Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-03-21

CHAPTER I.-Hearing only the call Of
deep ana mutual love, John Lexington,
visionary and impractical, and Mary
laughter of rich and worldly parents
mite their lives. Perjury and the arrival
OF a baby are simultaneous, and Mary,
cast off by her family, gives up the
struggle for life. John Lexington disap-
pears, the city taking care of the baby,
Cornelius. After two years John claims
his child and takes him on his travels In
San Francisco Lexington becomes a VIC
tim to 'koresh,' a drug of the deadliest
type Returning to the grave of his wife,
Lexington dies and little Con is "1armed
out by the city.
CHAPTER Icon goes out into the
world at an early age, reckless and des-
Derate. He IS reclaimed from a life of
5rime by Andrew March. Con procures
from Chez Ming, a Chinese servant in a
house where he IL dining, Cobb map.
CHAPTER III.-Following in the foot
steps of his father, Stephen March, An
drew March has Travelled deep into the
Cobb desert. In a remote settlement his
child had been born, but he had lost both
wife and daughter when they were at
tackled while travelling through the desert.
Eighteen years later he selects Con Lev
ngton to hunt them out. On the ship TAX
Ing him to China Con discovers that the
oriental Chez Ming is fellow passenger.
They halted in bleak settlements
where a stream had once passed. Now
but muddy spring remained. Mid
summer beat into their bodies.
Eithna's child was born-the only
new, clean thing within a Thousand
miles.
Perhaps the immensely of sky, the
staring emptiness of the horizon, af
fected the rosy newcomer. There
was no wall of sorrow from her tiny
lips only deep-drawn murmur. In
their hut the Tartar woman, gaunt and
hairy, was an unsupported miracle of
tenderness and sagacity.
In the following spring, when the
glare of the daytime was accompanied
nv swelling heat, Andrew with his
wife and child set forth again. There
was no trail. The camels were un-
easy. Andrew was worn. He longed
to go on, as Eithna did; yet the i'm
pulse to turn back was strong within
him. But she had told him lightly,
and perhaps truly, that China to the
south and east would be quite as in
convenient and much less sanitary
than the painless land before them.
The child gravely regarded sand,
rocks and the clear sky, and learned
to laugh happily whenever Andrew
came to take her. A doll was made
of silks and a jackal bone. A shining
lizard was also added to the March
family for her entertainment.
The beasts grew thin and dry. The
wind. a monster serpent of the air,
swept before them and over them,
Redeemed the camels' eyes and darken-
ed their milk. In Eithna's cheeks the
color deepened, and she refused TO
turn back. 4 rew lost count or the
DAYS. Two of the pack-animals were
killed for food and drink, and a thlrd
went down for the lack of the same.
The baby girl prospered, ana Eltllha
whispered her songs under the star
light of a grOtesque world.
The riders came. From out the
west, little to the north they appear
ed. q dozen or more-huge men mount
ed on short-legged horses, shaggy ana
half wild. They were silver-eyeo
Hamitic men, their movements as III
COMPREHENSIVE as their words. Ihey
circed about the young father anu do
they drew in closer, he was ready "
fire on them and fight it out. But ms
legs became suddenly weak, ana tle
s5v reeled northumberland when ne
awakened it was deep night ne
desert was silent and horrible. HIS
body ached. felt thick and clumsy
Then he found the tiny feathereu cart
still clinging to his shoulder Where
they had blown it, the poisoned parp
under the skin. Andrew had been uI-
conscious for hours. Eithna ana Tue
child were gone.
Madly he kicked the camels anu
raced. In the pale far light OF Tue
heavens he thought he could Ioilo"
the tracks of the horses. He was aole
to do so without difficulty, but 1ouhu
To his terror that each rider hau tahen
different direction, radiatlng gu.
from the point of attack. He dlo not
know which to follow. lie was aions'
Sanity left him. The camels whiihpel,
ed and started back the way they i"O
come. :.
Andrew reused from his deIlriuln i,
the hut where his baby Heieh l,e'1
been born. and the familiar bearueu
female was watching him. Fever hau
held him in this hut for many days.
From caravansaries to the south ne ~,
gathered up camels and men anu
horses and provisions and starleu
northward again in search OF ms OWL t,,
Most of the men refused to rue W.
him beyond the trees, into the 1olplt t
den land. Bright-eyed alarm -
ed. although few consented 70 az
company the white man. Sottly me- t,sa,,
inc wind covered their tracks as tneS
went They moved in large irregular
circles. always northward, searching 1s
until they deserted Andrew for mad n.s
man stephen March came to, to III fih 10
wanderings. He pieced out the story =
Andrew could not tell, and gently guiu-