Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-03

and when she held the looking glass
before her she saw a faint color in her
cheeks.
To Dallas the spring brought renew
ed courage, and vague longing. With
the first mild evenings she took to ven
turing out, wrapped in her long cloak
for a lonely walk. In her love of the
cleaning she was like wild thing
From birth the twilights of the mesa
had proved irresistible. When she was
child they soothed her little troubles
In womanhood If sorrow pressed
heavily, they brought her strength.
| The half light. the soft air and the lack
| of sound were balm to her spirit.
Nightly she strayed up the coulee.
| eastward. south or toward the river.
| until. early in May. a second incident
| occurred and interrupted her rambles.
| She had walked as far as the Swale
| that was part way to the Missouri.
There she was startled into sudden
| halt. From point ahead of her and
| to the left sounded gunshot.
She sank down cautiously and stayed
| close to the ground. her fingers steady
|
was no moon. and the stars were OBJ
scured by clouds. The cottonwoods
were black. shapeless mass. She
watched them
| No answering shot rang out; OUT,
after long wait, 4 reply came from
the grove. 1t was laugh, loud and
haunting.
1 no flxy
saw small black object leave the
big blackneSs of the trees and advance.
| Frightened she arose and retraced
her steps. glancing behind her as she
went At the shack, having found the
latchstring. she backed into the room.
Her father and sister We're asleep.
Next morning, on Il plea Of not wishing
to alarm them, she refrained from tell
ing of the shot 1t may have been a
hunter, she reasoned, or drunken
trooper or one of the Shanty Town
gang. But the laugh-it rang in her
ears.
Several twilights passed; then she
| ventured out again. A lip of moon was
dropping down an unclouded sky; the
stars hung low and white. And when
she neared the swale she saw, good
distance before her, that small black
object separate itself from the grove
again and move forward.
She stopped. She was not frightened
now. She knew who it was And when
she saw his arms come up and caught
the CLINT of metal she called out to
him: Don't. Don't. It's me"'
There was muttered exclamation
and the arms fell. Miss BALLAST he
cried and sprang forward.
II was sure it was YOU" she ad
mitted TREMENDOUSLY. And you've been
guarding here all the timer
Lounsbury was painting Suppose
I'd fired?" he said. Il had a mind to
CriInini.'
You'd "a missed likely"
Maybe not. You see, thought, vel
that Matthews or that precious
brother of his, they might get to both
ering you folks. Anyway ain't it dan
| gerous for you TO be out here late like
| thiS?'
"It is for you You get shot at
keeping guard on us"
He thumped the swale impatiently
with the butt of his gun.
"Oh, it was you,'' she persisted
gravely enough. THAT is why l cam,
tonight
''Ah! You mean that l can help you
Miss Dallas. Tell me-tell me, wha
can l do?"
Don't let Matthews kill you"
| II LOT lpu-r, bi. cr,tn yUhor
he Strengthened he stepped to her side
"Me?' he said. We'll, I'm match TO
him. You amt. But what else"
She moved aside, averting her face.
There is something, Miss Dallas?"
'Y-e-e-s"
He saw she was disconnected an,
strove to put her at ease. do yoI
know" he said, you're SO tall in tina
coat you almost look like heap bi
chief"
She did not hear him. She was no
listening. The wished for opportuni
ty was come. She was trying despel
, ately to rally Il speech. 'You-yo
amt been round of late" she bega
at last. Il hope But she could no
finish.
NO. lie said slowly. He ramme
his hands into his trousers pockets. Is
I haven't been around lately, but didn
, think you'd notice it," He darted
: glance at her.
q WAS it dad?" she asked. did yo
. think"-
4 Eyes, it was your father. I though
: he went out of his way to be-wel
kinda short, you know. l was onl
$ trying t. be decent"
t Dads funny" she said ref1ectively
e whenever we get to a chuck hole
g where all of us ought to pull t'gethel
Y he goes slack on the tugs. He's lik
/. Ben that way. So l have t. go up
p him, stroke his name, fix his curb an
b let some cool air under his colla
h After while he gives q haw-hee-haN
@ and goes on"
II Hunyadil