Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-23
AND HERE IT CONTINUES

,,ao,ent grace, one might have guessed
h,m a Southerner. He was lean
,.,nsd and broad -shouldered. The long,
sou,nr muscles rippled under his skin
..,.n he moved like 'those of q pan
mar. From beneath the band of his
attached in hat crisp; reddish hair
escaped.
wild Fire was off the instant his feet
sound the stirrups. Again the outlaw
vent through it's bag of tricks and its
.,,aisht bucking. The man in the
.sadle gave to its every motion lightly
.ra easily. He rode with such grace
that he seemed almost part Of the
horse His reactions appeared to au-
scinote the impulses of the screaming
Ssnd which he was astride. When Wild
T;ro iolted him with humpbacked jar
,ins bucks his spine took the shock
f;mply TO neutralize the effect: When
II leaped heavenward he waved hts hat
ioyously and rode the stirrups. From
Srst 70 last he was master of the sit
notion, and the outlaw, though still
Srbting savagely, knew the battle was
The broncho had one trump card left, a
triek that had unseated many a stub
horn rider. 1t plunged sideways at the
fence of the inclosure and crashed
tbrougb It, Kirby's nerves shriekeG
with paln, and for a moment every
ching went black before him. His leg
had been jnmmcd hard against the upper
nlank. But when the haze cleared he
vas still in the saddle.
The outlaw gave up. It trottcd tamely
hack TO the grand stand through the
shreddcd fragments of pine in the
eplintered fence, and the grand stand
rose TO its feet with shout of applause
for the rider.
Kirby slipped from the saddle and
,imped back to his fellows on the fence.
Already the crowd was pouring out
from every exit of the stand. a thou
sand cars of fifty different makes were
snorting impaticntly to get out Of the
fam as soon as possible. For Cheyenne
was full, full to overIlOwing. The town
roared with n high tide of jocund life.
From all over Colorado, Wyoming,
Montana and New Mexico hard bitten,
sunburncd youths in high -heeled boots
and gaudy attire had gathered for the
. Frontier Day celebration. Hundreds of
cars had poured up from Denver. Trains
had disgorgcd thousands of tourists
come to see the festival.
Many people would sleep out in auto
mobiles and on the prairie Tho late
romers at restaurants and hotels would
wait long and take second best.
A big cattlcman bcCkOned to Lane.
'Place IL. MY car, son. Run you back
10 town.
One .. the judges sat In the ton
peau beside the rough rider.
Flows the leg? Hurt much?"
mot much. I'm noticin' it some. 4"
Kirby answered with n smile.
You'll havc to ride tomorrow. It's
sou and Sanborn for the finals. We
haven't quite made Up our minds"
The cattlcman was an expert driver.
lie wound in and out among the other
cars speeding over the prairie, struck
the road before the a!eat majority Of the
automobiles had reached there, and was
In town with tho vanguard.
After dinner the rough rider asked
the clerk at her hotel If there was any
mail for Miss Rose Mclean. Three
letters were handed him. lie put them
in his pocket and set out for the hos
pital.
He found Miss Rose reclining in n
hospital chair, in franc of mind high
ly indignant. '"rhat doctor talks rs
though he's going to keep me here Il
week. Well, he's got another guess
coming. I'll not stay" she exploded
u hGr visitor.
4 "Now, looky here, you better do as
the doc says. lie knows best. What $
q week IN your young life?" Kirby sug
Eested.
"a weeks n week, and ] don't intend
to stay. Why did you limp when you
ramc in2 Get hurtl'
y Not really hurt, damned my LEG
against fence. l drew wild Fire"
Did you win tho championship"
the girl asked eagerly.
No. Finals tomorrow. Sanborn
en' me- lIow's the nrm? Bone
-, Yes. Oh, It aches some. De all
tight SOON"
u He drew her letters from his pocket.
rsstoppeI TO get your mail at tho hotel.
uhousht you'd like to see it,"
Wild Rose looked the envelopes over
snd tore ono open.
From my little sister Esther" she
explained. mind if I read 1t? I'm
Some worried about her. Shea been
writing kinda funny lately"
AS she read the color rbbcd from her
face, When she had finished reading
me letter Kirby spoke gently.
,,bad news, pardncr?"
ono nodded, choking. Her eyes,
Nank and direct, met those Of her
,rlehd Without evasion. 1t was n hcrl-
hge Of her lie in the open that in hcr
{elatlons with men she showed a boy
IKE unc0nCcrn of sex.
- 'EThCr's in trouble. Sho-shc-'
nose caught her breath in stress OF
,If there's anything l can do"
Ihe glt flung aside the rug that COW
tieu her and rose from the chair. She
gesah to pace up and down the room
sraeSSeNlIy her thoughts oyerHowcd II
She doesn't say what it is, but
SaoW her. She's crazy for fcar-ol
seartachc-or something" Wild RosC
@ "S always quick tempered, n passion
"m o defender Of children and all veal
creatures. Now Lane knew that thu
not blood was rushing stormily to hcl
.eaFt' Her little sister was in danger
me only near relative she had. ShC
txoud fight for her as cougar woulc
Ot us young. by God, if it's mar
dom hrS done her wrOng--Ill shot hin
Sowh ike gray wolf. I'll show hin
nov safe 1t is to--to--''
one broke down again, clamping tigh
AeT small strong teeth to bite back sob
.,r ne smoke very gently. ''Docs sh,
hr. nls sentence hung suspended in air
.,an,ehe vs. ehe young woman understood it
no. The letters just IA wall o
TTSopalr. Shc--tNlks of suicide. Kirby
trof t% got to get to HcnvCr on the mex
In Innn. flnd out when it leaves. An,
IL stIu a tplnurnYp 10, bn,, N