The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-29
CHAPTER HI. (Continued)
 The Awakening

CHAPTER HI. (Continued) The Awakening. | Children,~fat and brown, rolled | from the doorways to stare at the lstrangers Their elders frankly irni- 1 tated them good-natured and sym | pathetic. But the two who sought Beatrice noticed nothing. Only once Billy broke the silence. | ''It must have been just before we found she was missing that she fell off, then. She couldn't have walked | far.''
 l MT. Arden made an inarticulate | sound in his throat. His handsome, | middle-aged face was haggard and weary; no one on the train had eX- pected to find the young girl alive | Manue1a was standing in her door way. At the approach of the Amer | jeans, she stepped back and admit ted them to the shaded interior. Beatric was still asleep. The two men stopped short at sight of her tranquil, reposing figure, as she lay with softly flushed face, her breath drawn with gentle regularity Her bright hair still rippled in smooth waves and coils; a flower her fiance | had given her the night before still | clung to the bosom of her dress. In appearance she seemed as though asleep in her own home. Billy took off his hat. But MT. Arden cried out sharply: I "Beatrice! Beatrice!"
 Her eyes opened at once, bewild- cred.
 l "Papai" she exclaimed.
 He sprang across and caught her in his arms, speeches. For many | moments the hut was silent.
 ''We found the gate un1atched," Mir. Arden said, at last. we knew then what had become of you'
 ''Yes, I leaned on it." she corro- borated, shuddering. "I thought the I train was going to stop. Billy" she younger man.
 He squeezed it, dumb.
 we believed the fall must have killed you,'' said her father unstead- fly.
 'T was not hurt. But I was frightened, horribly frightened, When I stood up the train was gone. I | tried to follow it-I ran-' The color left her cheeks as she evoked the memory of that panic "I thought of all the things I had ever read-of tarantulas and dreadful poi sonous creatures. There was no one to help me; I was all alone I think ran and ran-until fell down again, on the sand.''
 | palled glance.
 And you reached, here. thank God" Mir. Arden completed the story. 'ff you had been lost in the desert l-" He passed his handkerchief across his forehead.
 Beatrice hesitated, her eyes puz- zled, and looked around the room. | "Here?" she doubted. 'I thought you brought me here- I only remem- Der that ran and ran. There was
 no house, only sand and dark plants
 The Indian women, who had beer watching the scene from the door. way, interposed sullen1y, as if divin. ing what was being said in the alier language:
 '.I found her outside. She was a: one in a fever, knowing nothing. brought her in here.' Beatrice looked at her earnestly struggling with a confused sense ot doubt and loss.
 'I cannot remember" she said, 1T her uncertain Spanish. The woman nodded, offering nc comment
 , "If you are strong enough we hat , better take you to your mother" hs advised.
 "Oh, yes," she assented eagerly, ris ing and laying her hand on the arn
 Billy sprang forward to offer On the way out she paused op
 posite the old woman.
 ''You will let me thank you, a , | least" she urged with hesitatin, , grace. You have done so muct for me, so much more than I cal , remember, even." For sole response the Indian lifte } from the bed that serape in whicl
 Lucian Carril had wrapped hi
 charge.
 The special train that had beel
 sent back over the route in searcl - of the missing girl was puffing i'm ! patience to be gone. As Beatric | hurried into the private car and spe |. to her mother the beaming station
 agetn came up to the two gentlemen 1 eff you were going in the othe f direction you might be stopped b the rebels on the way through" h |. observed pleasantly The rebels wo !, a victory in the hour before daw II this morning, thirty miles from here
 They captured an ammunition-trai
 on the way down. A surprise attac it was. They either got past ou
 outpost guard or killed him, for h
 gave no warning" c "It- happened north of us?" f "Yes, senor; on the desert'' 'O we are going to Mexico City, 6 declared MT. Arden. Come, Bi
 ford"
 But Billy loitered. o "I wish could have seen ther fightin'." he regretted. "I wonder | I'd see anything if I went back 9,
 You will not go," stated his pros
 pective father-in-law decidedly. l. I'm goin' on twenty-six," rebelIe
 Billy.
 But he entered the train neverthe IF less. Billy Graeme was pink-slSir ] ned and trifle plump. but ther u was nothing effeminate or weak q his good-humored face; his chi
 could set, and did, in spite of ii l. undeniable dimple.
 The first day after the party wa
 established in Mexico City at one ( v the huge hotels, Billy sought h fiancee alone.
 'rrix.'' he said. twill you mar,