The Lamar register., 1919-01-15


short of the trestle river crossing they
overlook and passed the wagon. Be-
cause he had the colonel's daughter
with him, Smith put on a burst of
speed and so gave the claim Jumpers
no chance to provoke another battle.
In the maze of crossroads opposite
the little city on the south bank Of
the river. Smith was out of his reck-
Oning, and was obliged to ask his COM
panion to direct him.
Il thought you weren't ever going
to say anything any more" she sighed.
In mock despair. "Take this road 10
the right"
81 can't talk and drive speed
wagon at the same time" he iold her.
twisting the gray car into the road she
had Indicated. and he made the asser-
tion good by covering the four remain
Ing miles In the same preoccupled
fashion.
There was a reason, of sort. FOR
his silence; two of them, TO be exact.
For one, he was troubled by that
haunting sense of familiarity which
was still trying to tell him that this
was not his first meeting with Colonel
Baldwin's daughter; and the other.
much bigger and more depressing, was
the realization that In breaking with
his past he had broken also with the
world of women. at least to the extent
of ever asking one of them to marry
him.
He pushed the thought aside. COM
Ing back to the other one-the puzzle
Of familiarity when Miss Baldwin
pointed to transplanted Missouri
farm mansion. with q columned por-
tico, standing in grove of cotton
woods on the left-hand side of the
road, telling him 1t was Hillcrest.
There was a massive stone portal
fronting the road, and when he got
down to open the gates the young
woman took the wheel and drove
through: whereupon he decided that
II was time for him to break away,
and said so.
''But how will you get back to the
camp?" she asked.
81 have my two legs yet, and the
walking isn't bad"
-No but gou thcne
two men again"
THAT is the least OF my troubles"
Miss Corona Baldwin, like the Mis-
souri, colonel. her father. came upon
moments now and then when she had
the ultimate courage OF her impulses.
81 should have said you hadn't a
trouble in the world" she asserted,
meeting his gaze level-eyed.
The polite paraphrases Of the cof-
lined period were slipping to the end
II his tongue. but he set his teeth upor
hem and said. instead: That's all
ou know about II. What IL | should
ell you that you've been driving this
morning with an escaped convictT
Il shouldn't believe it," she said
almly.
Well. you haven't-noi quite" he
cturned. adding the qualifying phrase
. sheer honesty.
She had unified her veil and was
Sing him Hospitality II he wouldn't
'in- in and meet her mother. Some
iin.. In the way she said II. some lltt'e
vis Of the lips or Io"k of the eyes.
IIci.ed the spring of complete ree"g-
N4i. uiu tie liiniiliFliN l'ulZif WIN
ned Instantly.
You forget that am II working
~ he smiled. M, gang in The
arry VII think I've f"uud bottle
ln.'wher.." And ihon: ''Di'i yon ever
- II glove. Miss Baldwin, white
4 with a little hole In one finser;"
"DoZens of them" she admitted;
nj most III thcm had h"le~. Im
raid. But what has ilini &" do with
nr coming In and meeting mamma
id letting her thaf!s yoI fur savine
~ llref''
'Sothing at all, cf course" b
rstened To say; and with that h
.ide her good-by rather abruptly. ant
nrn,Tl his back upon The trai,>pinnicri
Liss"uri mansion. iIuitering io him
if Ms he closed til portal gates be-
ind him: Baldwin "f course. WhHI
IN as | was not to r, icn,hcr the
naine! And now I've get ile other