Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-19
loopu,gn,. 1850. oD Dodd. Mead COL
THIS STARTS THE STORY

"ontroi BIZ Jim Lasts household. jim,
~ notorious for his skill tuith guns, ana
has controlled the vdIley. for yeGrs.
u shof from behimd. He 0ivcs Tharon
her last Icssom IN shooting aud hands
her his belt Of pistols. She seeks to
learn TIE name ot Ms murderer an, Gnd
@ Scsm seiscd, and Tharor calls out her
srS,y Tha,on rides I'll Rsy and Is chased by
Courtrey. she stops at the cabin Of
tSs e.. '',an nerds |" bsnsgd. aT1ot," she sGys.
rs ths man I'm ootn0, to khl some
day"
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
THOR one tense moment she held them,
while Ellen swayed forward for all the
world as IL she would sink In upon the
deep. full breast OF TINS wanton o,, WHOM, whom
thew fell apart with q rush, Lola swung
ant and went dowr the steps, while Ellen
obediently followed Cleve into Bastons
store. where she sat on nall keg and
waited in q dull lethargy.
outside .Courtrey. who had witnessed
Sls thigh and laughed uproariously.
II was funny sight to him: But
Jola's beautiful black eyes blazed
across at him with 2 light that none had
ever. seen before In their inscrutabie
oeR1h"s RRhen the hour struck, and all Cor
van, It seemed to Cleve, strung out to-
ward the court house rms Ero was TO De IN
where in the adobe outskirts of the town
came Ellen's serving women, most OF
them whom Cleve had sent In early IN
the day They fell IN with bo hsr ssd and nsvsr so
failed her and these duslky women Of the
Silent tongues to back her. Ellen Court
rey went TO her crucihxicn as truly as
though she had been one OF the two
thisteth tSt the sight of Courtrey across the
h,o hare room she went whittier than she
WAS, IL such a thing were possible. and
slid weakly into the chair placed for
Then the thing proceeded-swiftly
lightly. with smiles on the faces of the
Old Ben Garland on the judges bench.
was furtive, scared, nervous, fddling
with his papers and clearing his throat
M The county clerk at his table made a
great deal out of the ceremony OF
Bob, Black Bart, Arizona and one young
Wyiackie Indian woman who worked at
the Stronghold. Cleve put up only the
serving women whom he had sent In,
some seven of them, every one Of whom
loved their mistress with the faithful
fidelity of a dog. These women knew
Ellen Courtrey as not even the master or
the StrOngnOlQ nlfSeI Knew neT. Inty
knew her In her idle hours, at her small
tasks, at her bedside. In the lcying solici-
tude she displayed for all of them-and
they knew her on her knees In prayer
ligion, half Catholic and half Pomo
IN the straight-backed chair they
gave her Ellen sat like statue, sweet
and still, a thing SO obviously. good
that 1t seemed even ,Courtrey himself
must weaken to behold her. But not
Courtrey. He was on fire with the
vision Of Tharon Last on the Cup Rims
floor, shaking her fist toward him in
challenge-at Baston's steps. calling him
door striking him from her with the
strength OF man.. He saw the signal
fire faring across the darkened valley
and nothing on earth or In heaven could
have softened him to the woman who
had bound him away frcm this fighting
girl. this gun woman whom he was
breaking to him slowly but surely.
He visloned her In Ellen's room at the
stronghold-and the breath came fast in
his throat.
And Ellen?
All, Ellen was thinking of the long
past day when this man had found her
IN the barren rocklands and taken her
with the high hand of a lover. She. too.
drifted away from the chilling courtroom
with its judge and its petty officials.
And then all suddenly she
knew that men were talking-and about
her. She heard the drone of question
and answer-the rambling statements OF
the stranger, Arizona, accusing her OF
strange things-of asking him to take
her on rides In Courtrey's absence-of
swinging with him nights in the ham
mock by the watering trough!
She sat and listened with parted lips
man In wonder. Cleve Whitmore
elenched his hands until the nails cut
deep but he held his tongue and con-
rolled his face, Only the blazing blue
eyes spoke. She knew that Black Bart
tried to tell something, that he made
some mistake or other and had to be-
gun all over again. There was a long
ana tedious time In here when she
.ooKed away out the window to where
,he prairie grass was blowing in the
a astie winds and the shadows of clouds
Gruted across the green expanse. .
one was numb and far away with
misery. She did not card for anything
IN all this world. 1t seemed as IL she
was detached, aloof. dead already in
eody as she was in soul. And
xnen she heard the drawing voice of
Wylackie Bob-and he was saying some
.nhg unspeakable-about her! She lis
Gned like one in a trance-then she
,nuusgied UP from her chair with tragic
,ong arms extended, and the cry that
rang from her lips was piteous.
a. - pSthSu dCioao tflo btlllHeSB
or the crowded room. Buck 1T ain't
20! 20, Never In this world, Buck! I ben
sss sus 10 you as your shadow! Before
Hoa, II aint trueI''
cr. nnere was a stir throughout the
crowd, a breath that was audible. There
were many Of the Vigilantes there
STSoaly Tly number, all wondering where
.haron Last was, where Kenset was,
SSnere We're the riders from Lasts. They
aS eHpeeted' what they did not know
sessUmssthlng, sesUnns at any rate, for this
But there sSSnHw Wss Sots,1s tsst turning ra point
In iu waited like great force heaving
ening ee''' 'o' WAX
.ral And Ellen, chilled by Courtrey's
BeInmg Ran aug race the cold disapproval of
%eh aariand's striking mallet, sank back
her chair and covered her face with
s ner shaking hands, She heard
oS'"e Of more awful things-then the voice
silver Gh Burtree beginning soft low,
sr Ss IKE running waters.
Day Of FsSfa Rer marr,s IT tell Of that far away
o,Ywea-of o, Courtrey's love for her
SiLan ner own gentleness, her beauty.
the sno% tSs asS 1sSd9r tS. sunlight Of spring
''TnrSise' 'nevss' her loyalty, her love that had %
"patient aatered nor intruded," that
sTsns,t sS,,eat obedience to her master had but
the pititeehn pititehed and made perfect" or
this ru' man g tning that her life had been
sweet Su MI made wondrous thing, ali
serviss sit with twilights and haioed with
silt a. TALKED until the courtroom was
hind 'S ueath and the Indian women be-
srIef her We're rocking in unison of
and the shem e,, she heard questions again
ton in sSHnnsNwering-with sHnN love and devo-
the nroy q, every halting word. Once again
CourtreWd ttrS%d In the room stirredWand
thaS ce},s narrow eyes went over II in
Va promising glance ~ III