The Arvada enterprise., 1924-03-20

I that he was aware OF her scrutiny.
| His eyes looked through his surround
ings to Joun. He saw her In every
pose and In every look In which he
had ever seen her. and. with very
sick and frightened heart. he saw her,
at the last, pass by him In her fur
coat, throwing him that half-contemp-
tuOus look and smile. She didn't
know him. Was he changed so great
ly? Or was the change in her so enor-
nous that It had dlsassOciated her
completely from her old life, from
him? He kept repeating to himself
HOlliwell's stern. ndmonishins speech :
However changed for the worse she
may be when you do find her, Pierre.
you must remember that 1t is your
fault your sin. You must not Judge
her, must not dare TO judge her. Judge
yourself Condemn yourself It is for
her to forgive If she can bring her
| self TO do it."
So now Pierre fought down his sus.
picions and his fears. He had not
recognized Prosper. The man who
had come in out OF the white night,
four years ago, had worn his cap low
over his eyes, his collar turned up
about his face, and, even at that,
| Pierre, in his drunken stupOr, had not
been able to see him very clearly.
This Prosper Gael who had stood be-
hind the foOtlights, this Prosper Gael
at whom Joan, for some unknown
cause, had sprung like woman mad
dened by injury. was n person entirely
strange to Pierre. But Pierre hated
him. The man had done Joan some
insunferable mischief which at the last
had driven her beside herself. Pierre
put up hand, pressing 1t against his
eyes. lie wanted to shut out the
picture OF that struggling girl with her
torn dress and the double scar across
her shoulder. II it hadn't been for the
scar he would never have known her
his Joan, his gentle. silent Joan
What had they been doing to her to
change her so? No, not they. He.
He had changed her. He had branded
her and driven her out 1t was his
fault. He must try to find her again,
to find the old Joan--if she should
live. The doctor had said that she
was desperately Ill. o God! What
was keeping him so long? Why didn't
he come?
The arrival OF the trained nurse
distracted Pierre for a few moments
| She went past him in her gray cloak
very quiet and earnest. and the ele
vntor lifted her out OF sight.
"Were you In the theater tonight p
asked the girl ut the desk. seeing that
he was temporarily aware Of hel
again.
"Yes. ma'am."
She was puzzled by his appearance
and the fashion Of his speech. He mus,
be a gentleman. she thought. for hi.
bearing was gentle and assured ant
unself conscious. but he wore hi.
clothes differently and spoke differ
emily from other gentlemen.
That "Yes. maam." especially dis
turbed her. Then she remembered &
novel she had read and her mIni
Jumped to "a conclusion. She leanet
forward.
"Sny. aren't you from the West?"
"Yes. ma'nm."
"You weren't ever cowboy, wer,
yOu?"
Pierre smiled. ayes. ma'am. wn,
raised In II cow-camp. was cowbO,
till about seven years agO when I tool
to ranchin'."
| "Where was that?"
"Out In Wyoming"
| "And you've come straight from
there to New York;" She pronounced
1t moo Yoik."
"No. ram. I've been In Alasky fo
two years now. I've been In lumber
camp"
Gee. That's reni Interesting. An,
you knew Miss West before she CAM
East. them"
"Yes. mn'am." But there was q sub
tie change In PIerre's patient voic'
and clear. unhappy eyes. 30 that tn
girl fell to humming and bottled VI
her curiosity. But just as soon ms h
began to brood again she gave up he
whole mind to staring ut him. Gee
lie was brown nnd strong and thin
And n Good.looker! She wished tina
she had worn her transformation thn
evening and her blue blouse. H.
might have taken more interest In her
A stout. buld.hendc man. bag Il
hand. stepped out OF the elevator. an,
Pierre rippIed to his feet.
Are you the doctor?"
"ies. oh. you're the gentleman VIII
wanted To see Miss West. She's com,
pletely doesn't know anyone
Can you step ont with me?"
(TO BE cONTISuED)