The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-06-08

House and clearing disappear
ed behind them. A fretwork OF
white and black streamed upon
their faces. They passed the gate
posts that rose upon their pro-
gress like phantoms.
The fork of the road brought
momentary halt.
Won't they know We have
gomez" he asked,
well, we will have gone" she
answered. and laughed. The in
consequent, reckless note made
him uneasy, yet 1t excited him.
She began to walk rapidly up
the road. which stretched like a
thin white wand between high
walls of trees.
The frolic of the woodland
deity seemed to have settled into
an intense purpose. 1t was car
rying her forward at a pace that
did not slacken to the crest of the
slope. Here they dipped over in
to dimple of land.
On this side the rise of land
the trail was easy to follow. Fiji
teen minutes, and he heard a
sound his ear recognized.
There are horses!" he said.
yes"
A few steps farther and he rec
ognized Blanche's mustang.
dropping like a stoic-but could
that be the chestnut-his mare?
Early in the evening he had left
her safe in the stable.
How did she get here?"
Down the trail. II was quite
easy" Blanche answered. IL
brought them before dark"
He lifted her bodily into saddle
and stood holding her with both
hands.
She leaned down, resting hers
on his shoulders. What time is
it," she whispered.
The white silly little face of the
timekeeper with busy hands
measuring moments was to be
their last glimpse of the common
world that night. They had left
the common world behind on the
other side of the forest, and were
riding out through the raveling
fringe of trees into naked and
radiant plain.
Moving in the thick atmosphere
of light Carron felt 1t like a de.
licious element more volatile thar
water, more palpable than air
travelling in gradual ways thai
floated toward him. 1t was the
floodtide of night, of which she
had spoken.
Within Carron, too. tide stood
at flood, the tide of spirit ant
blood that sweeps the will, ant
with 1t. makes a triple strength.
Close beside him, swaying lit
tie in the saddle. her lips jus
parted, as If to taste the sweet
ness of the wind, she leaned int
1t away from him, giving hersei
to the bodiless- caress.
Carron was losing his exac
sense of direction. He was un
aware of how far the objects II
the landscape had retreated from
his conscious vision, until he
hand upon his arm startled him.
! He had halted before he look
ed. They had come up almost t
the foot of the wall of hills. I'm
mediately in front of him a grea
/. pale mass of rock rose. The.
must have approached 1t over tn
, level in a gradually slante,
course, for at no time had he seel
1t in front of him.
i Blanche raised her eyes. Fol
lowing her gaze his RENAME,
| fixed. 1t was not in this fashion
he had expected to come to tn
feet of the Sphinx.
| Again Branches fingers touch
ed his arm. Keep well out un
til we are on the left of her. w
, can ride in there quite close. Sc
that rock on the ground. the larg
one with the neck? We can tt
the horses there"
1t was this girl, when he ha,
: pointed out the Sphinx from afar
who had surveyed 1t with unrec
| ognizing eyes, and turning he
back, passed 1t by like a clandes
tine friend in q crowd.
J Now she moved around its fee
as II the ground here were ia
miliar to her. Before his aston
ishment could shape itself on hi
lips she was out of saddle AM
running across the interval o
space, her shadow flying small be
meath her feet. Her feet wer
climbing in the slide of stones be
. fore he had done fastening tn
horses.
| He was scarcely halfway u
the ascent when he saw her reacl
and catch the first firm outcrop
J ping. Edging cautiously up owe
; MISUNDERSTANDING terraces o
, mixed shale and earth, she reste'
, her knee and both hands on q lit
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