Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-12-29
~ |2E: jAlCOCK FEATHERS
EzssAlkCYSsss @N7en7p/e Bailey O.
~ Temple BaXey
COPYRIGHT; RELEASED BY CENTRAL PRESS ASSOCIATION

possible excuse. "I>have beas,..
headache. Would you mind very
much if we had lunch in our
room 2"
A shadow fell across her face,
but she managed to say, cheerful
ly, "Of course We'll have tiff
you'd rather"
My mood changed in a moment.
I decided recklessly to take the
chance. If the thing was to be, it
would be. Why try to hide? "I'll
rest a bit, and see what happens"
I told her, ct don't want to spoil
our day."
We went down, finally, to the
dining room. We were late, and
most of the guests had eaten and
gone. had little appetite, but
Mimi was hungry, and enjoyed the
really delicious food. She was as
gay as you please and talked and
sparkled. I responded as best
could. To people at the other
tables we must have seemed at our
ease and carefree. And how could
they know that the sight of every
tall man who entered the room
drained the blood from my face
and made my heart beat madly? I!
Tt was not until we were a mile
or two away from the hotel that I
drew quiet breath. Mimi insisted
on driving the car back, and I did
not protest. My nerves were
shaken, but that was not the rea-
son let her drive. I had feeling
that in keeping her eyes on the
road she might miss seeing, clear
ly, anyone who passed.
Nothing happened on the way
home, but knew the blow would
fall, and it did. Three days later
we were riding up the trail towards
the lake in the cup of the noun
tains. The ascent was steep, but
our ponies knew every inch of it.
They stepped carefully, and took
what seemed almost insurmount-
able hazards with an air of lazy &C
customedness. 1t is impossible to
give in words the charm of that
high countryside wine of the air,
the perfume of sun-warmed ever
greens, the color and contrast of
golden aspen and gray rocks, the
emerald shadows of the wooded
spaces.
We came at last to a plateau,
where our horses rested. From
this height we could survey the
trail below. We could see the
faint line of it, lost here and there
among the trees, but emerging al
ways in zig-zag descent towards
the valley. Not a soul was in
sight. I lifted Mimi from her
horse, and held her in my arms.
''This is our world, my dearest.
Say that you love me, Mimi"
She said it. She seemed all mine
in that moment. My doubts fled.
She was mine, no one could take
her from me -.
We had brought our lunch with
us, and when I brought it from
our bags, I saw that Mimi was
again staring down the trail.
There's someone coming up,",
she told me.
I crossed the intervening space
and stood beside her. Far down a
horseman was ascending. He wore
a broad hat, which, at that dis
lance, gave the effect of an ami.
mated mushroom as it bobbed up
and down. AS he came nearer we
caught the "tic-tac" Of his horses
hoofs on the loose rocks. Then we
saw his lacquered boots glisten in
the sun. He rode in the English
style, and lacked the swinging
grace which makes the cowboy the
centaur of the plains.
Higher he came, and higher. I
was aware of the horseman's
height, of his length of limb. Then
suddenly my breath seemed to
leave me! I knew who it was.
The thing had happened! Here
was the man whose name had been
scrawled on the register. Andy
Fuller was riding up the trail!
(TO Be Continued)