The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-10-06

uOW-SlH LUZ SuppOTI, WuIIc SIOIH Va
emotion swayed her. Like retreat
ing wave it rushed away. Stewart
lived. He was free. He had stepped
out into the light. She had saved
him. Life changed for her in that in
slant of realization and became sweet,
full, strange.
Stewart shook hands with some one
in the doorway. Then he looked up
and down the road. The door closed
behind him. Leisurely he rolled
cigarette, stood close to the wall while
he scratched a match. Even at that
distance Madeline's. keen eyes caught
the small flame, the first little puff OF
smoke.
Stewart then took to the middle OF
the road and leisurely began his walk.
Madeline watched him, with pride,
love, pain, glory combating for mas
terry over her. This walk of his SEEM
ingly took longer than all her hours
of awakening, Of strife, of remorse,
longer than the ride to find him. She
felt that it would be impossible for
her to wait till he reached the end OF
the road. Yet in the hurry and riot
of her feelings she had fieeting panics.
She wanted to run to meet him. New
ertheless. she stood rooted to her
covert behind the window, living that
terrible walk with him to the utter
most thought of home, sister, mother,
sweetheart, wife, life itSelf-every
thought that could come to a man
stalking to meet his executioners.
With all that tumult in her mind and
heart Madeline still fell prey to the
incomprehensible variations Of emotion
possible to a woman. Every step
Stewart took thrilled her. She had
some strange, subtle intuition that he
was not unhappy, and that he believed
beyond shadow Of doubt that he was
walking to his death. His steps
dragged a little, though they had be-
gun to be swift. The DID, hard, phys
ical, wild nerve of the cowboy was
perhaps in conflict with spiritual
growth of the finer man, realizing too
late that life ought not to be sacri-
feed
Then the dark CLEAN that was his
face took shape, grew sharper and
clearer. He was stalking now, and
there was a suggestion Of Impotence
in his stride. It took these hidden
Mexicans long time to kill him! At
a point in the middle of the road, even
with the corner of house and OppO-
site to Madeline's position, Stewart
halted stockstill. He presented fair,
bold mark to his executiOners, and he
stood there motionless full moment.
That wait was almost uncomfortable
for Madeline. Perhaps it was only
moment, several moments at the long
est, but the time seemed a year.
Stewards face was scornful, hard.
Did he suspect treachery on the part
of his captors, that they meant to play
with him as cat with a mouse, to
murder him at leisure? Madeline was
sure she caught the old, inscrutable,
hooking smile fleeing across his lips.
He held that position for what must
have been q reasonable time to his
mind, then with laugh and a shrug
he threw the cigarette into the road.
He shook his head as If at the incOm-
prehensible motives of men who could
have no fair reasons now for delay.
He made a sudden violent action
that was more than a Strengthening
of his powerful frame. 1t was the old
instructive violence. Then he faced
north. Madeline read his thought,
knew he was thinking of her, calling
her a last silent farewell. He would
serve her to his last breath, leave her
free, keep his secret. That picture of
him, dark-browed, f1re-eyed, strangely
sad and strong, sank indelibly into
Madeline's heart of hearts.
The next instant he was striding
forward, to force by bold and scorn-
full presence speedy fulfillment of
his sentence.
Madeline stepped into the door,
crossed the threshold. Stewart stag
gered as If indeed the bullets he ex-
pected had pierced him In mortal
wound. His dark face turned white.
His eyes had the rapt stare, the wild
fear IF a man who saw an apparition,
yet who doubted his sight. Perhaps