Evening star., 1909-08-29
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR AUGUST 20. 1909


sixty years old and clearly harmless. The others
were as frankly in pursuit of mate any two
mountain animals
Beth was frightened when the purport of their
visit flashed upon her. She felt certain of
helplessness Mrs. Dick too busy to be con
stantly present; Elsa was gone; the ways of such
a place and wholly alarming. She felt
when she made her escape from the three that her
safety was by means assured Her
her only retreat. Except for Mrs Dick there
not another woman in the house She wholly
surrounded by men,-a rough womanless lot whose
excltements, passions, and emotions were subjected
to changes constantly as well as to heats by the life
all around them in the mines
That night her first of real terror. Every
noise in the building and in the streets, made
her start awake like hunted doe, with maginings of
the most awful description. She scarcely slept at all.
The following day old Billy Stitts called again very
shortly after breakfast. He proved such amiable
womanly old chap that he was almost comfort to
the girl She sent him to the postoice for possible
letter from Glen He went with all the pleasure and
alacrity of faithful dog apologizing most exuber
antly his return for the fact that no letter had
She remained in the house all day. The afternoon
brought the two rough suitors of the night before,
and two more equally crude. Mrs. Dick, to Beth's
intense uneasness regarded the matter as one to be
expected and quite in accord with reason and proper
regulations good looking girl in camp, and her
men folks all giving her the go-by-and what could
you expect? Moreover, as some of these would be
courtiers husky and in line for Fortunes smile
with chances good as any other mans she might
do than let them come and hear what they had
to say 1t girls need to be neglected as
Searle and Van were patiently neglecting Beth!
THIS was the stage in which Beth at length began
to mediate on Spartan remedies. 1t to
be endured! No word had come from Searle The
world might have swallowed him up She was sick
of him; sick of his ways of neglect And as for Van
There to whom she could turn, unless
it was Glen. If only she could flee to her brother!
She thought about it earnestly. She wished to
think it possible She tried to plan the way.
Her horse at the hay yard. Starlight
only one day off in the desert The convicts were
no longer about If only she could ride there-even
alone! An early start, little urging of the pony,
she could farcy the journey accomplished with the
utmost ease; then scornful defiance, both of Bost-
wick and Van
She utterly disheartened disillusioned at that
1t would be no less than madness And yet seemed
as if she must go Searles silence coupled with
ditons here was absolutely intolerable
With plans decidedly haZy, nothing but wild
bright dream really clear, she questioned Billy
Stitts concerning the roads. He was familiar with
every route in miles, whether roadway, trail or
course by compass he termed trackless cruising
in the desert He gave her directions with the
utmost minutia of detail as to every highway to
Starlight. He drew her plan. She that
after much confusion, she could have ridden to Star
light in the dark What branches of the road to
shun, which trails to choose, possibly for gaining
time, what places i water famishng horse-all
these and more she learned with feversh interest.
Now would do this, and :" A man would
do that, said Billy time after time till new, fantas-
tic notion came bounding full fedged into Beth's
anxious brain and almost made her laugh with de
light. She could dress and ride man
and be absolutely safe the journey! She knew
dozen unusual arts for dyeing the skin and con-
cealing the hair and making the hands look rough
Make in private theatrcals, at professional hands,
she had learned with exceptional thoroughness
She would need a suit of khaki, miners boots
soft big hat and a flannel shirt. They all to
be had the She could order her horse to be
saddled for She could readily dress and escape
unseen from the house. In word she could do the
trick!
The plan possessed her utterly. 1t sent her blood
bounding through her veins Her face flushed
with excitement She loved adventure-and this
would be something to do!