Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-01-12


Mark King awakened to a sensa-
ton of piercing cold. He moved a
little to draw his blankets closer about
him and, as an awaking impression.
found that his strength. even though
slowly, was surely returning to him.
He turned his head, lifting 1t a
trifie; already he had thought of
Gloria, and now he sought her. He
could not see her anywhere; no doubt
she lay In the shadowy dark beyond
the dying fire. He. lay back, staring
up into the gloom above him. 1t was
thinning day was coming or had come
already. A day with sunshinei They
could go out on the crust by the time
that he was able to be about
Gloria was not In the cave. He
sank back. sure of that. Then she had
gone down again for wood. He frowned
and lay staring upward again. Gloria
bringing wood while he lay here like
a log. He grew ~nervously FESTIVE at
the thought 1t was unthinkable that
she should do work like that. Always
he saw her as he had first seen her,
a fragie-looking girl, a girl with sweet
little hands as soft as rose petals. He
must fight to get his strength back, TO
get on his feet again, to save her
from such toll as was no woman's
work In the world, certainly never the
work for a GIRL Nko CIorfo
He heard a sound at the caves
mouth. Gloria was coming back. He
found no words with which to greet
her. but lay very still, waiting for her
to come in.
She set her gun down at first he
wondered at that. Poor little Gloria,
he thought; taking her rifle with her
when she went down for wood, fright
ened and yet strong hearted enough to
go in spite Of fear. She came on, not
to him but to the smoldering Goals.
She had turned toward him. but, no
doubt. thought him still asleep. He
watched her. still knowing that pres
emily she would come, awaiting her
coming. And again he was p~erplexed;
he did not understand why Gloria
walked like that. He had never seen
her walk Sc before; she had always
been so light of foot, so graceful-so
like a ferry creature, scarcely touch
ing the ground. Now her feet dragged:
she CROPPED uncertainty; she was like
one gone suddenly dizzy.
She dropped down by the Goals, her
face In her hands. The light was
bad; he could hardly see her nov. He
heard a sigh that ended in a sob. She
rose. oh. so YEARLY. He saw her
sway as she walked: she was throw
ing wood on the fire. 1t caught; d
flame fiared out; other flames fol-
lowed with their merry cracking and
leaping lights. And now he saw
Gloria's face. 1t was drawn and bag
gard. 1t had been washed with tears;
her eyes looked enormous and I'M
naturally bright. He saw her hair;
1t was in wild disarray, a tumble of
disorder. He saw that she had sacks
wrapped about her tagging feet; that
her clothes were torn, that her sleeves
were ragged, that her arms were COW
cred with long scratchest His first
thought. making his body tense with
anger. was that he had not come In
time to saw her from Brodie's
hands.
What was Gloria doing? Struggling
with something on her back. Some
thing which was tied across her
shoulders. She got 1t free; 1t fell
close to the fire. played over BY the
light of the flames. He craned his
neck and saw it was a great chunk OF
bear meat-he could see bits of the
hide still on It'll
He could not understand. Not vet.
All that he could do was stare at her
and wonder and grope ~confusedly for
the explanation. 1t was clear that
something was wrong with Gloria;
she dropped down by the fire, she
sIumped forward. she lay her face
upon her crossed arms. He could see
the fraiI body shaking-he could hear
her sudden wild sobbing.
The truth came upon him a. last,
dawning slowly. slowly.
Gloria 1t was a gasp of more
than amazement; CONSERVATION was
In his heart. GLORIA 7"
She lifted her head and sat up. He
saw her great wide-open eyes and the
tears gushing from them. She fought
to control herself. a sob In her throat.
She rose and came toward him In
strange, wildly uncertain steps.
MY Cod" he cried hoarsely. "You
went for my bear! You did It,"
She tried to smile at him, and into
his own eyes there broke a sudden
gush of tears.
"You wonderful. wonderful, wonder
full Gloriai" he cried out. "There is
no girl in all the world could have
done that-there is no girl like you"
Her hand was questing his; he
caught IT and gripped 1t with all the
strength In him; he hurt her. and at
last, with the pain. her smile broke
through.
Gloria"