Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-07

strong, quick, joyous young life
flaming in her cheeks, or at night she |
would sing, her grand, pure, rich
voice ringing out on the clear air,
and we would sit in the dark fancy
ing how such dramatic fire and pas
sion could sway and hold a multi
tude, and saying Marchese was right
to predict for her a brilliant career
If only she would stretch forth her
hands and pluck the laurel.
Am l enthusiastic? Well, the
fault is rare enough in these days to
be easily pardoned, and you will bet
ter understand how Philip fell in
| love. | saw it from the first. and
warned him. But he stayed-the
witchery of her beauty was upon
| him.
AT first | don't think he was al
/ together happy in it, l suppose it is
! inevitable that we cannot escape
from the standard of comparison to
which We are reared. You see. IF
one has always thought of life as
mill pond, where one may paddle
about at will. it must be startling to
suddenly find one's-self launched on
a boundless sea with the wind filling
every stitch of canvas and the bow
pointing to undiscovered countries
1t was like that of Philip; Dolores
enthralled every sense with her
beauty and fierce love, but he could
not reconcile her with his traditions,
God knows how two young and
foolish creatures would have tangled
the threads of life and love, but that
Fate came in and ended the matter
in way that would have been melo-
dramatic enough anywhere else but
on the Rio Grande.
"One day-it was a perfect day.
l remember, and the prairies were
like an azure carpet of bluebells-
we, Dolores and her father, and
Philip and l. had been riding far,
going to a distant part of the ranch
to pick up some cattle for shipping
, Toward evening the weather, which
, had been so fine, grew suddenly hot
and oppressive. The white heat quiv-
cred and there seemed a suppressed
excitement in the very air.
I'VE had come rather unexpected
ly upon the bunch of cattle that we
were seeking, and the cowboys look
ed grave, for the sultry weather
presaged the storm, and they were
trying to round up the cattle for fear
of stampede. Sometimes, you
know, cattle. become hysterical at
the coming OF a storm, and break
away, flying anywhere away from
their causeless and senseless terror,
trampling down everything in their
path.
1T was only too obvious that we
had exposed ourselves to this dan
ger. There was nowhere to go, and
the only chance was in keeping the
lSlh HulNl, 90 NclH Ollbh NC uOhN W
the knowledge of human presence.
Presently there was a deep and
ominous roar, the trembling herd
lifted their heads and listened, a
bull beloved wild and fierce, we
felt rather than saw the tremor that
ran through the cattle, a binding
fash of lightning tore the heavens in
two, the thunder pealed and crashed,
and the stampede had begun.
Fly, fly for your lives! was the
hoarse cry, and had only time to
see that the herd had broken in the
direction of Hartness and Dolores,
Together, side by side, they rode
before the maddened cattle. Dolores
with her face as pale as death. BY
and by Philips horse stumbled, the
first sign of falling strength in
mustange; another stumble, and Do
lores drew from her breast little re-
volver that her father had given
her; another stumble-the herd was
gaining on them-and she fired; the
horse and rider came down together.
"She flung herself of her own
horse and pulled Philip, dazed and
stunned behind the animal, and
crouched over him while the herd
swept by We found them thus.
Dolores was unhurt, but Hartness'
head had been struck by hoof as
the cattle went over them; and when
we carried him back to the hacienda
IL looked as II he had come to the
end OF the chapter, and that his love
story was TO be brief after all.
Dolores grief and despair were
maddening. remember thinking 1t
would be almost worth dying TO be