Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-08-03

But tell me. That rebel chieftain did
not demand money!"
"No. The money is for his men.
We were comrades before Juarez. One
day | dragged him out Of ditch. I
reminded him. Then II told him
something II thought"
Stewart, l know from the way he
looked at me that you spoke of me.
heard Don Carlos name several times.
That interests me. What have Don
Carlos and his vaqueros to do with
| this?"
That Greaser has all to do with It,"
replied Stewart, grimly. "He burned
his ranch and corrals to keep us from
getting them. But he also did 1t to
draw all the boys away from your
home. They had deep plot, all right.
left orders for some one to stay with
you. But Al and Stillwell, who're both
hot-headed, rode off this morning.
Then the guerrillas came down."
"Well, what was the idea-the plot
as you call it?"
ITO get you" he said, bluntly.
"Mel Stewart, you do not mean my
capture-Whatever you call twas
anything more than mere accident"
II do mean that. But Stillwell and
your brother think the guerrillas want
ed money and arms, and they just hap
pened to make off with you because
you ran under horses nose"
"You do not incline to that point Of
view"
II don't. Neither does Nels nor Nick
Steele. And we know Don Carlos and
the Greasers. Look how the vaqueros
chased Flo for you p
"What do you think, then?"
"Td rather not say. Once heard
Nels say he'd seen the Greaser look at
you, and If he ever saw him do 1t
again he'd shoot him."
'Why, Stewart, that is ridiculous
To shoot a man for looking at a wom-
an! This is a civilized country"
"Well, maybe it would be ridiculous
in civilized country. There's some
things about civilization I don't care
for"
"What, for instance?"
For one thing, can't stand for the
way men let other men treat women"
"But, Stewart, this Is strange talk
from you, who, that night I came"
She broke off, sorry that she had
spoken. His shame was not pleasant
to see. Suddenly he lifted his head,
and she felt scorched by flaming eyes.
Suppose I was drunk. Suppose
had met some ordinary girl. Suppose
had really made her marry me. Don't
you think I would have stopped being
q drunkard and have been good to
herr"
"Stewart, do not know what to
think about you" replied Madeline.
Then followed short silence Made
line saw the last bright rays Of the set
ting sun glide up over distant crag.
Stewart rebrldled the horse and looked
at the addle-girths.
II got off the trail. About Don Car
los I'll say right out, not what Nels
and Nick think, but what know. Don
Carlos hoped to make off with you for
himself, the same as If you had
been poor peon slave-g1rl down In
Sonora. Maybe he had deeper plot
than my rebel friend told me. Maybe
he even went so far as to hope for
American troops to chase him. The
rebels are trying to stir up the United
States They'd welcome intervention.
But, however that may be, the Greaser
meant evil to you, and has meant 1t
ever since he saw you first. That's
ALL"
Stewart, you have done me and my
family service we can never hope to
repay"
1--WE done the service. Only don't
mention pay to me- But there's one
thing I'd like you to know, and find
1t hard to say. It's prompted, maybe,
by what l know you think Of me and
what / imagine your family and
friends would think If they knew. It's
not prompted by pride or conceit. And
it's this: Such woman as you should
never have come to this Godforsaken
country unless she meant to forget
herself. But as you did come, and as
you were dragged away by those dev,
lis, want you to know that all your
wealth and position and infiuence-all
that power behind you-would never
have saved you from hell tonight. Only
such man as Nels or Nick Steele or
could have done that"
Madeline Hammond felt the great
leveling force Of the truth. Whatever
the difference between her and Stew
art, or whatever the imagined differ
ence set up by false standards Of class
and culture, the truth was that here
On this wild mountain-side she was
only woman and he was simply q
man. 1t was a man that she needed.
and If her choice could have been con-
sidered in this extremity 1T would
have fallen upon him who had just
faced her in quiet, bitter speech. Here
was food for thought.
II reckon we'd better start now," he
said, and drew the horse to a large
rock. "Come"
Madeline's will greatly exceeded her
For the first time she ac- |