The Coolidge examiner., 1930-12-12
CHAPT Err ~
a Rendezvous.

NTH -BERESFORD was watch
y ing Barbara SteeIman She was
saddlin2 her pony though wrang
ler was AT hand doing nothing 4
minute before she had rnped the
animal That was like her. She
had self-reliant. Independents;
streak in her. Usually she pre-
ferred TO do her own catching and
cinching. In this case the British
er had offered TO saddle for her ana
also to Join her on the ride, and
she had cOntrived without hurting
his feelings to reject both profferS
The Englishman called to O'Hara
who had just come out of their
hunkhouse. "If you're ready. old
chap. we'll he off" he called
O'Hara was ready. Ten minutes
later they took the trail up the
creek. The wagon road ended nj
the ranch, but ZigZag path was
well defined along the stream They
followed ii out of the park 70 the
rugged hills beyond
Toward noon they separated,
Smith-Beresford working up to-
ward the divide and his companion
taking the shoulder of a bill that
presently brought him above
wooded draw.
O'Ilara dismounted and tied his
horse. Rifle in hand, he crept for
ward through the brush. For he
had heard the sound Of breaking
twigs. There was the chance of
finding a deer feeding in the hill
pocket below.
What he saw was even more
surprising; two saddled horses
grazing among the pines Voices
drifted to him from just below He
was on the bluff and he moved eau
tionsly to the edge of II and looked
down. A woman was talking He
could not at first see her face,
but the figure was slender and
graceful. the voice young and vi
brant, just now passionateIy re-
proachful.
81 don't" she cried. 81 don't. l
don't How could I when you're
$3.50 hateful?'
I'm hateful, am /? But you
love me just the same" A man
laughed. slowly, cOntentedIy. as
though he relished the fact.
That's what you'd like-tO make
me love you anyhow" she went on
resentfully. 1T has to be all take
an no give with you, hasn't it?
I'm just to be another triumph for
you over my father. You want
to take even his own daughter from
him so as to gloat over him. Some
times | hate you for being the kind
of man you are"
The man looked down al ner, his
eyes close TO hers. AN sometimes
you're wild about me for being like
| am. Don't pull on yore picket
pin. Barbara. Be reasonable.
man has 70 play the hand that's
dealt him. I'm not gonna lie down
TO Yves Steelman because he's yOre
dad. You know better than 10 ask
it. Now listen. It'll be like this
when we're married. You'll be Dave
Ingram's wife. won't be Bar
bara SteeIman's husband. I'm no
stray cat for you to drag home
What kind of a man would | be
if | knuckled down to yOre dad be-
cause you asked me to quit an
throw down all my friends? You'd
despise me for it."
81 don't ask that" she cried. "All
want is for you TO let him see
that you're ready to compromise"
NO" he answered harshly. Let
him come to me if ne feels that,
away. Stop this foolishness. girl
Stick to this one thing an chew on
it, that I'm to be yore man an
you're to be my mate. The Bible
says woman is TO leave her fa-
ther an mother an his kin and
cleave to her husband"
You're not my husband. You
never will he if you feel thataway
wouldn't marry you if-if you
were the last man on earth" she
flung passionately at him.
mo sense in sayin' that" He
caught her wrists in his strong
fingers. "What has drawn US to
gether in spite of HI an high Wa
ter? Why do you come TO meet
me, though you always fight an
quarrel against me because I'm like
| am? You come because I'm the
man you want for yOre mate. BE-
cause you get hungry TO see me
mo such thing" she flared Il
s'pOse you think you're so wonder
full that any woman"
CTO BE CONTINUED)