Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-15
THARON OF LOST VALLEY
BY VINCIE T.. ROE
Author Of "The Maid Of the Whispering Hs" "The Heart
OF Night Wind" etc.
BY TINGIE Z. ROE

ptth toWbTu Ine COrrAlS, TnarOn, run
ming toward the deep roof where the
Virgin stood in Her everlasting beauty.
unfastened her soft white dress as she
ram. Inside she flung herself on her
Knees. before the Holy Mother and
poured out trembling prayer.
mot that Oh, Mary. not thati Let
II not bo that" she whispered thickly.
Then she was up, into her riding clothes
was out where the boys were hurriedly
she was on FL Rey and shooting like a
silver shaft In the summer dusk down
along the green levels toward the east.
They rode IN silence. Conford, Bent,
Jack. Curly, Billy and herself. and
ably In two hearts.
Bl Rey, Golden, Redbuck, Drumfire,
Westwind and Sweetheart, they went
down along the sounding dark plain. q
seemed to resound to the thunder OF their
going, and for once in their lives her
beauties could not run fast enough tor
the mistress of Lasts.
They went like the wind itself, and yet
they were slow to Tharon.
out of the open levels there swung up
to meet them and to fade into the night
the standing willows by the Silver Holt
low The sloping stretches began to
lift, dotted by the oaks and digger
pines for whose sake Kenset had come
to Lost Valley. They shot through them,
up along the sharply lifting skirts of
the hills, In between the guarding pines
that formed the gateway to the little
down and the cabin stood at the head.
Tharon's throat was tight, as II a
hand pressed hard upon II. The high
tops Of the pines seemed to cut the sky
the dim log house, no sound In the
silent glade. of to the right they heard
the low of the little red COW which
served the forest man with milk.
They pounded to a sliding stop In the
cabins yard and Conford called Sharply
into the silent darkness.
"Kenset! Hello--Kenset" !"
Tharon held her breath and listened.
There was no sound except n night bird
calling from the highest pine-tip.
Carefully the men dismounted.
"You stay up, Tharon, dear" the
foreman said quietly. until we look
around"
But to save her life the girl could .,li
not. What. was this trembling that
come out on the purple sky. shift 30
strangely to her eyes2 She slipped of
FL Rey and stood by his shoulder walt
ing. Conford struck a flare and ~
candle. holding 1t carefully before MIN
shielding 1t with his palm behind u to
throw the gleam away from his face,
into the cabin. The pale light illumine1
the whole interior, and 1t was empty
Tho keen eyes of the riders went over
every men OF space before lnty tiael cu
along the walls. in the bed, under the
tables. Then they filed In and Tharon
followed, gazing around with eyes that
ached behind their lids. There on the
northern wall between the windows was
tho great spread of the beautiful picture
she had helped the forest man to hang.
There we're his books on the tables edge.
She looked twice-the last one on the
pile at a certain corner was just as she
had placed 1t there, trifie crooked with
NlNu
beneath It. There was the big chair in
which she had waited while he made
the little meal--there was his desk In
the ingle nook. his maps upon II. It
was all so familiar, so filled with his
personality. that Tharon felt the very
grave
Hello" said Jack Masters suddenly.
BURT, what's this?"
Conford stepped quickly around the
Tharon pushed forward and looked
over the leaning shoulders.
There on the brown and green grass
rug rich dark\ stain was drying
blood some three days. old.
Then, indeed, did the universe sag
She put out a hand to steady herself
and found 1t grasped in the strong one
of Billy, who stood at her shoulder like
Steady he whispered. STEADY,
She drew her trembling fingers across
her eyes. wet her lips which felt dry as
ashes. The same ache that had come
with Jim Lasts final smile was already
in her heart, but intensified thousand
was nothing in Lost Valley. worth
while. nothing in all the world! That
drying stain at her feet seemed to shut
out the sun moon and stars with its
l..G. 1A H. IL ~
the pit of her stomach. a need for air
in her cramped lungs
Strange, she had never known that
one could be so detached from all
familiar things could seem so lost in
II Sed this IS dark ' blot S0 Of blood had had c come
from the veins of Billy now. of Con-
ford, or Jack or Curly. her own men,
would she have lost her grip like thisT
And then she became duly conscious
by the table and had joined the others
in their exhaustive search for any clue
to the tragedy She saw the moon ris-
Ing over the tops of the pine trees at
the glade's edge, heard the little song
of the running stream.
That was the little stream that Kenset
had looked for In his ideal spot. this was
the home he had made for himself,
these were the things of the other life
he had known, these soft. dark pictures
the books on the tables, the brass things
shining In the light from the lamp
She knew that she vas cold
In the summer night. that she was
staring miserably out of the open door.
scarcely conscious Of the scattered
voices Of her men. searching, searching,
hunting. In widening circles outside
Then they came back talking
In low voices and she reused herself
desperately. Her limbs were stiff when
she rose from the big chair her hands
were we're, icy; ,,o rn.ron .,,o con,o.s
quietly, I'VE can't find damned thing
II Courtrey's bunch killed Kenset they
made clean getaway with all
evidence. That much has tn new law
done in tn VaIley-kiled tn insolence
It was Billy. faithful and still. who
helped her-for the first time in her
life-Eto mount g. horsa She went up
on FL Rey as II she were old. Then
they were riding down the smooth fioor
of the little glade, leaving that darkened
cabin at It's head to stand In tragic
loneliness.
She saw the tops OF the guarding
pines nt the gateway. rode out between
them. The moon was up In majesty.
and by It's light Jack Masters suddenly
leaned down to look at something, pull
ed up, swept down from his saddle,
cowboy fashion, hanging by q foot and
a hand, and picked up something which
he examined keenly,
Look" he said quickly, "th' beet
mans badge!"
He held out on his palm a small dark
object, tho copper-colored shield which
had shone on Kensets breast
Its double'tongued fastener was twisted
far awry. as II 1t had been wrenched
away by Violence.
Conford turned and looked back to the
cabin as II he measured the distance.
There's been funny work here as
Qnr hall he nrnfpnn1INy