Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-05-19

feminine ferocity. She felt hot to the
touch. an active volcano ready for
eruption. If only she could get a
chance to strike back In a way that
would hurt, to wound him as deeply as
he had herl
Pat to her desire came the oppor-
tunity. Clay's card was brought IN
to her by Jenkins.
'oTell Mr.. Lindsay I'll see him in a
few minutes" she told the man.
The few minutes stretched to a long
quarter of an hour before she descend
ed. AS soon as his eyes fell on her,
Clay knew that this pale, slim girl IN
the close-ftting gown was a stranger
to him. Her eyes, %star-bright and burn
ing like live Goals, warned him that
the friend whose youth had run out so
eagerly to meet his was hidden deep
In her today.
81 reckon 1 owe you and Mr.. Whit
ford an apology" he said. mo need
to tell you how l happened to leave
last night. l expect you know"
"Why take the trouble? 1 think l
understand" She spoke in an even,
schooled voice that set him at a dis
lance. "Your friend, Mr.. Green, has
carefully brought me the details 1
didn't know"
Clay flushed. Her clear voice carried
an edge of scorn. you mustn't judge
by appearances. I know you wouldn't
be unfair. 1 had to take her home and
look after her"
II don't quite see why-unless, of
course, you wanted to-" the girl an
swered, tapping the arm of her chair
with impatient fnger-tips, eyes on the
clock. but, of course, it isn't neces-
sary 1 should see."
Her cavalier treatment of him did
not affect the gentle imperturbability
of the westerner.
Because I'm a white man. because
she's a little girl who came from my
country and can't hold her own here,
because she was sick and chilled and
starving. Do you see now2"
mo, but it doesn't matter. I'm not
the keeper of your conscience, Mr..
Lindsay" she ~countered with hard
lightness.
you're judging me just the same.
If you'd let me bring her here to see
YOU
mo, thanks"
you're unjust"
you think so?'
"And unkind. That's not like the
little friend I've come to-like so
You're kind enough for two, Mr..
Lindsay. She really doesn't need an
other friend sc long as she has you,"
she retorted with a flash of contemptu-
Gus eyes. I'm New York we're not
used to being so kind to people of her
sort"
Clay lifted a hand. stop right
there, Miss Beatrice. You don't want
to say anything you'll be sorry for"
I'll say this" she cut back. "The
men 1 know wouldn't invite a woman
to their rooms at midnight and pass
her off as their sister-and then ex-
pect people to know her. They would
be kinder to themselves-and to their
own regulations"
"Will you tell me what else there
was to do? Where could 1 have taken
her at that time of night? Are repu-
table hotels open at midnight to lone
women, wet and ragged, who come
without baggage either alone or escort
ed by a manT
tT,nn not folIfnO n nhnf Won NII0hf
to have done, MI. Lindsay" she an
swered, with a touch of hauteur. But
since you ask newly couldn't you
have given her money and let her find
a place for herselfY'
Because that wouldn't have saved
her."
"Oh, wouldn't it? she retorted, dry
ly.
He walked over to the fireplace and
put an elbow on the corner of the
mantel.
"Lemme tell you a story, Miss Bea-
trice," he said presently. "Mebbe it'll
show you what l mean. l was runnin'
cattle in the Galiuros five years ago
and 1 got caught in a storm way up
in the hills. When it rains in my part
Of Arizona, which amt often, it sure
does come down in sheets. The clay
below the rubble on the slopes got
slick as ice. My hawss, a young one,
slipped and fell on me, clawed back to
its feet, and bolted. Well, there l was
with my laig busted, forty miles from
even a whistlin' post in the desert,
gettin' wetter and colder every blessed
minute.
There wasn't a chance In a million
that anybody would hear, but 1 kept
firm off my f~ohty-fve on the off hope.
And just before night a girl on a pinto
came down the side Of that uncurried
hill round a bend and got me. She
took me to a cabin hidden In the bot
tom of a canon and looked after me
four days. Her father, a prospector,
had gone to Tucson for supplies and
we were alone there. She fed mo