The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-07-13

Once again the cold fear shot
through Sonya as she turned and rode
out across the desert at his side.
At lift In the dark sage levels
Starr Stone stopped and held out his
hand.
Il have reprieve," he said simply,
for certain length of time. I'll be In
this country for its duration. Do you
mind If | keep-coming back-while
it lasts"
"Oh," the girl said with sudden
catch in her voice, you break my
hearth What Is all this? What is it?"
"Life's mistake-its sins-and PEN
alties," he answered lowly; "its grasp
ing at straws, its compensations. May
come If I'm careful?"
"Come" cried Sonya. "Any time
any placer
And, wheeling Darkness, she rode
swiftly away to hide the sobs that
shook her.
She came in late at home. Serge
and Babs had long been asleep, but
Lila waited In the dark patio, rocking
slowly in the fringed hammock. They
exchanged low spoken words and went
together into the silent house.
AS Lila struck a light she looked
across its tiny flame at Sonya.
You've seen him." she said.
"Yes. At Tall canyon"
That was all and the two women
went their ways on soft feet.
That meeting in the dusk at Tall
canyons lip was the beginning Of a
strange and pregnant time. Two days
later Sonya, wringing hot cloths from
steaming water-basket on a hogan's
sandy floor, looked up as a shadow
darkened the doorway to the east.
Starr Stone stood there leaning his
graceful length against the Intel.
SIS there anything needing to be
done that husky man can do?" he
asked soberly water to bring, wood
to get?"
Plenty" said the girl quickly.
Both of those. Every one in this FAM
~ is down except the two littlest chill
dren"
Without a word the man turned and
disappeared, and presently he was
back with two baskets of water. He
set them inside the door and went
away again, returning later with great
quantities of the bleached and stray
gly dead wood of the juniper scrub
which clothed the uplands here. He
replenished the outside fire where
Sonya had been heating her stones for
the water-baskets, set the latter in to
heat again, poured fresh water into
the basket at her elbow.
Anything to eat about?" he asked
practically.
"Very little. There was mutton two
days back, but the mans down and
the woman, too, and the last went bad
on me. carry cereals, but I'm nearly
out of those"
20. K.," he said briefly. "Tll fix
that"
Sonya went on about her ministra-
tons, and in the course Of an hour he
was back with the dressed carcass Of
a freshly slaughtered sheep. With
out comment he put small pieces to
cook.
"This will do nicely" he said when
Sonya came out of the hogan. "Pve
hung the meat in the tallest scrub I
could find back Of the corral. Wrapped
1t in a couple of sacks. It's in good
shade and should cool out all right.
What next?
Nothing" she said. "But this is
priceless"
And when, two hours later, Sonya
rode out across the hot sage levels,
Starr Stone rode beside her on his
golden horse.
"There's no one hereabout but Nava-
jos, and they're few and far apart"
he said. Il think we won't be seem"
"And what if we are?" the girl asked
YEARLY. "Why should it matter?"
1--WE won't be. And you may need
me where you're going, like you did
back there"
"Oh, 1 will. Conditions are pitiful in
nearly all these lonely places. No wa
ter-no food-no wood. Everybody too
i'll to get them"
"And what have you been doing
about it?" he asked curiously.
Getting them myself, wherever 1
could" she answered, "but it's beyond
me now. There's so much to do, so
many sick. I've buried three people
myself"
She looked at him with haggard dark
eyes in her worn young face, and the
man looked quickly away.
whats the government agency do
ing?" he asked. what about the
schools? Haven't they got doctorsT
"Of course. But they've got their
hands full in their own vicinity.
We're so far away here-on the very
edge of the Reservation, you know.
But won't give up a single one OF
them without fight and the best one
I can put up"
When they passed the spot at the
canyons lip where they had met in the
dusk, Starr Stone reached over and