RED OLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
"me r-fT
BRANDED 'Xh
Cy Katharine MWf (n
. s-vs 2 0 wsi i-Jff'n a VJ
(OfVUKUIT
SYNOPSIS
Join IaxtMii. rlKlitrcn yarn
old, wife of l'lorro. Ih the daugh
ter of Joliu Ciirver, who mur
dnnul hr mother for Adultery.
Her lonely life, with her father,
In 11 Wyoming cahln, unbearable.
Joan leaves hltn to work In a
hotel In a nearby town. Joan
inoutn l'lorro, and tho two, mutu
ally nttraetod. are married. Carv
er ttltn IMurro Btory of Joan'H
mother, l'lorro forKen a cattle
brand. Frank Holllwrll, yoiiUK
minister, jirosontH books to Joan,
l'lorro forbids her to road them.
Maddeiicd by Jealouny. 1'lerro
ties Joan and burns tho Two-liar
brand Into her shoulder. Ilcar
In hor soreams, n Htranner
bur.itn Into tho houso and shoots
l'lorro.
CHAPTER IX
8 1
Dried Rose-Lcaveo.
The house tlmt Prosper Gael lintl
liullt for himself nnil for tlio woman
whom Juan came to think of ns the
"tall chllil." stood In 11 canyon, a deep,
Kirrot fold of the hills, where a cliff
Flood behind It, and where the plne
needled ground descended before Its
lnnr, under the fur-llung, greertsh
l.iown shade of llr boughs, to the lip
of a green hike. In Jniiuiiry, the lake
was 11 glare of snow, In which the big
V.vn stood deep, (heir branches hcavllj
weighted. Prosper had dug n tunnel
from his door through a big drift wider,
touched his eaves. It was curious t
see Wen IIo come, pattering out o
this northern cave, Ids yellow, Oriental
face and .slant eyes peering past the
stalactite Icicles as though tlrry felt
their own Incongruity almost with n
sort of terror. The Interior of tho
live-room house gave Just such an ef
fect of bl.arre and extravagant con
trast; an effect, loo, of luxury, though
In truth It was fiiniMicd for the most
part with stuffs and objects picked up
at no very great expense In San Fran
clM'o shops. Nevertheless, there wan
nothing tawdry and, here and there,
something really precious. Draperies
on the walls, furniture made by Wen
Ho and Prosper, lacquered In black
and red, brass and copper, bright pew
ter, gay china, some fur rugs, n gor
geous oriental lamp, bookcases with
volumes of h sober richness, In fan
the costliest and most laborious of Im
ports to this wilderness, small-paned.
horizontal windows curtained In some
heavy green-gofd stuff which sllppM
along the black lacquered pole on
rings of Jade; all these and a hundred
other points of softly brilliant color
Kuve to the living room n rare an.l
striking look, while the bedrooms
were matted, daintily furnished, care
fully appointed as for a bride. Much
thought and trouble, much detailed I&
bar. had gone to the making of this
odd nest In a Wyoming canyon. What
ever one must think of Prosper Gael,
It Is dllllcult to shirk heartache on hie
account. A man of his temperament
does not lightly undertake even r com
pantoned Isolation In n winter land. T
picture what place of torment this
well-appointed cabin was to him before
be brought to It Joan, as a loffely mat
brings In a wounded bird to nurse and
cherish, stretches the fancy on a rack
of varied pnlnfulness.
On that night, snow was iiourlnc it
self down the narrow canyon In a
crowded whirl of dry, clean fiakeu.
Wen IIo, watchful, for his master wnj
already a day or so beyond the prom
ised date of Ids return, stopped rub
bing his bunds. He had heard tU
packing of snow under webs and run
ners. After listening a moment, ko
nodded to himself, like a figure In u
pantomime, ran Into the kitchen, did
something to the stove, then lighted ti
lantern and pattered out along tuo
tunnel, dodging the Icicle stnlactitt.
Between the tlrs he stopped and held
the lantern high so that It touched a
moving radltm of Hakes to silver stin.
Hack of him through the open doyr
sti earned the glow of lump and II
lllllng the Icicles with blood and fliKt
lug the walls and the roof of the cavi.
Down the canyon Prosper shouttvl.
"Wen Ho! Wen Ho!"
The Chlnnnuin plunged down ir-o
trull, packed bvlow ttc new rati -i,
nnow by frequent passage, and yu-i
ently met the bent tlgure of ids mn.
toY pulling and breathing hard. Wli'j
out speaking, Wen IIo laid hold of tl..
sled rope und together the two in;n
t urged up Hie last steep bit of the hi I.
"Velly heavy load," mld Wen.
Prosper's ejes. gleaming below t'e
visor of bis cap. smled hnlf-mnllehn.
) upon htm. "It'c a deer'lillled out of
season," ho said, "and other tattle
no mtiYQrlck, either fairly marked by
its owner. Lend mo 0 hand and we'll
unload."
Wen showed no astonishment. lie
removed the covering and peeped
riant wire nt Ihe strange woman who
stared 8t 1dm unseeingly with Inrgi
bright eyes. She dosed them, frown
'ng faintly or. llmuli fhe protc-ie'
ti.,alnst the l"u on of a Chinese ft.
U l hor ill- "i-i ' iik !! world.
iiy k.vtiiUcim; ni;vi.i
Itt it r.
The men took her up and carried
her Into the house, where the.v
dressed her woii'-d and laid her with
all possible gent'eness In one of the
two beds of stripped and lacquered pine
that stood In tlie bedroom facing the
lake. Afterward they moved the other
bed and Prosper wnt In to Ids meal.
He was too tin. J to eat. Soon he
pushed his plate nviiy. turned Ids chair
to face the lire, an I, slipping down to
the middle of his .Milne, stuck out his
lean, long legs, loclicd his hands back
of Ids head, let his chin fall, and
stared Into the Unities.
Wen Ho removed the dishes, glanc
ing often at his master.
"You velly tired?" he questioned
softly.
"ft was something of n pull In the
storm."
"Velly small deer," babbled the
Chinaman, "velly big lady."
Prosper smiled a queer smile that
sucked In and down the corners of his
mouth.
"Shu come after all?" asked Wen
Ho.
Prosper's smile disappeared ; he
opened his eyes and turned a wicked,
gleaming look upon his man. What
with the white face and drawn mouth
the look was rather terrible. Wen IIo
vanished with an Increase of speed and
silence.
Alone, Prosper twisted himself In his
chair till his head rested 011 his arms.
It was no relaxation of weariness or
grief, but an attitude of cramped pain.
His face, too, was cramped when, a
motionless hour later, he lifted It
ugnln. He got up then, broken with
weariness, and went softly across the
matted hall Into the room where Joan
slept, and he stood beside her bed.
A glow from the stove, and the light
shining through the door, dimly Illu
mined her. She was sleeping very
quietly now; the Hush of fever had
left her face and It was, clear of pain,
quite simple and sad. Prosper looked
at her and looked about the room as
though he felt what he saw to be a
dream. He put his hand on 011c long
strand of Joan's black hair.
"Poor child !" he said. "Good child !"
And went out softly, shutting the door.
In the bedroom where Joan came
again to altered consciousness of life,
there stood a blue china Jar of pot
pourri, rose-leaves dried and spiced till
Jvl.Lwirt
She Was Lying Quietly With Closed
Eye.
they stored all the richness of a
southern summer. Joan's Ilrst question,
strnngclj enough, was drawn from he:
by the persistence of this ngue and
pungent swe.tn.ss.
She was lying quietly with eloseo
eyes, Prosper looking down at her, hU
linger on hot e.eu pulse, when, with
out opening her lung lids, she asked.
"What smells so good?"
Prosper started, drew away his lin
gers, then answered, smiling. "It's a
Jar of dried roso-louvo. Walt a mo
ment. I'll let you hold It."
lie timk the Jar from the window sill
mid carried It to her.
She looked at It, took It In her
lfl!!
bunds, and when he removed Ihe lid,
ho stirred Ihe loaves curiously with
her lout; forefinger.
"I never seen roses." the said, and
added. "Wind's banlj?"
Prosper was startled. For an In--tint!
nil bis siippoxlttono as to Joan
were disturbed, "Basil? Whore did
ou eer henr of basil?"
"Isabella and Lorenzo" murmured
.loan, and her eyes darkened with hor
'iiomorles.
Provper found Ids heart beating
'i t. r t .11. usual "Who are you ym,
'11 n . re" I think It's time yon
1 ' II llll)
"es." said Joan; "I ve thought n
great deal about you." Slip wrinkled
her wide brows. "You must have been
out iifler game, though 'twas out of
reason. And you must have beard tne
a-cryln' out an' come In. That wan
i-IlMii fonianeous. stranger. I would
surely like you hi know why I cotn
away with you," Mic went on, wistful
and weak, "but I don't know 113 how
I can mnkf It plain to you." She
paused, turning the blue Jar In her
hand. "You're very strange to me,"
she said, "an' yet. someways, you
takln' care of mo so well an' so so
awful kind" her voice gave fortli Its
tremolo of feeling "seems like 1
knnuctl you better than any other per
son In Ihe world."
A MiimIi (-nine Into his face.
"I wouldn't like you to be think
In'" She stopped, a little breathless.
He took the Jar, sat down on the
bed. and laid a hand firmly over both
of hers. "I 'won't be thinking' any
thing." he said, "only what you would
like me to think Listen when a man
llnds a wounded bird out In the win
ter woods, he'll bring It home to core
Tor It. And he 'won't be thinking' tho
worse of Its helplessness and tame
ness. Of course l know but tell me
your name, please I"
"Joan LiindN."
At the mime, given painfully, Joan
drew a weighted breath, another, then,
pushing herself up as though oppressed
beyond endurance, she caught at
Prosper's arm, clenched her lingers
upon It, and bent her black head In a
terrible paroxysm of grief. It was like
n tempest. Prosper thought of storm
driven, rain-wet trees wild In n wind
. . . of music, the prelude to "Kile
gentle Hollander." Joan's weeping
bent and rocked her. He put Ids arm
about her, tried to soothe lisr. At her
cry of "Pierre! Pierre!" he whitened,
but suddenly she broke from him nnd
threw herself back amongst the pil
lows. "Twns you that killed him," she
moaned. "What hev I to do with
you?"
It was not tho Inst time that bitter
exclamation wns to rise between
them ; more and more fiercely It came
to wring his peace and hers. This time
he bore it with a certain philosophy,
calmed her patiently.
"How could I help It. Joan?" he
pleaded. "You saw how It was?" As
she grew quieter, he talked. "I heard
you scream like a person being tor
tured to death twice a grewsonie
enough sound, let me tell you. to hear
In the dead of a white, still night. I
didn't altogether want to break Into
your house. I've heard some ugly
stories about men venturing to dis
turb the work of murderers. Hut, you
see, Joan, I've a fear of myself. I've
n cruel brain. I can use It on my own
failures. I've been through some self
purilsliment no! of course, you don't
understand all that. . . . Anyway,
I came In, In great fear of my life,
and saw what I saw a woman tied
up and devilishly tortured, 11 man
gloating over her helplessness. Natural
ly, before I spoke my mind, as r. man
was hound to speak It, under the pain
and fury of such a spectacle, I got
ready to defend myself. Your
Pierre" there was a biting contempt
In his tone "saw my gesture, whipped
out his gun, and Hied. My shot was
half a Fecond later than his. I might
more readily have lost my life than
taken his. If he hail lived, Joan, could
you have forglvwn him?"
"No," sobbed Joan; "I think not."
She trembled. "He said terrible hard
wortls to me. ile didn't love me like
I loved htm. IIo planned to put u
brand on me su's I c'd be his own like
ns If I wns a lionst belongln' to him.
Mr. Ilolllwell said right, I don't be
long to no man. I belong to my own
self."
The storm bad passed into this
troubled after-tossing of thought.
"Can you tell me about It nil?"
asked Prosper. "Would It help?"
"I couldn't," she moaned; "no, I
couldn't. Only If I hadn't 'a' left
Pierre a-lyln' there alone. A dog that
had onct loved him wouldn't 'a' done
that." She sat up again, white mid
wild. "That's why I must go back. 1
must surely go. I must! Oh, I must!"
"(lo back thirty miles through wet
snow when you can't walk across the
room, Joan?" He smiled pityingly. 1
"Can't you g. back?" She turned
desolate, hniijitetl eyes upon him. "Oh,
can't you? n do some kindness to
him? Can you ever stop thlnkln' ol
lilm lyln' there?"
Prosper' (rtt'ij was hard through Its
gentleness. "l' seen too many dead
men, less deserving of death. Hut
hu-.il ! you IIo down und go to 'sleep
I'll try to manage It. I'll try to gel
hack and show him some kindness, n
oil mi. There! Will you be a good
girl now?"
She fell back and her eyes shone
their giatitude upon him. "Oh, you
are good !" she said. "When I'm well
I'll work fth- you!"
He shook ids bead, smiled, klsseO
her himil. and went out.
She ens tntlreiy exhausted by hei
emotion, so trial all her memories ftll
away from her and left her In n peace
ful blankness. She trusted P'osper't
word. With every fiber of-bur heat I
she trusted him, as simply, us singly,
as a child tru.ts Ood.
iTO Hi: CONTI.N'L'l'll)
Lowered the Temperature.
1 proposed for the llrsi time to the
girl if my heart on the crowded plat
form of 1111 elevated station during the
well-known rush hour. Tt was a cold
inUcniblo evening and 1 vuisji't
warmed up at all by the young ludy'3
tin, arm and culling rofual.--Chi-i.igo
Journal.
I- ' I -it .iti think Is rl.'u .n.l don'l
n, . it whut other ivi . bay.
HIM, , ,; )' li'lilie till
ctirii.slfy iiholil Hie'"
The
Amemcan
LEGION i
(Copy for This Department Supplied by th I
American l.cnlon Noun Harvlco.)
LEGION TO FATHER ORPHANS
Problem, One of Dlnrject Facing Or
ganization, rtencrded as Con
tlnued Gorvlcs to Nation.
Caring for orphaned children of
World war veterans Is regarded as
one of the prlnclp.1l problems In the
American Legion's plan of continued
iervlce to the nation. Kstluintes show
that within eleven years after the
close of the war, there will be at
least .".".(MX) of such children, and the
number Is expected to Increase so
rapidly that It will entail as much ex
penditure as does the relief or dis
abled soldiers.
Oeorge A. Withers of Clay Center,
Kansas, Is chairman of the Leglon'a
national committee on children's
homes. Mr. Withers has given un
hparlngly or his time during the past
year in research und study of the con
ditions and methods used In the up
bringing of veterans' dependents. The
committee la composed or Mark T.
McKee of MMilgnn. Charles French
of New llampshl ., Wlllluni 15. Henley
of Pennsylvania. O. A. Warllck of
North Carollnu, K. K. Hallenbeck of
Pennsylvania, 15- h K. Robertson of
New York, and A. II. McKnew of
California. Tiny have prepared an
outline for the Legion's part In such
n program, to li. submitted to the
fifth annual (invention of the or
ganization nt San Francisco.
m
fs'i ' .
. tt
V
George A. Withers.
r.xact procedure of the Legion Is
uncertain, and may not be deter
mined until after the convention takes
mtlon. No approval has been given
to any plans outlined because of tho
variance of opinions of child welfare
workers on the feasibility of certain
methods. Suggestions or placement of
dependent children with near rela
tives, with financial aid In education;
location with foster parents; group
ing of the wards In small colonics un
der direction of matrons; and Insti
tutional care In orphanages will be In
cluded in the report of the committee.
Further plans for education ami voca
tional training will be outlined In the
report.
Work of preparation lias been as
sisted by responses to a questionnaire
sent to heads of all Legion depart
ments. It has been determined from
these that at least six states already
have provided specllic care for those
bereft of parents by the World war,
and In other states plans looking to
Legion co-operation as partial solu
tion hnve been prepared. A project
in Washington calls fur establishment
of an institution on public lands of
the state, to be llnancetl through ef
forts of the Legion. Michigan now
has an orphunnge, known ns the
American. Legion Children's billet,
under direction of t!te organization.
Kansas is at work on a plan for ac
ceptance of a gift from Daniel Dab
ney, who offered the Legion 11 large
tract of land, and an endowment of
SLTlUOO If the Legion would ralso
.SI 00.000 for a home for dependent
children of former service men.
.Members of the committee bel'eve
that the care of such children Is a re
sponsibility for the Legion. In a re
cent letter, Clialiuian Withers has
hummed up the duty of the Legion
men In these words;
"These youngsters belong to the
huddles wlio stooil with us In the
trenches, and who were called upon
to make the .supreme sacrlllce. ("an
we. who were spared, do less than to
tee to it that those nearest mul dear
est to tlin.se woiitlerlul imys who gave
uii-ii tin, .--imn iiuve me etiiiuce t II II t
we would desire for ours, had wo been !
called on as were they?"
.-'.XfcftvW iSZ -. I
vvn-u? 'Ki i
?1
tf
Color Dllnrl?
"You will have trouble with a dark
lady," predicted the- fortune tellor.
"Think hard, sister, and ho sure you
nro right," replied tho wise wisdom
seeker.
"i'm married to a blonde."- Anuw
lean Legion Weekly.
Even So.
"Then you hnvfr mot my wlfo he
loreV"
"Yes, Indeid. 1 knew hor quite well
before you iimn-lcd lier,"
'I'll.' il.-n.e von sa. Ywii ii'i'imV)
I ,n' I '. . I.ni" ,1 e o , i- 1, , ' ji
,- I nlU'l I.
AIR DISARMAMENT BIG TOPIC
Question of International Importanea
to Bo Dlccussed at Legion Na-
tional Convention.
The question of an International air
disarmament conference will be one of
the principal topics for discussion at
the American Legion's national con
vention In San Francisco, according
to Legion national olllclals.
When the Legion started It!) poll of
prominent citizens to ascertain public
sentiment In regard to the advisability
of holding a conference to limit mili
tary air forces in Washington, the
question claimed the serious intention
of Legionnaires In all departments and
u number of state organizations huu
recommended that the national cun
.ention consider the Issue.
The Legion believes that world peae
is threatened by the unusual air pro
grams sponsored by France, Fngland,
Italy and Itussla. Led by France, the
nations of Kurope tiro Involved In a
race for air supremacy which the
Legion feels may result In 11 necessity
for impropriations of billions of dol
lars on the part of this country un
less an International agreement la
readied to reduce air forces.
Public sentiment favors tho pro
posed conference, according to results
obtained to date from tho poll which
elicited replies from inembi rs of cin
gross, govi mors, editors, college presi
dents and many prominent citizens Of
the letters received, uppioxnuuii !y
IK) per cent express approval of the
gathering.
Through the views of commentators
runs 11 dellnlte current of opinion that
the conference should be held as soon
as possible and that It' It Is not held,
tho United States should take steps at
once to obtuln thorough protection In
air armament. Writers, admit the dif
ficulties of obtaining representation at
the gathering because of the situation
In Kurope, but express the belief that
the attempt should be made, thereby
revealing to the world the nations re
fusing to co-operate In a movement
for world peace.
Included In the list of commentators
are a number of Americans whose
words on questions of an International
character always are sure of a respect
ful hearing. Senator Henry Oabot
Lodge, chairman of the senate com
mittee on foreign relations, who was
one of the members of the American
delegation to the Washington anus
limitation conference of l'.llM, has ex
pressed approval of the Legion's cant
palgn In principle. He wrote that he
favored limitations In aircraft similar
to those mnde In naval strength, pro
vided that the agreement l'or limita
tion Is International.
Newton 1. linker, former secretary
of war, believes that the conference
should be held at once because "lite
limitation of air armaments is the 1110 a
Important and ital jrosslble limita
tion." However, he nddi the thought
that International protection must be
afforded to the security of certain na
tions which, because of their Inferior
man-power, have been forced to rely
upon their superior Ingenuity In de
veloping and producing the most mod
ern and scientific agencies of war.
That the L-glon's suggestion would
have the support of the farm bloc Is In
dicated In Ihe enthusiastic letter re
ceived from Senator Arthur Capper of
Kansas who has written that It has
won his hearty indorsement. "It
seems to me that an international con
ference would be very helpful toward
bringing about an agreement which
would end competition between na
tions for supremacy In the air a pol
Icy which unquestionably is not only
useless but a menace to the peace of
the world," his letter reads. "You are
correct when you wty that now is the
time to consider tills matter. Delay
will undoubtedly complicate the situa
tion nnd make It more dllllcult to re
move the menace."
Legion leaders hnve expressed grati
fication that President Coolldge favors
the alms of the proposed conference,
but disagree with his belief that the
time Is not ripe for convening the
gathering and that this government
should set an example by refraining
from engaging in competitive building
of aircraft.
"Our stand should be to find out for
certain whether nations are ready to
discuss limitation of air armament, nnd
if they are not, begin Immediately to
strengthen our air forces, which are
now not those of a llrst class power,"
Lemuel Holies, Legion national adju
tant, has stated. "The worst thing
that could happen to the country to
day would lie a move to disregard pre
paredness In the face of the lairopcan
contest and for the Legion to permit
such an interpretation to grow from Its
suggestion of limitation would be to
repudiate our four-jear record for pre
paredness." The Legion's campaign lias aroused
Hindi puhlli' coiiiiaeiii and lias been tfie
subject of t'diioilals In newspapers all
over Ihe country- It has become one
of the lending incisures In that organ
ization's rniupaUn for the inhume
incut of world ien-:t'.
Tho Vsry Flrct Klsc
She was ko lonot-ent, Jack had taken
her riding In bis cur und Jum as he
kUsut her u tiro blew out.
"Oil. .Jack,'.' she uiviiiitred, "How
lucky wo didn't stay at homo! Fa
ther is such u Ih'ht sleeper." Amer
ican I.eglim Weekly.
Mysterious IntUed.
"Sumi" any ui;.storoua straugem
around hero huelV" f usually naked
tho dcteitlu' from the city.
"Waal," utvtU'ivd L'nclo llben.
"Ilu-1 WIS II I'.'llei ," t.i t"Ml Wil''
! 1 -. ' ' 1 w c !. 11. ' t ' .1 . .:
t'f WJ ' ' 1 1
ESstixsTOnraa
Take it homo to
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Have a packet in
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A delicious confec
tion and an aid (0
tho tcclh, appetite,
Lloyds
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bunions. Cost but a trifle. Gc a box to
day at your druggist's cr shoe de jler'o,
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