, 1923-01-14
CHAPTER XXI.
eoatinued from Last sunday)

Dleah WtStSs nau hIlOWn nOtnlnB OF
the storm except as a distant spec
tacle. Tho skirts of the gale haS
set the palm leaves to rafting to-
eether as in ancient staff play. and
the timber towers of the tallest trees
swayed anc shuddered. but not one
of them had fallen nor beer struck
headiess by lightning.
The village was alone. The win
ter visitors had gone inside"-that
- to say, had departed to the cool
seashore at San Diego and Los An.
geles-and the community had
drawn itself together for its long
summer nap.
There was room for the moving.
picture people and Leva LemaIre in
vited Mem to share her room in
one Of the hotel bungalows. The
sun sank early behind the vast bar.
ricade Of the San JacInto chain, ris
ing sheer from the sand and plling
height upon height to the crest 10000
feet in air.
The mountains were blessed now
with a mist Of light that the aerial
prisms gave the effect OF down. The
brutality Of tho sky became grace;
tho stark nakedness OF the place was
here covered with a flesh Of earth,
with grass and flowers. and with
the larger flowers we call trees. Mem
had known the oleander as a tubbed
captive al home. Here It was n
giant. spreading arms in a benedic-
ton OF fragrant shade and dangling
bouquets tina brushed her hair and
caught her hat. Palm trees Of vast
bole hung out umbrellas OF somber
green. Wan cottonwoods held UP
paltd limbs Dropping with fuzs Pep
per trees let their tresses droop.
The ancient and honorable black fig
tree of the famous San Gabriel lii
cage, date palms. roses. flowers, and
shrubs massed. and running wild
about the rambling gardens seemed
miraculous tS Mem. who had almost
forgotten, in the dreary hell OF the
desert, that green things had ever
been invented. and who found her
self walking deeper and deeper into
a reyel OF tropical luxury.
There were indians here. too-the
little company of Cahuillas; one old
buck, with hair as black as tar drip
and as long as his hat brim was
broad, stood Eravely watering holly
hccks with a garden hose; a elump
of broad squaws worked at basket
weaving; darting through the streets
young Indian girls with bobbed hair
flopping and Bingham skirts Tying
bestrode the wide horses Of this VII
lage.
white people rode, too-cowmen
from the ranches beyond-and chill
dren. one hals-naked little girl
bounced along the Lane on a mons
trous horse SO flat of back that she
might as well have been riding a
xalloping plateau. Yet she was chas
ing home a troop of horses as big
as her own.
IT was nsver on q horse." Mem
sighed.
s,You'd better learn to ride" said
Leva Lemaire. cit comes in mighty
handy in this business"
But I'm not going into tho bust
ness!' Mem protested. hardly able
TO push one foot anead of the other.
1--WE had enough for the rest of my
life"
That's what my poor husband
used to say every time he recovered
from a spree. And he never took
another drop-uH he got the first
chance"
But Mem knew better. She was
too tired to eat. She wanted to
lie down and never get up. Leva
guided her to the bungalow and left
her.
Just to be cool, Just to be str,
were paradise now. After a time
n porter brought her her suitcase,
Ieva had managed to find 1t. But
Mem was too weary to change her
clothes. She dropped into a chair
by q window and watched a tiny
boy drive home a few cattle. watch
ed the last red plunage fade on the
breast Of the mountains, watched the
first star suddenly simmer as II a
jewel had been tossed from some
where on the sky. Other stars twin
killed. into being here, there, there,
like the first big drops OF rain. and
soon the whole sky was spattered
with them.
The moon thai had lurke1 in the
blistered air ali day unseen turned
up her lamp and carried It ome
where INTO the sea beyond h shore
OF the horizon: carried the sky with
it star by star. The moon went
reluctantly, but the Milky Way
seemed to CLEAN with added radiance
when she was gone. The lights in
tho homes made stars on earth and
gave companionship to the dreamy
night.
At length Leva came along the
path, a shadow d~etaching itself from
other shadow. She was full OF high
spirits. There had been great hilar-
ity in the dining room of the Desert
Inn. She was still restless and she
urged Mem to come with her and
-. T. A. 49, gprfnra ~ fine indian