Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-11


This was another type of woman from
any he had ever met, In truth.
The oath, rolling roundly over her full
red llps, was as unconscious as the long
breath that lifted her breast at the
memory of that outrage.
We replaced her with a well---an'
It's a corker. Mebby better than tn
old Crystal, though she was lovely
frozen hard without a ripple Of white
You know that kind?"
Yes" said Kenset gravely.
We'll" sighed Tharon, She's gene,
milk. What you been a-doin' sence /
helped you hang tn picture?"
Won't you sit DOWN" Kenset stepped
aside. 1T is uncomfortable to stand
kind" ''N wan W ''
Tharon flung herself down at the
SPRINGS edge, eased the right gun from
pared to listen.
Fire away" she said.
kenset laughed.
"r "Eor For, sOJGdness cod, sake, he calculated,
have you been doins?'
We'll! everythin', mostly. Made
new sboadG shirt f,Iy, for Billy, for one thing An,
She patted the blue gun that lay half
against her brown skirt ''A
kenset sobered at once. As ever when
shadow which sat SO lightly on this
girl. he had no feeling for mirth.
n very real chill went down his spine
and he looked intently into her eyes.
HOW he asked, what did you do ?''
But Iharon shook her head
.Nothin' you'd understand" she said
quietly. '"''
II CAM show you something you will
understand" he said and reached FOR
Captains bride He pulled the horse
aroSnd round s and pointed to the saddle horn.
She looked UP quickly with the sure
instinct OF dweller I'm a gun mans
land she knew the meaning of the splin-
tered wood of the pommel, the torn and
ragged leather that had covered It.
Hell !" she said softly. where did
AT the mouth of Black coulee. at
dusk week ago"
For long moment Tharon studied the
saddle. Then her gaze dimmed, length
ened; went beyond into infinitude The
pupils OF her eyes drew down to tiny
points of black against the brilliant
| blue.
At last she turned and held out n
hand, rising from her elbow.
II beg your pardon. mister" she said
quantity, FER that day at the Holdin
| an tn meal l offered an took, an fer
my words. I know now that you are
that you were-straight I don't vel
| Know what you may mean In Lost Val
| Icy. with your talk OF government, bu
do know you aint n Courtrey man.
kenset took the hand, 1t was firm anc
| shapely and vibrant with the young lf,
there was In her. He laid his other on,
over 1t and held 1t in a close clasp fo
a moment.
Il mean only right" he said, "sanit,
ana law and decency. ] think I have
hip nrnhlap1 n har r~o
my work on the forest-a problem
must solve before 1 can be effective Il
that work-and / am more sincerel.
glad that can say that my friend, tn,
outlaw, took that warning shot at me
II ruined a perfectly good saddle. but |
has made one point clear to you. ! an
no Courtrey man, ana that's a solemn
fact"
AN ! amt ashamed to say I'm glad
too" said Tharon.
So, with. the sun shining in the cloud
hecked heavens and the little wind
blowing up from the south to rufle tn
hair at the girls temples these two sa
by the Silver Hollow and talked of .
thousand things after. the manner of tn
young, for kenset found himself revert
ing to the things of youth in the ligh
of Tharon's grave simplicity.
They looked into each others eyes an,
found there strange depths and lights
They were aliens, strangers, gropinl
dimly for n common ground, and find
ing little, though presently they fell ono
more upon the law In Lost Valley an,
earnestness deepened into gravity.
Miss Last" said Kenset, thrilling a
his daring, why must this law dwell IL
these? and he reached a hand to tai
the gun on her lap.
why? That very question'd shov
your ignorance to any Lost Valley man
Because it's all there is. You've seei
Courtrey. You've seen Steptoe Service
Can't you judge from themT'
surely, so far as they two CO. !
bad man and bad sheriff. But they ar,
not all the officers of this county. Wher
and who Is your superior judge?"
Poor OIL Ben Barland. Weaker'n skin
milk. Scared to say his souls his own.
There was infinite scorn in her voice
No, it's Steptoe Service, or nothin'.'
kenset thought moment.
who's the coroner?" he asked pres
emily.
Jim Banner" she answered quickly
"as straight man as ever lived. Brave
too. He's been shot at moren once fel
takin' exception to some raw piece o
In, so to speak Jim Last used to sa,
he was tn only man at the seat. which
Is Corvan, you know. Of course"
District attorney"
. Tom Nord. Keen as a razor an mar
ried to Courtrey's sister. Now do yol
see why this is tn law?' She, too, tap
ped the gun.
Kenset frowned and looked dow
along the green range. He thought o
the unpainted pine building in Coryal
which was the courthouse strang
PERSONNEL, truly, to invest 1t with au
thority!
"I see," he said briefly but ther
must be some way out. This is not tn
right way. the way that must come ant
last"
Tharon's lips drew into the thin lin
that made them like her fathers. 1T
tn law that's here" she said and ther
was an instant codness In her voice
"an' it's tn law thatll last until Court
!. rey or I go down."
The man, watching. saw that thinninl
: of the lips, the hardening of all tn
young lines of her face. He knew h
! had blundered. Talk was cheap. 1t wa
action that counted in Lost Valley.
With quick motion he reached owe
and caught the girls hand and drew |
to him, covering 1t with both Of his.
Her eyes followed, came to rest on hi
face, cool, appraising, waiting.
She was, in all that had counted II
his life, crude. untutored, basic
Yet that calm look made his impul
sive action seem objectionable In tn,
next second.
However, a warm surge OF feeling sho
through him with the quiet resting o
that firm brown hand between his own
and he held it tighter. kenset ha'
thought he was sophisticated, that littl,
or nothing could stir him deeply-no
} since Ethel Van Ripper had gone I,
Europe as the bride of the old Count o
Easthaven. That had been four year
back. He had been pretty young then
but the young feel deeply.
Now he held a gun woman's hand II
the thin shade of a willow clump in tn,
heart Of Lost Valley--and the bloo'
surged In his ears, the levels and slopes
danced before his vision,
arAIinu hn anld for thu An.n