The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-20
Copyright hvhncs
Neutrality-suspicious.
Continued


on the way OF that rocky windbreak.
Sooner or later his strength must fail
him and he would need her; till then
she was content to bide her hour.
1t befell presently in startling fash
ion; she waslnot yard behind him
when he vanished abruptly. NJ
But the next moment Judith herself
was trembling on the crumbling brink
Of an arroyo Of depth and width In.
determinable in the obscurtty Of the
duststorm. Down this. evidently,
Alan had fallen in his dizzy blindness.
She found him insensible, lying with
an arm bent under him in pose
trightfu1ly suggestive Of dislocation.
Yet when she turned him on his back
and released the arm, he made no
sign to indicate that the movement
had caused him the slightest pain.
There was slight cut upon his
brow, bruise about his left temple.
She tore linen from her bosom, be-
meath her coarse flannel shirt, and with
sparing aid from the canteen, washed
the cut clean and bandaged it.
Then. seeing that the storm held
with fury unabated, she rose, recon-
noitered and returned to exert all her
strength and drag the unconscious
man across the dry bed Of that ancient
water-course and under the lee OF It's
farther bank.
There, sitting. she pillowed his
head upon her lap, and bending over
him made her body an additional shell
ter to him from the swirling clouds
OF dust.
And for hours on end Judith nursed
him there, scarce daring to move
save to minister to his needs, bathing
his fevered brow and moistening his
parched lips ant throat.
In the course Of the first = she
was once startled by the spectral vis'
ion through the driving sheets OF dust
Of horse that plodded up the arroyo.
bearing two riders on its back.
Weary with the weight of its double
burden, it went slowly and passed SO
near to Judith that she was able to
recognize the features of her sister
and Tom Barcus.
Be sure she made never a sign to
catch their attention.
Within the next succeeding hour
the coppery light lost something Of
its hot brillance, took on darker
shade, and then one darker still. Twi-
light stole athwart the desert, turning
its heat to chill, its light to violet
Growing more intense, the cold
eventually reused the sleeping man.
And hardly had his eyes Enclosed
and looked up into the eyes OF Judith
bending over him than he started up
aud out of her embrace, got unstead'
lily upon his feet and after moment
Of pause, watching her rise in turn,
strobe away-or, rather, staggered
with the gesture Of exorcism.
Uncomplaining, hugging her new.
born humility to her with the ecstasy
Of the anchorite his horse-hair shirt,
Judith followed him patiently, at 9
little distance. ..a.
Not far from where he had rested
there was a break in the overhangins
wall OF the arroyo. Through this h.
scrambled painfully, reaching the level
| Of the desert only after cruel e1ort'
the unheeded woman at his heels.
A brief pause there afforded both
time to regain their breath and survey
the desert. for signs OF assistance: 1t
offered none, other than what they
might accomplish through their own
exertions. For leagues in any quarter
It stretched without break other than
the black cleft Of the arroyo, cleaning
a bleached and deathly white In the
moonshine-like the face of frozen
world.
With tacit consent both turned that
way, Alan leading, Judith his pertina'
cIous shadow, with never word OF
sign between them to prove that either
was aware of the others company.
But this was a>state Of affairs that
could not long endure. Judith had the
price to pay for her own trials. SUI
fering and privatlon: the strain began
to tell sorely upon her. She reeled
slightly as she walked, weaving a
winding trail across and across the
straighter line Of footprints that
marked Alan's course through the or
/ dered pattern OF the powdered sage
brush.
| And of sudden she collapsed.
| Instinct alone made Alan glance
oyershoulder: for she had made nc
sound whatever.
He turned and came directly bach
to her, knelt beside her, lifted hel
head, pillowed IT gently on his arm
and piled her in turn with the dregs
Of the canteen. =.
/ With sigh, atlfied moan and
little SILVER, she revived.
He helped her gently to regain bel
feet, passed an arm round her.
In this fashion they struggled on IL
strange, dumb companionship OF mis-
cry and wonder. !,
Thus an hour passed; and for al
their desperate struggles neither could
see that the light on the mountatnside
vas yard the nearer.
poLtS +ha,,, othar Tfof+z annearad