The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1915-04-01
CHAPTER XIV.

Samson stopped at his studio and
threw open an old closet where. from
a Uttered pile Of discarded background
draperies. canvases and stretchers, he
hshed out buried and dust-covered
pair OF saddlebags. They had long
lain there forgotten. but they held the
rusty clothes in which he had left
Misery.
Samson had caught the fastest west
bound express on the schedule. In
thirty-six hours he would be at Hixon
There were many things which his
brain must attack and digest in these
hours. He must arrange his plan OF
action to its minutest detail. because
he would have as little time for reflec.
tion. once he nad reached his own
country. as a wildcat flung into pack
OF hounds.
From the railroad station 70 his
hcme he must make his way-most
probably fight his way-through thirty
miles OF hostile territory, where all
the trails were watched. And yet. for
the time. all that : .emed too remotely
UNREAL 10 HOlu MS thoughts.
He took out Sally's letter, and read
II once more. lie read 1t mechanically
and as n piece OF news that had
brought evil tidings. Then. suddenly,
another aspect OF II struck him-an as.
pect to which the shock OF It's recep.
tion had until this tardy moment
blinded him. The letter was perfectly
grammatical and penned in a hand OF
copybook roundness and evenness.
The address. the body OF the missive
and the signature were all In one chi.
Biography. She would not have lntrust.
ed the writing OF this letter to anyone
else.
Sally had learned 10 write
Moreover, at the end were the
words, with love" II was all plain
now. Sally had never repudated him.
She was declaring herself true 10 her
mission and her love
Good Cod" groaned the man. in alb.
1ectly bitter self-contempt. His hand
went involuntarily TO his cropped head
and dropped with a gesture OF self.
doubling He looked down AT his tan
shoes and silk socks. lie rolled back
his shirtsleeve and contemplated the
forearm that had once been as brown
and tough as leather. II was now the
arm OF city man. except for the burn.
ing OF one outdoor week. He was
returning at the eleventh hour
stripped OF the faith Of his kir 5men,
halfstripped OF his faith In himself.
IL he we're to realize the constructive
dreams OF which he had last night so
confidently prattled 10 Adrienne. he
must lead his people from under the
blighting shadow OF the feud.
He must reappear before his kins-
men es much as possible the boy who
had left them--not the fop with new.
tangled affectations. His eyes fell
upon the saddlebags upon the floor OF
the Pullman aAd he smiled satirically.
He would like TO step from the train
at Hixon and walk brazenly through
the town In those old clothes, chal.
icnsing every hostile glance. II they
shot him down on the streets. as they
certainly would do. II would end his
questioning and bis anguish OF dilem.
ma He would welcome that, but IL
would. after all. be shirking the issue.
He must get out Of Hixon and into
mis- own country unrecognized. The
lean boy Of four years ago was the
somewhat nlled-out man now. The one
concession that he had made to Paris
n'e was the wearing OF a closely
cropped mustache. That he still wore
had worn II chiefly because he liked
to hear Adrienne's humorous denuncla.
tion OF II. He knew that. In his pres.
ent guise and dress. he had an excel.
lent chance OF walking through the