RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
THE BRANDING IRON
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CHAPTER XIV Continued.
12
Slio only drew gradually Into herself,
Ahrlnking from lier puln and from lilin
'na tlio cnusu of It ; slio only lost licr
glow of love-happiness, her face
jseomed dwindled, Heeuied to contract,
nnd thnt secret look of n wild utiltnnl
rctnmcd to her gray eyes. She ijul
tetly gave up the old regulations of
their life; she did not remind him of
tlio study-hours, the iinialc-limirs, the
hours of wild outdoor piny. Slio rend
'under the firs, alone j she Btudled
'faithfully, nlone; she climbed nnd
(Bwnm, nlone or with his absent
(minded, fitful company ; she worked In
llior gnrden, nlone. At night, when ho
(wbh nsloep. fihe Iny with her hand
'pressed ngnlnst her heart, sturtng at
tho darkness, listening to the night,
wnltlng. She never expressed her
trouble, even to herself. She did not
Blvo It nny words. She took her pain
without wincing, without complaint.
Besides, although sho was Instinctively
waiting, she did not foresee the end.
i It was In Into October when, some
where In tho pile of Prospers mail,
thcro Iny n smnll gray envelop. Joan
drew hln nttchtlon to It, calling It n
"queer little letter," and he took It
up fdowly, as though his deft nnd
nervous fingers had gono numb. Ke
fore h opened It ho looked nt Jonn
nnd, In one sense, It was the last time
ho ever did look nt her; for nt thnt
moment his stnrk spirit looked straight
Into hers, acknowledging Its guilt, nnd
bnde her n muto nnd remorseful fare
well. Ho rend nnd Joan wntched. Ills fnco
grew polo nnd bright as though some
electric current hnd been turned Into
bill veins; his eves, looking up from
the writing, but not returning to her,
tir.d the look given by somo drug
n-fcSeh In meant to stupefy, bnt which
tnken In nn overdose Intoxicates. He
turned nnd mndo for tho oor, hold
ing tho little gray folded pnper In bis
band. On the threshold ho bnlf faced
lier without lifting his eyes.
"I hnvo had extraordinary news,
Jonn. I shnll hnvo to go off nlone nnd
think things out. I don't know when
I Rhnll get back." Ho went out and
nhut tho door gently.
Jonn stood listening. She heard hlrn
go alone the passage nnd through the
socond door. She heard his feet on
tho mountnln trail. Afterward she
went out and stood between the two
sentinel (Irs thnt had marked the en
trance to thnt snow-tunnel long since
tysnppoarcd. Now It was a late Oc
tober day. bright as a bared sword.
The flowers of tlio Indlnn paint-brush
burned like red candle flnmes every
where under the flrs, tho flre-wced
blnzed, the aspen leaves were laid like
little golden tiles ngalnst tho metallic
blue of the sky. Tho high penk point
ed up dizzily nnd down, down dlzr.tly
Into tho clear emptiness of tho Inke.
ThlH great peak stood there In the
glittering stillness of tho day. A
grouse boomed, but Joan wns not
startled by tho sudden rush of Its
wings. Sho felt tho shnrp weight of
thnt silent mountnln In her heart; sho
'might hnvo been burled under It. So
he felt It nil dny while- sho worked,
a despcrnte, bright day hideous In
Iher memory nnd nt night sho Iny
.waiting. After hours longer thnn any
lother hours, tho door of her bedroom
opened nnd nn oblong of moonlight, nB
,whlto nB pnper, fell across tho matted
floor. Prosper stepped In noiselessly
and walked over to her bed. Ho stood
a moment nnd sho henrd him swallow.
"you're awake, Joan?"
Her eyes wcro staring up at him,
but sho Iny still.
'Listen, Jonn." no spoko In Bhort
Bontences, wnltlng between ench for
Borno comment of hers which did not
come. "I shnll hnvo to go nwny to
morrow. I shall havo to go nway for
porno time. I don't wnnt you to bo
unhappy. I want you to stay hero for
n whllo If you will, for so long ns you
wnnt to stay. I am leaving you plenty
of money. I will write nnd explain It
nil very clearly to yon, I know that
you will understand. Listen." Hero
ho knelt and took her hands, which ho
found lying cold and stilt undor tho
cover, pressed ngalnst her heart. "I
hnvo made you happy hero In this
llttlo house, haven't I, Joan?"
Sho would not answer oven this ex
cept by tho merest flicker of her eye
lids, "You have trusted mo; now trust
mo n llttlo longer. My life 1b very
complicated, This benutlful year
with you, tho year you havo given to
mo, b Just n tomporary respite- from
from nil sorts of things, I've taught
you n great deal, Joan. Vvo healed
tho wound thnt brute tnndo on your
nhouldor nnd In your henrt. I've
taught you to bo beautiful, Fvo tilled
your mind with beauty, Yon are it
wonderful woman, You'll llvo to be
grateful to mo. Somo day you'll tell
mo so,"
Her qulot, rurved lips moved. "Are
you tollln' mo good-by, Prosper?"
It was Impossible to lie to her. He
bent IiIh head,
"Yen, Joan."
"Then tell It quick and go out and
lonvo mo hero tonight."
It was Impossible to touch her, She
might havo been wrnppod In white lire,
Ho found Ihtrt though sho bad not
tlrrod a flngt, his hand shrunk nway
from hon, Ho got In his foot, all tho
elovomoHH which all dny long ho had
boon weaving like a silk net to catch,
to bowlldor, fo draw away her brain
from Uio anguish of full comprehen
sion, WW Mrtveled, Ho stood and
stnrod helplessly nt her, dumb bh n
youth, And, obedient, he vnt out nnd
Bhut tho floor, taking th wMto patch
of mooallgbt with him,
Bo Jonn, having wnlted, behind on
ebfitlnntely lecked door, for his do-
By
Katharine Newlin Burt
Copyright by Katharine N. Hirt
parturo, enmo out nt noon and found
herself In the small, gay house alone.
She sat In one of tho lacquered
chairs and saw after h long while that
tho Chinaman was InoKlng nt her.
Won Ho, It seemed, liiJ been given
Instructions. H was to stay and take
care of the house and the lady for as
long as she wanted It, or him. After
ward he was to lock up the house and
go. Ho bunded her n large and bulky
envelope, which Joan took und let llu
In her lap.
"You con go tomorrow, Wen Ho,"
she said.
"You no wnlt for Mr. Oael to como
back? He say ho come hack."
"So. 1 am not going to wait. I
guess" hero Joan twisted her mouth
Into n smile "I'm not one of the wait
ing kind. I'm n-golug back to my own
rnncb now. It won't seem so awful
lonesome, perhaps, as I was thinking
Inst spring thnt It would."
Sho touched tho envelope without
looking nt It.
"Is this money, Wen Ho?"
"I tlnk so, lady."
She held It, unopened, nut to him.
"I will give It to you, then. I hnvo
no need of It."
She stood up.
"I nm going out now to climb up
this mountnln hnck of tho house so's I
enn see Just where I am. I'll come
Joan Shrank Back Into the Shadows
of tho Pines.
down tonight for dinner nnd tomorrow
nfter breakfast I'll bo going nwny.
You understand?"
"Lady, you menn give mo nil this
money?" bnbbled tho Chlnnman.
"Yes," said Joan gravely; "I hnve
no need of It."
Sho went past him with her swing
ing step.
Sho wns coming down tho mountain
stde thnt evening, very tired, but with
tho curious, peaceful stillness of henrt
that comes with on entire acceptance
of fate, when she beard tho sound of
horses' hoofs In tho hollow of the
ennyon. Her henrt began to beat to
suffocation. Sho ran to where, stand
ing near a big fir tree, sho could look
straight down on tho trnll lending up
to Prosper's cabin. Presently the
horseman camo In sight tho one that
rodo first was tnll nnd broad and fair,
sho could see under his hnt-brtm his
straight nose nnd firmly modeled chin.
"Tho Bln-buster I" said Joan; then,
looking nt tho other, who rode boblntl
him, sho caught at tho tree with
crooked hands and began to sink
slowly to her knees. Ho was tall nnd
slight, ho rode with Inimitable graco.
Ah sho stared, ho took off his som
brero, rested bis hand on the saddle
horn, nnd looked haggardly, eagerly up
the trail toward the bouse. Ills face
was whiter, thinner, worn by pro
trncted mental pain, but It wns the
benutlful living fnco of Pierre.
Joan Bbrnnk bnck Into tho shndows
of tho (lines, crouched for n few min
utes llko n mortally wounded beast,
then ran up tho niountnln-sldo as
though the tiro that had onco touched
her shoulder had eaten Us way nt lust
Into her heart.
Book Two: The Estray
CHAPTER t
A Wlldcttt.
Tho I.azy-Y ranch-house, n one
storied building of logs, was built
about three sides of a paved court.
In tho middle of this court stood a well
with it high rustle top, and about this
well on a certain brilliant July night.
n tall man was strolling with bis
hands behind bis back, It was a night
of full moon, nulling high, which
poured whltwienH Into tho court, milk
ing llti cobbles embedded In tho earth
look llko milky bubbles and drawing
clear-cut shadows of tho well-top and
tlio gables and chimneys of the bouse.
Tho iiuin Blowty circled tho court, be
ginning cliihit to the walls mid nar
rowing till ho made a loop about the
well, and then, reversing, worked In
widening orbits us far as the walls
again, Ills wife, looking out at him
through ono of tho windows, thought
thut, tn tho moonlight, followed by his
a HNS mt
own squnr, active shadow, lie looked
llko a huge spider weaving it wl.
This effect was heightened by the fnct
that be never looked up. He wns deep
In some plan to which It wns Impos
sible for her not to believe thnt tho
curious pattern of his walk bore some
relation.
From tho northern wing of the ranch
bouse, strongly lighted, came a tumult
of sound: "music, thumping feet, u
man's voice chanting couplets:
Oh, you walk rlnht throuRh and you
turn nrouml nnd hwIiik tho i;lrl
tli.it finds ynu,
And you como rlht back by the samn
old track and turn the girl behind
you.
Someone was directing n qundrnio
In native fashion. There was much
laughter, confusion and applause.
None of this noise disturbed the mnn.
He did not look nt the lighted win
dows, He might really have been a
gigantic Insect entirely unrein ted to
tho human crenturcs so noisily near
nt hand.
A man enmc round tho corner of
the house, crossed the square, nnd,
lurching n little, made for the door
of tho lighted wing. Shortly after his
entrance the sound of music nnd danc
ing abruptly stopped. This stillness
gave the spider pause, but he was
about to renew bin wcnvlng, when, In
the silence, n womnn spoke.
"You, Mabel, don't you go homo,"
she said.
She had no, spoken loudly, but her
voice bent against the walls of the
court as though It could have tilled
the wlmlo moonlight night with dan
genius beauty. Tho listener outside
lifted his bead v ttli a low, startled
exclamation. Suddenly tho world was
nllve with adventure mihI alarm.
"Mind your own business, you wild
cat," answered u man's raucous voice.
"She's my wife, which Is somethln'
thnt your sort knows nothln' about.
Como on, you Mabel. If you think
that outlaw can keep me from tnkln'
homo my wife, you're betting wrong."
Another silence; then the voice
again, n little louder, ns though the
speaker had stepped out Into the cen
ter of the room.
"Mnbel Is not n-goln' home with
you," It said; and the listener outside
threw back his head with the gesture
of n man sensitive to music who lis
tens to some ecstatic melody. "She
happens to be stoppln' hero with us
tonight. You say that she's your wife,
but that don't mean thnt she belongs
to you, body nnd soul, P.I11 Greer not
to you, who don't possess your own
body or soul. Why, you can't keep
your feet steady; you can't pull your
hand away from mine. You can't bold
your tipsy eyes on mine. Do you cnll
thnt nwnln' your own body?"
A deep, short, alarming chorus of
laughter Interrupted the speech. The
speaker evidently had her audience.
"So you don't own anything tonight."
went on the extraordinary, deliberate
voice; "surely you don't own Mabel.
You enn't get n clnlm on her. not
tbntnway. She's her own. She be
longs to her own self. When you're
fit to take her, why, then come nnd
tell us about It, nnd If we Judge you're
n-tcllln' us tho truth, mebbe we'll let
her go. Till then" n pause which
wns tilled with n rnpld shuflllno; of
feet. Tho door flew open nnd In Its
lighted oblong the observer snw a
huddled figure behind which rose n
womnn's black nnd shapely head.
"Till then," repented the deep-toned,
ringing voice, "get out!" And the
huddled man enme on n staggering nm
which ended In n bnckwnrtl fall on
the cobbles of the court.
Tho mnn who wntched trod lightly
pnst him nnd enme to the open door.
Inside, tlrellght beat on the golden log
walls and salmon-colored timber cell
ing; a lamp hanging from a beam
threw down n strong, conflicting arc
of white light. A dozen brown-faced,
booted young men stood about, throe
musicians were ready to take up tln'Ir
Interrupted music, the little fat man
who hud called out the figures of the
quadrille stood on n barrel, his anus
folded across his paunch. A fair-hatred
girl, her face marred by recent tears
drooped near him. Two of IV young
men were murmuring reassurances to
her; others surrounded a stout. rod
faced girl who was laughing and talk
ing loudly. The Jew's eyes wandered
till they enme to the flrorluro. There
another woman leaned ngalnst the
Willi.
Tho music struck up, the dnncltrg
began again, the two other girls, quick
ly provided with partners, began to
waltz, the superfluous men stood up
together and went at It with gravity
and grace. No one asked this womnn,
who stood lit eus'e, wutchlng the danc
ers, her hands resting on her hips,
her head tilted back against the logs.
As ho looked at her, the Intruder had
u queer little thrill of fright. He tt
membered something lie hud onco
seenit tame panther which was to bo
used In some moving-picture play. Its
confident owner had led It on u chain
nnd held It negligently In a corner of
the room, waiting for his cue. The
panther had stood there drowsily. Its
eyes shifting n .Vtle, then, wntchlug
people. Its Inky head bad begun to
niovi from side go side, lie leniein
bered the way tin. loo-e chain Jerked.
The aiilinars eyes naif closed, ((w
ered Its bead, Its i.upor Up began to
draw away from Iik teeth. All nt
J once It bail dioppen on Its belly.
Someone cried out. "iioki vour neusi ."
(TO HR CONTJNt'KD)
Danish Fern
flood work can onl. be done by
people who hnve nbollBhed fear; sub
lime thoughts come only ns wc put
fear behind. KHbert Hubbard,
..
HATS OF SILVER AND GOLD
'TPIIK efforts of designers, In nil man-
nor of costumes, ut present, seems
to be to achieve the greatest degree of
simplicity and still advance novelties
In trimming mid materials. The early
tendency toward Intricate lines nnd
'rapes bus iippnrently been put aside
in fnvor of the straight silhouette,
the very long skirt giving wny to
unkle lengths or even shorter styles.
Naturally, with these restrictions, the
novelty of each costume must depend
on Its material, Its color or Its trim
ming, but there Is such n vurlcty In
these thnt the designers do not luck
DRESSES WITH
means to work with nnd new fashions
do not Buffer because of their uni
formity In outline.
In the Illustration two new dresses
nre shown that display a great deal of
individuality, though their lines nre
almost identical. The dress at the
left Is of georgette with u woven de
sign of chenille which gives n bro
caded effect. The draped Mecve fas
tens nt the shoulder nnd elbow with
tiny bows of velvet ribbon nnd n huge
velvet poppy Is posed nt the waist
line. There is u slight drnpe to the
skirt, which fulls In two points ut the
side.
The model shown nt the light Is
made of blue georgette crepe nnd has
HATS OF SILVER AND GOLD
nu embroidered design In silk nnd
metallic threads of blue and silver.
The treatment of thu collar and of tho
skirt Is particularly Interesting, the
skirt being plaited to form panels
over tho hips and encircled with roses
mndo of tho crepe.
All Is not gold thnt glitters on
winter lints, but If not gold then
It Is silver or Jewels, Jet or brocage,
because to be fashionable It seems
there must bo a glitter to the. hut In
eW
some form or other. In the group of
dressy small hats shown here, encb
model boasts the sheen of metal.
If a hat Is of velvet n most nttrnc
tlve trimming Is gold luce, such ns or
naments the hat at the top of the
group. This model Is of green velvet
nnd is further ornamented with n bril
liant gold pin. The hat ut the right is
of silver cloth with crown and upper
brim of black velvet. The little cloche
shape at the left shows the Influence
of the Chinese fnshlon tn Its decora
tion, which takes the form of n con
ventional Chinese design In gold em-
NOVEL TRIMMIN
broidery. A narrow gold ribbon
fa
useti as a nanu about the crown.
The Jeweled mode makes Its bow In
the little hat shown below, nt the right
In this model Jeweled pins nre used
against n background of heavy corded
cloth of gold. The sectional crown la
also piped with the sumo gold material.
The hat shown below Is nn attractive
off-the-faco model, In which the trim
ming takes the fonn of gold stitching
over the entire crown and brlnS? The
tubs nt the sides nre finished with
loops of gold beads.
Metallic brocades and all metal hnta
are very popular for evt'nlng wear.
Sometimes the metal cloth combines
two colors, such ns gold nnd blue or
silver and purple. Materials of thin,
kind nppear to the best advantage la
little oriental wrapped turbans,
trimmed with n simple ornament o
celluloid or Jewelp.
&. 1923, Weitarn Nawipaper Union.)
To Avoid Spotting Furniture,
Pluco u piece of waxed pnper a
llttlo larger than vase or Jurdlniero
under centerpiece or dolly used, nnd
this keeps any molsturo from going
through to furniture. Sometimes u
few drops of water will bo unnoticed
and a spot appears on your tublo.
Talto it home to
the kids.
Havo a packet in
your pocket for on
ever-rcady treat.
A delicious confeo-
SSI
lion and an aid (
tho loclh, appcliti,
digestion.
Sealed in its
Purity Pack
Mice nnd conclusions lire not synony
mous, yet women Jump nt both.
MOTHER! GIVE SICK CHILD
"CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP"
Harmless Laxative for a Bilious,
Constipated Baby or Child.
Constlpnted, bil
ious, feverish, or
sick, colic Baliies
and Children love
to take genuine
"Cnllfornln Fig
Syrup." No other
laxative regulates &
the tender little Ati
bowels so nicely.
It sweetens the
stomach nnd
starts the liver and bowels acting with
out griping. Contains no nnrcotlcs ot
soothing drugs. Say "California" to
your druggist and avoid counterfeits t
Insist upon genuine "Cullfornlu Fig
Syrup" which coiftoins directions.
Advertisement.
Sometimes n man's sins find him out
but generally It's his wife.
Cutlcura for Sore Hands.
Soak hands on retiring In the hot suds
of Cutlcura Soap, dry and rub In Cu
tlcura - Ointment. Ketnovo surplus
Ointment with tissue paper. This It
only one of the things Cutlcura will do
if Soap, Ointment and Talcum nre used
for nil toilet purposes. Advertisement.
Only the magician's wife doesn't
care if her husband Is tricky.
A Safe and Sure Laxative
IJrnndreth Pills. One or two taken nt
bed time will keep you In good condi
tion. Entirely vegetable. Adv.
Take the milk route to benlth.
HISSHi
a 1 4B -
fwomm
tiave done
nALllIHIET
0 T ... nnuflFR
and aependable
it never pq
any of iHe in
rir edienU ued
Snbafceday
(6
o
BEST
BY
TEST
IGP0
own"'
Sates2 times asmuchas
tliatofanyotherlxanct
uiilix. ,Vj; ills lur liuutclinlit article, Munuy
maker. 1'rutectn health; uuoful as needle:
Beceanry a bronj. llox S, Trenton, Neb
W. N. U., LINCOLN, NO. 46--1923.
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