Arizona republican., 1922-05-15
Youth and
the w est
Chapter w.
PARADISE VALLEY
BY REMY THlENPoNT

Climbing a little farther. they
stepped on the small and uneven
plateau which forms the very top.
They gained the northernmost edge
and felt a touch of vertigo as they
looked down the straight. precipitous
side of the mountain. Before them
lay the southernmost edge of the
Paradise valley. a broad desert space
with green patches here and there.
the homes of the sturdy and optimis-
tic settlers who had faith that some
day, some how, water would be
brought upon their land, thus ex-
tending the semi-tropical garden.
George scrutinized these patches,
searching for his sweetheart's home.
He soon found it, the greenest spot
in the valley. And he felt a pride IN
this daughter of those true pioneers
who Were going to transform their
section of the desert into produc-
ing farm. who had built a home on
land which had never been disturbed
by man since nature had laid 1t there.
Then he found the claim held by
Joe Perrel, the horseman he had first
seen on the day he had first spoken
to his girl. His was blotch upon
the group of desert claims. The
even from this height Its titled
parts presented a sickly yellow green.
with no pretense whatsoever to SYM
metry. He had thought of his own
comfort. however, as indicated by
many umbrella trees, providing shade
to his tent house. But he was a quit
ter. He had had his relinquishment
on the market for some time; but,
as is usually the case with men OF
this type, he valued his few improve
ments very highly and very high.
Consequently, though the place had
attracted many prospective buyers
he had never been able to close the
deal George had q natural resenL"
ment for this claim: it belonged TO
the man who had once hoped to win
Ione's heart.
They looked around and smiled as
they saw, painted on rock close by.
the advertisement of an enterprismg
Phoenix merchant: Eat cactus
candy, the product Of the Arizona
desert"
Looking down the Salt River val
lev side again. they recognized, at
the foot of the hill, the detached
boulder on which they had sat few
days before: and they looked at It
dreamily, for they were of those
gifted creatures who can re-iive
again and again happy moments. An
inspiring picture they made, standing
close together on the highest rio OF
the mountain; he. the groundwork
of a perfect specimen of mannood
his strong Drowned face under a
broad brimmed hat: she. lovely
picture Of health, the warm wind
gently pressing her soft garments
against her youthful figure. her rich
, black hair gracefully flowing in the
gentle breeze.
Right at their feet. in the very
rock. with no visible soil for the
feeding of its roots, they saw a young
plant just venturing up. They eH
amined it closely, and they wondered
what ii could be. But they could not
recognize 1t, probably on account OF
its very youth. And It sort OF trou-
bled them, this inability to name IT.
So finally George little teasing
look in his eyes, attempting a par
donable witticism, said: "Ot, its
some kind Of water plant, I suppose.
lone spread the luncheon on the
rock. and they attacked the sand
wiches with the zest of two young
bears. Even in these. simple things
he insisted on detecting her dainty
touch. The various sandwiches
strewn with picked olives from the
valley below. were delicious. Iht
lemon pie, the fruit for which had
ripened in yonder groves, was, sc
he said. a masterpiece. But the pink
cool drink which she poured out oi
the canvas covered canteen was q
mystery as well as nectar Hf
could never have guessed what II
was made of. but she told him WITH
modest pride that it was her own
discovery; simply sweetened water
to which was added the extracted
Juice from the fruit of the pome-
granate which grew as a shady hedge
around her desert home. And they
sat there finishing their luncheon
ENJOYING the warm wind in their
faces. saying little, feeling as though
they were on the very top of the
world. And in the realm of their
suhconscious selves there floated q
nascent certitude that, in the course
of time, they would be one with the
other. attached to a square portion
of kind Mother Earth, in the Para
disc valley below.
They looked in the distance. but
the giamor of the heat haze now
rendered the horizon hardly discern
ible. So they became interested IL
group of turkey -buzzards, those
big carrion birds, scavengers of the
desert, whose manner of flight has
ever been an enigma to scientists and
aviators. They were coming this
way. apparently against the wind
yet never moving a wing. They de-
scribed large circles around the
western point of the Camelback,
soaring up and down. All at once
they circled steadily downward and
landed cautiously on some rocks near
the foot of the mountain. In few
moments they flew up again. not
very high, and they finally landed
-. 4