Evening star., 1936-02-23

where under the stars. Strangely
enough she did not think of love.
Another day passed, two, and more,
till nearly week had passed, and
there was nothing but the lowing of
the cattle, the patient plodding of the
horses, the fires at night, to break the
slow monotony. The men were bit
less grave, the tension relaxed. Young
men sang again. The Captain sat
nightly for little while at the Pender-
gast fire. Will Dallas stayed away.
Once Caution caught herself looking
at him where he stood beside the
Hanson wagon and teased the fairest
twin. The freight glimmered on him,
turning the pale fadedness of his buck
skins into shimmering gold and picked
out his face. darker with a young
beard sprouting on it.
That night something happened to
Caution Pendergast that upset the
world for her. shamed her. thrilled her.
filled her with such turmoil as she had
never known.
1t must have been we'll beyond mid
night. for the earth and the skies we're
dark and still with that stiffness which
falls with the miracle of turning from
one day to another, and the girl was
deep in the healthy sleep Of youth and
work well done. She lay on her back
beneath her quilts, her head on its pill
low just back from the rear opening of
the wagon where the canvas was tied
up to catch the summer breeze She
did not dream, but slept as a babe
sleeps, quiet and still. And then into
her dim consciousness, along her veins,
thrill of flame went stealing like a
golden flood. A very drunkenness of
unknown joy seemed to pour itself
within her. and she was awake. Awake
to feel warm breath on her face, to
know close shadow above her in the
end-sheet's opening. to sink downward
beneath the kiss of firm lips on her
own, the brushing of a bearded face
against her cheek.
She opened her mouth to scream
but could not - and the lips we're
gone. the shadow was no longer there,
the stars shone TRANQUILITY outside. The
girl sat up, her hands clutching her
temples, holding her breath, her eyes
dilated. Some one had kissed her! The
hard. hot kiss of passion -- and her
heart was leaping against her ribs
shamelessly!
She started up to cry to her mother
in the wagon ahead, then thought bet
ter of it and lay down, trembling in
every limb. But there was no more
sleep for her that night and the next
morning she was covered with painful
confusion. her eyes still big with won
der and a sharp dismay. Who had
kissed her? In the night - in her bed
oh. shame! And who was party to
that guilty knowledge now? One of
two men she we'll knew, but which?
Whose had been those thrilling lips?
To save her life she could not tell;
the moment had been so short. so be-
wildering. She saw, watching covertly,
Will Dallas mount his tall horse and
lope away into the dim west, his
breakfast of fried bear meat and bread
in his flourishing hand, without look
toward her wagon. She saw Captain,
serene. cautious, marshalling his peo-
pie into their early start, and was no
wiser than before. She drove that day
like one in a trance, her mind busy
with her problem, and she thrilled to
the heavy, golden JOY she had expert
enced last night as she awoke to that
strange kiss. For the first time she lost
sight of the dream of a new land, a
white house in newly planted Or
chard and man like Captain at his
tables head. She felt only the rapture
of adoring lips, the thrill of awaking
love.
ovai R,,t for which p,an7 Che cO,,1d