The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-02
eleventh EPISODE
Lovers Leap.
THE eoRDERLAND

THE eoRDERLAND.
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 q great and spacious land Of
haggard beauty.
And since her eyes had first opened
to this new day it had not been posi-
BILE for long to distract Patria's atten-
zion from that endless panorama Of
grim, stark hills, painted desert and
boundless plains.
And in Patria's eyes, while she
watched, a gladness shone deep and
tender; and ever and again her young
bosom would lift and fall with a gen.
tie sigh Of happiness.
For this. to her, was homecoming;
she was returning, after a long So
tourn In q 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.r In addition to the customary
groups of idle Hexicans and half
breeds, squaws with crude pottery to
sell to the avid tourist, and assorted
loafers, q company Of hard-riding cow.
people had gathered, and couple Of
|'rouRh-cOated motorcars stood wait
ing. -. '',' '.. -''-
+ AZ Patria, with her little train Of
servants and companions, descended
o4the platform, high-spirited cheering
greeted her., the hossemen and women
yelled piercingly, and tossed aloft their
hats; and from one Of the motorcars
q 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 q
voice Of wonder:
"Patria Channing!"
The girl identified him after mo-
ment Of perplexity, during which her
memory harked back to days decade
ago. Her characteristic little frown Of
thought vas dispelled by smile and
= laugh Of Joyful recognition.
"Rodman Pillsbury!' she exclaimed
and gave him both her hands.
He took them awkwardly. shaking
still .bewildered head.
II don't know you at all, Pat" he
said. II was waiting for little girl
IA freckled, long-legged ,tomboy who
could beat me riding and shooting and
-most every way. And here you're
woman grown -. Lord! how
antique you make me feel!" es
I "You needn't" she told him gayly.
sYou've grown up every whit as much
% I-+but no more, not the leastsbit.
When i went East you were % sturdy
/ and husky a. q stringbean and now
you're rs slim and lissome as water
melonl Heavens! don't accuse me Of
having changed! But forgive
Swiftly she made Pillsbury known
to her chaperon and Captain PAR.
II want you to be great friends" she
said with just a hint-of embarrassment
a. these last clasped hands. "Rodman
was the first sweetheart I ever had,
Don-and Donald" she added charm
lngly to Pillsbury, lis my last; we are
engaged"
To her immense relief there was no
trace Of hostility in the greeting which
Rodman accorded her betrothed.
Mr.. Pillsbury had grown up in more
than physique in the course Of ten
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 at
once the friendship and respect of the
small army of employees who looked
up 10 him as the local representative
OF the Claiming interests-as, in short.
what Rodman Pillsbury really was,
Patria's viceroy, ruling dominions of
land. and men-broader, II less popu-
lous, than many European principal
ity.
That exhilaration which had been
mounting In Patria ever since her
awakening that morning grew still
more intense as her motorcar swuns
away from the station and over :
winding highroad. Now she was thor.
sasss'- r-.ss.sas.-