Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-12-21

huuehHc Stditeu, turned 10 MIN.
and now she saw the earlier Stewart,
the man who reminded her of their
first meeting at El CaJon, of that
memorable meeting at Chricahua.
Il want to ask you something" he
went on. I've been wanting to know
something. That's why I've hung on
here. But now I'm going over-over
the border. And | want to know.
Why did you refuse TO listen to me?"
At his last words that hot shame,
tenfold more sitting than when it had
before Inundated Madeline, rushed
over her, sending the scarlet in wave
to her temples. Biting her lips to
hold back speech. she jerked on Mai
esty's bride. struck him with her
whip, spurred him. Stewards iron arm
held the horse. Then Madeline. in
flash of passion. struck at Stewards
face. missed it. 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 as the
livid mark on his face where the whip
had lashed that quleted, if it 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.
| Ihe 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. surprised
and saddened certainty in his eyes,
saw 1t shade and pass away. Her
| woman's intuition, as keen as her
| sight, told her Stewart in that moment
| had sustained shock of bitter, final
| truth.
For the third time he repeated his
question to her. Madeline did not an
swer; sNe could not speak.
"You don't know love you, do
you?" he continued. passionately.
THAT ever since you stood before me
in that hole at Chiricahua I've loved
you? You can't see I've been another
man, loving you, working for you hv-
ing for you? You won't believe I've
turned my back on the cid wild life,
that I've been decent and honorable
and happy and useful-your kinl of
a cowboy? You couldn't tell, though
loved you. that | never wanted you
to know it, that | never dared to
| think of you except as my angel, my
holy Virgin? What do you know of
maa's heart and soul? How could
you tell of the love, the salvation of
| a man who's lived his life in the ST.
lence and loneliness? Who could teach
you the actual trutl-that a wild cow
| boy, faithless to mother and sister, ex-
cept in memory, riding hard, drunk
en- trail straight to hell, had looked
into the face. the eyes of beautiful
woman infinitely beyond him, above
| him, and had so loved her that he was
saved-that he became faithful again
that he saw her face In every flow.
er and her eyes in the blue heavenf"
Madeline was mute. She heard her
| heart laundering in her ears.
Stewart leaped at her. His power
| full hand closed on her arm. She
trembled. His action prcsaged the
old instructive violence.
"No; but you think lJpt Bonita
In hn tot I'M hot
cretly to meet her. that all the while
served you l was Oh. l know
what you think! know now. l
never knew till l made you look at
me. Now. say 1t! Speak,"
White-hot. blinded, utterly in the
fiery grasp of passion. powerless to
stem the rush of word both shame
full 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
significance 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, a strange action
| for the savage and crude man she
| judged him to be.
But that day at Chiricahua you
spoke of faltt," he burst out. you
said the greatest thing in the world
was faith in human nature. You said
you had faith in me! You made me
have faith in myself"
His reproach, without bitterness OF
scorn, was a lash to her old egoistie
belief in her fairness. She had
preached a beautiful principle that
she had failed to live up to.
"You think am vile" he said. "Tou
think that about Bonita And all tha
time I've been could make
you ashamed-I could tell you-"
His passionate utterance ceased
with snap of his teeth. His lips set
in thin, bitter line. The agitation
of his face preceded concus. We
wrestling of his shoulders.