The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-07-05

lluSlltu hulc.
81 did not know it until we got
here. There was q message from Mac
Lean at the desk, waiting"
MacLean was not there, either!
1--WE are all ready" she cried. |
Mrs. Hatfield and Mr. Richard cannot |
come" Not for worlds would she give
In to her desire to call the whole
grim affair off; let them think she
was disappointed, not she. Though
the world blew away, she would 90.
She found herself distributing slips
of mangled quotations. The white
slips went to the women; the green
bits of pasteboard to the men. She
held certain green card In her
glove: Leads on to fortune" Rick
ard might come dashing in at the last
moment, the ideal mans way; spe-
cial, perhaps; 1t did not seem credible
that he would deliberately stay away
without sending her word.
In a burst of laughter, the COM
pany discovered then that the guest
Of honor was also absent. Mrs.
Hardin hurried them out to the walt
ing buggies.
Drearily, they drove down the fly
ing street. The wind was at their
backs, but IL tore at their hats, pulled
at their tempers. Their eyes were
full of street dust.
A flash of light as they were leav-
ing town frightened the thick dust
clouds what was that?" cried Gerty.
She was ready for any calamity now.
Not lightning?" Again. the queer
light flashed across the Obscured SKY.
Tom reused himself to growl that he
hadn't seen anything. And the dreary
farce went on.
lines partner was young Sutcline,
the English zanjero. He was In the
auicksand of a comparison between
English and American women. lnnes
mischievously coaxing him into deeper
waters, when there was a blockade
Of buggies ahead of them.
"The A b c RANCH" cried Innes,
peering through the veil of dust at
the queer unreal outlines Of fences
and trees. Its our first STOP"
"Oh, say. that's too bad" began
Sutcliffe. lines was already on the
road, her skirts whipped by the wind
into clinging drapery.
Gerty's party found itself disorgan-
lied. Partners were trying to find
or lose each other. Get in here y
Innes heard the voice Of Estrada be-
hind her. He had a top buggy. She
hailed a refuge.
Splendid she cried. what a
relIefw Climbing In, she said: u
hope this isn't upsetting Gerty's ar
rangement"
Arrangement! Look at them !!
The women were Fastening out of the
dust swirl into any haven that Of
fered. With little screams of dismay
they ran like rabbits to cover.
Gerty found herself with Blinn. Al
. the next stop there was a block OF
buggies. mo use changing again :!
She acknowledged herself beaten
Lets go on. What are they stopping
for?" Dismal farce it all was!
, She was pushing back her disheart
, ened curls when the beat of horses
hoofs back of them brought the blood
. back into her wind-chilled cheeks
, .Rickard 7" she thought. 'He mus
have come in a special!" The gloon
r suddenly disgorged MacLean.
Hardin! Where is he?"
| xallaa plinn "TQ 4
: the river?" MacLean's face answered
! him. His ranch secured again-"Go'
Almighty
e THE river!" screamed the womer
$ The men were surrounding MacLear
A whose horse was prancing as If wit
n the importance of having carried
Z Revere. "The levee" called Mac
f Lean. where's HardinT He squire
d his mare toward Hardin. who wa
d blacker than Napoleon at Austerlit'
you're needed. They're all neet
Il ed" The other voices broke in, th
r men pressing up. This threatene
, them all. Blinn's ranch lay in tn
@ ravaged sixth district. Nothing woul
q save him. Youngberg belonged
o water company number one; the
e bitches would go. HOLSTER and WI
" son of the Palo Verde saw ruin ahen
1. of them. Each man was visualizin
= the mad onward sweep Of that d
" stroying power. Like ghosts, Il
e women huddled In the dust-blow
t. road.
"Where is 1t now?" demanded Bin
,e "It's here, right on US. You're q
a needed at the levee," bawled Ma
Id Lean.
ot The levee! There was dash f
buggies. a scraping Of wheels, Il
whinnying of frightened horses. Son
one recalled the flashes of light tn
had seen on leaving town. "Wh
were those lights-signalsT
From the water-tower." MacLear
voice split the wind. 'The wires a
all down between the Crossing and 4
towns. Coronel was on the tower
got the signal from the Heading-h,
been there each night for a week
This was a great night-for his chi
Richard!
Gerry Hardin caught the thrill
his hero-worship. How splendid, b,
triumphant!
Innes found herself In her brothe