The evening world., 1920-04-29

smile faded but the lips remained
slightly parted, showing teeth OF cal
cium Wilderness.
You're the first man that's ever
talked that-away to me. I've been
traVelin' ever since / can remember,
first one place, then another. I've al
ways had to look out for men.
I've been able to. too, since / got big
enough TO be bothered.
This is the first time any mans
talked like you're talkin. to me-"
Bless you" he said very gently.
that's been tough luck. A girl Like
! you are doesn't deserve that"
Don't she! Well, it amt what you
get" 'U
What's your manner"
,,BSooby., Bobby Cole"
How old are your"
She shook her head.
| Il don't know jus. Ahout
twenty. All knows; ain't thought
to ask him for quite a while"
who's Alf?"
MY father"
g. And your mother?"
II never had none that l recall.
She died early; that was back in
Oklahoma, ALI says"
| mo brothers or slsters?"
A shake of the head.
And since then you've been alone
with your father?"
She nodded. For weeks an months.
without talking to another soul"
Have you always lived so far
| away as that? Always in such re-
mote places that you didn't even sec
people?"
Huh! Usually I've seen sm. most
every day. But there's n DIFF
ference between seem folks and
talhn' to EN-"
He was puzzled and said so.
FUNNY" she repeated after him.
Maybe it's funny but I can't
see 1t that-a way"
But surely you've made friends!
A girl like you couldn't help make
| friends"
I've never had a friend in my
lie but All" she answered bit
Then it must have been because
you didn't want to make friends with
Didn't want to-" she echoed al
most angrily. what else does any
body want but friends and
things like that? oh, wanted to
! all right, but folks don't make friends
with with trash like we are.
| We amt got enough to have friends;
amt got enough even to have peace"
Hilton studied her face carefully.
1t was a queer blending OF appealing
want and Virulence.
THEY won't even let you have
peace?' he asked deliberately to urge
| her in further revelation.
Folks that have things don't want
other folks to have 'em. In this
country when poor folks try to get
| ahead all they get is trouble"
us that always so?"
She shrugged and said, It's always
been 80 with US. Big cattle outfits
have drove us out time after time.
| They're always sayin' ALI steals;
they're always maxim us trouble.
| hate EN-!
II could get along all right. I can
fight but ALI can't. He's had so
much bad luck that it's took tn heart
mo he couldn't get along at all. He's
discouraged"
You must think a lot OF your
father"
She shook her head as If to infer
that measuring such devotion was an
impossibIlity.
Think a lot OF him? God, yes!
He's all / got. He's all ever had.
He's the only one that hasn't chased
me out or chased after me.
can recollect, stayin' a few months
or a year or two, then hittin' the trail
again. Move, move, move! Always
chased out by big outfits, always
made fun of, an he's been good to me
through it all. I'd crawl through fire
for ALI"
"A devotion like that is a very fine
and noble thing"
SIS it? 1t comes sort of natural to
me. | never thought about it,
with weary sigh.
How did you happen to come
here?" he asked.
She booked at him and flicker as
OF suspicion crossed her face.
Just come" she replied, rather
evasively, he thought.
For a time they did not speak. The
fire cracked DULY. Steam rose in
wisps from Hilton's soaked clothing
and a cunning crept into his express
sion. The rain battered on the roof
and dripped through in several
places, forming dark spots on the
hard floor; the horse stamped in the
mud outside.
The man saw the regular leap Of
the pulse in her throat and caressed
his thumb with finger tips as deli
cately as though they stroked that
smooth skin.
Her lips were parted and
such lips! He told himself that she
was more beautiful than he had first
thought and as filled with contrasts
as the heavens themselves. Shortly
before she had been defiant, ready for
trouble, prepared 10 defend herself
with a rifle u necessary; now she