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MAY ' 3, 1920
THARON. OF LOST VALLEY
By VIISGIE E, ROE
Mn,or of "The Maid of the, Whispering IlilU," "The Heart
m' of Ntgljt Wind," etc.
. . . ,.. h nndd. ittad A Co.)
THIS HTABTH TIIIJ HTOUV
' r, Li one of the toondera
Thnron Lot is one o; Anfa
0 nolonoM jar ' th vaiey for
V""' Mm I X" ram behind, a
'" iiVn her' last loon In hoot
tMt Tharon ,'Ler( 'aer hto belt o
'M.f. she teeks to, learn the
.tfloU. 'f'.;"Mj WW) o "pet
l"". -j ii village lorc. one reus
J?"K5if fce to " mmmIii. fl.e meets
Courtwy o " " ;'Ao g0.efl ct her
s
,WlntK IT CONTINUE
"Allrlcht." ho ' a,rI'' "Blmmo ,ny
"lire S odd note In 1.1. voice.
M if under the Play thero was a
"rposo. For a second Tharon held
"'C'yoti mean Billy?" sho asked
... .imrnlv Hint the boy Jumped.
"Sn ho lauhcd. still In that light
'"what I mild " ho nlllrmod dowrodly.
.L mistress of LtiBt's took a
,B.ui !.h0 hT hand that was authority
f utc, 0" nndh leaned down to loofc
TvyD1ulyh'?he0saldiWlth a quiver
in hir voice "Last's couldn't run with
w Pr.-.?leii., An- what'a more.- I
thought 'all th' riders of th' Holdtn'
WC"a"Vbsyobtehred.,,1!;tfa.(fhtened up
5 i.M hird to that c utchlnK hand.
S,. fed llBht , the sunsot lushed his
2tabui It never set the glow that
Mnon't vou know vt. Tharon." he
W auletly. "when I'm a-Joklh' with
Sot I'd stand by Last's an' you to my
Jut breath. Don't you know that?
1 For ft long moment Tharon regarded
W&t!& ho said, "but somehow I
don't like to have you talk that-a-way.
Billy. Don't do It no more."
All rkht," promised the rider. "If
wuiaysS. boss. Only don't talk about
AW 'me. then. I'm very sensitive."
And he looked jiway with smlllnff eyes
.. ...i... ih. rloi.n lilnck RhadOWH fell
prone Into the valley from the forbid
ding face of tho great ValI.
Only tho towerjng peaks were nl Ktit
with crimson and gold, which haloed
tlelr bulk In majestic mystery.
Night was coming fast ncrosB Lost
Valley, whllo the treo-toada out by the
jprlnghoujo set up their nightly chorus,
"It's Kdcn." thought the man, "as
gure's th' world, made an' forgot with
all Its trlmmln's Innocence an'
iweetnes nn' plenty, an' th' silence of
perfect peace not to overlook th' last
unnecessary evil, th" llvln' presence, of
Ms majesty, th' devil."
Then the light died wholly nn thero
came the disturbing sound of boots on
tha ringing stones. The rest of tho
riders were coming In to claim their
bar nf nlllv'rt Kripn.
JAMESON. Illll and Thomas were ns
good as their wcrd. During tho week
that roiiowcu tne speciacuiar uenounce
ment of Courtrey and Wervlce at Bn-
jon's store, thoy went quietly to every
miller m inc viiiioj' ujiu ueumrcu
themselves. In almost cverv Instance
they met with eager pledges of approval.
They kneu, every man of them, that
this slow banding together for resist
ance against Courtrcy and his power
meant onen war. For years they had
tunered indignities and nnrdsmp wmi-i
out protest, wniie Jim i.nst uvea tncy
naa nau a sort oi leauer, an example,
though they had feared to follow In Ills
lead too strongly.
They hod copied his methods of
guarding possessions, of corralllnR.cvery
cattle-brute at night, of keeping every
horse under bars. Xust had looked
Courtrey In the face. The rest dured
not.
Now with Last gone, they felt tho
lack, as If a bastion had been razed,
leaving them In the open. Secrecy In
Lost Valley had been brought to a
work of art. Tl;ey could hold their
tongues.
But with the new knowledge Tharon
Last took on a Hjht. a halo.
Men spoke In whispers about her
daring. They felt It themselves.
orn or ner I'gmmng auicxness with
her daddy's eunl. of her npeurnnv. wnnr
loftly nil about and about, carbled and
accentuated. They Bald she could shoot
me stuas rrom tno sides of a man's belt
ana never toucn nun. Tiiey Bald she
could drive a nail farther than tho
ordinary man could sec. They said she
couia draw so swiftly that tho motion
of the hands was lost.
a slow excitement took tho faction of
the settlers.
nut out at Last's Holding a grav6
JMIety sat upon Tharon's riders. Con-
ford knmv nml milt. Iinmu n.i r....i..
Knew more about Courtrey'B Intont than
some of tho others. Young Paula, half
aSleeD III thA rifn ntHMl.a nf tt.A hnltuA
had witnessed that furious encounter by
... ..oieui uoor on me sort spring uay
wnep Jim Last had como home to dlo
t dust. She knew that tho look In
tOUTtrey S even hart hpn rnvAtnnanAaa
and he had told Jose. Jose, lonal
ia sensible, had told the boys. So
now there was always one or more of
" "n auty near tno mistress or
I Tharon, who knew more than all of
Mem put together, this was funny.
." ira;u mo smau mirtn tnero "was
in her theSA llnVO nnrl nfldn aim bah
. - ...;, u..u VI.VII DUO OUlIb
them away, to have them turn up at
tn most unexpected times and places.
ou boys!" sho would say whim
sically, "jou think Courtrey's goln' to
art mo off llvln'?"
'That's Just what we nro afraid of,
Tharon,' answered Conford gravely
once "we know it'd not be llvln'."
And Thnron had looked away toward
JOses cross and frowned.
'i' .l,h sala' "an" lt wn't bo any
wy, llvln' or dead."
One night toward tho end of that
Ttil a jurange cavalcade wound up
K hfl, levels past the head of
i .n v-uulce lorueu tne uroKen Bend
n i eo 8?vo for tho stroke of hoof
Z,.r' "noo on stono, ana wont
r?d 'a'lt "' Tllero wore O'lrty men.
riding close, ami thav i.,..i ni.i.. .
y In the .iurkness. " '"
thm ."olalnB Tharon Last waited
them on her western doorstep.
boV'JIi lff ro i11 nlonK th Bounding
seenrt,.hn0.mi"ed rlnBlnB f tho hoors
H,1!1! B'rl as the call of clarions.
If KJ fllh"1.' a "'a11"118- Hho felt as
waiting .hern" ?plrlt Bt00d behlnd her
ntim.n? tl.,e, nrst BtcP toward tho ful
ailment of her promts.
ne?s " Blonl,eu ln the soft dark-
There was no moon and tho very
whitr"redn.t0.h..hushed their
rfSS?."- chon,eTt,ler" "d J
.waiting.8. n.J!' -A .BlmnIe "leclaratlon.
heaJ rd' not half approving his
For i re,B8B Moulder and waited, too.
ound Iav hmomenl .Uiero was ,no
their concert hT.,.0T.!al ,fe-toads 'at
" seemed i en tn "?lrl SDolc' ""d
thatKheardhHr.,n8h,',ul0Wy, ""tenera
UttrnJ. ;, HBa,'.n the volso of Jim
?.c5?fettoS!,lnand,I,,f' ful1 of """w
ti-t'." K'au. said Tharn.i ul.i i..
' S?J """J Sn Lost Valley has cot
yMln .1." u" torover. CourtrnvH
s an' r e,Yi? daV. more cafo-
1141 --- 11UN IIRntt nni(Hui. i
affi'reT'aher
rtnl y th' herd, iii, t i "2.B '"Rin
lat month He'I '3?, Jo,')n Demon fa
wh I'"e always hplni W,e'. nn' ,rom
l good fer him t f,arid' Hho " a 8Bht
j1 ts me iifi-riy16 anlB more
Insult an' nJ t. 0B .offered mo th' last
"-pin- to eveifun V' "M?r I'm
witviSfr Vv.eJLun "v score with hi
SF th' hordB." Yffl. 'XZ "?" 'n.h '.'
p- a-galnst iTlnTJi"18' Vou'v all Jot
"'a&wSp? Wer" mUrmurs Ulroh the
& Wuul'a" 'fpm .court;, on
"Th'
Kvery ,' SX- Are you 7"
. 'Then- "' ..?"?.wreu on the ln.fr.
bits, a creak of loalher as thirty men
swung off their horBes,
Tharon Btcpped back In the lighted
room. Her men stood thero against the
walls. The nettlers came dlmdently In
across the sill, lean, poor men .r the
most part, their strained evea and fur
rowed faces showing the effect of hard
ships. Not a man there but had seen
himself despoiled, had swallowed the
bitter dose In helplessness. .
Most of them were married, and had
fnmlllcn. Stomo of them had killings to
their record. Many of them were nono
too upright,
Jameson was a good man and so
was Dan Hill. Thomas was merely
weak. Huford was a gunman who had
.protected his own much better than
the rest. Mclntyre ivas llko him. One
by one they came forward as Tharon
called them bv name, and leaning down.
put their names or their marks to a
snoot or paper winch bore tueso tew
slinn'e lines:
"We. thn nlenerft nnmed below, do
solemnly promise and pledge, ourselves
to Btnnu togetner, tnrougn an con
Bcauencea of this net. for the protection
of our lives and property. For .every
piece or.propcrty taken from any one of
us, we flhall go together nnd talte hack
It. or Its worth, from whoever took It.
For every person killed In any way, but
falr-nnd-opcn, we promiso to hang the
murderer."
Billy had drafted tho Uooument.
Tharon, whom Jim Last had taught her
letters, read it aloud. The names of
Last's Holding headed It. The thirty
nnmes and marks nnd of the latter
there were many stretched to the bot
tom of the sheet.
When It was done the girl folded It
solemnly and put It awny In tho depths
of tho big desk. Old Anita, watching
from the shadows of tho eating room
beyond, put hor roboso over her head
and rocked in silent grief. Sho had
seen tragic things before.
Then theso lean and quiet men fllell
out, mounted the waiting horses and
went awny In tho darkness, mysterious
figures ngalnst the stars.
That night Tharon Last sat lato by
the deep window In her own room at
the south of the ranch hpuse. It waa a
huge old room high walled and somber.
Thero were bright blankets hung like
pictures on the walls, baskets ' mar
vclously woven of grass and rushes,
thick mats on the floor made In like
manner and of a rough, long-llbcrcd
era ph that crow down In a swale hevond
tho Black Coulee, while In ono corner
mere snono palo In tho darkness tho
one great treasUro of that unknown
mother, an almost llfe-slzo statue of the
Holv Virgin.
On this beautiful thing Tharon had
stood In awe from babyhood.
A half fearful reverenco bowed her
before It on those rare times when
Anita, throwing back to her Mexico an
cestors, worshiped vlth vague rites at
Its feet.
Always Its waxen hands bore offer
ings, Bllent tribute from, tho girl's still
nature. Sometimes theso were tho
prnlrle flowers, llttlo wild things, sweet
and fragile. Sometimes they were
sprays of tho water vines that grew by
tho wonderful spring of tho Holding.
Again they were strings of bright
beads, looped nnd falling In glistening
cascades over tho tarnished gilt robes
of tho Virgin.
Under the flAn wlnrinw fhrA nrna n
wide couch, piled .high with a narrow
""",v " tvnu kuubo icainers ana
Covered with n crimson blanket.
Hero tho girl sat with hor nrms on tho
sill nnd looked out Into the darkness
that covered the valley. She thought or
tho thirty men who had signed her
paper, riding far nnd by In tho sound
ing basin, returning to their uncertain
homes. Sho thought of her father
asleep under his peaceful cross, of
young Hnrkness besldo him. ,
She thought of Courtrey nnd Service
and Wylackle Tiob, of Black Bart and
the stranger from Arizona. They were
n hard bunch to tncklp.
They had the valley under . their
thumbs to lo with as they pleased, llko
the veriest Romnn potentate of old. Her
daddy had told her once, when she was
small and lonely of winter nights,
strange old tales of rulers and their
helpless subjects. Jim 'Last could talk
when ho needed, though he was a man
of conserved speech.
Yes, Courtrey was like a king In Lost
Valley, absolute. She thnueht nf ti
many crimes done and laid to his door
oinco boo couiu rememoer. of countless
Cllttle run off. of hnrnpn Btnlan nn.l
shamelessly ridden In grinning defiance
ui uny wno mignt iaro to Identify
them, of Cap Hart killed on tho
tronchoId's ran nnd tart frn rtt im
the Uen skies, a warning llko those
Mum ui jjrey inni are snot ana hung to
scare their kind. Her soft lips drew
themselves Into a hard line, very like
Jim Last's, and the heart ln her ratified
Us treaty with the thlrtv mn
Sho had none to mourn her, she
iiiuuHui a irino sauiy wen Anita and
Paula, of course, and there were her
riders. Billy would grieve he'd kill
some one If sho woro killed and Con
ford and Jack,
A warm glow pervaded her being,
"ies, sho had folks, even If she was the
last of her blood.
But sho didn't Intend to be killed. Sho
was right, and she had listened enough
to Anita to believe with a superstitious
certainty, that right was Invulnerable
For Instance, If sho and Courtrey should
draw at the same second sho believed
absolutely, that because she was In the
light her bullet would travel a bit the
swifter, her aim be truer. She felt In
her heart with a profound conviction
that some day sho would kill Courtrey.
She thought of his wife, Kllen, a pale
flowor of a woman, white as milk with
hair the color of unripe maize,' and
wondored If she loved the man who made
her life hell, bo tho valley whispered
Thnron wondered how it would seem to
love a man, as women who were wives
must love their men If the agony of
loss to Ellon could bo ns acute and ter
rifying as hers had been ever since that
sofo night in spring when hor best
friend, Jim Last, had come home on El
Itey.
Sho thought of the gray look on his
face, of tho pinched line at his nostrils'
base, and the, tears came miserably
under her lids, sho laid her head on
tho cloth mat that covered tho wide
window ledgo and wept like any child
for a time. Then she wiped her face
with her hands, sighed, and fell again
to thinking.
An hour later, as she roso to make
ready for bed, sho thought Bhe caught a
faint sound out where tho llttlo rock
bordered paths ran In what she was
pleased to coll her gaiden, since a few
hardy flowers grew by the spring's
trickle, nnd she held her breath to
listen. It was nothing, however sho
thought, nnd turned Into tho deep room
Only tho tree-toads, lone slnco silent
know thnt a cigarette, carefully shield
ed In a palm, glowed In the darkness.
Two days after this a visitor came
to Last's. From far down they saw
him coming. In tho mid-morning while
tho work of tho house went forward.
Paula, bringing a pan of mlllt from the
sprlnghouse, spied him first nnd stopped
to satisfy her young eyes with tho un
wonted appearance of him. She looked
long, and hurried In to tell her mistress.
"Senorltn," Bho Hald excitedly, "soe
who comes! A stranger who has differ
ent clotbes from any otliar. He rides
not llko Lost Valley men. either, being
too stiff and straight. Come see."
And Tharon, busy about the kitchen
In her sturched print dress, dropped
everything at once to run with Paula to
the western door of tho living room that
they might look south.
Mucliachas bom," complained old
Anita, "tno mux is spiuea and the pan
dulce burns In the oven I Teh. tch 1"
.i ... . ... . --------
But the younrf creatures In the west
door cared naught for her grumbling,
"Who can It be. to como so,
Senorlta7" wondered Pnula. her brown
check besldo her mistress, J'la he not
handsomo!"
"For mercy sake, Paula," chldcd
Tharon laughing, "I bolleve you'd look
for beauty In th oV N'lck himself If he
rode up. But I've seen this man be
fore." "Whero? When?"
"In town that day I mot Courtrey an'
Servlco. I remember sceln' him como
Into line as I backed out he was
standln' between th' racks an th' poroh,
somewhere." And Bho narrowed her
eyes and studied tho rider as lie came
Jogging up across tho range.
"H'm," she said presently, "he does
ride funny. I bet he ain't rodo range
,THE GVMPSLct Well Enough Alone
AH-HOHHVOV) CAtfT'BEAT
IT A GOOD CIGAR. -THE.
PAPER A OOOK AMD A-OOO
STOR.V Vrt aETTINfi.ALONfi
THAT 'AGE OP UFe-VWEffE THM
HOME 6TV)fP IS QREATT
I'LL SAV
y
PETEY There's a Reason
The young lady across the way
sftys she sees that France is going
to tax all unmarried men over
thirty, nml she always did npprove
the principle of the single tax.
""'" ' " i ... i..iii iiwiiw i, !. i i !'' '""I, mmmmmm--mmm
The Young Lady Aero., the Vay TIIETOQNERVILLETROUEY ;. -: By FONTAINE FOX 1 SCHOOL DAYS : ..- -;. -;. '""
J W- CI wmiri the skipper, s. O" x j& gosh ! l&mkJf Ib. JsWijfJzk -Wl.i' m j. .
i MNW was Movirio AuMr j 5v A mffi3&m&&0WBG& (irum:- J? '
1 U HS7R BELL M5T ' JS S ' M&K S13 Cfi CmWEtWlJa
SOMEBODY'S STENOGIfs a Great Feeling'
Ki'DUb
And Comes
Si)wrise amt
another dav
'. T)auai
FUU Of PRow&t"
"
IS UNDEJ? WAY
last Call For
BREAKPAST !
-J
"CAP" STUBBSuCap" Has an Awful Time Keeping
jm WHERE'5 hV MATl
1
iw.&r.r!." ...Hi. . J4," :."' a "'"-v
WHAT
rviv
ISN'T
VKja
; ll
mm --
m'1' ' '(
mwv co
and later 16
Borne To our
EARS THE fiLAD
CALL To DooTY !
AH. HEAR THE
AND-TflOU6H
Bottles are
BfE AH' EVER
06 WIO TlLL
HAPPY 7011-e.RS
their way i
What Poetry :
OS0SHO6OSH
tub full op booiso Z&Zezs' s ' WWMTSffmkm' WT -np J7 vmM'ffitWJini'mwrfX
PELL OFF AMD ONE OF THE ''SWtBHmA TTr6SWWMlM HOLE
0OOK6 WAS AM ILLUSTRATED ttMWfSMX Tu 0 S
HISTORY op FAMOUS BEAUTIES Of THE fUUCH COURT. , " HBlL V$6 B
Mv-c Ar. i & mifj
. I,
' iOriEBODyj ) (-Eft HIPIN' ) II I Mft! 1 rSNT . IIS
- Mil ) . r
AIMS YOU POIM6? REAOIM&
ABOUT THAT PIVORCE CASE?
WEU TTS WE SAME OLD
STORV LEAVE. IT TO TVlESE
HErt WHEN THE.Y OET. RICH.
THE WOMAN WHO SCRIMPED
MHP 3AVED AND HELPED THEM
RAISED A rAMILV 1011 THEM
unarm aup with twrte. -
GOOD- ENOUGH
THEr - U - SNWOb
f
I m
r
Op, e
.
ALL THE NEIAHBrtRS MILK
m ahd wives kissed Soob
7HN6(THERe IS ONE OF
SLUAABERS OMAMhOMi
VME'D LKeTo DReAlA LlKEllOT
Trace of Things
-:-:-
' ..iiiiiiiAHwmuwiwvvtmimii
HI" V" '" ' ' Jfl I '..
' vA 1 ...fl'l.'-v '
IF WET WCfcE BOTH
VOUNG AND SIN6LE AGAIN
I VVOUUD YOU VAHT ME
V BE. YOUR, WIPE 7
- 'X?f$ t)rA faj' ? x - ' Ji
T: WWffl K J? GoUl. ,TS EAI?LY TEN I HE AlMT COMIM' IAJ H MM
r " Apfffl jffifoygajll ,THfe The Third Time Today ' vHATi pJ. mm
vJoW LOOKIE HEGWE. DARULING-- v
I WHAT'S THE" USE OV TRYIN6 TO START
3 A QUArcR-EL. JUST AS WE HAVE
J I 3ETTL.EJ OOWN TO EM JOY A 3.U4ET )
To
ConirlBht. ltliO by Public Lder
WHO Fooled with That Cuock?
-5t- , i k. Kvtnno '
By Sidney Smith
By C. A. Volght
By Hay ward
Co.
By Edwlna
HUH wetL'lDON'TSEt
WHY EV HYBOTJy 3OWT
LEAuP mv tminivs At nil
KEVEFN HIN PIND AOfHlKf
' i
m
-'
i
9
E an' si? " ,,,e 8lrl tensely:".;,:;
much In his life,
Stiff aa a ramrod, nn'
- L : - Ii 1 1 - 1 1
'HIAKa - - mr-w
no mintauo."
- wa" rattle of Btlrruna ana
(CONTINUED TOMORROW)
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