Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-12-04
@* @# # & ;* 5 g ** $ :* $ %a g s CHAPTER TX (ContnuedD

stories were told of the death of d woman who had come there with a man and had not lived to go away with him. The roof Of the aG ;oil:ng stable had fallen in; the bars of tue corral were missing The house was dark but for q feeble light that gi'nlnered in one window. the beacon that had been lighted. night after night, against Jim's coming.
 "Peter'-.ludth had slid from her horse and was clinging to his arm "when it happens. Peter. you will have no part in it:''
 "lt won't happen. Judith. if can help it."
 She kissed his hand as it held the loose rens.
 Lord. am not worthy" was the thought in his heart He sat graven in the saddle Sir Knight of the Joy ous Heart though he was. the un- sought kiss of trust gifted hif,n with a self reverence that would not soon for sake him.
 Judith was rapping on the door and calling to Aida not to be frightened. And presently it was opened. Peter wanted tn leave Judith now that she was safely at the end of her journey, but she would not hear of it till he had eaten.
 You would have had your comfort able supper five hours ago had you not been playing cavalier to me all over the wilderness" And Peter yielded.
 Judith busted herself about the kite en. Her mood of racking apprehen sion had disappeared. Indian stoicisnl had again the guiding hand. She waved Peter from the fire that she was kintllng as if he were Il blunder ing incompetent. But she let him slice the bacon and grind the coffee as one lets Il child hel,9 Aida came in. white faced and anxious over the !ong a5- sence of her husband, but conscen- tously hospitable nevertheless. petei noticed that Judith made q gallant pretense of eating. crumbl!ng her bees9s and talking tie meanwhile. The pale wife. who had little to say at the he3 of times. was put to the test to se7' anything at all. But withal their .:. tent was so genuinely hospitahlc tll 2, Peter himself could not speak wi: the pity of it. Accustomed as he wa to the rovgancss of these frontier cabins, never had he seen human hab.tat;on S1 e.esol:st" as this The mud i,,lste' <. falien away from be twee3 t.5> 's1ee' lowing cr9ss sections of the ,.e. >,s9}s, i3:y poet.
 An ati..5.;i7 ere of tragedy brooaes' tI. iAi,u pe!ios. of r!3l. ;..:.c&.; CT from the vague ly liis.tt,l l..;, f't.tr of tie woH"n Ws'- had t.iSd there or Whe,'.;r it took it~ character fe.s2. the =p"e'N;;.i;n" desola ton the calil n t.sc valley was an ui. lovely thu. X )r did ,te cleanl.fte..s the conscientious mat; ,ng the Lest ot things solt,l t..e woeiul aspect of t34e place Rather was thc appeal .... more paigaHnt to the seeing eye as the brave lnal,esllft of the self respecting poor strikes deeper than the begg tr's whiie. The house Was bare bat fol the few things that Aida could take ii the wagon ill which they made theil flight. And all through the pin n o1 poverty and @rnning emptiness t..ert was visible the woman touch, the brave making the best of nothing. the pi:itu preparation for the coming of the lnsn The curtain vas drawn aside that tht lamp might shed its beam farther ol the way of the traveller who cane n9t There was but one other light in t.!t place. bit of candle. Aida apolosizet for the poor light by which they mus eat but she did not offer to take th' lamp from the window.
 Peter was no longer Sir Knight o the Joyous Heart as he watched th' little white faced woman. who went St often to the door to look toward th road that entered the valley that sh' was no longer aware of what she did He saw her wide eyes full of fear, tn bow of the mouth strained taut witt anxiety, her unconscious fear of hin as one of the alien faction and witha her concern for his comfort. Judith control was far greater: but, thou@ she hid it skillfully. he knew the sor TOW that consumed her.
 There was Il cry from the room be yond, and Judith. snatching up the car dle, went in to the children. All thre OI lllelll were SltcpllIS StoSoN'S ' one bed, their small round arms an legs striking out through the land o dreams as swimmers breasting tn waves. She gave little cry of deligf and appreciation and called Peter look Little Jim, who had cried i some passing fear, sat up sleepily. H stretched out his small arms to Pete whom he had never seen before Pete took him. and again he settled to See!
 The warm. small body, giving itsel with perfect confidence. strongly a' fected Peters heightened susceptibi ities In the very nature of the sit, alton he could be no friend to Jil Rodney, yet here in his arms lay Jir Rodney's son. loving, trusting him il stinctively. Judith noticed that hi face paled beneath its many coats c tan. He was afraid of the little sloel ing boy. afraid that his unaccustome