The Elbert County tribune., 1917-08-31
eleventh EPISODE
Lovers Leap.
THE BoRDERLAND.


Ever since earliest dawn the train
had been alternately climbing with
stertorous respiration the Strengthened
passes and sweeping down in wild,
free flight through the widening val
leys of a great and spacious land of
haggard beauty.
And since her eyes had first opened
to this new day 1t had not been possi-
BILE for long to distract Patria's atten-
tion from that endless panorama of
grim. stark hills, painted desert and
boundless plains.
And In Patria's eyes, while she
watched, gladness shone deep and
tender; and ever and again her young
bosom would lift and fall with a gem
tie sigh of happiness.
For this, to her, was homecoming;
she was returning, after long So
journ in n strange far country, to the
land which held first place in her
heart.
Toward mid-afternoon the train
pausel at a little station.
Here there was uncommon hustle of
life. In addition to the customary
groups of idle Mexicans and half
breeds, squaws with crude pottery to
sell to the avid tourist, and assorted
loafers, company of hard-riding cow
people had gathered, and couple of
rough-coated motorcars stood wait
ing.
AS Patria, with her little train of
servants and companions, descended
to the platform. high-spirited cheering
greeted her; the horsemen and women
yelled piercingly, and tossed aloft their
hats; and from one of the motorcars
a man whose heaviness of stature as
sorted oddly with his alertness of ges-
ture strobe forward sombrero in hand,
then paused stared and said in a
voice of wonder:
"Patria Channingl'
The girl identified him after a mo-
ment of perplexity, during which her
memory harked back to days decade
ago. Her characteristic little frown of
thought was dispelled by smile and
laugh of joyful recognition.
"Rodman Pillsbury!" she exclaimed
and gave him both her hands.
He took them nwkwardly, shaking a
still bewildered head.
II don't know you at all, Pat" he
said. II was waiting for little girl
"a freckled, long-legged tomboy who
could beat me riding and shooting and
-'most every way. And here you're
u woman grown Lord! how
antique you make me feell"
"You needn't" she told him gayly.
"You've grown up every whit as much
rs but no more not the least bit.
When went East you were as sturdy
and husky as a stringbean and now
you're as slim and lissome as water
meloni Heavens don't accuse me of
having changed But forgive
me
Swiftly she made Pillsbury known
to her chnperon and Captain Pnrr.
Il want you to be great friends" she
said with just hint of embarrassment
as these last clasped hands. "Rodman
was the first sweetheart l ever had
Don--and Donald" she added charm
ingly to Pillsbury, 'is my last; we are
engaged"
To her immense relief there was nc
trace of hostility in the greeting which
Atouihuh tieSoiucu hcl uctlothcu.
Mr.. Pillsbury had grown up In more
than physique in the course of ter
years. The ability to mask his feel.
ings with impenetrable discrimination
was only one of the accomplishments
which he had acquired, and which fit
ted him so admirably to command al
once the friendship and respect of the
small army of employees who looked
up to him as the local representative
of the Charming interests-as. in short
what Rodman Pillsbury really was
Patria's viceroy, ruling dominions OF
land and men-broader, If less popu
Ious, than many u European principal
ity.
That exhilaration which had beer
mounting in Patria ever since hel
awakening that morning grew still
more intense as ner motorcar swung
away from the station and over O
winding highroad. Now she was thor