Smyrna times., 1906-08-15

been on the desert edge fighting for her
brothers. health. At first the desper-
alton of the struggle had kept her
thoughts from straying eastward; had
crammed with anxiety each moment
that otherwise would have been wretch |
ed with homesickness.
But now. with the leisure that came
with jacks returning. health. homesicz-
ness was beginning its inroads upon
her This made dOubly hard to bear
the fact that Jack was developing the
righteousness of the convalcscent and
that an ordinary pacific disposition was
becoming so irritable that it taxed even
the devotion of this most devoted sis
ter. On this particular afternoon he
had expressed an inordinate desire for
Il certain brand of cigars
But, Jack dear" objected Eleanor,
''the doctor says that you must not
smoke"
"Who says | want to smoke?' growl-
ed Jack. II just want to look at them
and sniff of them and feel them. And
I want them today"
Eleanor sighed patiently. IT'S five
miles to town, Jacky. And though it's
4 o'clock, it's frightfully hot. Don't you
want to wait until tomorrow"
"Oh, of course. if you don't want to
do the favor for me-" replied the in
valid, walking feebly across the tent to
pick up fan.
''Why, certainly I'm going Jacky,"
she cried. "The heat won't last much
longer" and she disappeared toward
her own tent, leaving her brother look
ing bit sheepish
So now Eleanor was riding slowly
along the blistering trail toward the
sleepy little adobe village which boast
ed a single Yankee store, AZ which she
thought she could get the cigars. She
was a beautiful girl slender Of body
and lovely of face, with the refinement
Of good blood through many genera
tions showing in every lineament. Her
dark blue eyes, shadowed by the heavy
lashes, looked tired. and her figure
dropped little as if in utter weari-
ness.
"It's getting pretty hard" she
thought ITS spring up there, with
the SNOW melting into little rivulets,
and the pussy willows out, and the
wind flowers coming. Only the thought
of Jacks getting well keeps me from
going mad"
She started a little as a CHEEKY hal
loo greeted her, and she saw riding
down the trail toward her a broad
shouldered, jolly chap In cowboy at
tire He wheeled his mustang and
rode beside her.
Il was taking a jaunt out to tell you
that l have almost finished my work
and must fly eastward again"
"Oh. that is too bad!' cried Eleanor.
The mans fine brown eyes beamed.
1--WE only known you week." he an
swered, but it's been mighty pleas
ant week"
"Jack will miss you," said the girl.
The man eyed her silently. "She's
wearing herself OUT he thought. 81
wish could take her away from
here. Burwelrs nearly strong enough
to go it alone now. Gads! She's g
beauty
Eleanor wiped the alkali dust from
|
her trip to town.
: Rather hard on you" commented
, Hartley.
? Eleanor SMILED, but said nothing
D., and they rode for some distance in 81
lence, Hartley's gaze scarcely leaving
? for an instant the dropping profile be
side him.
81 wonder" he thought. "if she real
ICES that she's never told me a wore
of herself, who she is or-by the Lor'
! Harry, il she'd have me I'd marry he
3 tomorrow even II they both came from
! a founding asylum"
BY this time they were riding up tn
i street of the dirty little Mexican village
:, whose inhabitants were too absorbed i
D the sight OF the AmericanOs to NOV
s from beneath the horses feet unit
urged to do 50 by Hartley in a patoi
T. that made up in vigor what 1t lacke
= in lucidity.
I. The Yankee store was the only fran
te building for miles around. 1t wa
s owned by an enterprising Vermonte
who was making a small fortune in I'll
lazy little town. where money wei
faster than it came.
Hartley tied the horses and they el
tered the store. Just as they steppe
- within the door it slammed shut vi
lently behind them and the tremor
its impact shook the entire buildin
The storekeeper, the only other persC
in the dusky room, looked up in su
prise that quickly changed to alarr
The tremor instead of ceasing 1
creased
! Whats the matter?" he cried, ru
ming to the front of the store.
81 don't know" replied Hartley. +"
/ were up north I'd think 1t was
dynamite blast. but
| Here the crockery in the window cls
tered and a roll of turkey red fell
the floor.
+, ITS an earthquakew cried the W
monter. Come on, get out of he
quick" and he made dash for t
, knob But the door was fast and il
mediately the floor was rocking so V