Show Y Y r Y 1 Y J Y P 1 ll d J Y 1 Y Y ll r l J Y 1 f l J Y l A Q ri ll y J Y 1 Y Y l l l J Y J 3 1 J ll l l Y 3 Y ll i Y 1 C l I I i T IT 0 TJ rj RIVER RIVERBy j r jt S V fj JL j r rS S d By VINGIE E ROE by th McCall BRAND FAIR SYNOPSIS Kate CAthrew Cattle Kate owner wn r of t the tir Sky SkyLine SkyLine Line ranch on n her way to t Mc- Mc McKane's Mc-Kan Mc Kanes Kanee store t re at Cordova Cord seem seem- seemingly eem Infuriated by the th eight lelit liht of ofa ofa ofa a girl Ctrl plowinG In the th valley be- be below below b bl l low w places a rifle bullet near the hor feet The Tir girl cirl Irl takes no notice Kate goes cots on to tot town wn where her presence e brings on I a a fight between McKanE McCane the th trader and Sheriff Selwood Nance Allison the girl eirl on whom T Kate Kale Kat Cathrew w had vented her spite Is I with her widowed moth moth- mother mother mother er and crippled brother Dud Bud farminG land taken up by her father killed a II short hort time be- be before before for bc-for fore In a my mysterious accident Bud ll II the th victim of a deliberate scheme chem to maim or r kill him Kate Cathrew v wants the farm for pasture land and Is tryinG to frighten the Into leavinG Dig Big Basford Sky Line rider desperately In love lov with Kate picks a quarrel with II a fellow rider Rod Hod Stone Kate to part them lashes ladies IJa Basford rord acro across s the face tace fac with a n Quirt Nance discovers In tn a cave a 0 fine collie dr c evidently guarding a achild achild child She goes coes homo hoino mystified Next day Nance returns return to the th cave with food and makes friends with the th dOG doc and the th small mall boy Sonny Ito He II tells her Brand takes care car of him and Dirk the collIe Selwood Is certain Kate Cathrew Is la the head hend of II a cattle rustling ganG cane with Lawrence Arnold her lier partner who rarely visits the tir ranch Minnie Pine at the tho Sk Sky In ranch Is In love lov with Rod Stone Ranchers complain of stealIng cattle and criticize Sheriff Selwood for tor his hi seeming Inactivity CHAPTER VIII 7 Brand Fair Nance ance Allison went back to Blue mue BlueStone BlueStone Stone canyon It was as Inevitable ns as the recurrent sun eun that she should do doso doso so 60 Her lIer whole nature was stirred to the dt depths by what she sir had found In Inthe inthe Inthe the lonely 10 gorge rg e Time The m mystery tery of ot the time thing lured her hr herset set et her young mind hunting for Its solution And the little ragged boy with his face and bright brown ees eyes tugged tug at her tender heart beart irresistibly lie He was a n beautiful small creature despite his thinness and his poverty po There was Intelligence In the broad forehead ad under the time long loose un- un unkempt un unkempt kempt dark curls capacity for tor affection affection affection tion In the mobile lips and mind a terrible hunger to lot love lo In the whole little face tace For four day days running hand ns as asher asher her mother said tile the girl went to time the can canyon on The friendship ripened with tropical speed s-o s f 0 that she need not for her quarry now but found It coming to meet her peering around this boulder watching from that vantage point When she held out tier her arms to the child these last two times he had conic cOllie leaping Into them to cling to her neck in III delirious gladness while the sedate collie fast fust friend by this time and traitor to his sacred charge fawned on her knee nee But Hut on the fifth golden day trouble was ons In the atmosphere Sonny came with drooping head fiend anda and o a pucker of or sorrow In to his small brows Why what's the matter with my little man said the girl kneeling and holding him off orr to scan hIm searchingly Tell fell Nance Sonn Sonny Is It And Amid Sonny dissolved In tears upon the Instant hiding hIs Ills face tace In tn Nances Nance's neck neek J I I 1 I ha- ha halme bahe ha lie he hed to to tell a Brand a a Ill a lie A 1111 Ile And Brand hates he-hates h lie hates a liar lie Ue found your horses horse's trucks tracks dawn the canyon canon he and and he asked me If It I any saw any any one strange range wept time the child ance sat down and took the boy In tier her lap Time timing tiling was to a n She was meddling with someone's private business of that she slie was sure both Loth from her own reasoning and her mothers mother's warning and ma maybe be she slie hall had no right rJ ht to do so but her lier sweet 8 mouth set Iet Itself Into stubborn lines as liS she fell to o smoothing time the little head damp daml with the ardors of ot Its owners owner's 0 ners ner's remorse Stop top crying honey she ehe wheedled softly and let Nance Nonce rock you ou like thIs She tucked her heels under her thIghs mid and molding holding the lie child In the lap lup thus formed be began nn to sway way her lier bod body back and Mid forth for all the world ni as If It she slie he sat in a c cushioned 1 JOck 1 What hot Is II there abo about a rocking wom 1111 woman an with a n childs child's head bead on her breast to the soothe the sorrows of ot the lie world loe swaying motion soon checked Sonny's sobs nod and she ahe fell to singing to him hlo adding her voice to the my my terl ous ma voices of the canyon on in the lie lilt 1111 and fall of an on old meeting camp hymn ht forth from her memories of And presently when It its l spell had soothed the tumult slit hp Aim up and fed him cookies cookie de de for the time occasion a n sugary bribe brIll bribeR R IT ever er there then was one I Dirk to too tob was not averse to tt shameful seduction hIs bis pale pal e eyes with lIh desire Tell toe roe Sonny onny raid maid Nance does doe brand row omi for far ou Sure said sold the child sure he d 1005 s but hes he's gone all da day and we e get awful hungry fore he comes at night I should think sol soi I thought Nance grImly two meals a n day dayl I When n a little child should eat ent whenever It its it's hungry to growl row I ThIs Tills precious Brand Brandis BrandIt Is about due for an nn Investigation Aloud she said sold Sonn Sonny Im I'm going to stay with you all day and day and Im I'm going to walt wait and see Brand The boy was almost aghast at nt this statement and It was plain from the he showed that It was unprecedented unprecedented If you do he said paid mIserably ma maybe lie Brand will take me mo away again and and-and and and Ill I'll never see sec you any anymore anymore anymore more But Nance had other plans and she shook IJ her r head That was a n lovely day It was warm warm- warmer warmer er than usual since summer was step step- stepping stepping pin ping down the lie slopes of the lonely hlll hills and the strangely assorted trio In Blue Stone canyon enjo enjoyed ed It to the thi full Tile They explored far up the narrow defile the time child holding to the girl s shanel shand shand hand hanel and skipping happily the collie pacing beside them a n step to the left two step steps to the rear They Thy watched the trout waving wa la III lathe inthe the sunlit pools at nt noon and waded In Ina ina Ina a rime to find barnacles under rocks that Nance ml might ht show Sonny the he tin tiny creatures which built such n a wonder wonderS wonderful ful little house of Infinitesimal sticks and mortar But as ns the sun dropped over toward the west and the shadows deepened In the great gorge Nance began to feel teel the loneliness time the cold silence the oppression of ot the wll- wll wil wilderness The voices seemed to raise theIr tones to become menacing More Mure and more sh she slie realized what It must mean to a child left alone In the canyon and a n deep and rising indignation welled swelled within her This Brand fellow now now-he now lie must be blooded cold blooded as they made them cruel no no Sonny loved him lie He could not be exactly that But nut what sort of man could he be beShe She held the child close In her warm arms as she rocked again and pon pon- pondered pon- pon pondered pondered dered the problem She did not know what she Intended to say ay to him once she faced him but of or one thing shet shet she t 0 t S t l ll The Newcomer Did Not Speak but Stood Holding the Bit of a Hand Hand- Handsome Handsome some Huge Black Horse Horce was certain he certain he would know In no tam tam- un uncertain certain t terms Indeed w what lint hat a u mon monstrous thing tiling It wad wiet to 10 leave n child alone in Blue Stone Stomie alone canyon canyon alone tu to listen to its mysterious voices to reel feel Its chill chili and Its Us menace of shadows Why It t was a wonder the tir little mInd did not crack with strain the small heart break with earl fearl Unconsciously she alma hugged bugged Sonny tighter making of ot her lier body as It wore ere a bulwark bet bet between een him und and all harm seemIng to challenge the world for his possession on It was astonishing haw the child had Imd crept Into lI her r heart In these few short how days days how hungrily hungrily hungrily ly her arms hail closed him film She had made Ills his cause calise lier her own 11 high high- high handedly handedlY perhaps perhaps without reason She Slie was ass thinking of ot these things when hen the collie barked sharply und and leaped away In welcome Nance flung a startled glance over lI her lier r shoulder shoulder- und and got to her feet teet slid sliding In the down beside tier her an arm arin till about his rag ragged ed shoulders A man stood at the corner of ot the Jut of ot stone be beyond ond the pool six tall toll somewhere around lIe He was feet reet a horseman horn 1 by y his mils build narrow of ot hip and flat fiat of ot thigh He lie was dud clad in garments almost as ns much till the worse for wear as Sonn Sonny's a Sonny's n a blue blin flannel shirt and corduroy tucked Into hoots boots But nut Nance saw In that lust Irs swIft glance clance that these were different from those of their Hk tike which McKune sold Bold In Cordova that seemed made for the man mun who wore wort had they fitted him perfectly them so o once Jr rI Under R a peaked sombrero with a strap strap chin run in a n bone slide filM a D pair of dark eyes eres bored Into Nances Nance's un un smiling A very dark face fuce almost In In-dinn In In iii cut clean feature nod and contour with repressed lips III's and thin no nostrils completed the picture The newcomer did not speak but stood tood holding the bit of a handsome hu huge I black horse Brand I I called time tir boy Oil Oh Brand Brandl I 1 At that name Nance Allison found her tongue Ive l been walling waiting for tor you she said calmly Im Imn glad youve you've come Yes he said In a singularly deep sweet voice That voice disconcerted Nance upon the Instant stole tole seine OlOe of her lire Ire so 60 soto soto to speak She had been ready to tackle him on the he Issue at It once to tofi fi fight ht If It necessary with a flood of rea rea- reasons reasons sons and protests against III Ills his treat treat- treatment treatment ment of ot Sonny Now suddenly she Ehe felt n a vague sense of ot having Intruded of ot meddling with another's affairs But she was ns not one to back down from any right righteous sous ous stand and stand and Sonn Sonny's s cause In every ery sense It seemed to her So she gazed steadily Into the dIrect dark ees eyes and nodded decidedly Yes I Yes I am she repeated I wont I to talk to you The Time man dropped the rein over o the blocks block's head and came forward a step or two Quite a rare experience he saId smiling as he lie removed his hat and ran his brown fingers through the thick black hair that stood up from his sweated forehead Its been a long longtime longtime time Ume since any woman oman has lias wanted to talk to us-eh us us eh Sonny Oh nut But Oh she talks sweet Brand l I crIed the child eagerly and she she- she holds me on her lier lap I l At the profound awe nwe In the small voice olce time the mans man's face toce grew ew Quickly grave ave We must be pretty far gone ns as a 1 I he be said sold that makes me thInk what a n womans woman's love lo must mean to a child You have been n a gift gUt or of God Cod dropped out of ot the blue to Son Son- Sonny Sonny n ny Miss Allison and I ought to thank you OU Why you ou you you know who ho I am cried the girl astounded Certainly And I know how long you e youve you've been coming here bere to the can canyon yon I know where you live too too- too down on the flats fiats by the river rl nl Ills slow amused smile at her evI- evI evIdent evident evi evident dent discomfiture was engaging It Nance made her feel more than ever e an on Intruder I know know- what lost waifs you must think us and us you are ore partly right We are Ive I've watched you ou and Sonny twice and I have not removed our camp If If such suh it could be be called called be because cause I 1 I didn't think you'd talk I haven't nt said Nance except to tomy tomy tomy my own family Since you ou have found us out he went on In I shall tell you ou that Sonny Is not the neglected little cast ofT that you OU must naturally think him I have hidden him for a n purpose We have a purpose the tic ho boy and I I and we hav have tra tra many miles mlles In Its pursuit We do seem m mysterious but mysterious Lut but were we're not so greatly so after nil all I try to care for tor him as os heat best I may moy when I must 10 he so much lI a away from him humn It if It wasn't hasn't for fur Dirk i I couldn't leave him himas himas himas as 1 I do lies well 11 protected said Nance I used Sonny himself to betray the dog I couldn't do otherwise I know something of Sonny It-Sonny it didn't tell me but I saw aw the signs ot of your our scuffle ume It W was R printed plain In Inthe time the sand and shale Sonny No No Sonny didn't tell hell said Nance I regretfully and I 1 made him n a liar when hen I 1 didn't mean to I asked him not to t tell you you that Id I'd been here I 1 Iw w as afraid you'd oud take him him away oy I 1 dIdn't think you'd ask him him point pointblank Ive I taught the boy not to talk said the time man Its man Its a vital necessity to us I lie He doesn't I couldn't find out n a athing thing for fur all I wheedled shamelessly except that you ou were lre Brand and that you OU two ride always on there ere My I name Is Fair Miss lIss Allison- Allison Brand Fair and that Is Sonny's name also ulso But we te e dont don't tell It to strangers He Ile smutted smiled at ot her again lIln a slow creasing of time tile lie lines about Ills his lips Ills a pleasant narrowing of his Ills e eyes ES Then I- I I there was w-ns an nn ell elemental quality of gladness ss In Nanee Nances Nance's voice oke though she was vas utterly Unconscious loulS o of It am not hot a stranger You are Sonny's friend he re- re re replied plied piled and w we give he you our trust Tile The girl swallowed once and tI tight tightened ht ened coed her hold on time tile lie childs child's thin shoulders Th There re was something In Infinitely finitely pathetic Infinitely intriguing In this situation and it gripped her strongly thank I I you OU she said awkward awkwardly h ly is Ill not betray it lt Im sure you Oll wont won't said Fair un and for tor the III present JI It if you'll ouli accept us at nt our face value alue well we'll bt be mIghty glad elm eh Sonny I Ive e 1 been heen glad all ull UK the tIme lime said Sonny fervently and aad sos aoa 80 Dirk Ingrates laughed the iian nn Here Ive I've shared my ray poor substance with you OU t two II a for for a very ery long and time time nt at time the first bribe of ot meat and kisses you turn me down cold I Oh J I 1 cried Nance Hushing flushing you ou know all about us P Its my business to know all nil about on one who Invades m my solitude Isn't lont It I Hut But here Sonny could stand Brands Brand's badinage no longer and pulling away from from Nance he ran to him and cling cling- clinging hag ing about Ills his knees begged forgive forgive- |