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; w I . '. ' EVENING HJBlttO I,BtfJPHILADELtfllA, TUESDAY
, AP&Ifi 21, 1920 ,
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THARON OF LOST VALLEY
By VINGIE E. ROE
Author of "The Maid of the yhiapcring Ililh," "The Heart
of, Night Wind," etc.
I
(CorvrioM, mo. Jbv rublte Ltiotr Co.)
THIS STARTS THE STORY
Tharbn Last is n f ihc wonders
o Ijott Valid. She and old Anita
control big Jim Wj iious'hold.
jlui is notorious for hi Mil with
aunt and ha controlled tho Valley
for year. Muck Courtrcv eek to
vturp him. Tharon teatches her
horse, "Drumfire," perform a par
ticular feat at her bidding and smiles
ot'hls success.
AND HERE IT CONTINUES
T WAS late before thd last ptragglcr
wnq In from tho range, jliio Doys
wnbed (it the big sink on the porch,
uncr wcro ready for the hearty faro that
plcnmed in the lamp-lighted room. For
the last hour Tharon had been watching
the eastern slopes 'for her father.
"He's rldln late, Anltn," she said
nnxfously as the men trooped In with
the .usual jest nnd laughter.
"lie went far, ho doubt, Cornion,"
said old Anita comfortably. "He goes
so fast on El Key that time as well
as dlstanco flics beneath the Bhlning
boots."
Anita was like her people, mystic and
soft-spoken.
"True," said the girl gently, "I for
eet. El Key Is mighty. He went very
fa" I 'make I no doubt. We'll hear him
comln soon.
Then she poured steaming coffee In
the cups about the table, smiling down
in the eyes upturned to hers. Hilly.
Curly, Bent Smith. .Inek Masters and
Conford, the foreman, they all had a
lovelook for her, nnd the girl felt like
n circling guerdon. tiiik-v
"Which way did Dad go, Billy
he axked, "north or south?
'North," said IHUy, "he rode th
Cup Mm range today."
When the nfcal, a trifle silent In def
erence to Thuron's silence, was done,
the men roue awkwardly. They stood
moment, looking about, undecided.
Coufnrd picked them up with his eyes
ud nodded out. Ho felt that just may
be the girl would rather be alone. Hut
Tharon stopped tho reluctant egress.
"Don't go, boys," she said, "come
on in th' room. There's no moon to
night." Hut she did not play on the
niclodeon. Instead she sat in the deep
window that looked over tho rolling up
lands and was quiet, listening.
"Turn out th" light, Bent," she said,
"somehow I feel like shadows tonight."
So they sat nbout in the great room,
black with tho darkness of the sou
spring night, nnd like tho true wor
shipers they were, they did not speak.
Only the red butts of their cigarettes
glowed and faded, to glow again and
ngaiq fade out. Tharon sat curled up
to her chin, her eyes half closed, her
keen ears open like a forest crcnture's.
And as she waited she thought of
many things. Odd little happenings of
her childhood came back to her the
time she had caught her father killing
tho winter's beef, had wept in hysteri
cal pity nnd forbidden him to ilnlsh.
They hnd had no meat those luug
montns following and she had so tired
of beans, that she had never been able
to eat them since.
Sho smiled In the dusk ns nlm n.
called Jim Last's lifelong ludulgcnce
of her.
And tho timp she had wanted to make
aer own knco-sliort dresses us long as
Anita's, to sweep the floor, with fringe
upon mem nnd stripes of bright print,
She had worn them sc at twelve
until hho found that they hindered the
iroo use oi ner young iimos in mount
ing a horse, frccfoot nml lini-ehncu.
Then, once again the memory of her
father's face when she questioned him
concerning her mother.
"Boys, she said, suddenly, smil
lug to herself, "did you ever know a
man Ilka my dad?"
There was a movement among tho
lounging riders, n shifting of position,
a striking of cigarette ash.
"No, sir," said Billy, promptly,
there hain't another man's cood with
a gun as him, uor anywliere's in Lost
alley. ?ot even Buck Courtrcy him
self. I'd back Jim Last against him,
even, in fair draw. Why?"
"Oh. nothin'." said the clrl. "oniv
lhten Glory!" she added, slipping
nown irom me winnow to stand quietly
in the gloom, "that's him now! I was
wishin' hard he'd come. Hay listen
why there's somcthln gone wrong
witii ui Key's feet,: l 1 :s, J. f,
f 1 'J boyshe's breakin' ! The
king ain't singlcfootln' right, for the
first time since Jim Last put n halter
on him Come come quick!"
Ordinarily, Tharon was n bit slow
in her movements, as the very graceful
often arc. Now, she wus ncross the
room to tho western door before a man
had moved. They joined her there and
fhe stood at attention, one hand other
breast, tho breath held still in her
throat. The light, shining through from
the eatins room beyond, inndo a halo
of her tawny hair. Silently the riders
grouped about her nnd listened.
Sure enough. Down along the range
that rang as some open stretches do,
there enmc the clip-clup of a hurrying
horfrc, only now tho hoof-bents were
regular for a little hpucc, to break,
halt, start on, and agalu ring true lu
tho beautiful syncopation of the born
invlefootcr. The kine wns coming
home, but, alas! not ns ho had ever
romo before, in full llight, proud mid
powerful. He held his speed nud sac
rlfieed his certainty to tho man who
swayed dcsperntelv to the saddlehoru
and swnved In wide ares, so that ho
must shift continually to keep under
mm.
Into tho dim glow of light at the
open door camo El Rcy at last, great
hhiC'silver stallion, his big eyes shining
like phosphorus, his nostrils wide witli
horror of the pungent crimson wash
thnt naintcd his ilirlit shoulder.
He stopped at the door-stone, hii
duty done.
"Dad!" screamed Tharon, shrill us
a bugle, for Jim Lnst, white nud dull us
s moon in fog, let go his desperate hold
oil tbn nommol nud slid, deadweight.
Into tho reaching urms that circled
mm.
They enrried him into tho living room.
Before they had him safely on tho wide
couch where the Indlnn blnnkets clowcd.
"haron, trembling but, efficient, had
lighted the hanging Ininp above the table,
lhen sho pushed the men uside and
knelt beside him.
T "Dad," sho said clearly, "Jim! Jim
1(1181 I
. But the gaining of his goal had been
too much. For u moment tho flickering
'Slit in htm died down to ashes. Tharon,
lier face as whito ns bis own, waited in
mnn-llke quiet. She held his stiffened
tinnds and her eyes burned upon his fea
tures. With n deadly knowledgo sho
"ua printing them tndcllujy upon lier
Presently Jim Lnst slghpd nnd opened
"Is ejes. They sought hers and ho
urn, a tender lighting from within
le fumbled for tho burkln of his etui.
belt. The ftlrl unclasncd it and nulled
H free. She noticed that both guns
inm ,neu I"""""'
Put It on," whispered tho master
of Last's Holding.
Without a question Tharon stood up
' buckled the belt about her slender
llcr father, ralsiug himself with diffi
culty on .an elhnw. wet hlx linn
"Tharon, my qirl," io said, "flhow
9ur dad th' back-hand flip,"
I, iti.i.i.it
THE GUMPS Take a Tip From Andy
.:-
.;-
By Sidney Si
Strange play, this, when every second
counted, but Last's daughter obeyed
him to the letter.
Sho stepped clear, by the table, stood
at attention n second, nnd, with a pecul
iar outward whirl, lightning-like, of her
two wrists, hnd him covered with tho
big blue guns.
He nodded.
"Good ns I learned ye," he whispered,
"mako it better."
"I will," promised Thnron swiftly.
-the man closed his eyes, swayed, re
covered as Conoford caught him, and
brightened ngnln.
"Now th' under-sllng."
Again she obeyed, replacing the wea
pons, standlnir Hint unmnA n .u..it.
nnd flipping them from the holsters
qincKiy mat the eye could scarcely
catch the motion. Both draws were
peculiar and peculiarly Last's own.
Good g rl ,' ho wild with a husk
grown suddenly in his voice, "take
i.nMCc.i.h?,!rBa (,aj"- r want ' 'nvc
.jou the best giin-handler In Lost Val
leybecause, my girl you'll have
to to pro '
. "? ccnscd' wilting forward In Con
fords arms. Then he opened his eyes
11 i fo5 0Df ,nl,t "mlI nt e daughter
in J0ved. abovc a". Ing8 on earth,
save and except the memory of the
woman who had given her to him.
..op. ,on .ln her llfo Tharon did not
"uit ins nmsneu speech. She saw the
f,?Z i ii 0Ul .r. ,h0 shadaws and
E ''fii1' upo,n hl? brM8t where the
?J T? U11 sccnwl nnd fairly forced the
kMM J"?. ? brigten In him!
iwt "1B ruggcu encek.
.l.iiiini10.' Dad', ?!,c cnllp(' in, ''Is
dulling ssnses, "tell me who? I'll get
him, so help me God!" nnd she loosed
had 'iaughher hCrSC,f' 8 W AnltB
tnnV.!' the. Promise was late. None
knew, whether or not Jim Last heard
Ji i?r he'" the last word was done
the brcnth hnd ceased in ills throat.
Another twilight came down upon
Lost alley. The wide rnnges lay dim
and mysterious, gray and pink nnd lav
ender, as if the hand of a Master
I "Inter had colored them, ns indeed it
had. The Hoekfacc at the west was
black with shodow for all Its rugged
miles, the eastern uplnuds were bathed
nnd aglow with purplish crimson light.
In Corvnn lights twinkled all up ond
down the one main street. Horses were
tied nt the hltchracks nnd nmong them
were the Ironwoods from Courtrcy's
Stronghold, beautiful big creatures,
blood-bny, black-pointed, noticeable in
any bunch. Thero were no finger
marks, however, the blue roans, red
roans and buckskins with the four black
stripes on the outside of the knee, as If
one hud slapped them with n tarred
hand, which hailed from Last's. There
were horses from nil up nnd down the
volley. Cow ponies nnd hnlf-breds of
the Ironwood stock which Courtrcy
would not keep nt the stronghold but
wns too close to kill, shouldered plntos
irom me iiiuinn settlements, big, hnlf
wlld horses from over the mountnins at
the north. Inside the brightly lighted
snloons men passed buck nnd forth,
drank neat liquor nt the worn bars,
played at the green felt nnd canvas
covered tubles. At one. the Golden
Cloud, more pretentious than the rest,
there foregathered the leading spirits
of the valley. Here Courtrcy came and
jilnyed nnd drunk, his henchmen with
him. lie was in high mettle this night.
Alwnys a contained man, slow to
Inughter and to speech, he seemed to
have unbent more than usual, to re
snoud to the human nature nbout him.
He wns not playing steudlly as was his
wont. He took n turn nt poker with
three men from tho south of the Vullev
where the rlvr ran out of the Bottle
Neck, vton u hand or two. threw down
the enrds and swung away to talk a
moment with this one, listen n mo
ment where those two spoke of hushed
matters. Always when he enmc near
he was accorded deference. There was
nothing sacred from Courtrey of tho
Stronghold, seated liko n feudal placo at
the north head of Lost Valley, no con
versation so private that ho would not
como in on it if ho chose.
For Courtrey was the king of the
country, undisputed sovereign, the best
gun mnn north of the Uio Grnnde nnd
south 'of the Line, if ono excepted Jim
Last. With him tonight were Black
Bart, tall, swarthy, gimlet-eyed, a half
breed Mexican, nnd Wylncklc Bob, his
right-hand man. Without these two ho
seldom moved. They wero both able
lieutenants, experts with firearms. A
formidable trio, the hree. werit where
nnd when they listed, and few disputed
their right-of-way.
Courtrey. n smile In his dark eyes,
tho wide black hat nt an angle ou his
Iron-grny hair, leaned against tho high
bar and scanned tho crowded room where
tho riders played and laughed and
swore with abandon.
"Heard anything more about Canyon
Jim?" he oeked Bullard, the proprietor
of tic Tho Golden Cloud, "ain't come
In yet?"
Bullard Htook his head.
"No nof ho won't, according to my
notion. Tl Ink ho miutook th' False
Hidge drop. Ain't no man could mnko
it up ngnln without th' hammer splko
nn' rope."
"Il'm don't know. Don't know."
mused Com trey. "I've always thought
it could be done. There ought to be a
way on th' other Hide, seems like."
"Well, ought an' Is is two diff'rent
things, Buck." grinned Bullard.
"Sure." nodded tho king, "sure. An
yet "
"Hello, Buck."
A' soft 'mnd touched Courtrcy's shoul
der with n snbtlo curess. He wheeled
on tho instant, rendy, alert. Then ho
smiled nnd, reaching up, took tho hand
nnd held it openly..
"Hello, Lola," he said, "how goes
it?"
Tho newcomer wns n woman, full,
rounded, dark, nnd she was past master
of men ns witness the slow glanco that
sho turned Interestedly out over tho
teeming room, even while the pulse In
the wrist In Courtrey's clabp leaped llko
a racer. ,
Sho was a perfect specimen of a cer
tain type, beautiful nfter n resplendent
fnshion, full of eye and lip, confident,
calm. She wns brilliantly clad in crlm-t-ou
and black, and rings of value shone
on her ivorvllko hands.
Lola of the Golden Cloud was known
nil over Lost Vnlley. Men who hnd no
women worshiped her nnd some who
had, also. At the Stronghold nt the
Valley's head thero was n woman who
hated her, though she had never set
C)e on her Courtrey's wife.
If Loin knew this she hnd never men
tioned It. wise creature that she was.
Proud of hor beauty nnd her power,
sho nad reigned at tho Golden Cloud
in supreme indifference, even to bcr
men tliemHclves, It seemed, though hid
den utflcrcurrents ran strong In her.
Which way they tended muny n reckless
buck of Lost Valley would have given
much to know, umong them Courtrcy
himself.
Now she pulled her hand away from
hira nnd sauntered over to n table where
five men sat playing, laid it upon tho
shoulder of ono of them, lenned down
and looked at tho cards in his hand.
Tho man, n tall stripling lu a sllvcr
studded belt, looked up, flattered.
Courtrey by tho bar watched her, still
smiling. Then he turned back to Bui
lard and went on with his converse -tlon.
Over by the wall a man on u raised
dais begau to tune an ancient fiddle,
(CONXIIsUED X0M0BB0W1
WELL-F IT tSM'r MTTLE-OLP TOM
HARVARD JUST TV1E MAN 1 WANTED
T0 3EB -SAY TOM, LISTEN I'M
SOINS TO LET VOU IN ON (K UTTLE
TIP I GOT THIS? STRAIGHT tfcOM
THE FEED BO I (NVESTEP O,00O
rVE OOT f17,000 PROFIT NOW
A'HO 8ELIEVE ME KIP I'M GOING TO PYRAMID -
THIS INTO p, WAt2 LOAN BUT SAY, LISTEN-
IP YOU'VE GOT ANV LOOSE POVJGH
LYING AtiOUND THAT. ISN'T W0rilN6-
lU. give: You this but i don't
WANT IT PEDpUEP AROUND
CAN YOU KEEP A SE.CR.E.T ?
t (
V
r. v
ryw
NOW LISTEN- DONT HAND ME ANY SECRETS
VM THE GABBIEST GUY tN THIS WOR.LD
t don't Know what your, proposition is
BUT I'VE HAD THEM ALL ANP I NEVER. GRABBED
MYSELP A WINNER. YET WHEN THEY
STUCK I3G IN THIS WORJ.D THEY SAID
HEIIE'S ONE 6UY WE'LL KEEP POOR
ANP THEY'VE MADE GOOD
AM NV I IHF iSE BEEN A CENYFR
POLE FOR THE 0I6GEST SUCKER
CIRCUS IM THE WORi-D
I'Vf RPPN TV4PT Blft TAR&E.T IN THE
SHOOTING GALLERY FOR THOSS BIRDS
EASY TO HIT I'VE" BEEN GYPPED
OH MOKE SCHEMES BUT I'M DONE
WRAPPED OP AND DELIVERED
GOOD-BYE ANP GOOD LUCK
4W;
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L-L . Ol --TjI .,
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PETEYAnd So It Goes
By C. A, Voight
( .say. vhy dowt
i "70w vomew gto iu f01
)This oyerall stoutThat's
IHE TCACTtCAt- VHIVJG
V 10 DO
H.
II a , .... - if
Vv. -T-IM SbGLAOVOO aaoH vi J
P APPROVE of it IiIKvSIW !,
) B& uwcte peTeV -ilISwSF t
"S n I VL CERE MADE Jv f f.
' l jA TH7 ) HIS SIMPLE UTH-E f
mim .- M-imm I l, I rii rm jrnj. v w . i
The Young Lady Across tho Way
Mnwiw i
"I'PfK
f V&MirtU" ilUiy Mo
Tho young lady across tho way
says her father Is so entirely non
partisan in his views that sli
doesn't believe he ever in his life
yo much as thought of voting any
thing but the Republican ticket.
ON THE STRENGTH OF THE DAY'S CATCH
By FONTAINE FOX
SCHOOL DAYS
By DWIG i
"'HOW ABOUT IT, DAO ?
D? 1 '.GIT A NOTE EXCUSlN,
MY ABSENCE FRVt
SCHOOL?
Ail
tvr-
k. 1. I - -fc 17- -
C- yf
-to A.
SCHOOL DAYS . -:
f f ti IUJU i,, , , , l
imhfj
Jhz,
m Tve wwrs of trade.
SOMEBODY'S STENOGHave to Put These Skirts to Some Use
Cop right. 1U20, by Tublic Ledger Co.
n.. ii J!
ay naywufa'
Hoe-s
REPAIRED
There! I'm Glad I
REMEMBERED "15 STbP
W am' Get The Boss'
SHOES THIS AOOA! I
F0R60T "EM fcSTEf?.
OAT AMD EARlif
lost mv Happy
MEAL TlCKtT.'
Igf-fl. o n ?" 1
i,X-l4r H sm
AJOVf LETS SEE -l'3oT
Some orauges For
THIS AFTERfOOAJ p
A ills T'ZnT TLlft.r? I.
THIM6S For MOM
AMD Two Boxes
OF CANDY. I
SgESS ThATS AUC :
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'A .ri
.mk.' m s,- x i
skss m . i '
mmA . u jm hcr . esL)
"' . mmmnimAssr rn&
III 3S Iv'SW 1 mslFwt m vw- I 'm?
- "--sZ fP
r1 MOW Boss. DOai't Get headpu
OF COURSE X GOT 'TOuR SHOES
look in LEFT, AIO. 2.
yj
mot im aio 3, simple -They're okahqe&'A If (j
in ucpiw). . iwo - me MIDDLE
I
rs one - GoTI ?3SH'
A -E - HAVWARO - 7.9
"CAP" STUBBSLife Is Hard!
By Edwina
SW TJDN'T 330NTCOnE AROONlTIBkf FOR GOODNESS 5AHE' A l 7
itft I WlA?I I HERE WITH THAT lUrtlJK,1 GO ionE.VJHEREELb . "N. I
(fe HtRfe'. TonrMj I ' I ' A3P MOHE FROn fAb To -pLHYJ VM TRVIK&T WE'RE HOMb
m y ASLEEP IW V TME OFFICE ON WlP I TO FIGURE WHERE lNTO'5v I
8SJW, TH'NET J V CCPUKL0; . llh, Y y.VvtV MONEY WeNT , iSirnfr V TIPPIP V
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