The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-06-23
CHAPTER w.
The Dream Mate.

| INC OFcdW "dtos
~ HE following morning the earth
quake found Victoria Custer
still abed She told Lady
Greystoke that she felt weak
from the effects of the nervous shock,
but the truth of the matter was that
she dreaded to meet Curtiss and under
go the ordeal which she knew con-
fronted her.
How was she to explain to him the
effect that the subterranean rumblings
and the shaking of the outer crust had
had upon her and her sentiments to-
ward him?
! When her brother came in to see her
she drew his head down upon the pill
/ low beside hers and whispered some
thing of the horrible Authorizations that
had haunted her since the previous
evening
"Oh. Barney" she cried. what can it
be? What can it be? The first deep
grumblings that preceded the shock
seemed to awake me as from a leth-
argy, and as plainly as | see you beside
me now / saw the half naked creature
Of my dreams, and when l saw him l
knew that / could never wed Mr.. Cur
tiss or any other.
1T is awful to have to admit it. even
to you. Barney; but IL knew when l
saw him that l loved him-that ] was
his. Not his wife. Barney, but his
wOman-his mate-and | had to fight
with myself to keep from rushing out
into the terrible blackness Of the night
to throw myself into his arms.
1T was then that managed to con-
troll myself long enough to run to you.
where tainted. And last night. in my
dreams. saw him again-alone and
lonely-searching through a strange
and hostile world to find and claim me.
"YOu cannot know, Barney. how real
he Is to me. 1t is not as other dreams.
but instead really see him-the satin
texture of his smooth. bronzed skin.
the lordly poise Of his perfect head.
the tousled shock Of coal black hair
that | have learned to love and
through which I know have lovingly
run my fingers as he stopped to kiss
me.
"He carries a great spear, stone tip
saw it-and knife and Ratchet Of
the same finty material. and In his left
hand he bears the severed head Of a
mighty beast.
HE is noble figure. but of another
world or of another age. Somewhere
he wanders, so lonely and alone that
my heart weeps at the thought Of him
Oh. Barney. either he Is true and
shall find him or am gone mad. Tell
me, Barney. for the love of heaven.
you believe that am sane"
Barney Custer drew his sisters face
close to his and kissed her tenderly.
'Of course you're sane. Vic" he
treasured her. You've just allowed
that Old dream Of yours to become a
sort of obsession with you, and now
it's got on your nerves until you are
commencing to believe it even against
your better Judgment, Take a good
grip on yourself get up and join Cur
tiss IN a long ride.
Have IL out with him. Tell him
just what you have told me, and then
tell him you'll marry him, and I'll
warrant that you'll be dreaming about
him instead of that young giant that
you have stolen out Of some fairy
tale"
I'm get up and take ride, Barney"
replied the girl. but as for marrying
If. L.
1t over"
She did not join the party. however.
that We're riding toward the hills that
morning. for the thought Of seeing the
torn and twisted stratum Of bygone
age that lifted its Scared head above
the surface of the plain at the base Of
the mountains was more than she felt