The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-09-12
RainbOw'S End
A NOVEL by REX BEACH
IRON
"EEAR
htbyIaD Bothrl


fruit and the odor OF their blooms was
a trial and q mockery to the hungry
visitor. The evidences of Cueto's van
dalism affected. O'ReilIy deeply; they
brought him memories more painful
than he had anticipated. Although the
place was well-nigh unrecOgnizable,
nevertheless it cried aloud of Rosa,
and the unhappy lover could barely
control the emotions it awakened. 1t
was indeed a morbid impulse which
had brought him thither. but now that
he was here he could not leave. IN
consciously his feet turned toward the
ancient quarry which had formed the
sunken garden-his and Rosa's tryst-
ing place.
O'ReiIly desired above all things to
be alone at this moment, and so he was
annoyed to discover that another per-
son was before nina woman, evident
ly some miserable pacifico like himself.
She, too, appeared to be looking for
roots, and he almost stumbled over her
as he brushed through the guava
bushes fringing the depression.
His sudden appearance alarmed the
creature and she struggled, panic
stricken, out of his path. Her rags
could not conceal the fact that she was
defOrmed, that her back was crooked.
so he muttered a reassuring word to
her
This place was more as he had left
it-there was the stone bench where
he had said goOd-by to Rosa; yonder
was the we'll
'Senor!" Johnnie heard himself adj
dressed by the hunchbacked woman.
Her voice was thin, tremulGus, eager
but his thoughts were busy and he
paid no heed. 'Senorg Do you look
| for something one"
"N-no. Yes he answered, abstract
eddy. ''Yes, 1 am looking for some
thing-some one"
Something you have lost?"
Something 1 have fastr' The ques
ton came to him family, but it was sc
in tune with his unhappy 1aood that II
affected him strangely. He found thai
| his eyes were blurring and that ar
aching lump had risen into his throat
This was the breaking point.
| O'Reilly's hearing, too, was going
wrong, for he imagined that some one
whispered his name. Cod This place
was not dead-it was alive-terribly
alive with memories. voices. a pres
ence unseen yet real. He laid hold OF
the nearest bush to steady himself, h
closed his eyes. only to hear his name
spoken louder.
"O'Rail-ye!"
Johnnie brushed the tears from hi
1ashes. He turned, he listened, bu
there was no one to be seen, no one
that Is, except the dusky cripple, who
had Strengthened herself and was fac
ing him, poised uncertainty. He lookeC
at her a second time, then the worlC
began to spin dizzfly and he CROPPED hi
| way toward her. He peered again
closer, for everything before his eye
| was swimming.
The woman was thin-little NOR
than q skeleton-and so frail that tn
wind appeared to sway her, but he
face, uplifted to the sun, was glorif1ed
O'Reilly stood rooted, staring at ne
until she opened her eyes, then b.
voiced a great cry:
Rosa J" What more he said h
never knew.
He took the misshapen figure int
his arms, he rained kisses upon tn
pinched, discolored face. But Rost
did not respond; her puny strengtl
had flown and she lay inert in his EN-
brace, scarcely breathing.
Dazed. doubling, astounded. it wa
some time before Johnnie could COZ
vince himself of the reality Of this INC
ment, and even then words did no