Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-17

amazed and anxious face. Then he took
her thin, white hand between his own thin
brown paws and patted it gently. She re-
coiled slowly as she saw contrition, not
condemnation in his blinking eyes.
God forgive US all, Janet! It's what !
ought to have done days ago.
x + X
Another cloudless afternoon had come,
and under the willows at the edge of the
pool young girl sat daydreaming, though
the day was nearly done. All in the valley
was wrapped in shadow, though the cliffs
and turrets across the stream were re-
|. splendent in radiance of slanting sun
shine. Not a whisper of breeze stirred the
dropping foliage along the sandy shores,
or ruffled the liquid mirror surface. Not
a sound, save drowsy hum of beetle or
soft murmur of ripping waters among the
pebbly shadows below, broke the vast ST.
lence of the scene. Just where Angela was
seated that October day on which our
story opened she was seated now, with
the greyhounds stretched sprawling in the
warm sands at her feet, with Punch blink
ing laZily and switching his long tail in
the thick of the willows.
And somebody else was there, close at
hand The shadows of the westward
heights had gradually risen to the crest
Of the rocky cliffs across the stream. A
soft, prolonged call of distant trumpet
summoned homeward for the coming night
the scattered herds and herd guards of the
post. and, rising suddenly. her hand upon
swift-throbbing heart her red lips part
able. Angela stood intently listening. Over
among the thickets across the pool the
voice of an Indian girl was uplifted in some
weird. uncanny song. The voice was shrill
yet not unmusical The song was savage,
yet not lacking some crude harmony. She
could not see the singer, but she knew
Natzie's people had returned to the agency
accepting the olive branch that Plume had
rendered them-Natzie herself was here.
At the first sound of the uplifted voice an
Apache boy, crouching in the shrubbery at
the edge of the pool, rose quickly to his
feet. and, swift and noiseless stole away
into the thicket. If he thought to conceal
himself or his purpose his caution was
needless. Angela neither saw nor heard
him. Neither was it the song nor the singer
that now arrested her attention. So still
was the air, so deep was the silence OF
nature, that even on such sandy roads and
bridlepaths as traversed the winding VAL
ley, the faintest hoof-beat was carried far.
Another horse, another rider was quickly
coming. Tonic, the big hound nearest ner,
lifted his shapely head and listened mo-
ment, then went bounding away through
the Willows followed swiftly by his mate.
They knew the hoof-beats, and joyously
ran to meet and welcome the rider. An
gela knew them quite as well, but coul1
neither run to meet nor could she fly.
Only twice, as yet, had she opportunity to
see or to thank Neil Blakely, and week
had passed since her straightforward chal-
lenge to Aunt Janet. AS soon as he could
walk unaided, save by his stick, Wren had
gone stamping down the line to Sanders
quarters and asked for Mr. Blakely, with
whom he had an uninterrupted talk of half
an hour. Within two days thereafter Mr..
Blakely in person returned the call, being
received with awful state and solem2j!v
by Miss Wren herself. Angela, summoned
by her fathers voice, came fitting down a
moment later, and there in the little army
parlor where first she had sought to EN-
tertain' him until the captain should APP
pear, our Angela was once again brought
face to face with him who had meanwhile
rIsked his life in the effort to rescue her
father, and again in the effort to find and
some face as she entered. and. without a
glance at Janet, went straightway to their
visitor, with extended hand.
IT am so glad to see you again, Mr..
much-to thank you but her brown
eyes fell before the fire in the blue and her
whole being thrilled at the fervor of his
handclasp. She drew her hand away, the
color mounting higher, then snuggled to her
fathers side with intent to take his arm:
but, realizing suddenly how her own was
trembling, grasped instead the back of
chair. Blakely was saying something. she
much that any one said during the brief ten
minutes of his stay, for there sat Aunt
Janet bolt upright, after the fashion of
fifty years gone by, formidable picture
indeed, and Angela wondered that any one
could say anything at all.
( Next time they met she was riding home,
and he sat on the south veranda with Mrs.
Sanders and Kate. She would have ridden
by with just nod and smile but at sight
of her he ''hobbled" down the steps and
came hurriedly out to speak. whereupon
Mrs. Sanders. who knew much better, fol-
lowed to help him." as she said. Help.
indeed!' quoth angry Kate usually most
dutiful of daughters. You only hinderr'
But even that presence had not stopped his
saying: The doctor promises / may ride
Harris singie-footer in q day or two, Miss
Angela, and them