The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-02

tissue your ORDERS" he insisted. u
am waiting to obey"
She hesitated again, then said.
slowly;
Have your hair cut It's the one
uncivilized thing about you"
For an instant samson's face hard
ened.
mo" he said; II don't care to do
that"
ooh, very Welt" she laughed lightly.
TN that event, Of course, you shouldn't
do IT," But her smile faded. and after
a moment he explained:
you see, It wouldn't do"
What do you meant"
Il mean that I've got to keep some
thing as II was 10 remind me OF a prior
claim on my life"
For an instant the girls face cloud.
ed and grew deeply troubled.
you don't mean," she asked. with
an outburst Of interest more vehement
than she had meant to show, or real.
ized she was showing-"you don't
mean that o still adhere TO ideas Of
the vendetta7" Then she broke OF
with a laugh, a rather nervous laugh.
"of course not" she answered her.
self. THAT would be too absurd"
Would ~" asked Samson. simply.
He glanced at his watch. Two min
utes up" he announced, 1.-THE model
will please resume the pose. BY the
way, may ! drive with you tomorrow
~afternoon?"
The text afternoon Samson ran up
the street steps OF the Lescott house
and rang the bell, and a few moments
later Adrienne appeared. The car was
waiting outside, and, as the girl came
down the stairs In motor coat and
veil, she paused and her fingers on the
banister frightened In surprise as she
looked at the man who stood below
holding his hat in his hand, with his
face upturned.. The w%ell-shaped head
was no longer marred by the name
which II had formerly worn, but was
close cropped, and under the trans
forming influence OF the change the
forehead seemed holder and higher,
and to her thinking the strength Of
the |purposeful features was enhanced,
and yet, had she known II, the man
felt that he had for the first time sur.
rendered a point which meant an ahan-
Comment OF something akin t o prin.
ciple.
She said nothing, hut as she took
his hand in greeting her fingers
pressed his own In handclasp more
lingering than usual.
Late that evening, when Samson re-
turned TO the studio, he found a mis-
eive in his letter box. and. as he took
1t out, his eyes fell on the postmark.
II wal dated from Hixon. Kentucky,
and, as the mar slowly climbed the
stairs, he turned the envelope over in
his hand with a strange sense OF mis-
giving and premonition.
The letter was written In the
cramped hand Of Brother Spencer
Through It's faulty diction ran a plain.
ly discernible undernote OF disapproval
for Samson, though there was no word
OF reproof or criticism. II was plain
that Il was sent as a matter Of cour.
tesy to one who, having proved an
apostate, scarcely merlted such consid,
GRAFTON. It informed him that old
Spicer South had been mighty pore
ly," but was now better, barring the
breaking Of age. Everyone was "tol
cradle" Then came the announce
ment which the letter had been writ
ten to convey.
The term Of the South-Hollman truce
had ended, and It had been renewed
for an indefinite period.
Some Of your folks thought they
ought to let you know because the,
promised to give you a say" wrot,
the informant. But they decided tina
Il couldn't hardly make no differenc,
to you. since you have left the noun
tains, and II you cared anything abou
, II, you knew the time. and could o
been here, Hoping this nndS yol
we'll"
Samson's face clouded. He threy
the soiled and scrubbed missive dowI
on the table and sat with %unseeini
, eyes fixed on the studio wall. So. the
= had cast him out OF their councils
b They already thought Of him as on,
who had been.
. In that passionate rush OF feeling
: everything that had happened sine,
he had left Misery seemed artihcia
and dreamlike. belonged for thu
realities that were forfeited. He want
ed to press himself close to the great
gray shoulders OF rock that brokl
through the greenery like giants tear
. ing on soft raiment. Those we're hi
people back there. He should be run
y ming with the wolf pack. not coursinl
with beagles.
! He had been telling himself that h
= was loyal and now he realized that Ia
was drifting like the lotus eaters.
He rose and paced the floor, will
teeth and hands clerrhed and tn
sweat standing out On bis forehead
His advisers had Of late been urginI
him to go to Paris. lie had refused