St. Tammany farmer., 1922-12-23
He Was Very Weak, Vet He Would
Keep Mercedes Hand and Gaze at
Her With Unbelieving Eyes.

once he tumbled out Of his saddle.
We got him back, an Lash held him
on. Nell didn't give out till daybreak.' y
AS Ladd paused in his story Bedding
began to stutter, and finally he ex-
ploded. His mighty utterances were
incoherent. But plainly the wrath he
had felt toward the willful girl was
forgotten. Gale remained gripped by
silence
daddy, what knocks me is Rojas
holding Thorne prisoner, trying to
make hin4 tell where Mercedes had
been hidden" said Bedding.
"Shore. It'd knock anybody"
1.-THE bandits crazy over her. That's
the Spanish Of it, replied Bedding,
his voice rolling "Rojas loves Mer-
cedes as he hates her. He wants this
girl only to have her, then kill her.
It's d--n strange, boys, and even with
Thorne here our troubles have just
begun
''Tom, gou spoke correct said Jim
Ladd, in his cool draWl.
ashore I'm not sayin' what think, !"
added Ladd. But the look Of him was
not Indicative of tranquil optimism.
Thorne was put to bed In Gales
room. He was very weak, yet he
would keep Mercedes hand and gaze
at her with unbelieving eyes. Then,
fighting sleep with what little strength
he had left, at last he succumbed.
For all Dick could ascertain his
friend never stirred an eyelash nor
finger for twenty-seven hours. When
he awoke he was pale, weak, but the
old Thorne.
''Hello, Dick; didn't dream It,
then,' he said 'There you are, ana
my darling with the proud, dark
eyes she's here? Mercedes is we'll
safe! Ohl -. But say, haven't
dollar to my name. had lot Of
money, Dick, and. those robbers stole
it, my watch-everything. D-n that
little black Greaser p
"Cheer up. Bedding will make you
proposition presently. The future
smiles, old friend. If this rebel bust
ness was only ended!''
'Dick, you're going to be my savior
twice over. .. Well, now, listen
to me-" His gay excitement changed
to earnest gravity. II want to marry
Mercedes at once. Is there a padre
here?
Eyes. But are you wise in letting
any Mexican, even a priest, know Mer-
cedes Is hidden In Forlorn River p
Tt couldn't be hidden long,"
Gale was compelled to acknowledge
the truth of this statement.
eI'll marry her first, then I'll face
my problem. Fetch the padre, Dick.
And ask our kind friends to be wit
nesses at the ceremony"
Much to Gales surprise, neither
Belding nor Ladd objected to the idea
of bringing padre into the house
hold, and thereby making known to at
least one Mexican the whereabouts of
Mercedes Castaneda Belongs eau
tion was wearing out In wrath at the
persistent unsettled condition of the
border, and Ladd grew only the cooler
and more silent as possibilities OF
trouble multiplied.
Gale fetched the padre, a little,
weazened, timid man who was old and
without interest or penetration. Ap-
parently he married Mercedes and
Thorne as he told his beads or mum
bled a prayer. It was Mrs. Bedding
who kept the occasion from being q
merry one, and she insisted on not
exciting Thorne. Gale marked her
unusual pallor and the singular depth
and sweetness of her voice.
Thorne could not be kept In bed,
and all in a day, it seemed, he grew
so well and so hungry that his friends
were delighted, and Mercedes was
radiant In a few days his weakness
disappeared and he was going the