Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-06-13
CHAPTER Iv.-contInued.

"
CHAPTER lv.-continued.
"And the other one," went on Cora,
her eyes riveted on the hair-dressing,
her subconscious mind making notes
Of the disposition Of every coil, his
names J. d. Buford. And I'd like
you to guess what he is! An actor.
a stage player. He's been playing all
up the state from Los Angeles and
wns going down to Sacramento to
keep an engagement there. 1t just
tickles me to death to have an actor
close to before"
The last hair-pin was adjusted and
Miss Cannon studied the effect with
4 hand-glass.
AN actor" she commented. run
ming a smoothing palm up the back OF
her head. that's Just what he looked
like, now I think of 1t. Perhaps he'll
act for us. l think it's going to be
lots OF fun being showed up at Ante
lope."
Tho sound of voice crying Cora"
here rose from the hallway and that
young woman. with languid delib-
Grafton Of movement, as OF one who
obeys a vulgar summons at her own
elegant leisure, rose and departed.
apologxing for having to go SO soon.
A few minutes later. the hour of sup
per being at hand. Rose followed her.
She was descending the stairs when
. oommotion from below, a sound OF
voices, loud. argumentative. rising and
falling in excited chorus. hurried her
steps. The lower hall, lit with lamps
and the glow Of its stove. heated to
translucent red. was full of men. A
current OF cold could be felt In the
hot atmosphere and fresh snow was
melting on the floor. Standing by the
stove was a man who had evidently
Just entered. Ridges OF white lay
caught in the folds of his garments;
a silver hoar was on his beard. He
held his hands out to the heat and
as Rose reached the foot of the stairs
she heard him say:
well. tell you that any man that
started to walk up here from Rocky
Bar this afternoon must have been
plumb crazy. Why. John L. Sullivan
couldn't do 1t In such a storm"
To which the wellbred voice Of
willoughby answered:
But according to the message he
started at two and the snow was hard
ly falling then. He must have got
good way, past the Silver Crescent.
when the storm caught him."
A hubbub OF voices broke out here,
and, seeing her father on the edge
of the crowd. Rose went to him and
plucked his sleeve, murmuring:
What's happened? What's going
on?"
He took his cigar out of his mouth
and turned toward her, speaking low
and keeping his eyes on the men by
The stove.
THE telegraph operator has Just
had a message sent from Rocky Bar
that man started from there this
afternoon to walk up here. They
don't think he could make 1t and are
afraid he's lost somewhere Perley
and some of the boys are going out
TO look for him.
What a dreadful thingl In such a
etorml Do you think they'll ever
hnd hip2"
He shrugged. and replaced his cigar
In his mouth.
q "Oh. guess so. II he was strong
enough to get on near here they ought
to. But it's Just what the operator
says. The feller must have been
plumb crazy TO attempt such thing
Looks as II he were stranger In the
country"
IT'S a sort of quiet, respectable
way OF committing suicide" said the
voice of the actor behind them.
Rose looked over her shoulder and
saw his thin. large-featured face, no
longer nipped and Redeemed with cold,
but wreathed in an obsequious and
friendly smile which furrowed It with
deep lines. Her father answered him
and she turned away. being more in
,erested in the preparations for the
search party. As she watched these
she could hear the desurory conver-
sation behind her, the actors COM
ments delivered with an unctuous,
elaborate politeness which, contrasted
with her fathers gruff brevity. made
her smile furtively to herself.
Supper was an animated meal that
evening. The suddenly tragic interest
that had developed drew the little
group OF guests together with the
strands of n common sympathy. The
fudge and the actor moved their seats
to the Cannons' table. Cora was sent
TO request the doctor-a young man
fresh from his graduation in San Fran
cisco who took his meals at the bach
eior's tnble-to Join them and add the
weight OF medical opinion to their
surmlses as to the travellers chances
~ suryival Thesa the doctor