Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-08-05
CHAPTER XV-

CHAPTER XIV.
City Editor Burton and Betty were
walking In the garden. The garden
was wet as a sponge, and Betty, shoes
and stockings off, was joying in the
rush of the water and the feel of the
tepid ooze beneath her feet. 1t was
the first time IN days that the rain
mad not been falling. A haze still over
spread the desert and the air seemed
full enough of rain to have dripped If
you had squeezed it. But Betty didn't
care. Her long brown hair, still dull
and satiny as pecan shell, despite Il
the havoc of fever, sea wind and south
ern sun, dangled below her waist in
two thick braids, and was parted with
never sign of a ripple over her broad
white forehead. Betty's hair under no
provocation had ever been known to
curl 1t was nice, straightforward hair
Her gown was prolongation of Meta's
tunic, and skirt of fine white linen,
low of neck, devoid of sleeve and
clasped at the shoulder with two fash
ing diamond buckles that Meta picked
up somewhere around the castle. 1t
was fastened at the belt by wide Cir
die Of cut and uncut diamonds curl
ously and Unfortunately mixed. Bet
ty had long since ceased to take any
interest in diamonds, for she had had
more of flashing pins and gee-gaws
thrust on her by the admiring Meta
during her stop In the castle than she
,nI g
skirt, though much longer than Meta's.
was very well above her ankles and
with City Editor Burton as an appre-
ciative audience Betty was prac cticing
barefoot dance as she had seen an
ultra fashionable exponent of barefoot
dancing prance upon a very esthetic
stage.
Just watch, City Editor Burton
she laughed. Just watch! Here is
where l am expressing joy!' Note the
glow of the drapery, Burton, my boy,
and the marvellous way in which the
dancer sticks her toes into the ooze-
On, there's thorn. Now, City Editor
Burton, I'm about to be captured and
cast away on desert isle-watch me
see this gesture in grief-City Editor
mlne-I send message-see-I well
come pigeon-see, there, City Editor
Burton, it brings me a message from
from-oh, Meta, Meta-Meta-Larry-
johnny"
Burton bayed prodigious roar, Meta
tumbled from the house with a small
rifle in her hand as Betty, barefooted,
dishevelled, sprang into the arms of
Larry Morris, and let him hold her
very tightly and kiss her forehead
again and again, while red headed
Johnny johnson grabbed her hands al.
ternately and danced around so reck-
lessly that City Editor Burton howled
louder than simeon. Betty and Larry
were too rapt for words. Not so the
incorrigible Johnny.
Get on to the Isadora Duncan rig"
he chortled. 'and this animal here
your lap-dog, Betty? What do you call
him?"
city Editor Burton" mumbled Bet
ty, extricating herself from Larry's
arms, and both the men roared.
Wouldn't / like to see old Burt's
face If we could only ship him the
BRUTE" said Johnny. 1T would be worth
getting hung for!"
Meta, when she had recognized Lar
ry as the original of the portrait in
Betty's locket, lowered the little reyol.
yer, which till this moment Betty had
not known she possessed. AS Meta
turned to go into the house Betty call
ed her back, and putting her arm
around the black girls waist, she said;
Larry, dear, she has been good to me.
this is Meta" Larry put out his hand
and the black girl, half abashed, took
it silently.
Meta" echoed Johnny. where's
Benoni? Is she his?"
Johnny whistled, and a man came
through the brake-he came like
whirlwind, and when he saw the blacls
girl by Betty's side savage yell of
triumph, mingled with the grief that
is born of JOY, rang out from both their
throats.
His wife," said Larry, quietly "He
brought us here. He and the pigeons
Betty, dear, 1t was so like you to think
of the pigeons!"
"Oh, then my messages did some
good; those blessed birds, those bless
ed birds" exclaimed Betty. IT never
knew what became of them. How did
you find the way?"
I'VE followed Benoni; he knew the
wav hert" answered Larry