The Yale expositor., 1921-02-24

The bullet had cut a jeep, raggA
cash just below the arnpit Ii hac
grazed rib, but seemingly had no
broken 1t. With that encouraging fac
established, and the sting of the
wound much allayed. the mind of the
man began reaching forward to the
night; the all-important night-when
certain suave individual in a frock
coat would come to feed certain
horse. He said no word of this to the
girl already binding the bandages
around the clean-washed wound. She
would have secuted the bare sugges-
ton OF the things he was planning to
do the moment the dark was sufficient
ly dense to hide him.
She drew what was left Of his tat
tered shirt and blouse over the ban
dage at last laid his wounded arm
across his breast and slung it there by
strip of cloth passed up around his
neck. and helped him 20 his feet.
1t shamed him that he was abso
lutely compelled to cling fast to her,
to lean heavy upon her, or go back to
the rock. His face was far too white
to show the modification he felt, but
she saw ii in t's eyes. Lifting his
well arm and layi-g it across her
shoulders she caugh, Ser left arm
about his blouse waist and steadied
him.
The Wild Rose seemed to haye tax
en- toll of every bit of sunshine that
ever struck the FlatwoOds. That was
the distinguishing feature of her per.
sonality. That and her good, sound
sense. Her face was beaming full of
both right now the sunshine anu the
sense. She was smiling up at him, he
knew. He was staring away above her
head-but he knew. The smile grad.
ually drew his eyes down out Of the
trees. He could no more help it than
he could help leaning upon her. She
laughed-a heartening little laugh
like the happy water curling against
the ledge. He laughed back. He
couldn't help it, The restraint was
broken; the smart gone.
He glanced down at the ledge before
leaving TO see that no tell-tale blood
spots or bits of cloth were left. A
needless precaution-her wOodcraft
was as fine as his own.
How she managed to lead him, half
carry him, out of the rocky and brok-
en- gulches of Fox Den and down the
rough banks of Wolf Run to the cabin
of the three gables she never knew.
Neither did he. 1t always remained
matter of wonder TO him. Who does
know the source of power-that mys
terious augmentation of strength-thai
comes TO woman I'm a crisis?
She led him into the house and to
the sofa in the main room; the queer
little leather-corer bed that bud
stirred his curiosity the afternoon Of
his first visit two days arfces.
The old man was no, in ne room.
She must have caught his eyes Aearch-
ing for him.
''DaddyY she answered to tRc -syes.
"He often spends hovrs away. There'll
be little pass in the woods today that
he won't see, though nobody will see
him. Poor Daddy!"
"We'l send for that surgeon tcmor-
row." he said.
She was back In a momsat, carrying
q pan of water, fresh bandcscs, and q
ormidable-lookirg brown boz tle-cam-
phor, the universal first all In the
Flatwoods. The blood-sOaked BAN
dages were DEITY removed and the
wound re-washed. Sae picked up ,hs
brown bottle.
81 am sorry to hurt ynu," she said
"But 1t will keep the fever down."
you're the DOCTOR" Ems his slow
answer.
She uncorked the bottle aad applied
some of its contents to the wound with
a bit Of cotton. Hurt 1t hurt so that
he laughed
Anything to get ready for tonight"
he grinned, under the bite of the pow.
erful antiseptic.
Tonight" she repeated blaAkly.
"Why, you mustn't think"
81 must, though. Big things depend
ON tonight" She saw sterDness
gather in his eyes. Hell think I've
left the Flatwoods," he mutterec on.
more to himself than to her. ITS
what he's been waiting for. His game
tonight and"
The girl saw the fingers Of his right
hand clench against his palm-dOubt.
less quite unconsclously-while the
knotted ridges Of his great forearm
punched and swelled; but the full
meaning of the muttered words hap
PLY missed her.
(TO BE CONTINUED)