The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1906-01-10

head What was his present ven
tureT" Her eye had not changed in ex-
preston, nor tone of her voice. but In
her heart was a sickCning distrust for
all things. Her mind was busy with
multitude of schemes Fool though she
had been, she would not be the instru-
ment of her brothers undolng.
1--WE come too far she cried in sud-
den dismay. II should have stopped at
the foot Of the divide. I'VE never been
over the trail before"
"You foolish child! Why should you
stop in the middle of the wildernessT
She wheeled the mare about and
faced him. II figure of craven resolu-
ton.
81 promised to. meet Tom Lorimer
there Now you know"
With which she cracked Dolly sharp
~ with her heel and began to retrace
her way over the trail. Peter turned
his horse and followed. with the feel
ing of utter helplessness that man
has when confronted with the granite
obstinacy of women. judith had
meanwhile expected that the announce
mcnt of her mythical appointment with
Tom Lorimer would be received diff
ferently. Tom Lorimers reputation
was Of the worst. An eastern man for
merry, an absconder from justice. ru-
NOR was busy with tales of ungodly
mcrrymaking that went on at his
ranch, where no woman went except
painted wlsps from the dance halls
But Peter was too loyal n friend, de-
spite his shortcomings as lover, to
see in Judith's statement anything
more than II slsterly devotion so deeply
unselfish that it failed to take into
account the danger to which she sub
iccted herself.
However. it was plainly his duty to
prevent an unprotected rendezvous
with Lorimer, to reason, to plead, and.
if he should fail to bring her TO a
reasonable frame of mind. to go with
her. come what would of the result.
There were reasons innumerable why
he. n cattleman. should avoid the APP
pcarance Of dealing with the sheep fac
ton, he reflected grlmly. Lorimer
owned sheep, many thousand head. His
herds had been allowed to Craze I'M
molested. while smaller owners. like
Jim Rodney, had been crowded out be-
cause his influence, politically, was a
thing to he reckoned with, so Peter
followed Judith, pleading Judith's
cause She did not understand. he
told her, what she was doing, and,
while perhaps there was not another
man in the country who would not
honor her unselfishncss in coming to
him, Lorlmer's chlvalry was not a thing
to be reckoned with, drunken beast
that he was, and Judith, worn with
the struggle. tried beyond measure,
made reckless by the daily infusion
of ill fortune, pulled up the mare aud
laughed unpleasantly.
You think I'm going to see Lorlmer
about jim? I'm going with him to
merrymaking. We're old pals, Lorimer
and t.
Judith dear, has it come to this
that you not only dlstrust an old friend.
but that you try to degrade yourself
to hide from him the fact that you are
going to your brothers? You've never
spoken to Lorlmer. | heard him sag,
not week ago, that he had never sue
ceeded in making you recognize him.
You deceived me at first when you
spoke of meeting him-I thought you
had message from Jim-but this talk
Of merrymaking Is beneath you" He
shrugged his shoulders In disgust. He
felt the torrent OF grief that rent her.
No sob escaped her lips. There was no
convulsive movement Of shoulder. She
rode beside him, still as the desert be-
fore the sand storm breaks, her soul
scared with white hot Iron that knows
no saving grace of sob or tear.
Peter drew out his watch. ITS q
quarter to II. Well have a hard bit
of riding to reach Blind creek before
midnight"
Then he knew as well IS she. per-
haps better the route TO Inns hiding
A