The Arvada enterprise., 1923-09-20

face. missed 1t, struck again, and hit.
With one pull. almost drawing her
from the saddle, he tore the whip from
her hands. 1t was not that action on
his part. or the sudden strong master
fulness Of his look, so much a. the
livid mark on his face where the whip
had lashed that Quieted. II 1t did not
check, her fury.
'That's nothing" he said, with some
thing Of his old audaclty. That's
nothing to how you've hurt me-"
Madeline battled with herself for
control. This man would not be de-
MED. About him now there was only
the ghost Of that finer, gentler man
she had helped to bring into being.
The piercing dark eyes he bent upon
her burned her. went through her as
II he were looking into her soul. Then
Madeline's quick sight caught a fleet.
ing doubt, wistfulness. a surprised
and saddened certainty In his eyes,
saw 1t shade and pass away. Her
woman's intuition, as keen az her
sight, told her Stewart in that moment
had sustained q shock of bitter, final
truth.
For the third time he repeated his
question to her. Madeline did not an
swer; she could not speak.
"Fou don't know love you, do
your he continued, passionately.
THAT ever since you stood before me
In that hole at Chiricahua I've loved
your You can't see I've been another
man, loving you, working for you, liv-
ing for you? You won't believe I've
turned my back on the old wild life,
that I've been decent and honorable
and happy and useful-your kind Of
q cowboyf You couldn't tell. though
I loved you. that I never wanted you
to know It. that I never dared to
think Of you except a. my angel, my
holy Virgin? What do you know Of
a mans heart and soulf How could
you tell Of the love. the salvation of
q man who's lived his life In the ST.
hence and loneliness1 Who could teach
you the actual truth-that a wild COW.
boy, faithless to mother and sister, ex-
cept in memory. riding a hard, drunk.
en- trail straight to hell, had looked
into the face. the eyes Of a beautiful
woman Infinitely beyond him. above
him, and had 30 loved her that he was
saved-that he became faithful again
that he saw her face In every now.
or and her eyes In the blue heavenr'
Madeline was mute. She heard her
heart laundering in her ears.
Stewart leaped at her. His power
full hand closed on her arm. She
trembied. His action presaged the
old instructive violence.
"No; but you think I kept Bonita
up in the mountains, that I went -.
cretly to meet her. that all the while
I served you I was Oh I know
what you thinki know now. I
never knew till I made you look at
me. Now. say i'll Speak,"
White-hot, blinded, utterly In the
derry grasp Of passion. powesiess to
stem the rush Of word both shame
ful and revealing and fatal Madeline
cried:
"Yes!"
He had wrenched that word from
her. but he was not subtle enough, not
versed In the mystery Of woman's
motive enough. to divine the deep
signincancs Of her reply.
For him the word had only literal
meaning confirming the dishonor In
which she held him. Dropping her
arm, he shrank back, q strange action
for the savage and crude man she
Judged him to be.
"But that day at Chiricahua yoa
spoke Of faith" he burst out. "You
said the greatest thing In the world
was faith In human nature. You said
you had faith In mel You made me
have faith In myself"
His reproach. without bitterness o.
scorn. was lash to her old sgotstie
BELIEF in her fairnssA She had
preached q beautiful principle that
she had failed to live up to.
"You think l am vile" he said. "You
think that about Bonita! And all the
time I've been I could make
you ashamed-I could tell you"
HIS passionate utterance ceased
with . snap Of his teeth. His lips sst
In Q thin. bitter line. The agitation
Of bis face preceded q conclusive
wrestling Of his shoulders.
mo, mol" he painted. Was It his
answer to some mighty temptationf
Then. like bent sapling released. no
sprang erect. But ri bs the man
the doG-you think mel"
He laid hold Of her arm With rude
powerful clutch. One pull drew her
sliding half out Of the saddle into HE
arma She fell With nse breast against
his, not wholly ire Of stirrupa Of
horse, and there she hung, utterly
powerlsss. Maddened. writhing. she
tore to release herself. All she could
accomplish WAS to twist herself, raise
her0slf high enough to ~ his fscA