Evening journal., 1922-10-11

CHAPTER II.
slim and straight as a young boz
il her gray shirt and breeches Eve
continued on lightly through tn,
woods, her rifle over her shoulder
her eyes of gentan-blue always alert
The morning turned warm, she
pulled Off her soft felt hat. shook out
her Clipped curis, stripped open the
shirt at her snowy throat where
sweat glimmered ike melted frost
The forest was lovely in the morn
Ing sunlight-lovely and still-save
for the blue jays-for the summer
birds had gone and only birds des-
tined 70 a long Northern winter now
remained.
Ewes tread was light on the moist
trail; her quick eyes missed nothing
mot the dainty imprint Of deer,
fresh made, not the sprawling insig-
& Ma OF rambling raccoons-nor the
+ big barred owl huddled on a pine
8 limb overhead. nor where the swift
Eraveily reaches Of the brook
caught sunlight did she miss the
swirl and furrowing and milling Of
painted trout on the spawning beds
IN her cartridge-pouch she car
RED the fiat, sealed packet which
clinch had trusted to her. The sack
swayed gently as she strobe on. SLAM
u ping her left hip az every step; and
always her subconscious mind re-
NAMED on guard and aware Of II:
and now and then she dropned her
hand to feel of the pouch and strap
81 from star Peaks left flank an lev
( tream ciatters down TO the level.
noor Of the woods. here; and 1t was
mere that Eve had meant TO quench
water.
Flu as she approached the tinv
ford, warily. she saw a saddied horse
tied 10 a sapling and a man seated
on a messy log.
The trappings of horse. the gray
green uniform of the man. left no
room for speculation; a trooper Of
the State constabulary was seated
there.
His cap was Off; his head rested
on his palm. Elbow on knee. he sat
there gazing at the water-watchine
the slim fish, perhaps, dartlng up
stream toward their bridal-beds hid
den Tar away al the headwaters.
detour was Imperative. The girl. /
from the shelter Of a pine, looked |
ont cautiously at the trooper. The
sudden sight Of him had merely
cnfcked her; now the recognition Of /
his uniform startled her heart out
Of It's tranquil rhythm and set the
blood burning in her cheeks.
There was a memory Of such a
man scared into the girls very soul
'>--a man whose head and shoulders
resembled this maDs-who had the
same bright hair. the same slim and
powerful body-and who moved. too.
as this young man moved
The trooper stirred, lifted his
head to relight his pipe.
The girl knew him. Her heart
stood still; then heart and blood ran
riot and she felt her knees tremble-
selt weak as ishe rested against the
pines huge trunk and covered her
face with unsteady fingers.
Until the moment, Eve had never
dreamed what the memory of this
man really meant TO her-neverl
dreamed that she had capacity for {
emotion so utterly overwhelming.
Even now confusion, shame, fear
were paramount All she wanted
was TO get away-get away and stili
her hearts wild beatlng-control the !
strange tremor that possessed her.
recover mind and sense and breath.
She drew her hand from her eyes /.
and looked upon the man she had
attempted 70 kill-upon the young
man who had wrestlea her of her
fcet and handcufted her-and who
had bathed her bleeding mouth with {
sphagnum-and who had kissed her
hands-
She was trembling so that she be-
came frightened. The racket Of the
brook IN his ears safeguarded her
ina measure. she bent over nearly
double, her rife al a trail, and eau
tiously began the detour
When at length the wide circle
Through the woods had been eafelyl
accomplished and Eve was moving
cur through the thiclening ranks Of,
tamarack. her heart. which seemed
10 suifocate her, quieted; and she
Teamed against a shoulder OF rock.
strangely tired.
ALTER Wulle she dreW from ler
pocket his Handkerchief. and looked
ct 1t. The square OF cambria bore
his Initials. j S. Blood from her lip
Remained on II. She had not washed
out the spots.
She put It to her lips again, me-
ctanically A faint odor Of tobacco
stiI chung 10 it.
Ey every law OF loyalty, pride.
seif-respect. she should have held
this man her enemy. Instead, she
hofc his handkerchief against her
Ips-crushed it there au4da ly,
closing her eyes while the color sur
fed anc surged through her skin
from throat to hair.
Then. YEARLY. she lifted her head
an looked out into the gray and
empty vista OF her life. where the
freary years seemed to stresch Ike
msestones away. away Into an end
less waste.
She put the handkerchief into her
pociSet. shouldered her rife, moved
on without looking about her
mistake which only the emotion OF
tho moment could account for in a
Girl so habituated TO caution-for
che had gone only a few rods be- b
fere mans strident voice halted S