The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-08-04

tuOSV-fNHSNN
ory of those about her. She was fiirt-
ing joyously with sense of newly
awakened powers. The man from Ora
ham county, Arizona, felt uneasy In his
mind. The girl was flushed with life.
In way she was celebrating her es-
cane from the narrow horizon in which
she had lived. In her unsophistication
danger lay. For she was plainly
easily influenced, and In the beat OF
her healthy young blood probably
there was latent passion.
They left the diner before Clay. He
passed them later in the vestibule or
the sleeper. They were looking out to-
gether on the moonlit plain through
which the train was rushing. The arm
of the man was stretched behind her
to the railing and with the motion Of
the car the girl swayed back slightly
against him.
Again Clay sought the smoking COM
partment and was led into talk by the
officer. 1t was well past eleven when
he rose, yawned, and announced, Elm
goin' to hit the hay"
Most of the berths were made up
and It was with little shock of sur
prise that his eyes fell on Kitty Mason
and her new friend, the sleek blacl
head of the man close to her fair cur1s
| his steady eyes holding her like 9
charmed bird while his caressing voice
/ wove the fairy tale Of New York tt
which she yielded herself in strang'
delight.
"Don't you-all want yo' berth made
| up. lady?"
It was the impatient porter who In
terrupted them. The girl sprang up
TREMENDOUSLY to accept.
"Oh. please. Is 1t Iate?" Her glance
swept down the car and took In the
fact that her section alone was moi
made up. II didn't know--why, wha'
time Is it?"
Most twelve, ma'am," replied this
aggrleved porter severely.
She flashed look of reproach a.
her companion and blushed again al
she fed with her bag to the ladies
dressing room.
The train was rolling through thu
cornfields of the Middle West when tn
Arizonan awoke. He was up early
but not long before Kitty Mason, VIII
was Joined at once by Durand.
"Shucks! Nothin' to 1t a-tall," tn
range-rider assured himself. "Tha
III girl must have the number Of thi
guy. She's FIRTH with him to bea
three of kind, but I'll bet a dogi
/! she knows fight where she's at"
Clay did not in the least believe hi
! own argument. If he had come from
city he would have dismissed the ma
ter as none of his business. But h
came from the clean Southwest wher
every straight girl Is under the PR
|. lection of every decent man. If ST
was in danger because of her inn'
cence 1t was up to him to look aftt
! her. There was no more competeI
man In Graham county than Cha
|; Lindsay, but he recognized that tn
! was delicate affair in which he mu
move warily.
Nj On his way to the diner at noon u
7 range-rlder passed her again. She WI
4 alone for the moment and as 81
I leaned back her soft round thro
Z showed beating pulse, Her chez
q were burning and her starry eyes we
J looking into the future with a hap
= smile.
y "You pore little maverick" the mi
4 commented silently.
a The two had the table opposite hi
\ AS the wheels raced over culyert
s the comparative quiet Of the ballast
y track beyond, the words Of the m
J reached Clay.
4 e. and we'll have all day
Z see the city, Kid"
4 Kitty shook her head. There "
Al hesitation In her manner. and the m
= was quick to make the most OF
"And 1t won't cost You cent, grill
y he added.
" But the lsng lashes Of the girl III
and her baby-biue eyes met his W
| shy repruach. Il don't think I angt