The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-23
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER Ill.
Phil Stanton rode YEARLY Dach
to the ranch house, unable to dis
miss thoughts OF Ruth from his
mind. 1t was astonishing, he
thought, how deeply he had come
to care for the girl in their short
acquaintance. Stanton had prided
himself upon the fact that he was
immune from affairs of the heart,
and now he found himself deep in
love. And the sensation pleased
him. But how would he see her
again? He would have to go to
San Francisco. But what would he
tell his partner. Jim Loomis! He
laughed to himself. What did he
care what anybody thought!
Wasn't he in love?
He took his horse to the stable,
and then he remembered about the
strano~ behavior of Bill Henley.
He looked around for the man, in
tending to get an explanation, but
Henley was nowhere about He
mounted his horse and rode about
the ranch, hoping to find him. Fin
ally he galloped back to the ranch
intending to see Henley later. He
entered the house and called for
Loomis, but he, too, was not to be
found. AS he walked out on the
porch he could hardly believe his
eyes. There was Ruth Randoi oh
running toward him.
Phil" she shouted, and rushed
into his arms.
my darling!" he whispered, XII S.
wonderful moment had really hap
pened.
Soon they recovered from their
embarrassment and Ruth explained
how she happened to return. The
episode with Henley on the rear of
the train brought deep anger to
Phil, but when Ruth told of her
escape he was thrown into deeper
mystery.
I'VE came to a bend in the road
where the train ran alongside
high bank, almost on a level with
the train. Henley was slowly ap-
preaching me, and l decided to
jump. l landed safely on the bank,
and Henley was about to follow,
when the mysterious hoTseman in
white galloped up, drew me up in
his saddle and dashed back here to
the ranch with me-
but who is this horseman?"
asked Phil, land where did he go?"
81 don't know who he is" an
swered the girl. GAS soon as he
dropped me from the saddle, he
turned and disappeared in a cloud
of dust was SO glad to get back
7 - fah 20 Nrh nj hn
went"
At that moment the young cou-
pie were startled to have a small
sized rock come hurtling through
the open window to the floor be-
side them. There was a note at
tached. Ruth picked it up and
read:
Do not try to leave this re-
gion without the Indians con-
sent. Any attempt to escape
will endanger the life of the
man you love.
What does it mean?" asked the
girl.
Il am interested only in the last
sentence" smiled Phil. ''Oh, Ruth,
1 love you, you must know it by
this time. l love you so much, and
l don't want you to leave me-"
1.-The last sentence is true,
PHIL whispered the girl. 81 think
have loved you since the time you
saved me from those ruffians in
San Francisco" Their lips net in
a long kiss of understanding.
A few moments later, Ruth dis
missed her lover and went upstairs
to her room to change her riding
| habit. A knock at the door caused
her to pause for a moment. She
opened it and an old Indian wom-
an, Stone Ear, appeared. The
squaw was evidently deaf and
dumb, for she endeavored to con-
vey her thoughts by signs. She
handed the girl package and dis
appeared down the hall as quickly
as she had come Ruth, mystified,
opened the package and found a
metal box, containing a piece of
parchment upon which were the
words:
To my daughter, Ruth:
Under the law of the Canyon