Arizona republican., 1912-04-29
The DazzledEyeS
 of Patricia
By CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER
COPYRIGHT. lsis. BY THE PEARSON PUBLISHING co

Coming out of little gully near the river, Miss Hubbard saw the sun swimming just above the peaks of some distant mountains. She halted her pony suddenly, batting its flank lightly, her eyes filling with slight concern.
 "It will be sundown in an hour, Ginger" she said aloud, speaking to the little animal who slanted his ears back as though aware that this ob- servation had been directed at him, and we must be fully ten miles from the Lazy L." She looked around re gretfully, reluctant to leave the river trail, on which she had fingered for the greater part of the afternoon. But we must be travelling" she con tinued gathering up the reins with sudden decision, Daddy will be worried"
 She spoke sharply to the pony and le responded with rush that took hem both to the crest of the slope It the head of the gully and out upon l dead, fiat expanse of unfeatured plain
 Still reluctant to desert the river, with its painted buttes, it's weird, giant rocks and spires, it's vegetation, it's tinkling waters. for the dead hot sand of the plains, Miss Hubbard 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 of trees, where the matted mesquite rrstled 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 deep into the grass, and she slipped out of the saddle and came around to his head, her eyes wide with a sud den fear. Ginger struggled and snorted, tugging desperately at his left fore.eg, which presently came out of a prairie-dog hole twisted into horribly queer shape.
 Miss Hubbard's face went white "Oh!" she exclaimed clasping her hands over her eyes with d shudder of pity. And then again, in tones that were eloquent with pity: 70 Ginger"
 Still resting his weight upon one knee, the pony turned his head and looked at her, with an appeal in his eyes that brought a sudden moisture into her own. He struggled again to ri faiIad thQn canty ar the grass, with groan so nearly hu- man in its despair that Miss Hub bard again covered her face with her hands and sobbed aloud.
 Five minutes later, as she kneeled in the grass, batting and smoothing Ginger's sleek neck, a pony loped around a sharp bend in the trail and came suddenly to a 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- stant 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 flood 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. drawling little. so little that she was sure it was un- affected Ut ain't so much of a pie nic, is it?''
 "P-pic-nic?" she returned her lips uuivering suspiciously, even in her sudden slight resentment over what she considered was unwarranted lev picnic Why" she continued, her eyes flashing at him through the moisture im them, cant you see that Ginger's leg is b-broken?"
 Well" he said, looking down at her quizzically, but speaking more gravely, "I expect it is. An that cer- tainly ain't 10 picnic. But it ain't half so bad as it might have been."
 q don't see how it could be-be any worse" she said, not looking at him because she was trying hard to con- trol her voice to keep the tears out of it.
 T expect it could be a whole lot worse," he returned, moving toward the pony. You might have got your neck broke when he tumbled. That would sure have made me feel pretty bad-to run across a woman with her neck broke"
 ''I don't think you would have been excited-even over that,' she de- clared, experiencing sensation of ir- ritation over the serene calm that radiated from him.
 But he was down in the grass be- side Ginger, and he ignored her sar casm. "So his names 'Ginger'?" he said as he patted the animals neck and ran a light hand down the in jured foreleg That's a nice name for horse.' I expect you think a heap of him?"
 He had suddenly turned to her, and she saw his eyes, blue and steady, looking into hers with a grave expression. His voice followed also grave.
 'Of course you like him." he said Cor you wouldn't be cryin'.'' He placed both hands on his hips and re- garded her with narrowing eyes ssVou live anvuhorac oroupd hara9D