Macon beacon., 1917-09-28

be surprised If we are not assassinated
before morning"
"IIe must have meant It." Alaire
spoke with conviction she did not
entirely feel. "Father OMalley aroused
the finer side Of his nature"
'Pcrhaps," agreed the priest. "Some-
where in him there Is fear of God"
But Dave was skeptlcal. "More like
ly fear Of the gringO government"
said he. "Longorio is a fourflusher
When he realized he was licked he
tried to save his face by grandstand
play. He didn't want to let US CO."
"Then what Is to prevent him from
well, from having us followed?"
Alaire inquired.
Nothing" Dave told her.
As they climbed the bank and rode
onward into the night she said: "NO
matter what happens, dear, shall be
happy, for at last one Of my dreams
has come true" He reached out and
patted her. you've no idea what q
coward I was until you came. But the
moment / saw you oil my fears van
ishcd. / was like lost child who sud-
denly sees its father; in your arms I
felt perfectly safe, for the first time In
all my life, | think. II couldn't bear
to go on without you, after this"
Dave found nothing to say; they
rode along side by side for time in
a great contentment that required no
speech. Then Alaire asked:
"Dear, have you considered how we
are going to explain our marriage"
"Wont the circumstances explain
it?"
"Perhaps. And yet 1t seems ages
since | learned-what happened to Ed,
but in reality it's only few hours.
Won't people talk?"
Dave caught at the suggestion. II
see. Then let's keep 1t secret for the
present"
With a little reckless laugh she con-
fessed, "I-I'm afraid I'll find it diff
cult to be conventional"
"My wife!" he cried In sharp agony.
Leaning far out, he encircled her with
his arm; then, half lifting her from
her saddle, he crushed his lips to hers.
1t was his first display of emotion since
Father O'Malley had united them.
There were few villages along the
road they followed and because of the
lateness Of the hour all were dark,
hence the party passed through with
out exciting attention except from an
occasional wakeful dog. But as morn
Ing came and the east began to glow
Dave told the priest:
"We've got to hide out during the
day or we'll get into trouble. Besides,
these women must be getting hungry"
81 fear there Is something feminine
about me-" confessed the little man.
"Tm famished, too"
At the next rancho they came to they
applied for shelter, but were denied !;
in fact, the owner cursed them so
roundly for being Americans that they
were glad to ride onward. A mile or
two farther along they met a cart the
driver Of which refused to answer
their greetings. AS they passed out of
his sight they saw that he had halted
his lean oxen and was staring after
them curlously. Later, when the sun
was well up and the world had fully
awakened, they deserted mounted
man, evidently cowboy, riding
through the chaparral. He saw them
too, and came toward the road, bu:
after n brief scrutiny he whirled his
horse and galloped off through the cac
tuS, shouting something over his shoul
der.
"This won't do," O'Malley declared
uneasily. 81 don't like the actions O1
these people. Let me appeal to thu
next person we meet. can't believe
they all hate u.s."
Soon they came to a rise in the road
and from the crest of this elevation be
held ahead Of them small village O
white houses shining from the shelte
of Il grove. The rancheria was perhaps
two miles away, and galloping towar'
1t was the vaQuero who had challenge,
them.
"That's the Rio Negro crossing,
Dave announced. Then spying littl
house sQuatting a short distance bacl
from the road, he said: "We'd bette
try yonder. If they turn us down wei
have to take to the brush"
OMalley agreed. Eyes, and we hav
, no time to lose. That horseman Is &C
, ing to rouse the town. I'm afrai
; we're-in for It."
: Dave nodded silently.
Leaving the beaten path, the refV
, gees threaded their way through ca,
! tus and sage to gate, entering whic
D.. they approached the straw-thatche
l jacal they had seen. A naked boy bah
, watched them draw near. then scuttle
}. for shelter, piping an alarm. A ma
appeared from somewhere, at sight {
: whom the priest rode forward with
r pleasant greeting. But the fellow We
unfriendly. His wife, too. emerged fro
n the dwelling and joined her husband
: warning Father O'Malley away.
o "Let me try" Alaire begged, ar
t spurred her horse up to the group. 81
n smiled down at the country peopl
a saying: "We have travelled loI