Evening star., 1909-08-29

mighty billows of the earth the highway
meandered, leading onward and south
ward through the desert.
The mare was urged to a gallop, down
an easy slope; then once more she walked
as before. All the mountains in the west
were rosy now, till presently the sun was
very mints of God, giving one more day
with its glory.
Its very first rays seemed comforting,
suggesting a welcome warmth. Beth
could have callel out songs of g1adnesS
we'll nigh uncomfortable She had all the
big world to herself Even the strangely
twisted clouds in the sky seemed made for
her delight. They were rare in this Won
derful dome of blue, and therefore things
of beauty.
For an hour or more her way was plain,
and to ride was a Godlike privilege. Her
ease of mind was thoroughly established.
What had been the necessity for all those
qualms of fear? The matter was simple,
after all.
1t was ten o'clock before she ate her
breakfast. She had come to the SO called
river, the only one in perhaps a hundred
miles. 1t was quite respectable stream
at this particular season, but spread very
thinly and widely at the ford.
By noon she was halfway of her dis
tance. The sun was hot; summer baking
of the desert had begun. Her mare was
sweating profusely. Beth had urged her
to the top of her strength. Nevertheless,
she was still in excellent condition. To
the westward the sky was overcast in a
manner such as Beth had never seen, With
a dark, copperous stormhead that massed
itself prodigiously above the range.
A LREADY she had come to the three
a branchings of the road and chosen
her way in confidence. according to Billy
Stitts directions When she came to a
fourth whene none had been indicated,
either in Billy's instructions, or on his
drawing, she confessed herself somewhat
uncertain. She halted and felt for the
map.
1t was not to be found She had left it
behind at Mrs. Dicks. Dimly she fancied
she remembered that Billy had said on
the fourth branch to keep to the right.
There could be no doubt that this branch
was the fourth, howsoever out of place it
appeared. She rode to the right, and
having passed a little valley, found her
self embodied in a rolling barrier of hills
where it seemed as if the sun and rocks
were of almost equal heat.
At midafternoon Beth abruptly halted
her pony and stared at the world of desert
mountains in confusion not unmixed with
alarm. She was out at the center of a
vast level place, almost entirely devoid of
vegetation-and the road had nearly dis
appeared. It branched once more, and
neither fork was at all well defined, despite
the fact that travel to Starlight was sup
posed to be reasonably heavy. She had
made some mistake. She suddenly re-
membered something that Billy had said
concerning a table mountain she should
have passed no later than half-past one
1t had not been passed.
She was tired. WEAKNESS and the heat
had broken down much of the bright,
joyous spirit of the morning. A heart
sinking came heavily upon her. She must
turn back and ride to-she knew not
which of the branches of the road, anyone
of which might have been wrongly Sc
1ected.
Her mare could not be hurried more;
she must last to get her to Starlight. To
add to other trifles of the moment, the
bank of cloud, SO long hung motionless
above the western SUBMITS, moved out
across the path of the sun and blotted out
its glory with a density that would have
seemed impossible.