The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-02-22


made the journey with her, and left
her in a famous pension with a letter
of credit that must have staggered the
proprietress.
at was while Dolores was In Paris
that | came to know her father. l got
interested In scheme for buying a
large ranch on the Rio Grande, so
went over to America, and fell in love
with the life, and spent two or three
years, mostly at their hacienda 1t
was the merest coincidence that Philip
Hartness came over to visit me the
summer that Dolores returned. She
was already there when he arrived,
and pleasant as life had always been,
it took on a new charm from her pres
ence.
"She would ride with us, all the
strong, quick, joyous young life flaming
in her cheeks, or at night she would
sing, her grand, pure, rich voice ring
Ing out on the clear air, and we would
sit in the dark fancying how such dra-
matte fire and passion could sway and
hold a multitude, and saying Marchese
was right to predict for her brilliant
career-if only she would stretch forth
her hands and pluck the laurel.
"Am / enthusiastic? Well, the fault
is rare enough in these days to be cas-
lily pardoned, and you will better under
stand 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 l don't think he was alto
gether happy in it. suppose it Is in
evltable that we cannot escape from
the standard of comparison to which
we are reared. You see, If one has al
ways thought of life as mill pond,
where one may paddle about at will,
it must be startling to suddenly find
ones self launched on boundless sea
with the wind filling every stitch of
canvas and the bow pointing to undis-
covered countries. 1t was like that
with 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 fool
ish 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 melodramatiC
enough anywhere else but on the Rio
Grande.
Zone day--lt was perfect day. re
member and the prairies were like an
azure carpet of bluebells-we, Dolores
and her father, and Philip and I, had
been riding far, going to a distant part
OF the ranch to pick out some cattle
for shipping. Toward evening the
weather, which had been so fine, grew
suddenly hot and oppressive. The
white heat quivered and there seemed
suppressed excitement in the very
air.
''We had come rather unexpectedly
upon the bunch of cattle that we were
seeking, and the cowboys looked grave
for the sultry weather presaged thu
storm, and they were trying to roun(
up the cattle for fear of stampede
Sometimes, you know, cattle become
hysterical at the coming of storm
, and break away, flying anywhere ava!
from their causeless and senseless ter
ror, trampllng down everything in thei
| path.
{ at was only too obvious that we hat
{ exposed ourselves to this danger. Their
was nowhere to go, and the only chanc
: was in keeping the herd quiet, as cal
often be done by the knowledge Of hu
!, man presence. Presently there was
deep and ominous roar, the tremblin
: herd lifted their heads and listened,
q bull beloved wild and fierce, we fel
rather than saw the tremor that ra
through the cattle, binding flash O
= lightning tore the heavens in two, tn
), thunder pealed and crashed, and th
q stampede had begun.
# ely, fly for your lives" was th
!, hoarse cry, and had only time to sc
II that the herd had broken in the dire
V tion of Hartness and Dolores.
e Together side by side, they rode b
n fore the maddened cattle, Dolores wit
r her face pale as death. BY and
Philips horse stumbled, the first sic
.s of failing strength in a mustang; a
. other stumble, and Dolores drew fro
i her breast little revolver her faith,
\ had given her; another stumble Il
r. herd was gaining on them-and 81
"a fired; the horse and rider came dow
~ together.
n "She flung herself off her own hor
l. and pulled Philip, dazed and stunne
,d behind the animal, and crouched ov
II him while the herd swept by. v
r found them thus. Dolores was unhu
@ but Hartness' head had been struck
III hoof as the cattle went over ther
ne and when we carried him back to t
M hacienda it looked as If he had col
a to the end of the chapter, and that
ou love story was to be brief after all.
IT. Dolores grief and despair we
ce maddening. remember thinking
of would be almost worth dying to be
in mourned. We could not drive her aw
from his bedside, and so 1t CHANGED Il
To- she saved his life after all, perha