Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-15

gest the unreal. the mysterious. the
laWless: In . flash he understood heI
silences, her calm, her occasional
stilted modes Of speech, and her
whimsicalities.
"Why-why-S1etz!" he stammered
following out the train of his illumined
thought. what are you? Who are
you? A star In the dusk! The night
wind in the pines!"
In the flush of the pregnant moment
he laid his hand on her bare arm I'm.
der the rolled-up sleeve-her soft arm
wet with the mist-closing his fingers
strongly upon 1t. For the enchanted
present she was romance and mys-
tory, and Sandry was beneath its spell.
But Siletz looked from his face
down to the hand upon her arm. The
blood rose slowly in her dusky cheeks,
and when she raised her eyes again
they were dim with the same look of
intoxication ~ had come with the mad.
ness of the rushing wind on Black
Bolts back.
"Yes." she said dreamily. II am the
Night Wind. That's what they call me
my friends the Indians. But how
did you know?"
Il didn't. just heard the words in
my heart. They are right"
He did not remove his hand, and
silence fell between them while they
stood gazing into each others eyes.
Sandry saw the heavy look in hers, the
dnll 8ro <hek H>osnnko a yorv a rrnLop
ness Of emotion, and in another mo-
ment he had lost his head. Without
thought, as simply as the first runner
Of those forests took what he wanted.
he leaned forward and kissed her,
softly. lightly. on her smooth cheek.
Her eyes darkened perceptibly and
she covered her face with her hands.
In . sudden great embarrassment
Saudry stood silent beside her, his
heart pounding and his manhood al
ready upbraiding him. He searched
his clearing brain for some word of
apology, some contrite expression, but
found mono, and the next moment
could not in any case have spoken it;
for Siietz lifted her face and 1t was
glorified. Tho intoxication had drifted
away from her features, leaving them
bare in the utter simplicity Of the PR.
meval woman, and there was in them
. white fire Of self-surrender.
Without . word-and Sandry knew
instinctively that she could not speak
she turned to Black Bolt. threw the
reins over his head. crcuched beside
him on q little lift Of moss and leaped
upward. He watched her land on the
horss's blanketed back with that in.
imitable grace Of the Wild, turn and
ride swiftly down one of the mysteri.
ous paths whose nodding ferns closed
after her. Coosnah. following with a
1.-THE rolling Of all his huge muscles,
cast lowering glance backward at
the man.
The incident had taken al the help.
falness out Of the day and the wilder
moss. and Sandry wendell his way slow
" back to camp. arriving just in time
for supper. silets tended the table In
her usual silence, but when she
reached him she was constrainedly
aloof, 10 II fearing to break . spell BY
word or touch. Once he looked up
1t her, striving for recognition. but
she avoided his eyes and to save his
life he could not repress the wild
thrill that had betrayed him in the
hills, though he was conscious Of an
ger flushing hot upon 1t. He suffered
q very real humiliation In that he had
30 far forgotten his training. his sense
Of the fitness Of things, % to kiss this
Wild mountain creature. His ances-
trail blood rose up In condemnation.
Tho next few days were crowded
full to overlooking with work and he
laid aside all personal perplexities.
The FIRST raft Of logs. great cigar
shaped monster, laced together In all
it, length and breadth with giant
chains. lay in the backwster at Toledo,
ready for its voyasednto the world be-
yond.
A crew Of river drivers was picked
from among the men and all was in
readiness save for q draft OF direc-
lions which was TO be given, along
with the raft. into the custody Of Cap
tain Graftz Of the long dun-colored
steamer that would stand in across
the bar at Newport on the twenty
sixth.
6andry thrilled with contemplation
Of the great, reddish-brown floor.
slightly raised in the center. sloping
gently 70 the sides. It's building had
been thing Of wonder to him. It
would in all probability scatter to the
ends Of the earth. and its worth ran
well into five figures. He watched its
departure. an impressive matter Of
sluggish rising with the tide. Of al
most impercsptible motion and then OF
majestic speed that carried It west
ward toward the ocean. Then he
turned back to his logging camp with
. heightened Joy IN the new life.
That night he wrote tosthea white
haired gentleman Who was then going
70 bed under silksn covers with the aid
Of the faithful Higgins his letter
was long and brillian. uched with
that cheer and hope. at light Of
awakening strength and ability which
was beginning to stir, his heart to it,
foundation.
"Ah!" said Mr.. Wilton Sandry when
he got that letter, looking down on the
pageant Of Riverside drive In it, win
ter livery, what boy he 10! What .
son! Tho metal IL beginning to ring"
CHAPTER vii.
~ &