The Tomahawk., 1917-01-11
CHAPTER VIIl-Continued.

!. CHAPTER VIl-continued.
Vandervyn had arranged to be gone
4 week. There was no cause to dis
cuss the time of his return, and as Ma
RE seldom mentioned him, Hardy was
not often annoyed by the vision Of the
handsome young fellow interposing be-
tween himself a1d the girl.
From day to day it could plainly be
seen how the rides in the pure noun
tain air and the delight of the girls
oompanionship 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 Tor
3 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 silvered hair
1t 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 I 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 I am. Yet shall
never see thirty-two again"
"You're barely of age this morning y
she said, smiling at his shapely clean
shaver lip.
I'm 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 horseWom-
an. With one knee crooked around the
horn of her saddle, she kept her diff
cult seat like circus rider, until the
pony subsidized.
I "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 I saw a side
saddle I thought it 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
lodges, 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 immensely 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: GLOW
alone we are! The world is young|it
ls the beginning of time. And in all
the new, young world, you and I 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 a moving object.
"Look!' she said, lifting the glasses
to her eyes. ''That must be the head
and shoulders of q man. He is rid
ing along on the far side Of the ridge
an Indian; his head is muff1ed in q
blanket"
marie !" softly repeated Hardy.
The girl sprang to 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 offere.. his hand to assist her down
the first le0ge. She ignored the offer.
Nor did she permit him to help her al
all during the descent
Her pony leaped away with the usual
jumping start Of a bronco. The mare
stepped clear of the low scrub near
the rill edge, out upon the sandy level
az the coulee bottom. She was in the
set Of breaking istc tro' when h"i