Smyrna times., 1917-03-07
CUPID'S new WEAPON
BY LOIS GRAFTON.


All day he had watched her on the
trail as the horses wound around high,
rocky cliffs, across tracts of shale and
through deep valleys. Hedgeman, the
leader, who knew the country well,
went ahead; then came the venture
some spirits, ready to take risks of
slides and places on narrow ledges,
where pieces of rock might have fallen
away since the last ranger passed on
his lonely patrol.
But the mountain ponies were sure
footed-too sure-footed, for they went
close to the edge sometimes. The
horse the girl rode insisted on walking
as far away from the cliff as possible.
The man kept his eye on the girl.
Most of the time her left foot was dan
Cling over space, but she gave no
sign that she was afraid.
When night came they camped in a
valley, and after supper most Of the
weary souls crawled into bed. A few
still fingered, however, around the
great fire. The man and the girl sat
apart talking.
"You are not afraid of anything, are
you?" he said.
She laughed. Goodness, yes-spi-
ders and mice, measles and burglars"
II doubt itp
"What did 1 do to make you think
1 was-brave?"
"Most girls would have screamed or
tainted when that horse went so close
to the edge"
"And 1 kept quiet. That was only
the instinct of self-preservation. 1
didn't want to scare him."
'That isn't true, I'm afraid. insist
on giving you the palm of courage"
"And l insist that am as much Of
a coward as anybody"
"What are you afraid of, thenT
81 told you-burglars for one thing
"And?"
"You for another"
"Me?"
"Yes. You insist on dragging my
failings out into daylight and analyz-
ing them. l suppose you'll soon dis
cover that I'm fond of vegetable soup
and hate to use semicolons, and that
incidentally these riding boots have
rubbed my stockings into tatters."
'Td forgotten. You must be dead
tired" He got up instantly and helped
her to her feet. "GO to bed now and
be fresh for new worlds tomorrow"
He pressed her hand warmly and
was gone.
They were together a great deal
after that; they rode side by side when
possible, sat together at meals, and
had splendid campfire talks. He in
sisted on calling her brave as each day
brought new risks which she tool
without fiinching.
The trip came to an end; the mar
took train for Seattle, the girl went
east, and the party scattered in al
directions.
The girls family had not come home
from Canada and she undertook the
opening of the townhouse.
She had long, quiet evenings alon,
after busy days, and she lived ovel
AACA WOAuClAuA lAluC III LnC
There were camera views to go over
some of the man. "He's so differen
from most men," she mused, $50 big
He's been all over the world, he says
I suppose he builds bridges and tun
nels mountains and constructs dam
and aqueducts, for he would never b.
content to spend his time doing littl
things"
One evening, after looking througl
her travel book again, she decided t
go to bed. Hulda, the cook, had gon
to her room on the third floor, and sh
was alone. She made a round of tn
rooms, fastened windows, swapping o.
locks and turning out lights.
Then she returned to the library t
switch off the table light before goin
upstairs.
And there stood man with a blac
mask over his face and an automati
ready for action.
"Ohp said the girl, standing quit
still.
Keep quiet" said the intruder, 'an