcndoWer took tight
er grip on the rcins and stcadicd her
self for the runaway rush into the
duststorm and the darkness. The wild
wind caught her, shrIckcd in her ears,
tore at her habit rs though TO wrc5t y
from her body, dragged at the braids
of heavy hair until lOoScncd, the
strands whipped about her head, tan
glcd mass Of singing lnshcs.
She was alone, drawn into the macl-
gtrom Of the maddcncd elcment-nlOnc
with the fury of the desert storm
alone I'm the awful darkness 1t wrapped
about her, the darkness Of the strange
storm and the darkness of the coming
night The frightened furious horse
| beneath her terrified her less than the
weird, rainlCss storm that had so swift
| " slipped In between her and Mos
quite, carrying her away into Its I'M
| known domain. Where was he? Aside
| from the mastering fear that was gain
| ing upon her, spite Of her struggle for
| courage, was consciousness that more
| than all clsc-mOrc than every one else
| In the world-it was Mesquite she
| IIul "a "a a IiIIpn dawn tn
| her rescue she would have turned away
| from them all to reach out her arms to
| the boy yaQunro. Perhaps 1t was be-
cause she had seen his marvellous fcats
| Of daring In the saddle, for Mesquite
| WINS the star rider of the range, and she
felt instnctIycly that he could help MS
| none others. Perhaps 1t was because
of the past days that had so drawn
| him toward her. Perhaps and most
probably II was because he had but
| lust been ut her side. However II
might be, she was praying with all her
| soul for his help, for him to come TO
her, while mile after mile she rode on,
unable to either guide or slackcn the
pace of her horse. His pace had been
terrific. and not until 1t had carried
| him out of the line Of the storm and up
from the plain into the sand hills did
| he lessen his speed, Then the hoofs
were dragged down by the heavy sand,
| and the storms strength, oil but spent,
WINS left away back on the desert
She felt about her only the softcst Of
west winds. The dust that had stran-
glcd her was gone and in Its place was
the syrIngnlkc fragrance of the wild,
| white primroscs, star streWing the
earth as the heavens We're strcwn with
| their night blossoms. Just above the
purple black bar of the horizon burned
n great blood red star In the sky. II
danced and wavCrcd before her rising
and falling unstcadily, and she realized
that her strength was spent, that she
was falling Then, Just ns the looscncd
rirth let the saddle turn with her
swaying body, hand caught at her
bride rein, and
All. she was lying sobhing and utter
" weak, but unuttcrably happy, on
Mosquitoes breast - Mosquitoes arms
about her. She made no resistance to
the passionate kisses the hoyish lips
laid, half fcarrully, on her face She
was only glad of the sweetness of 1t
all: Just as the sweetness of thecvoning
primroses ESQ like the fragrance of Jas
mine or tubcrosc or syringa) sunk into
her senses. So she rested against his
breast seeing still-through her closed
eyelids-tho glowing, red star She
was mstrung by the wild ride and the
winds that had wrought on her nerves,
1t made yielding so easy.
AZ last she drew back from him and
instantly his arms were unlocked. She
was free. Not second of time would
he clasp her unwIllingly. Neither had
spoken. Neither after reSetting the
saddle, when he took her again In his
arms and lifted her, MS he would II lit
tie child upon her horse, did they
speak. Only when the ranch buildings
outlined against tho darllness-show
ed dimly before them, and they knew
that the ride was at an end, did either
voice what was uppermost in their