Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-04-04
Copyright BY Harper g Brothers

let you ride his horse"
"Then-you're an O1icerT
"Yes'm. Ranger. So you see can't
help you to get home till my man
comes. Do you live around hereT
The speaker looked up inquiringly. and
after an instant's hesitation the wOm-
an said quietly:
81 am Mrs. Austin" She was CRATE
full for the gloom that hid her face. Il
rode cut this way to examine tract
Of grazing land"
1t seemed fully a minute before the
Ranger answered; then he said, In a
casual tone, Il reckon Las Palmas Is
quite a ranch, ma'am."
"Yes. But we need more pasture"
II know your La Feria ranch. too. I
was with General Castro when we had
that fight near there"
"You were Maderista?"
"Yes'm. Machine-gun man. That's q
fine country over there. Seems like
the Almighty got mixed and put the
Mexicans on the wrong side of the
Rio Grande. But reckon you haven't
seen much of La Feria since the last
revolution broke out"
mo. We have tried to remain neu-
trial. but" Again she hesitated. MIR.
Austin has enemies. Fortunately both
sides have spared La Feria."
Law shrugged his broad shoulders.
"Oh. well, the revolution isn't over!
A ranch in Mexico Is my idea of bad
investment" He rose and. taking his
blanket. sought favorable spot upon
which to spread it. Then he helped
Mrs. Austin to her feet-her muscles
had stiffened until she could barely
stand-after which he fetched his sad
die for a pillow. He made no apollo
gies for his meager hospitality. nor did
his guest expect any.
When ne had staked out his horse
for the night he returned to find the
woman rolled snugly in her covering
as in a cocoon. The dying embers flick
cred into flame and lit her hair redly.
She had laid Off her felt hat, and one
Ioosened braid lay over her hard pill
low. Thinking her asleep, Law stood
motionless. making no attempt to hide
his expression of wonderment until.
Unexpectedly. she spoke.
"What will you do with me when
your Mexican comes?" she said.
"Well. a'am. 7 reckon I'll hide you
out in the brush till I tame him."
THANK you. Tn used to the open"
He nodded as If he well knew that
she was; then. shaking out his slicker.
turned away.
AS he lay staring up through the
thorny mesquite branches that rooted
him inadequately from the dew, he
nightly. A bright, steady
star peeped through the leaves
Mt him, and as he watched 1t he remem-
bered that this red-haired woman with
the still, white face was known far and
wide through the lower valley as "The
Lone Star" Well. he unused, the name |
fitted her; she was, If reports were
true, quite as mysterious, quite as cold |
md fixed and unapproachable. as the
title implied. knowledge Of her iden-
tity had come as shock, for Law |
knew something of her history, and to |
ind her suing for his protection was
lutte thrilling. Tales Of her pale |
beauty were common and not tame,
cut she was all and more than she
lad been described.
She had not been too proud and cold
o let him help her. In her fatigue
the had allowed him to lift her and
% make her more comfortable. Hot
lgainst his palms-palms unaccus-
omed to the touch of woman's flesh
he felt the contact of her naked feet,
IS at the moment when he had placed |
hem In the cooling water. Her feeble
assistance had only called attention to
Ter sex-to the slim whiteness of her
mikes beneath her short riding skirt.
Following his first amazement at be-
olding her had come a fantastic ex.
lanatiOn of her presence-for a mo-
nent or two it had seemed as If the
ates had taken heed of his yearnings
nd had sent her to him out of the
usk-wild fancies, like these, bother
len who are much alone.
PhAnrEn