Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-30

me river, MISS IluDUdTQ saw tne sun
winning just above the peaks of
)ome distant mountains She halted
Der pony suddenly. patting its flank
lightly, her eyes filling with slight
eoncern.
1T will be shutdown in an hour,
Einger," she said aloud speaking to
khe little animal who slanted his ears
back as though aware that this OBJ
tervation had been directed at him.
sand we must be fully ten miles from
}he Lazy L." She looked around re-
kretfully, reluctant to leave the river
Trail, on which she had fingered for
ahe greater part of the afternoon.
SBut we must be travelling" she con-
ltinued, gathering up the reins with
worried"
he responded with rush that took
them both to the crest of the slope
Mt the head Of the gully and out upon
a dead, fiat expanse of unfeatured
plain.
Still reluctant to desert the river,
with its painted buttes, its weird,
giant rocks and spires. its vegetation,
its tinkIing waters, for the dead hot
held her pony to the trail that led
along the fringe Of trees above the
bed of the stream. The trail over the
plains was shorter by several miles,
for the river swung around in the
shape of a giant horseshoe toward
THE cluster of buildings belonging to
the Lazy L ranch. But Miss Hub
bard preferred to ride near the fringe
- vrh nA n
rustled under the whipping tread of
her pony's hoofs, and the shade made
travel more comfortable.
She had been riding half an hour
when she felt Ginger's left shoulder
suddenly sink. He came to one knee,
pitching forward with his muzzle
out of the saddle and came around to
his head, her eyes wide with a sud.
den fear. Ginger struggled and
left foreleg. which presently came out
horribly queer shape.
Miss Hubbard's face went white
"Oh." she exclaimed, casping her
hands over her eyes with shudder
Of pity. And then again, in tones
that were eloquent with pity; 20
Ginger!"
Still resllng his weight upon one
knee, the pony turned his head and
looked at her. with an appeal in his
eyes that brought sudden moisture
into her own. He struggled again to
rise, failed, and then sank prone on
the grass. with groan so nearly hui
man in its despair that Miss Hub
bard again covered her face with her
hands and sobbed aloud.
Five minutes later, as she kneeed
in the grass, patting and smoothing
Ginger's sleek neck. pony loped
around sharp bend in the trail and
came suddenly to halt near her.
Then a tall man swung down from
the saddle and advanced with swift
strides. In the swift feeting glimpse
that she had got of him from the in.
slant she had first seen him until he
was standing over her, she had not
succeeded in getting an Impression of
his appearance. She knew only that
he was big. muscular, and active, and
that he had come at a time when she
had been very near yielding to the
food of emotion that had threatened
her since Ginger's fall When she
looked up at the man he was stand
Ing near her. his arms crossed over
his chest, one hand caressing his
chin. He even smiled slightly as his
gaze met hers.
Well" he said. drawing a little
so little that she was sure it was un
effected. 1T amt so much of pic
mic. is IT."
"Ppic-nic?" she returned, her lips
uuivering suspiciously even in he,
sudden slight resentment over wha
she considered was unwarranted lev
fly on his part. "Of course it isn't {
picnic. Why" she continued hel
eyes flashing at him through thu
moisture in them, cant you see tina
Ginger's leg is b-broken?"
We'll" he said. looking down a
her quiZzically. but speaking NOR
igravely, II expect it is. An that Ger
tainly amt no picnic. But it ain
half so bad as it might have been.
Il don't see how it could be-be AN
worse" she said, not looking at hir
because she was trying hard to cor
troll her voice to keep the tears GU
of It,
II expect it could be whole 10
worse" he returned. moving tOwar
the pony. You might have got you
neck broke when he tumbled. Tha
would sure have made me feel prett
bad-to run across woman wit
her neck broke"
81 don't think you would have bee
excited-even over that" she d.
clared experiencing a sensation of il
ritation over the serene calm tina
radiated from him.
But he was down in the grass b.
side Ginger, and he ignored her sa
casm. 80 his names 'Ginger'?" h
said, as he patted the animals nee
and ran light hand down the il
jured foreleg, That's a nice nam
for horse. ! expect you think
heap of him."
He had suddenly turned to he
and she saw his eyes, blue an
steady, looking into hers with
grave expression. His voice followe
also grave.
'Of course YOU like him" he sal
cor you wouldn't be cryin'.' +
placed both hands on his hips and l.
garded her with narrowing eve
"You live anywheres around here
ne questioned
The movement OF his hands Ia
brought her gaze to his hips. whe
she saw the butts of two heavy pi