Meade County news., 1917-03-15
CHAPTER VIII-contlnued.

s.
Vandervyn had arranged to be gone
a week. There was no cause to dis
cuss the time of his return, and as Ma
rie seldom mentioned him, Hardy was
not often annoyed by the vision Of the
handsome young fellow interposing be-
tween himself and the girl.
From day to day 1t could plainly be
seen how the rides in the pure noun
tain air and the delight of the girls
companionship were bringing back
strength and vigor to the officers
tropic-weakened body. Soon healthy
red appeared under the tan of his
cheeks. The lines of severity and re-
pressed grief began to smooth away.
On the morning Of the seventh day,
when he rode over to join Marie for
ride out to the butte on Wolf river,
ten years seemed to have dropped from
him. Even when he lifted his hat to
the girl and exposed the sllvered hair
at his temples, he looked nearer
twenty-five than thirty. He had
shaved off his bristly mustache!
Positively, captain" she bantered,
'you startle me. You are growing so
young First thing l know, I shall
be feeling myself grandmother In
contrast"
Impossible" he CALAMITY replied.
"You are the Spirit of Youth. Being
with you is what makes me seem SO
much younger than 1 am. Yet shall
never see thirty-two again."
"You're barely of age this morning"
she said, smiling at his shapely clean
shaven lip.
"In that case you must humor my
callowness by pretending you need
my aid to mount"
She put one small booted foot in his
hand, rose with the lightness of a
feather and perched herself sideways
on her mans saddle. Unused to such
strange behavior, the pony began to
buck. Hardy sprang to seize the beast
by the head. Marie waved him aside,
and proceeded to give an impromptu
exhibition of her skill as q horsewOm-
an. With one knee crooked around the
horn of her saddle, she kept her diff
cult seat like a circus rider, until the
pony subsided.
you've ridden to hounds" stated
Hardy as the girl swung astride and
they started off down the valley.
She smiled with qualification. "Reg-
gle never notices such things; but
you The first time l saw side
saddle l thought 1t ridiculous"
On their way down the valley they
met no one, for the families of the
police had moved back to their old
camp site opposite the agency. Marie
suggested that they climb the butte.
With subtle coquetry, she gave Hardy
the privilege Of assisting her up the
ledges, though, had she chosen, she
could have outclimbed him: They
mounted to the top Of the highest crag,
where they sat down on the bare rock
to view the plains and mountains
through Hardy's glasses. The utter
stiffness and solitude, the immensity Of
the cloudless blue dome above them,
the great sweep of the landscape-all
tended to quiet the excitement Of their
lively ascent. A hush fell upon them.
Marie let the hand that held the
glasses sink into her lap. She gazed
off up the river. dreamy-eyed.
After a prolonged silence Hardy
murmured in a half-whisper: "How
alone we arei The world is young-it
is the beginning of time. And in all
the new, young world, you and 1 are
alone-Marie."
1t was the first time that he had
ever used her given name In speaking
to her. She started from her day
dream, the color deepening in her
cheeks. In the same moment she be-
came aware that she had been looking
at moving object.
'Look!" she said, lifting the glasses
to her eyes. "That must be the head
and shoulders of a man. He is rid
ing along on the far side Of the ridge
an Indian; his head is muffied in
blanket"
Marie J" softly repeated Hardy.
The girl sprang toe her feet. ''He
has disappeared-but we are no longer
alone In the world, Captain Hardy.
Let us go down."
With instant repression Of his dis
appointment, Hardy took the glasses
and offered his hand TO assist her down
the first ledge. She Ignored the offer.
Nor did she permit him TO help her at
all during the descent.
Her pony leaped away with the usual
jumping start of bronco. The mare
stepped clear of the low scrub near
the rill edge, out upon the sandy level
Of the coulee bottom. She was in the
act Of breaking into trot when her