Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-20
By TIlVCIE E.. ROE

,ho .amus ra, anu ieli IN neap, MS tace IN
long ripple passed over his body. He
was still as the ageless rocks, as much
a part of eternity. For a moment Billy
stood, the gun hanging in his hand.
Then he knew that Tharon was coming
toward hlm--that her hands were on
his shoulders--her deep eyes piercing his
with look that meant more to him
than all the earth beside. It was the
herce. mother-look of changeless affec-
tion, the companion to that savage cry.
She held him In plnching grip, and
made sure that he was unhurt, save for
that scratch on the cheek.
IF he had killed you, Billy" she said
tn whole Of Lost Valley"
And the boy knew in his heart she
spoke the solemn truth.
He slipped his hands down her arms
and caught her fingers tightly.
"Stainedr his heart whispered to itself
in sitting exhilaration. "in spite of all
her first killing-an' for me -
Then he could bear her face no more.
and turned to look at Kenset. Half Off
the edge of his blanket the forest man
lay with his face buried in his hands,
and beside him lay another gun, the
smoke still curling from its muszzle.
by. God y said the rider, softly.
whats this?" and he ran forward to
pick up the weapon.
perrin him at once! Kenset, where did
you get this gun?
But Kenset. did not speak. His
shoulders trembled, his dark head was
bowed to the earth.
Answer me-" said Billy. FOR as sure's
I live. this here's Buck Courtrey's favor.
ite gun-the gun with the untrue firm
pin. Look here" And he held II toward
Tharon. who leaned near to look. True
enough.
In the right side of the plunger there
was a small shining nick, as IT, at some
previous time, a tiny chink had been
broken out of II.
II found It where I saw Courtrey hide
II that night they brought me here" said
Kenset In a mufIied voice.
II crawled when the Pomo was out
In the Canyons after meat"
till tn last"
the last" '' ~ '' "'' '"'
Slowly Tharon lSnelt down beside him
and put a tender arm across his shoul-
ders. Her face was shining-like Billys
heart.
Mr.. Kenset," she said softly. 1T told
you once that ] was afraid you was soft
like a womaT-that you wouldn't
shoot IL you had a gun. An you said
You're right. I wouldn't. Not until
tn last extremity
What was this last extremity? Tell
me: Why did you shoot when you knew
right we'll I'd get him myself?"
To beat you to 1t cried the man
with Sudden passion, ito take the stain
myself"
For long moment the girl knelt
at the inscrutable calm of the silent
country. Something in the depths of
her blue eyes was changing--deepening
growing in subtle beauty as II the uni
verse was suddenly become perfect, as
IL there was nowhere a flaw.
Ixra l. i,,I 10 ,fta
all, Mr.. Kenset," she said at last with
a sweet dignity, 9TH man who is true
an honest to tn best there Is In him,
accordin,, to his lights. That's my kind
of man."
Their she rose, and it was as IL a light
of activity burned up In her. She be.
came practical on the instant.
I'm glad YOU brought tn thin rope
Billy" she said, ITS longer'n mine. An
tn little ak, too. Well need 'em all to
get him up an down False Ridge. Am
we must get busy right pronto. Th
Pomo killer we'll leave where he Is. The
Canyon country will make him silent
grave"
1t was another noon in Lost Valley
The summer sun sailed the azure skies
In majesty. Little soft winds from the
south whimpled the grass of the rolling
ranges, shook all the leaves of the pop
lars. Down the face of the Wall the
Vestas Veil shimmered and shone like
million miles OF lace.
At CorvaH wild excitement ruled. Swift
things had come upon them, things that
staggered the tight-lipped community
even though 1t was used to speed and
tragedy. For one thing. Ellen. pale
sweet flower, had hanged herself in the
Colder Cloud where the dance-hall
woman had peremptorily brought her
when they took her off Cleve Whltmores s
shoulder. She left little note for Court
rey, pathetic short scrawl, which sim
ply reiterated that she had been true
to him as his shadow" and that II he
did no longer want her, she did not want
herself.
At that pitiful end to a guiltlcss life,
Lola, who knew innocence and sin, sat
down on the only carpeted floor in Cor
van and wept. When she finished, she
was done with Corvan and Lost Valley,
ready to move on as she had moved
through an eventful life.
For another thing, two strange men
had ridden up the Wall from the Bot
tie Neck few days back, and they had
put through some mysterious doings.
This day at noon these two strangers
were riding down on Corvan from up
the Pomo way, while from the strong
hold, Buck Courtrey's men were thun-
dering In with the cattle king ut their
head. He was grim and silent, black
with gathering rage. His news-veins tap
ped the valley, he knew deal that
others tried to hide, and he was coming
in to reach a savage hand once more
toward that supremacy which he knew
full well to be slipping from him.
And from the blind mouth In the
Rockface at the west where the rooted
cut led to the mystery and the grandeur
of the Canyon country, strange pro-
cesSion came slowly out to crawl across
the green eXpanse-a woman on a sill
YER horse. a rider on a red roam who sat
behind the saddle and bore in his arms
a man whose heavy head lolled upon his
shoulder in all but mortal weakness
Thus Fate, who had for so long
played with life and death In Lost VAL
ley, firing of the play, drew in the
strings of the puppets and set the stage
for the last act
AS Tharon and Billy crept up to Bas-
tons store and stopped at the steps, a
dozen eager men leaped forward to their
help.
CONTINUED TOMORROW