The Glenwood post. (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) 1897-current, 1921-01-22

real, rather Just an incident in bliss
the trail shot out clear and vivid from
the silence, Just as physician's face
will often leap from the darkness at
ter the anesthesia. Something infinite
~ warm and tender was holding him.
pressing him back against holy place
that throbbed and gave him life and
strength; but he knew that this word
had to be answered. And only actions,
not other words, could be its payment.
All the voices Of his body called to
him to lie still, but the voices Of the
spirit, those higher, nobler promptings
from which no man, to the glory Of
the breed from which he sprung, can
ever quite escape, were stronger yet.
He tugged upward, straining. But he
didn't even have the strength to break
the hold that the soft arm had about
his neck.
"Oh, If could only pull the trig-
gerw she was crying. IF could
only kill him"
"Let me-" he pleaded. "Give me
the pistol TIL kill him"
And he would. There was no finch
ing in the gray eyes that looked up
to her. She leaned forward, as If to
put the weapon in his hands, but at
once drew 1t back. And then a single
sob caught at her throat. An instant
later they heard Cranston's laughter
as he vanished around the turn Of the
trail.
For long minutes the two of them
were still. The girl still held the mans
head upon her breast. The pistol had
fallen In the pine needles. and her
nervous hand plucked strangely at the
leaves Of mountain flower. To Dams
eyes, there was something trancelike.
q hint Of paralysis and insensibility
about her posture He had never seen
her eyes like this. The light that he
had always beheld In them had van
ished. Their utter darkness startled
him.
He sat up straight, and her arm that
had been about his neck felt at her
side. he took her hand firmly in his
and their eyes met.
1--WE must go home, Snowbird," he
told her simply. "rm not so badly
hurt but that can make It."
She nodded; but otherwise scarcely
seemed to hear. Her eyes still flowed
with darkness. And then, before his
own eyes, their dark pupils began to
contract. The hand he held filed and
throbbed with life, and the fingers
closed around his. She leaned toward
, him.
Listen, Dan." she said quickly.
/ "You heard-didn't you-the last thing
that he said?"
IT couldn't help but hear. Snow
bird"
''Then If you heard-payment must be
| made You see what mean, Dan.
Maybe you can't see, knowing the girls
that live on the plains. You were the
cause of his saying it, and you must
answer"
| 1t seemer to Dan that some stern
code of the hills, unwritten except in
the hearts Of their children, memorable
as night was speaking through her
lips. This was no personal thing. In
some dim, misunderstood way, 1t
went back to the basic code Of life.
people must fight their own fights,
up here" she told him. 1.-THE laws
of the courts that the plains people
can appeal to are all too far away.
There's no one that can do 1t, except
you. Not my father. My father can't
fight your battles here. II your honor
is going to stand. It's up to you, Dan.
/ vo,, oopS+ pratapA fha< Won didn't honp
him. Such as you are. weak and sick
to be beaten to a pulp In two minutes.
you alone will have to make him an
swer for 1t. came to your aid-and
now you must come to mine"
Her fingers no longer clasped his.
Strength had come back to him, and
his fingers closed down until the blood
went out of hers, but she was wholly
unconscious Of the pain. In reality.
she was conscious Of nothing except
the growing flame in his face. 1t held
her eyes in passionate fascination. His
pupils were contracting to little bright
dots In the gray irises. The Jaw was
setting, as she had never seen It be-
fore.
do you think, Snowbird, that you'd
even have to ask mel" he demanded.
"Don't you think ! understand And
It won't be In your defense-only my
own duty"
"But he is SO strong-and you are
so weak"
II won't be SO weak forever new
er really cared much about living be-
fore. I'll try now, and you'll see
oh, Snowbird, wait and trust me:
understand everything. It's my own
fight-when you kissed me, and he
cried down that word in anger and
Jealousy, 1t put the whole thing on me.
No one else can make him answer; no
one else has the right. It's my honor,
no one else's. that stands or falls"
He lifted her hand to his lips and