RED CLOUD. NEBRASKA. CHIEF
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The Light of Western Stars
"DUTYOU'RENOTHOROUGHDRED. MAJESTY HAMMOND, ADIOS1"
For a moment Madeline sal on her horse wilh shut eyes. She
dreaded the light.
"Xow you can't say you've never been kissed," Stewart said.
His voice seemed a long nay off. "ljut thai was coming to you, so
he game. Herd"
' She felt something hard and cold and metallic thrust into
her hand. He made her (lingers close over it, hold it. The feel of
the thing revived her. She opened her eyes. Stewart had given her
his gun. lie stood with his broad breast against her knee, and she
looked up to sec that old mocking smile on his face.
"Go ahead! Throw my gun on me! Ik a thoroughbred I"
Madeline did not yet grasp his meaning.
"Von can put me down in that quiet place on the hill beside
Monty Price."
Madeline dropped the gun wilh a shuddering cry of horror,
''lie sense of his words, the memory of Monty, the certainty that
she would kill Stewart if she held the gun an instant longer, tor
lured the self-accusing cry from Iter.
Sir wart stopped to pick up the, weapon.
. "You might have saved me a hl of a lot of trouble," he said,
with another flash of the mocking smile. "You're beautiful and
sweet and proud, but you're no thoroughbred! Majesty Hammond,
ti 1 OS.'
A bit tetnpeituout? Well, rather, but it's only one dramatic aitua
tion in a red-blooded itory of the cnttle range near the Mexican border.
There are other a-plcnty. Madeline Hammond owns "Her Mnjesty'a
Ranchn" and Stewart it her foreman. She is a trnnaplanted Eastern
girl who has come to Ioyo life under "The Light of the Western Stars."
The life of the range has recreated a wealthy, spoiled society girl
into a fine woman. And her influence has saved Stewart, a wild,
handsome, brave, dissolute, efficient cowboy a college man and a
gentleman once. Of course they fall in love. But he glories in it,
while she is slow to admit it even to herself. Of course, also, they
clnili two dominant personalities. And then the girl is jealous
whereupon there is the dickens to pay. And what a dramatic ending 1
The author? Why, Zane Grey., That should be enough to guaran
tee a stirring talc, with color and adventure and swift actions. He's
the writer of the hour for outdoor Western stories, with success after
success to his credit.
CHAPTER I
A Gentleman of the Range.
When Madeline lliimmonil mopped
from tin? train at Kl Cnjoil, Now Mex
ico, It was nearly midnight, anil lior
llr&t Impression was of a huge dark
apace of cool, windy emptiness,
strange and silent, stretching away
under great blinking white stars.
"Miss there's no one to meet you,"
Mild the conductor anxiously.
"I wired my brother," she replied.
"He will he here presently. Hut, 1L' he
should not conic surely I can llnd a
hotel V"
"There's lodgings to he had. If
you'll eu'iise me this Is no place for
a lady like you to he alone at night.
It's a rough little town mostly Mex
icans miners, cowboys. And they
carouse n lot. Besides, the revolu
tion ncros the border has stirred up
nunc excitement along the line. Miss,
1 gue-s It's safe enough, If you "
"Tlmnl; you. 1 am not In the least
afraid."
As the train started to glide away
Miss Hammond walked toward the
dimly lighted station. She entered
the empty wultlng-room. An oil-lamp
gave nut a thick yellow light. A tele
graph Instrument clicked faintly.
Madeline Hammond crossed the
wiittlng-mom to a window and, hold
ing a-lile her veil, looked out. At first
she could descry only a few dim lights,
and tlue blurred In her sight. As
her ojes grew accustomed to the dark
ness she saw a superbly built horse
standing near the window, Hoyond
was a bare m pi a re. Through u hide
In the window-glass came a cool
breee. and on It breathed a sound
that struck coarsely upon her oar a
discordant mingling of laughter and
shout, and the tramp of hoots to the
hard music of a phonograph.
"Western revelry," mused Miss
Hammond, as she left the window.
"Now, what to doV I'll wait here.
Perhaps the station agent will return
.soon, or Alfred will come for me."
As she sat down to wait she re
viewed the causes which accounted
for the remarkable situation In which
she found herself. That Madeline
Hammond should he alone, at a late
hour, In a dingy little western rail
road station, was Indeed extraordi
nary. The close of her debutante year
had been marred by the only unhappy
experience of her life the disgrace
of her brother and his leaving home.
She dated the beginning of a certain
thoughtful habit of mind from that
time, and a dissatisfaction with the
brilliant life society offered her.
There hnd been months of unrest,
of curiously painful wonderment that
her position, her wealth, her pop
ularity no longer sulllced. She be
lieved she had lived through the
dreams and fancies of a girl to be
come a woman of the world. And she
bad gone on as before, n part of the
glittering show, but no longer blind
to the truth that there was nothing
In her luxurious life to mnko It sig
nificant. And at last sho knew what
she needed to ho alone, to brood for
long hours, to gaze out on lonely, si
lent, darkening stretches, to watch
the stars, to race her soul, to llnd her
real self.
Then It was she had first thought of
iVt6ltlni. the brother who hail gone
A ROMANCE by ZANE GREY
west to cast his fortune with the
cattlemen. As It happened, she had
friends who were on the eve of start
ing for California, ami she made a
Itilok decision to travel with them.
When she calmly announced her Inten
tion of going out west her mother had
exclaimed In consternation; and her
father, surprised Into pathetic memory
of l he black sheep of the family, had
stared at her with glistening eyes.
"Why, Madeline 1 You want to see
that wild boy!" Then he had re
verted to the anger he still felt for
his wayward son, and be had for
bidden Madeline to go. Her mother
forgot her haughty poWfe and dignity.
Madeline stood her ground, even to
reminding them that she was twenty
four and her own mistress. In the
end she had prevailed.
Madeline had planned to arrive In
Kl Cnjon on October II, her brother's
birthday, and she hail succeeded,
though her arrival occurred at the
twenty-fourth hour. Her train had
been several hours late. Whether or
not the message had reached Alfred's
hands she bad no moans of telling,
and the thing which concerned her
now was the fact that she had arrived
and he was not there to meet her.
As Madeline sat waiting In the yel
low gloom she heard the faint. Inter
mittent click of the telegraph Instru
ment, the low'tditim of wires, the occa
sional stamp of an Iron-shod hoof, and
a distant vacant laugh rising above
the sounds of the dance. She became
conscious of a slight quickening of
her pulse. Madeline had only a lim
ited knowledge of the West. I.Ike all
of her class, she had traveled Ihirope
and had neglected America. She had
been astounded at the. Interminable
distance she had traveled, and If there
had been anything attractive to look
at In all that Journey she had passed
It In the night.
A faint sound like the rattling of
thin chains diverted Madeline's at
tention. At first sho Imagined It was
made by the telegraph wires. Then
she heard a step. The door swung
wide; a tall man entered, and with
him came the clinking rattle. She
realized then that the sound came
from his spurs.
"Will .Milt please direct me to a
hotel?" asked Madeline, rising.
The cowboy removed his sombrero,
and the sweep he made with It and
the accompanying bow, despite their
exaggeration, had a kind of rude
grace. He took two long strides
toward her.
"Lady, are you married?"
in tue past .miss linmmomrs sense
of humor had often helped her to over
look critical exactions natural to her
breeding. She kept silence, and she
Imagined It was Just as well that her
veil hid her face at the. moment. She
had been prepared to find cowhojs
rather striking, and she had been
warned not to laugh at them.
This gentleman of the rnnge dellb
erately reached down and took up her
left hand. Hefore she recovered from
her stnrt of amaze ho had stripped
off her glove.
"Flno spark, but no wedding ring,"
he drawled. "Lady, I'm glad to see
you're not married."
He released her hand and rutitrnei'
the glove.
"Von see, the only hotel In this her
town Is against boarding iimrrle.'
CoprrUbl by DarptT and Crotkera
women. Hnd business for hotels to
have married women. Keeps the boys
away. You see, this Isn't Keno."
Then he laughed rather boyishly,
ami from that, and the way he
slouched on his sombrero, Madeline
realized he was half drunk. As she
Instinctively recoiled she not only
gave him a keener glance, hut stepped
Into a position where u better light
shone on his face. It was like red
bronze, bold, raw, sharp. Like that
of all women whose beauty and
charm had brought them much hefore
the world, Miss Hammond's Intuition
bad been developed until she had n
delicate and exquisitely sensitive per
ception of the nature of men and of
her effect upon them. This crude cow
boy, under the Influence of drink, had
affronted her; nevertheless, whatever
was In his mind, he meant no Insult.
"I shall be greatly obliged to you
If you will show me to the hotel," she
said.
"Lady, you wait here," he replied,
slowly, as If his thought did not come
swiftly. "I'll go fetch the porter."
She thanked him, and ns he went
out, closing the door, sho snt down In
considerable relief. It occurred to
her that she should have mentioned
her brother's name. Then she fell to
wondering what living with such un
couth cowboys had done to Alfred.
She alone of her family hnd ever be
lieved In any latent good In Alfred
Hammond, and her faith hnd scarcely
survived the two years of silence.
Waiting then-, she again found her
self listening to the moan of the wind
through the wires. Then Madeline
heard a rapid pattering, low at ilrst
and growing louder, which presently
she recognized as the galloping of
horses. She went to tho window,
thinking, hoping her brother had ar
rived. Hut as the clatter Increased
to a roar, shadows sped by lean
horses, flying manes and talis, som
breroed riders, all strange and wild
In her sight. Itecnlllng what the con
ductor had said, she was at some
pains to quell her unenslness. Then
out of the gloom two figures appeared,
one tall, the other slight. The cow
boy entered, pulling n disheveled
flgun. that of a priest, a padre, whose
mantle had manifestly been dis
arranged by the rude grasp of his
captor. IMaln It was that the padre
was extremely terrified.
Madeline Hammond gazed In bewil
derment at the little man, so pale
and shaken, and n protest trembled
upon her lips; but It was never
uttered, for this half-drunken cowboy
now appeared to bo a cool, grim
smiling devil; and stretching out a
long arm, he grasped her and swung
her back to the bench.
"You stay there!" he ordered.
Ills voice, though neither brutal nor
harsh nor cruel, had the unaccount
able effect of maklin: her feel nower-
less to move. No man bud ever
before addressed her in such a tone.
It was the woman In her that obeyed
not the personality of proud Made
line Hammond.
The padre lifted his clnsped hands
as If supplicating for his life, and
began to speak hurriedly in Spanish.
Madeline did not understand the lan
guage. The cowboy pulled out a huge
gun ami brandished It In the priest's
face. Then he lowered It, apparently
to point It at the priest's feet. There
was a red Hash, and then a thunder
ing report that stunned Madeline. The
room tilled with smoke and the smell
of powder. When she could see ills
tlnetly through the smoke she expe
rienced a sensation of Immeasurable
relief that the cowboy had not shot
the padre. Hut he was still waving
the gun, and now appeared to he drag
ging bis victim toward her. What
possibly could be the drunken fool's
Intention? This must he, this surely
was a cowboy trick. Madeline no
sooner thought of It than she made
certain her brother was Introducing
her to a Wild West amnsement. She
could scarcely believe It, yet It must
be true. Probably ho stood Just out
side the door or window laughing at
her embarrassment.
Anger checked her panic. She
straightened up with what composure
this surprise had left her and started
for the door. Hut the cowboy barred
her passage grasped her arms. Their
Madeline divined that her brother
could not have any knowledge of this
Indignity. It was no trick. Poise,
dignity, culture all the acquired
habits of character fled before the
Instinct to light. She wns athletic.
She fought. She struggled desperately.
Hut he forced her back with hands
of Iron. She had never known a man
could be so strong.
"What do you menu?" she panted.
"Dearie, ease up n little on the
liiidle," he replied, gaily.
Madeline thought she must be
dreaming. She could not think clearly.
She not only saw this man, hut also
felt his powerful presence. And the
shaking priest, the haze of hlue smoke,
the smell of powder these were not
unreal,
Then close before her eyes burst
mother blinding red flash, and close
at her ears bellowed another report.
I'nnblo to stand, Madeline slipped
down onto the bench. Her drifting
faculties lefused clearly to iccord
what transpired during the next few
moments; presently, however, as -her
mind steadied somewhat, she heard,
though as In a dream, the voice of the
padre hurrying over strange words.
It ceased, and then the cowboy's voice
stirred her.
"Lady, say SI SI. Say it quick!
Say It SI!"
From sheer suggestion, n force Irre
sistible at this moment when her will
was clumped by panic, she spoke the
word. ,
"And now, lady so we can finish
this properly what's your nntno?"
Still obeying mechanically, she told
him.
He stared for n while, as If the
name hail awakened associations In a
mind somewhat befogged. He leaned
back unsteadily.
"What name?" he demanded.
"Madeline Hammond. 1 am Alfred
Hammond's sister."
He put his hand up and brushed at
an ImuglnuYy something before his
eyes. "You're not Majesty Ham
mond?" How Strang'' stranger than tiny
Ihlng that had ever happened to her
before was It m hear that name on
the lips of this cowboy! It was a
name by whirl, she was familiarly
known, though m ly those nearest and
dearest to Ik- had the privilege of
using It. And now It revived her
dulled faculties, and by an effort she
regained control of herself.
"Von are Majesty llniniriond," and
this time he alllrnied wonderlngly
rather than questioned.
Madeline rose and faced lilm.
"Yes, I am."
He slammed his gun back into Its
holster.
"Well, I reckon we won't go on with
it, then."
"With what, sir? And why did you
force me to say SI to this priest?"
"I reckon that was a way I took
to show him you'd be willing to get
married."
"Oh! . . . You you! . . ." Words
failed her.
This appeared to galvanize the cow
boy Into action. He grasped the padre
ami led him toward the door, cursing
She Fought.
She Strungled Desper
ately. and threatening, no doubt enjoining
secrecy. Then he pushed him across
the threshold and stood there breath
ing hard and wrestling with himself.
"Here wait wait a minute, Miss
Hammond," be said, huskily. "You
could fall Into worse company than
mine though I reckon you sure think
not. I'm pretty drunk, but I'm all
right otherwise. Just wait a min
ute." She stood quivering and blazing
with wrath, and watched this savage
tight his drunkenness. Madeline saw
the dark, damp hair lift from his
brows us he held It up to the cool
wind.
The cowboy turned and began to
talk.
"Von sec I was pretty drunk," he j
labored. "There was a fiesta and a
wedding. I do fool things when I'm
drunk. I made a fool bet I'd marry
the first girl who came to town. . . .
If you hadn't worn that veil the fel
lows were Joshing me and F.d Lin
ton was getting married and every
body always wants to gamble. . . .
I must have been pretty drunk."
"Explanations aro not necessary,"
she Interrupted. "I am very tired
distressed. The hour Is late. Have
you the slightest Idea what It means
to be a gentleman?"
Ills bronzed face burned a llamlng
crimson.
"Is my brother here In town to
night?" Madeline went on.
"No. He's at his ranch."
"Hut I wired him."
"Like as not the message Is over
In his box at the P. O. He'll be In
town tomorrow, lie's shipping cattle
for St 111 well."
"Meanwhile I must go to a hotel.
Will you please "
If he heard her last words he
.showed no evidence of It. A uolso
outside had attracted his attention.
Madeline listened. Low voices of men,
the softer liquid tones of a woman,
drifted In through tho open door.
They spoke in Spanish, and the
voices grew louder. Then the womnn'a
voice, hurried and broken, rising
higher, was eloquent of vain appeal.
The cowboy's demeanor startled
Madeline Into anticipation of some
thing dreadful. She was not deceived.
From outside came the sound of n
scullli a muflled shot, a groan, the
thud of n falling body, a woman's
low cry, and footsteps pudding away
In rapid retreat.
Madeline Hammond leaned weakly
back In her seat, cold and sick, and
for a moment her ears throbbed to
the tramp of the dancers across the
way and tho rhythm of tho cheap
music. Then Into the open door-p'ace
Hashed ti girl's tragic face, lighted by
dark eyes and framed by dusky hair.
The girl reached a slim brown band
round the side of the door and held
on ns If to support herself.
"Senor (lone!" she exclaimed; and
breathless glad recognition mntle a
sudden break In her terror.
"Honlta 1" The cowboy leaped to
her. "Girl ! Are you hurt?"
"No, senor."
He took hold of her. "I heard
somebody got shot. Was It Danny?"
"No, senor."
"Did Danny do the shooting? Tell
me, girl."
"No, senor."
"I'm sure glad. I thought Danny
was mixed up In that. He had Still
well's money for the boys I was
afraid. . . . Say, Honlta, but you'll
get In trouble. Who was with you?
What did you do?"
"Senor (Seiie they Don Carlos
vaqueros they quarrel over inc. I
only dance a leotle, smile n lectio,
ami they quarrel. I beg they he good
watch out for Sheriff Hawe . . .
and now Sheriff Hawe put me in Jail.
I so frighten ; he try make leetle love
to Honlta once, and now he hate me
like he hate Senor Gene."
"Pat Hawe won't put you In Jail.
Take my horse and hit the Pelonclllo
trail. Honlta, promise to stay uway
from Kl Cajon."
"SI. Senor."
He led her outside. Madeline heard
the horse snort and champ his hit.
Tho cowboy spoke low; only a few
words were Intelligible "stirrups . . .
wait . . . out of town . . .
mountain . . . trail . . . now
ride!"
A moment's silence ensued, and was
broken by a pounding of hoofs, a pat
tering of grael. Then Madeline saw
a big, dark horo run Into the wide
space. She caught n glimpse of wind
swept scarf and hair, a little form
low down In the saddle. The horse
was outlined In black against the line
of dim lights. Thero was something
wild and splendid In his flight.
Directly the cowboy appealed ngaln
In the doorway.
"Miss Hammond, I reckon we want
to rustle out of here. Heen bad goings
on. And there's a train due."
She hurried Into the open air, not
dining to look back or to either side.
Her guide strode swiftly. She had
almost to run to keep up with him.
Suddenly aware that she had been
led beyond the lino of houses, she
spoke;
"Where are you taking me?"
"To Florence Klngsley," lie replied.
"Who Is she?"
"I reckon she's your brother's best
friend out here."
Madeline kept pace with lhe cow
boy for a few moments longer, and
then she stopped. It was as much
from necessity to catch her breath
as It was from recurring fear. The
cowboy, missing her, came back the
few Intervening steps. Then he
walled, still silent, looming beside her.
"It's so dark, so lonely," she fal
tered. "How do I know . . . wifat
warrant can you give me that you
that no harm will befall me If I go
farther?"
"None. M!s Hammond, except that
I've seen your face."
"I Ehall not tell my brother of
your your rudeness to me."
(TU Hi'. CONTINUED.)
Shakespeare's Vocabulary Rivaled.
Probably no living poet lias a more
extensive vocabulary than ("iubiielo
d'AiinunzIo, who Is to visit Paris In
the spring of this year. "Most peo
ple," he once said, "use only SOU
words. I employ Ifi.tXM), which 1 cull
from different volumes, some taken
from an old hook on agriculture, some
from mi old translation of Ovid, oth
ers from Machlavelll's works. Old
Italian authors are my dally bread."
Women Compared With Clocks.
Women are like clocks. Some of
them are fairly reliable with but little
attention, while others need almost
constant care, and It Is not always the
hlgh-piiceil, Jeweled ones that aro
most dependable. They may have
pretty hands, pretty faces and pretty
movements, hut I hey are liable to get
out of order, and when they do thi
are all very bard to regulate. Ui .!
Lemon Punch.
1
After Every Meal
B
WRJGIEYS
Top off each meal
with a bit of
sweet In the form
of WRIGLEY'S.
It satisfies the
sweet tooth and
aids digestion.
Pleasure and
benefit combined.
fiiMiifnTI
imiiiiniB.i
i i -i jii-ii
IN
C
INCOLN'S Roams for Sr.jl
EADING HOTEL
THE LINCOLN
Lunch Room la ConntUon
Rubber Stamps.
Adolph Ztikor, the movie mngnate,
said In a talk on a'vertislng in Los
Angeles:
"Our advertisement writers follow
one another like sheep. How sick
we get of their phrases. Style 'built
Into' clothes, the 'house of Schmidt,'
and all that sort of thing, you know.
"The overage advertisement writer
reminds me of the salesman who said
In proposing to a girl:
"My love for you, darling, exceeds
nnythlng that can be offered In thai;
particular line.' "
Important to All Women
Readers of This Pau22
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Women's complaints often prove to lit
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If the kidneys are not in a beilthy con
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You may suffer pain in the back, head
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Poor health make you nervous, irri
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Hut hundreds of women claim tint Dr.
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Ads and Heads.
Headline in F.xehnnge "Girl ensh
Icr shot In window." A paneful place.
Adv. "Wanted permanent place as
a window uuly. References, etc."
Restaurant Sign "The meals you
eat here make you think of home."
And think hotter of It, too.
Adv. "Man wanted to assist vaude
ville artist; must also be a sinner."
An easy qualification. Hoston Tran
script.
Failure frequently results because
one doesn't care for what he's at,
nnyway.
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