Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-21
By TINCIE E. ROE

ly watched the moving dot take form
and sharply string out into a line Of rid
ing men. These strangers with their hid.
den signs of authority would bring to
his just deserts Buck Courtrey, the man
who had instigated the killing of poor
sliarlkness' who had personally shot her
For them, then, she had made her
crosses OF promise In the granite under
the pointing pine
They who had no right in Lost Valley
would settle It's blood scores. would pay
her debts
She, frowned and the fingers of her
right hand fiddled at the gun-butt at her
For what had she striven all these
fected herself in Jim Lasts art?
,nAa little ~, e white line drew in about her
and fiickered. The tawny brows gathered
into a puckered frown.
Billy, watching, moved restlessly on
s So fssfed feG lie as l. was Ssr who i With
timid fingers and she flashed him a swift
glance that half melted &c a smile. Then
she forgot him and all the rest---for the
lronwoods were laundering in from the
outside levels, were coming into town.
Ahead rode Courtrey, big, black, keen,
gray hair, an imposing presence.
softly, rising excitediy on sSiH his snpSe eibcw.
Hes coming And God grant that
there Is no boodshed !"
under. Courtrey's foot, moved dramatic.
ally back to give him room TO ccme
thlnderins down to his accounting.
,, In a tew seconds he would be encom-
passed by his enemies.
And then. on the tick of fate, that
universally unknown factor, a. woman's
heart. flung its last pawn in the bal
ance.
Lola, cleaning like a bird of paradise
IN her gay habiliments leaning forward
from the further steps of Baston's store
where she had slipped up unnoticed,
mouth. and sent out % cry i like eer CLARION. isr
,,sUs Buck" s,, !" she .sslled, bsii:iike, clear;
Tseyys or ycu 9'ss 60 y0seF tgEn III ali Ts
And-God bless you--Buck! Good .by!"
For one awful moment the great red
lronwood, Bolt, flung, up his head and
up the earth in a cloud.
Then, while the. half-stunned crowd
gaped IN silence, he gathered himself
straightened, whirled, shook his giant
back snatched off his hat and shook il
dehantly at the town-the people-the
very valley that he had ruled SO long It
ing, .renouncing. Then, without a word
to his henchmen. a single look CT fare
We'll Buck Courtrey struck the Iron
wood and was gone back along the little
His men whirled after him. but
strange turn of destiny, they swung di.
rectly north away from him, for he was
For them,,,wall !" breathed Lola, her
ing, breast. "He-gces-for below
Then all the watchers knew the same. |
played for Lost Valley and for a woman
and lost them both-was done with
He leaned on the Ironwoods mighty
Neck.
All eyes were upon hIm--all. that is,
save the earnest gray cnes OF. Billy
the face of Tharon Last beside him
Tharon Last, who showed the gun butts
hard down in the holsters at her hips,
who whirled on her booted heel, who
Rey in three cat-like leaps.
AS she went up the stallion rose with
her. came down with a pounding of iron
shod hoofs, dropped his huge hips in the
first leap-and was away
Corvan saw the silver horse shoot out |
from its midst and woke from its leth-
"Th race" some one cried. high and
The two strangers saw II, and their |
lips fell open with amaze.
Kenset frcm his low porch saw it
and dropped his face on his arms.
Lord God!'' he groaned, ITS come |
I couldn't hold her! might have |
known ! might have known. She's |
valley bred-she Is the valley! land |
all I stand for--chaff In the wind Moth |
ing could hold her now! Aye-nothing |
could hold her"
True at last to herself-true tc Hark-
ness-true to Jim Last--true to the
Vigilantes and TO the valley she loved |
Tharon flung the sombrero from her
bright head, settled her feet in the stir
rups. slid the rein on FL Rey's neck,
leaned down above him and began to
call in his ears.
No need Of that cry.
FL Rey needed nothing that she might
say. She was not his master-neVer had
been. He had had but one-the big,
stern man whose sharp wcrd had been
his law-the one who had ever had his
best. his love and his speed.
What was It now that rode In his
saddle--the saddle with the long dark
stain?
, ;Assuredly. It was not the slim girl
hing with the golden voice
FL Rey had ever looked through, bel
yond her.
CONTINUED TOMORROW