Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-10-26

arm. His swift motions and his silence
gave her hint of how he might meet
more serious emergency She felt
safe. And because of that impression,
when he lifted his head and she saw
that he was pale and shaking, she was
surprised. He stood before her folding
his scarf, which was still wet, and
from which he made no effort to re.
move the red stains.
Miss Hammond" he said, hoarsely.
II was mans hands-a Greaser's fin
gernails-that cut your arm. know
VINO he was. l could have killed him.
But mightnt have got your freedom.
You understand? l didn't dare"
Madeline gazed at Stewart, as
founded more by his speech than his
excessive emotion.
"My dear boy!" she exclaimed. And
then she paused. She could not find
words.
He was making an apology to her
for not killing man who had laid n
rough hand upon her person. He was
ashamed and seemed to be In tor
ture that she would not understand
why he had not killed the man. There
seemed to be something of passionate
scorn in him that he had not been able
to avenge her as well as free her.
Stewart, l understand. You were
being my kind Of cowboy. thank
you"
But she did not understand so much
as she implied. She had heard many
stories of this mans cool indifference
to peril and death. He had always
seemed as hard as granite. Why
should the sight of a little blood upon
her arm pale his cheek and shake his
hand and thlcken his voice? What
was there In his nature to make him
implore her to see the only reason he
could not kill an outlaw? The answer
to the first question was that he loved
her. 1t was beyond her to answer the
second. But the secret of 1t lay In
the same strength from which his love
sprang-an intensity of feeling which
seemed characteristic of these western
men of simple, lonely, elemental lives.
All at once over Madeline rushed n
tide of realization of how greatly 1t
was possible for such man as Stewart
to love her. The thought came to her In
all Its singular power. All her eastern
lovers who had the graces that made
them her equals In the sight of the world
were without the only great essential
that ii lonely hard life had given to
Stewart. Nature here struck Just
balance. Something deep and dim in
the future, an unknown voice, called
to Madeline and disturbed her. And
because 1t was not voice to her In.
teilgence she deadened the ears OF
her warm and throbbing life and de-
cided never to listen.
"ls 1t safe to rest llttle?" she
asked. 81 am so tired. Perhaps Ill
be stronger if rest"
"We're all right now," he said. 81
can get you home by midnight They'll
be some worried down there"
"What happened?'
Nothing much to any one but you
That's the-the hard luck of 1t. Flor.
ence caught us out on the slope We
were returning from the fire. We
were dead beat. But we got to the
ranch before any damage was done
We sure had trouble in finding trace
Of you. Nick spotted the prints of
your heels under the window. And
then we knew. l had to fight the boys
If they'd come after you we'd never
have gotten you without fight, I
didn't want that. l had to rope Monty
Honest, tied him to the porch. Nels
and Nick promised to stay and holt,
him till morning. That was the best
l could do. l was sure lucky to come
up with the band so soon. had fig
ured right. l knew that guerrilla chief
He's bandit in Mexico. It's a bust
ness with him. But he fought for
Madero and l was with him a good
deal. He may be Greaser, but he's
white"
"How did you effect my release?"
81 offered them money. That's what
the rebels all want. They need money
They're lot of poor, hungry devils
Il gathered that you offered to pay
ransom. How much?"
"Two thousand dollars Mex. gave
my word. I'll have to take the money
told them when and where I'd meet
them"
Certainly. I'm glad I've got the
money" Madeline laughed. "What Il
strange thing to happen to me!
wonder what dad would say to that
Stewart. I'm afraid he'd say two thou
sand dollars is more than I'm worth
But tell me. That rebel chieftain did
not demand money!"
} mo. The money is for his men
J We were comrades before Juarez. One
day l dragged him out Of ditch.
reminded him. Then IL told him
something IL thought"
! Stewart, l know from the way he