San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-28
{ Continued From Our Last Issue)

CONTINUED From Our Last Issue)
And Boyce Clcndenning set like a
hound upon his trail! She seemed
to feel again the reticehce oil the
riders at Paradise to discuss the
Rustler-remembe the tig ht-lipped
quiet concerning that night at
Hunnewell's.
The main in her heart at Redstar's
loss had been a bagatelle compared to
the black anguish that lay there now
The Black Rustler. Velantrie-thc
slim. the vital, the tender Velantrie
of the sparkling eyes! This, then.
was what he had meant when he had
asked her to "let him go"-was what
Father Hillaire had meant when he
said IF | should tell you something
that would make you less happy
this was the hideous meaning of 1t
all.
And yelantrie himself sat there
with his eyes upon her face and said
not a word. At last she wet her
lips and turned to him-and the man
cursed inwardly at the anguish on
her face
"Tell-me." she said thickly, that
it-is-not true. Deny"
Velantrie turned his gaze from
her and looked out along the plains.
The blue eyes narrowed, the stern
look that the Border knew came
hard about his mouth.
No." he said at last, do not
deny"
Walls face worked and she put out
n trembling hand. Always it seemed
Il, ,oncninncl,- ~
consciously, for this man.
"You-can not?"
He thought a moment.
No" he said. "can not
Her lips were shaking. the tears
were yelling in her dark eyes, all
but spilling over.
Even so" she said, "you are my
man. Goodby."
Without n word Velantrie struck
spurs to the horse beneath him and
shot forth to the hot plain-and
oblivion.
And Val Harmon at the trails
foot laid her face down in Red
clouds name and fell to weeping
the low. deep weeping that comes but
rarely to strong and sustained ma
lures.
CHAPTER XVII.
Bristcn Does Some Thinking.
Many things were brewing in the
rangeland. Among the ranchers the
talk had crystallized into prepared
ness. Meetings had been held, squads
apportioncd for different parts Of the
country under this rancher and that
to patrol and to watch, system Of.
ne..ar 1r f,..fh CT
speech of the plains-agreed upon.
At Santa Leandra. Lolo Sanchez
studied a man with her cunning
eyes ana cast the light of her smiles
that way-and the man was none
other than that huge bulk of laugh
ter and mysterious wealth. Bride
man. Amazed. flattcred out of all
reason. the bearded giant came often
to Leandra and he tied his horse at
Sanchcz's fence, to stand in the
shallow of the cottonwoods and talk
with the girl.
And far in the rugged Businesses
Of the Blind Trail Hills the days
wore By with WEAKNESS. In Red
stars hidden glade the path by the
binding walls was growing deeper,
the top sapling of the inset gate was
thinned and ragged. Haunting long
white fiber banners TO the breeze, for
the stallion never ceased his con-
slant gnawing at the hindcring bars.
As for the king himself. he was lean
with the endless fret. hard as nails
with the everlasting runs abont the
walls, and his eager eyes were hol-
low with despair.
At Paradise the old free life had
passed beneath a shadow, for Val,
the light of the rancho. was dim
with strange depression. There
was no laughter on her lips now. no
pretty tricks delighted the riders
coming in or going out. Instead a
mortal sickness was in her long
dark eyes, tremble was always
just behind her lips.
Belle. the kcenest heart at Para
disc beside her daughters, knew
that something was vastly wrong and
she made one gentle probe to find its
cause.
wal. darling" she said "there's
shadow in your sky. Can you tell
your mother"
And Val. standing by n window in
the twilight, where the fine-leavcd
vine grew thick. saw the crimson
and purple wells waver through her
slow tears.
Its not shadow. Belle, she