The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-06-07

AHb iG uunufeQ nOuBdn0 lnhRDit
ants. the better portion intent upor
Claiming home at the opening. WIN,
the remainder were as intent upur
plumber, lawlessness and deviltry
Marcia read llstlessly for a time. ther
with growing excitement.
/ "lt'll be wonderful sight, pa, that
ride. How l wish that we could get 4
town lot at Kiowa and make a home
there! 1 could teach then. and you
could perhaps start min again, ia.
Their and we'd give up fighting the
storms and bugs on this old ranch. II
you only could"
1 Yes, darter but / couldn't, How's
man to make sich run when lie
can't move his bride arm 'thout a pain
ketchln' him? Pap's too old an too
clumsy, my girl"
Marcia lay awake far into the night.
thinking, planning, revolving.
II was nothing unusual for Marcia
TO ride over to Prairie City for visit
She had schoolmates there who were
always glad to see her. and possibly
other interests drew her in that direc-
ton. II was the town Charlie Keith
called home and IN which he spent his
brief vacations. Here Marcia had met
him often in the past two years Of her
happy school life. and here she had,
seemingly, trreyocabIy offended him by
one Of those sudden, glrllsh freaks, 50
inexplicabIe to lover.
She Ind neither seen nor heard from
him since. Hrr father noted the cessa.
ton Of certain frequent letters and the
sadness on his darllng's beautiful face
and longed to comfort her. When she
asked the next morning II she might
spend the rest Of the week with Efie
barrow, IN Prairie City, he gladly gave
consent.
The next two days would have tested
the resolution of most men and did san
the strength Of many. as they stood in
line under the blazing Nebraska sun,
bllstered with heat, parched with
thirst gritty and blind with the pow.
dered dust. waiting their slow turn Mt
the registration booth. But Marcia was
a determined girl and was accustomed
to hardships. She had galIoped miles
over the sun swept prairies, she had
slept more than once with no roof
above her head and no couch beneath
het, and she knew what endurance
meant. She had started on this mad
scheme in a mood of strained excite
ment Her lovers continued silence,
her hateful. monotonously barren exist
ence had wrought her feelings to
pitch where almost any act was posi-
BILE; nor did the strain loosen until her
registration was accomplished at sun
set Of the second day.
1t was five minutes to u on that
brassy, sandy swept Saturday, and
Marcia Brooks mounted on her brave
chestnut, stood with many thousand
Others in that mighty line Of battle,
ready for the charge.
Hark-a gun! The flag at the military
barracks yonder drops to the ground.
1t is the signal
Instantly there is an answering vol
ley from hundreds OF revoIvers dis
charged into the air. Then, amid the
roar, the smoke, and the yells from
thousands of throats. the line of battle
starts forward at Q run.
Marcia is nearly paralyzed for an in
slant, but Bonnie Belle is not. She is
of like a bolt from catapult. pound
ing through the dust, straining at her
bride, leaving the Iurchlng prairie
schooners and ungainly farm vehicles
rapidly in the rear. They soon outstrip
the honest householders and are among
the reckless cowboys in the lead. These
men greet her presence with rough
cries Of gallantry which make her
heart beat thick and fast. If she had
only stayed in the safer crowd behind!
But Bonnie Belle is quite beyond her
control now. The mare has settled to
her gait and has no thought Of any
thing but first place in this heat
Marcia turns her head uueasily for
glance over her shoulder, catches one
swift, hazy glimpse OF face that is
familiar in spite of its dusty disguise
and hears the sudden exclamation,
"NIarciar'
The next instant the other riders
horse is at her side, his hand is touch.
ing hers, and for one bllssfuI minute
she cannot see for tears as she muir.
murs "oh, Charlie, l am SO gladr'
1t Is the only explanation necessary.
The glance, the tone of perfect trust,
are enough for the most exectlng heart,
and from that moment the hard ride is
for both but swift rush for Eden.
Side by side the two riders leave the
seventeen miles behind them, and their
good steeds, reeklng with foam, but
still sound in wind, bring them to the
government quarters which mark the
center of Kiowa just exactly sixty min
utes after the signal gun.
Charlie quickly stakes out two desir-
able claims. which will soon be worth
their thousands Marcia cares for the
horses MS best she can, when Charlie