El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-10

FEATURES were larger, more regular and
even handsome.
The woman-or girl, rather, he de-
cided-walked along the veranda to-
ward him. The two men waited at the
head Of the steps watching curiously.
The girl was angry. He could see
that Her gray eyes were flashing and
her lips were quivering That she had
a temper was his thought. But the
eyes were striking He decided that
they were not gray after all, or, at
least. not all gray. They were large
and wide apart and they looked at him
from under level brOWs. Her face
was cameoike. sc clear cut was It
There were other striking things about
her-the cowboy Stetson hat, the heavy
braids Of brown hair and the long bar
relied SO Colts revolver that hung in its
holster on her hip.
Pretty hospitality, must say" was
her greeting. letting strangers sink or
swim in your front yard"
IL beg your pardon" he STAN
mered, by a supreme effort dragging
himself to his feet
His legs wabbled under him, and
with q sufiocating sensation he began
sinking to the soor. He was aware
Of a feeble qualification as he saw
solicitude leap into her eyes; then
blackness smote him, and at the mo
ment OF shifting him his thought was
that at last and for the first time in
his life he had tainted
The ringing Of the big bell aroused
him. He opened his eyes and found that
he was on the couch indoors A glance
at the clock told him that it was 6,
and from the direction the suns rays
streamed into the room he knew that
it was morning. At first he puzzled
over something untOward he was sure
had happened. Then. on the wall. be
saw a Stetson hat hanging and beneath
It a full cartridge belt and a long
barrelled IS Colts revolver.
The slender girth OF the belt told its
feminine story, and he remembered
the whaleboat Of the day before and
the gray eyes that flashed beneath the
level brOws. She. It must have been.
who had just rung the bell. The cares
Of the plantation rushed upon him, and
he sat up in bed, clutching at the wall
for support as the mosquito screen
Iurched dizzily around him. He was
still sitting there. holding on, with
eyes closed, striving to master his
giddiness, when he heard her voice
you'll lie right down again, SIR
she said.
It was sharply imperative, a voice
used TO command. At the same time
one hand pressed him back toward the
pillow while the other caught him
from behind and eased him down
You've been unconscious for TWEEN
ty-fOur hours now" she went on. 'and
l have taken charge. When I say
the word youH get up, and not until
then. Now. what medicine do you
take-quinine2 Here are ten grains.
That's right. You'll make a good pa
tent"
My dear madam" he began.
"You mustn't speak," she interrupt
ed. that is. in protest Otherwise you I
can talk"
But the plantation"
"A dead man is Of no use on a plan /
tation. Don't you want to know about I
me? Ny vanity is hurt Here am |
I. just through my first shipwreck, /
and here are you. not the least bit I
curious, talking about your miserable !
plantation. Can't you see that I am 1
just bursting TO tell somebody. any /
body. about my shipwreckg"
He smiled. 1t was the first time in I
weeks And he smiled. not so much at /
what she said. as at the way she said /
1.-THE whimsical expression on her /
face, the laughter in her eyes, and the
several tiny lines Of humor that drew /
in at the corners He was curiously /
as to what her age was.
rs be said aloud:
"Yes. tell me. please"
That I viii nOt-uot now" she re-