Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-23
CHAPTER LII
An Interrupted Scene

WHEN Mark commanded Jean
M without the least vestige of
w emotion in his voice to kiss
him, her heart seemed to
his arms even roughly, but with feel
ing, it would not have seemed so
strange. AS it was, she was sud-
denly frightened. She felt as if she
could not rise to her feet if she
would, she was as much held there as
her, and he was very close, his blue
eyes fastened on her face deliberate
ly and almost insolently.
For a moment she did not move
then something impelled her to dc
as he commanded. Dimly she real
lied that he was purposely making her
suffer. He intended to humble her
enough that she had confessed her
love knowing that he no longer cared
for her, but he intended to carry his
triumph further and to take his due
as conQuerer.
For only a moment she avered
then with a little sob, she leaned over
and touch his mouth softly with her
lips. At the same moment there
was a sound outside and the next
minute Frank burst into the room
followed by a short dark man with
the conventional doctors black bag.
the old Harry" said Frank triumph
antly. There's your patient, doc, "
but Mark was already on his feet.
Jean stood with her face turned
away. The hot shamed blood was
burning in her cheeks, for that kiss
alton, only made her realize the more
strongly the utter fascination that
Mark had for her. The thought
flashed through her mind that She
was like one of the horses or cattle on
which he had set his brand. She be-
for him as utterly as they did, and
he gloried in his right Of possession.
She did what the doctor required
of her in silence and stood by while
ne unwound her bandages and began
to examine Marks hand.
"Hm," he said after a moment
1.-TWO broken bones; well, we'll have
you fixed up soon now, old man"
Mark endured the ordeal that fol
lowed without flinching. 1t would
have been bad enough to have the
bones set, but his hand was so badly
mashed that it must have been agony
to have the doctor touch it., Jean
standing close by, thought his un-
necessarily rough, but in reality he
was hurting Mark no more than he
could help
When it was finally over and the
hand was carefully bandaged In
splints, the doctor lit a long black
cigar and looked curiously at Jean;
Mark was well known in Galicia, and
news had gone about there that his
wife was a city girl. DR.. Jenkins
own wife was fat and jolly. He per
sonally preferred what he would
have termed chummy woman, one
you could talk and laugh with, and
who wouldn't hold you off at arms
length as this one did, Nevertheless
he decided that this wife of Brands
had an air, but she was cold, cold as
ice. If he had known at that very
moment jeans blood was running
through her veins like fire, he might
have been a good bit surprised.
Mark had refused to lie down, al
though he had taken the brandy that
Frank had brought him, and was now
walking restlessly about the room
Frank had gone back to the corral az
Marks orders, and Jean finally rose,
her one thought to escape to her
room where she could be alone. The
doctor, however, forestalled her i'm
pulse by rising himself.
"Well, I must be on my way back,
I'll ride over again day after to-
morrow, the hand will be all right
till then. Glad to have met you
Mrs. Brand" he said facetiously,
holding out his hand to Jean. She
forced a smile, but the hand that she
gave him was like ice and the doctor
stamped out carrying away the
coolest proposition he had come
across in a long time.
(To BE Continued.)