The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-07
CHAPTER 7Of.


 As if my words of faith and trust had restored to her something of her courage, Mabel flung herself erect in the chair where I'd made her cosy and spoke crisp1y in voice recogniz- able as belonging to the Goddess of Liberty Girl.
 Anne, when I stood in the 1oor- way of MT. Harrison's office yesterday and saw Manuelo Ortiz I wanted to run-la thousand miles away. The work that had been entrusted to me couldn't have held me. I had mo Snent of panic bigger than loyalty or anything else. Do you know what held me?
 "Your best and biggest self" re- piled firmly.
 s'No. That was s1eeping-or killed by fear. But you came over and stoo0 by me and called dear You said the place didn't seem real without me- So I knew I couldn't go away no matter howl was driven. And am driven, ridden by the Furies, Anne!"
 "Your face tells me that I said quietly Do you want me to know what it is that terrifies you SO? Don't tell me a thing unless you are sure you want to. I'll take you on trust, ho matter what comes up, Mabel f think we-know each other by now. We're past the stage of exchanging references or proving ourseives.'' ''I want you to know" Mabel re- piled quietly "I came here to tell you. I lay awake all last night wa1r- ing for it to be morning. so I could home and te1r you. You'n hear 1t l from ManueIo Ortiz-the way he sees W I want you to know it-the way l it really happened. I want you to do ! something big and wonderful Tor me l and that's to make Rosa Cordava see | it-differentIy."
 1 "Yes, Mabel" I said quietly, not | hurrying her. but waiting for her to l tell her story her own way and in | her own good time.
 l "When I was driven from the Tam l pico country-forced to leave - my l uncle's little inn" said Mabel in a 1 voice so low had to lean close to catch her words. T didn't know | where to go. I've told you that. But | I've never given you Ia full account | of my wanderings before I came to l little Divers mother and the haven 1 of refuge she offered me. I did tell 1 you the truth when I said I came | North But I didn't cross the border l at once. I stayed in Mexico. I went | to-Durango. Does that mean any l thing to your"
 | should 1tE' 1 asked.
 The Cordova rancho is only about 1 one hundred miles to the west of l Monterey" replied Mabel. her eyes searching my face. a hint of color in 1 her ghastly cheeks. It's near Du- rango.''
 "The Cordova Rancho" I repeated That's where-Jim is.''
 I could hear my voice dying away Into a whsaaer that rasped in my throat.
 Perhaps he's not at the Big Rancho. They have several" replied Mabel. and her voice seemed pftyfng
 Tell me your - experience" broke in gravely.
 ''I went to Durango, because knew that since Dick had stolen the papers giving title to the biggest oi fields near Tampico. he'd hurry te Mexico City and file them But didn't know if he'd do that at once or go home-and home for him fol years had been Durango and the country near there. And in spite O l the fact that I knew he was 9, thie and a coward, who'd gone off leaving | me to bear the blame for his plot es get at the safe to which I had tht 1 combination Oh. Anne, Tn l ashamed to say it!<
 "I know, dear" I said com l l ance;' "You still loved him. H was your man-wf1at he did-couldn'
 natter
 Mabers smile was one of the sad
 de$t I have ever seen on any face
 But with a, note of relief in her yoic
 she plunged ahead with suddel
 power as if my understa nding ha' made her once more clear 8o herself
 q went to Durango and waited
 knew he'd come. I crept about a night because I was afraid to ha!' 1 peopIe see me. And then one nfgn
 Ramon Cordova came cantering int
 town on his little roan horse. An
 with him was young Manuelo Ort91
 who come from one of the proudes
 families in the South.
 He'd been at our Inn. and he'd al ways had a pleasant enough word 1o me-not for me exactly. but for any one who served hlll- He had a wa of looking through voa as if he w5
 looking beyond for something h
 hadn't found.