Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-10-04

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only one feeling, . keen, biting, bitter
shame. At length he stopped In front
of George, who smiled and looked up
expectantly.
:. Jones, when you stick your finger
into water and withdraw 1t, what hap
pens? Nothing. Well, the man whe
gives me a benefit is sticking his
finger into water. I'm Just as un.
stable. How many promises have /
made and broken! / mean, promises
! to myself. | don't know. This mo
ment / swear to be good, and along
comes a pack of cards or a bottle Of
wine, and back l slip. Would it be
worth while to trust man so damned
weak as that? Look at me. | am six.
foot two, normally hundred and
eighty pounds, no fat. am as sound
as a cocoanut. There isn't a boxer in
the States I'm afraid of. | can ride,
shoot, fence, fight; there isn't game
| can't take a creditable hand in. So
much for that. There's the other side.
Morally, I'm putty. When it's soft you
can mold it any which way; when it's
hard, 1t crtmbles. Will you trust a
man like that?"'
Eyes. Out there you'll be away
from temptation"
Perhaps. Well, l accept. And if
one day I'm missing, think kindly of
the poor devil of an outcast who want
ed to be coed and couldn't be. I'm
tagged. Pm going to turn in. Good
night"
He picked up his.blanket and saddle
bags and made his bed a dozen yards
away:
George set his gaze at the fire, now
falling in places ard showing mean
descent holes. A month ago, in the
rut Of commonplace, moving round in
oiled grooves of mediocrity. Bang!
like rocket. Why, never had those
liars in the smoke-rooms recounted
anything half so wild and strange as
this adventure. Smugglers, card.
sharps, an ancient rug, caravan in
the desert! He turned his head and
looked long and earnestly at the little
tent. Love, too; love that had put
into his diffident heart the thrill and
courage of Bayard. Love! He saw
her again as she stepped down from
the carriage; in the dining-room at his
side, leaning over the parapet; inef.
fably sweet, hauntingly sad. Would
she accept the refuge he had offered?
He knew that old Mortimer would
take her without question. Would she
accept the shelter of that kindly roof ?
She must! If she refused and went
her own. way into the world, he would
lose her for ever. She must accept!
He would plead with all the eloquence
Of his soul, for his own happiness, and
mayhap hers. He rose, faced the
tent, and, with a gesture not unlike
that Of the pagan in prayer, registered
a vow that never should she want for
protection, never. should she want for
the comforts of life. How he. was
going to keep such a vow was a ques.
ton that did not enter his head. Some.
how he was going 10 accomplish the
feat
What mattered the ragged beard
upon his face, the ragged clothes upon
his body, the tattered cloths upon his
feet, the grotesQue attitude and en-,
semble? The Lord of Life saw into
his heart and understood. And who
might say with what joy Pandora
gazed upon her work, knowing as she
did what still remained within her
casket?
From these heights, good occasional
ly for any mans soul, George came
down abruptly. and humanity to the
| prosaic question of where would he
! make his bed that night? To lie down
at the north side of the fire meant a
chill in the morning; the south side
the intermittent, acrid breath of the
lire ITSELF. so he threw down his blan
ket and bags east Of the fire, wrapped
himself up, and sank. into slumber
light but dreamless.
| What was that? He sat up, alert
straining' his ears. How long had he
been asleep? An hour by his watch
What had awakened him? Not q
sound anywhere, yet something hat
startled him out. of his sleep. He
glanced over the camp. That bundle
was Ryanne. He waited. Not a move
ment there. No sign of life among tht
camel-boys; and the. flaps of the two
tents were closed. BAH Nerves
probably; and he would have lair
down again had his gaze not roved ou
toward the desert. Something moved
out there, upon the misty, moonli
space. He shaded his eyes from tht
fire, now but a heap of glowing EN-
bers. He got up, and SILVER aftel
SILVER wrinkled his spine. Oh, no;
1t could not be dream; he wa!
awake. 1t was a living thing, thai
long. bobbing camel-train, coming di
: rectly toward the oasis, no doubt at
tracted by the freight. Fascinated
Incapable of movement, he watched
the approach. Three white dots; ant
these grew and grew and at length be
came e.. pith-helmets! Pith
helmets! Who but white men wor,
pith-helmets in the desert? Whit,
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