Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-11-02
CHAPTER Xl-continued.

1--WE done the service. Only don't
mention pay to me. But there's one
thing I'd like You to know, and 1 find
1t hard to say. Its prompted, maybe
by what l know you think of me and
what imagine your .fnmily and
friends would think if they knew. Its
not prompted by pride or conceit, And
its this: Such a 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, l want YOU to know that all your
wealth and position and inhuence-all
that power behind you-would never
have saved you from hell tonight Only
such a 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 mountaln-side she was
only a woman and he wns simply a
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
was food for thought.
II reckon we'd better start now" he
said, and drew the horse to u large
rock. Come"
Madeline's will greatly exceeded her
strength. For the first time she nc-
knowledged to herself that she had
been hurt. Still, she did not feel much
pain except when she moved her shoul-
der. Once In the saddle, where Stew.
art lifted her, she dropped weakly
The way was rough; every step the
horse took hurt her; and the slope of
the ground threw her forward on the
pommel.
Here is the trail" said Stewart, at
length.
Not far from that point Madeline
swayed, and but for Stewards support
would have fallen from the saddle. She
heard him swear under his breath.
Here. this won't do" he said
'Throw your leg over the pommel
The other one-there."
Then, mounting. he slipped behind
her and lifted and turned her, and
then held her with his left arm SC
that she lay across the saddle and his
knees. her head against his shoulder
AS the horse started into a rapid
walk Madeline gradually lost all pair
and discomfort when she relaxed her
muscles. Presently She let herself q,
and lay inert, greatly TO her relief
For a little while She seemed TO he
half drunk with the gentle swaying OF
hammock. Her mind became at once
dreamy and active, as If 1t thought
fully recorded the slow, soft inpres
sions pouring in from all her senses.
She could not believe the evidence OF
the days happenings. Would any OF
her people, her friends, ever beliey.
it? Could she tell 1t? She reme,n
bered the ghoulish visages of those
starved rebels, and marveled at he,
blessed fortune in escaping them
Stewards arrival In the glade. the
courage with which he had faced the
outlawed men. grew as real to her now
as the iron arm that clasped her. Hat
1t been an instinct which had iinpor
tuned her to save this man when he
lay III and hopeless in the shack al
Chiricahua? In helping him had She
hedged round her forces that had jus,
operated to save her life, or If no,
that. more than life was to her? She
believed so.
A heavy languor, like a blanket. be
gan to steal upon her. She wayered
and drifted. With the last haIf-con
seious sense of a muffied throb at her
ear, something intangibly sweet
deep-toned. and strange. like a distant
calling bell. she fell asleep with her
head on Stewards breast.
VcAA0reR VII