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Show THE TIMES-NEW- NEPHI. UTAH S. sa'aasjiMfisTOiin'-i- 53 TA. Tike Branding Iron QQQ i Katharine Neuilin Buri : " "YOU KILLED HIM" Joan Lai. (lis, el8jhten yean old, wife of Pierre, la the daughter of John Carver, who murderid Her her mother for adultery. lonely life, with her father, in a Joan cabin, unbearable, Wyoming leaves him to work In a hotel In a nearby town. Joan meets Pierre, and the two, mutually attracted, are married. Carver tell Pierre story of Joan' mother. Pierre forges a cattle brand. Frank Holllwell, young minister, presents books o Joan. Pierre forbids her to red them. Maddened by Jealousy, Pierre ties Joan and burns the Two-Ba- r brand Into her shoulder. Hearing: her screams, a stranger bursts Into the house and shoots revives The stranger Pierre. Joan, telling her Pierre is dead, At him. to go with urges her the stranger's honu Joan's injuries are attended to. She la Introduced to a ne f world of books and fine clothing by the stranger. Prosper Gale, a writer. CHAPTER XII snow-mottle- Ctntinuad. 9 opened her volume In its middle and her eye looked upon And grave, part of the old life back to which she was running. Down the canyon trail she floundered, her short skirt gathering a weight of snow, ner webs lifting a mass of It at every tugging step. Her speed perforce slackened, but she plodded on, out of breath and tn a sweat. She was surprised at the weakness; put It down to excitement. I was afeered he'd make me stay," she 88 Id, and, "I've got to go. I've got to go." This went with her like a beating rhythm. She came to the opening In the firs, the foot of the steep trail, and out there stretched the valley, blank snow, blank sky, here and there a wooded ridge, then a range of lower not a roof, hills, blue, not a thread of smoke, not a sound. "I'm awful far away," Joan whispered to herself, and, for the first time In her life, she doubted ber strength. "I don't rightly know where I am." She looked back. There stood hlch. familiar peuk. but so were the outlines of these mountains Jumbled and changed that 6he could not tell if Prosper's canyon lay north or south of Pierre's homestend. The former was high up on the foothills, and Pierre's was well down, above the river. From where she stood, there was no river-be- d In sight. She tried to remember the journey, but nothing came to her except a confused impression of follow Had they ing, following, following. gone toward the river first and then turned north or had they traveled close to the base of the giant range? The ranger's cabin where they had spent the night, surely that ouKht to be vis ible. If she went farther out say beyond the wooded spur which shut the mountain country from her sight, perhaps she would find It. . . . Bravely she braced ber quivering muscles and went on. She plunged Into drifts, struggled up; sometimes seemed to stand up the snow-plan- e like a wall In front of her, the far hills lolling like a dragon along its top. She could not keep the breath of then she familiar lines "So the two brothers and their mur dered man " Joan's heart fell like a lealen weight and the color dropped frora her face. In an Instant she was back m Pierre's room and the white night circled her In great silence and she vas going over the story of her love arul Pierre's their love, their beautiful, grave, simple love that had so filled her life. In the And now where was she? house of the man who had killed her husband! She had been waiting for Holllwell, but for a lone wlilie now she had forgotten that. Why was she still here? A strange, guilty terror She stared came with the question. around the gorgeous little room, snug from the world, so secret In Its Vnter She heard Wen Ho's laces-sa-canyon. pattering In the kitchen, the crunch and thud of Prosper's shovele ing outside. It was suddenly a nightmare, or less a nightmare than a dream, pleasant In the dreaming, but hideous to an awakened mljd. She was awake. That little homeSuch a nungjr stead of Pierre's! opened In her soul that she bent bar head and moaned. She could think tf nothing now but those two famtlla, rooms Pierre's ffui., bare, clean Pierre's rod. her own coat there b the door, the snowshoes. There waj no place In ber mind for the later tragedy. She had gone back of it She would rather be alone in her own home, desolate though it was, than anywhere else In all the homeless at aor-rlbl- world. And what could prevent her from She laughed aloud a short, going? defiant laugh rippled to her feet, and. In her room, took off Prosper's "pretty things" and got into her own old clothes: the coarse underwear, the heavy stockings and boots, the rough skirt, the man's shirt How loosely they all hung! How thin she was I Now Into her coat, her woolen cap down over her ears, her gloves she was ready, her heart laboring like an exhausted stag's, her knees trembling, her wrists mysteriously absent She went Into the hall, found her snow, shoes, bent to tie them on, and straightening op, met Prosper, who had come In out of the snow. He was glowing from exercise, but at sight of her and her pale excitement the glow left him and his face went bleak and grim. He put out his band and caught her by the arm nd she barked from him agnlnst the wall this before either of them spoke. "Where are yon going, Joan?" home." "I'm He let go of her arm. "Ton were golng'llke this, without a word to meT "Mr. Gael," she panted, "I bad a feelln' like yon wouldn't 'a let me go.' ne turned, threw open the door, and stepped aside. She confronted his white anger. "Mr. Onel. I left Pierre dead. I've for Mr. Holllwell to been come. I'm strong now. I must be a goln' home." Suddenly she blazed out: "Ton killed my man. What her I to do with yon?" He bowed. Her breast labored and all the distress of ber soul, troubled by an Instinctive, Inarticulate con sclonsnoss of evil, wavered In her eyes, Her reason already accused her of In gratitude and treachery, but every fiber of her had suddenly revolted. She was all for liberty, she must have It He was wise, made no attempt to hold hor, let her go; but, as she fled tinder the firs, her webs sinking deep Into the heavy, nncrnsted snow, he stood and watched her keenly, lit bad Dot failed to notice the trembling of her body, the quick lift and fnll of her breast the rnptd flushing and paling of ber face He let hpr go. And Jonn ran. drawing recklessly on the depleted store of wbnt had always been her Inexhaustible strength. The now was deep and soft, heavy with moisture, the Marrh air was moist, too, not keen with frost, nfl frp'n nr were softly dark against an even d sky of cloud. To Joan's yea. so long Imprisoned, It wai all clean and beautiful, astonishingly Stone-colore- 4 Z she nodded. She was pale, her eyes heavy, but she was glad to be found, glad to be saved. He saw that, and he saw a dawning confusion In her eyes. At the end he drew her arm Into his, and, when they came Into the house, he knelt and took the snow- shoes frora ber feet she drooping against the wall. He put a hand on each of her shoulders and looked reproach. "You wanted to leave me, Jonn? You wanted to leave me as much as that?" She shook her head from side to side, then, drawing away, she stum bled past him Into the room, dropped to the bearskin rug, and held out her hands to the flames. "It's awful good to be back," she said, and fell to sobbing. "1 didn't think you'd be carln' I was thlnkln only of old things. I was homesick me that has no home." Her shaken voice was so wonderful music that he stood listening with tears In his eyes. "An' I can't ferget Pierre nor the life, Mr. Gael, an' when I think 'twas you that killed him, why, it breaks my heart. Oh, I know you hed to do it. I saw. An' I couiant 'a stayed wun him no more. What he did, it made me hate him but you can't be thlnkln how It was with Pierre an' me before I that night We we was happy. ust to live with my father, Mr. Gael, on' he was an awful man, an' there was no lovln' between us, but when I first seen Pierre lookin' up at me, I first knowed what lovln' might be like. I Just came away with him because he asked me. Oh, Mr. Gael, I can t fer get him, even for liatin. That brand on my shoulder. It's all healed, but my heart's so burted, "it's so hurted. You killed him. Fergive me, please; I would love you If I could, but some-thimakes me shake away from you because Pierre's dead." Again she wept, exhausted, broken hearted weeping It was. And Pros per's face was drawn by pity of her. That story of her life and love. It was a sort of saga, something as moving as an old ballad most beautifully The varied and vibrant casung. dences of her voice gave every delicate shading of feeling, of thought She All night was utterly expressive. after he had seen her eat and sent ber to her bed, the phrases of her music kept repeating themselves In his ears. "An' so I first knowed what lovln might be like"; and, "I would love you, only somethln' makes me shake away from you because Pierre's dead." This was a Joan he had not yet realized, and he knew that after all his enchanted leopardess was a woman and that his wooing of her had hardly yet begun. So did she baffle him by the utter directness of her heart. There was so little of a barrier against him and yet there was so much. For the first time he doubted his wizardry, and, at that, his desire for the wild girl's love stood up like a giant and gripped his soul. Joan slept deeply, without dreams; she had confessed herself. But Prosper was as restless and troubled as a youth. She had not made her escape; she had followed him home with humility, with confusion In her eyes. She had been glad to hold out her bands again to the fire on his hearth. And yet he was now her prisoner. a sudden Prosper Took Her by th Shoulder and Turned Her Over In the Snow. her lungs. Often she sank down and rested; when things grew steady she got up and worked on. Each time she rested she crouched longer: each time made slower progress; and al ways the goal she had set herself, the end of a Jutting hill, thrust Itself out. nosed forward, sliding down to the plain. It began to darken, but Joan thought that her Bight was falling. The enormous efforts she was making took every atom of her will. At last her muscles refused obedience, her laboring heart stopped. She stood a moment, swayed, fell, and this time she made no effort to rise. She had become a dark spot on the snow, a llfeness part of the loneliness and silence. A small, black, energetic figure came out from among the fira and ran forward where the longest shadows pointed. It looked absurdly tiny and anxious: futile. In Its pigmy haste, across the exquisite stillness. Joan. lying so still, was acquiescent ; this little striving thlna rebelled. It came forward steadily, following Joan's un even tracks, stamping them down firmly to make a solid path, and, as the sun dropped, leaving an Immense gleaming depth of sky, he came down and bent over the black speck that was Jonn. . . . Prosppr took ber by the shoulder and turned her over a little In the snow. Joan opened ber eyes and looked at him. It was the dumb look of a beaten dog. "Get up. child," he snld, "and com home with me." be helping She atrnggled to ber ber; and silently. Just s a savage woman, no matter what her pain, will follow her man, ao Jonn followed the track he made by pressing the snow down triply over her former steps. asked onoa aad "Can yon do It?" SCOUTS (Conducted National Council of th Scouts of Amrrica.) by SEASCOUTING Copyright by Katharine N Burt Now Comes a Season A Song for Christmas TO THE Boy FORE vigorous and picturesque branch of the boy scout program knowu as seuscouting and designed In the Interests of the older boy Is to be opened up to all boy scout troops, no matter where they are located, according to the plan of tha recent seaseout conference. Where the salty sea ts not avail able, at least those features of the seaseout program that can be carried out on land will be, such as naviga tion, astronomy, ship construction, bout Signaling, wireless, drill, sounding, map reading, charting, etc. The objects of seascouting are Iden tical with those of land scouting, with greater emphasis on nautical train has ing.- - Because seasvout training proved of incalculable benefit to the older boy, the conference recom mended In the Interests of greater progress, that the formation of troops be simplified, and be made similar to that of land troops; also, that certain requirements be made for advance ment in the first three ranks, as in land scouting, and that other ad vanced work be optional, as in the case of the Merit badge work of the land scout. A seuscout reserve Is also recom- monded, the program of which Is to be made available to all existing troops. This work of the reserve will develop more experts In water safety, leaderthereby providing safety-firs- t ship in camps, and will make possible g units. community The blue and tan uniform is to be done avey with, according to plans of the conference, and the regu lar sailor uniform is to be adopted. A special dress uniform for shore leave is also recommended. At the conference fifty of the seven registered ships were repre sented. In the nautical world are many prominent supporters of the characterbuilding work of seascouting. Admiral William S. Benson, U. S N., who is one of these strong advo cates of the work, has said : "Tlwe seaseout training included In the boy scout program emphasizes the highest Ideals and traditions of the sea, and by teaching the necessity In seafaring for such virtues as unselfishness, self discipline, team work and obedience, makes for men of purpose and char acter." To James A. Wilder, chief sea ucout much of the success of this virile branch of the scout movement That . ifr fri-- r rln kMrt la SCOUT Sarah Brown, in Chicago Evening Star of the East thus wM Is v csms. 3a kvlabom smos-- ila Co tttk tbat tnsnats out sua lag nr jlfii fcrfors tht Ckilo Co triog oaf starts atto off rs tk Is as sakstws tasfaai Ba OrlttMa, wits Ha tarianaat, Wats arcri kaarl la laJ, asttla rtau ta jmar tW slats era Is Tha aafar lata aa Eoio aui 2M9 in JithlthaT t'taaut' laaraaa ts talla, KacalalM ttr a Halt alla Tha chlMtaas art km hai. f. t rjuiiiimimiimiiimiitiimiiimmmiiiiu Christmas Gee 192$ Vam. 3 The THAT acsla ths aortals of tat sky Hi(M ssea sa tha aWkatss si tUs alfkt. That 1 rat Baseafer mUkt tartkwara fly, KtW la (lartMS (ark at heaTtalr U(Bt. Stffllaf tat uxtns fears ef wstdua tata OH Vi'tatarn Nswspapsr Union!) o littU OarM J IOW aarrctowffcOnK ca Uthmt to long tmaf twaas to fmt Frost tht bright met of tuck a limy Umrl fc nt'trfmrft, rtThtIhlttorletofBttliitktm it tkmimg wt. Immt Ckritiopktr G. Hatsto i "saSSCS esvsotaaf 1 aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiimmiiiir; (. 1M, Wsstsrn Nswssapsr Cnloa.) Christmas Myster? anuf Avar ' Eugene Field las'; Wt wht V .far kill oat, tosigkt, ) imxT tsr of tks Csat, tks igbt to eras tat fat tks ttafiss araxa tolib slits io tint tkj glorj re art Carta's lontlitst, &srktt slarst 3War that cbaritg tot st bj mhs toss's is bops fas all, seh ass. t of lbt Cast, sltottt as tits ton j , trust wits Cirlitau mry but It Tttsf: r kisti m kill, tfct way Is tlttr. Oaf trtJfei art Wt frttt tha atraafar taMlsf T ai wUa kits wall, tstatk a la nil; To sc Abo. tint grias skisnt y AW MAP SKETCHING Wltk tMlafi if a Bal(ktT. stria, llafc Finis! tss starts with f Uaratts saw at thea, la atH tl Jars that self fct csa kriaf. CarlstaiWr C Haisrl istma yF.HS WEET - AL bells, O ING oufl in joy, O chiming dwells The music glad of CKristmas-tiOn trJery Keathstone far TO d de jui aju Lmmm And rosy lips vJith laughter sweet The happy4 songs of life repeat rung out in joy, 1 a ID ING out in hope. O cniming TSt For your clear voice of patience CHAPTER XIII Nerves and Intuition. "Mr. Gael," said Joan standing before him at the breakfast-table- , "I'm to work." She was pale, gaunt and Imperturbable. She announced this decision and sat down. "Woman's work?" he asked her, smiling quizzically. Scoutlng's method of "learning by "No, sir." with her own rare smile; "I ain't rightly fitted for that." doing" Illustrated In map making, on "Certainly not In those clothes." he of tha many aids scouting affords a murmured crossly, for she was dressed1 boy In teaching K.'m how to observe tha and How to successagain In her own things. to do man's work. Trd fully blaze or follow the trail. "I'm to shovel snow an' help fetch wood an' kerry In water. Too tell LOVES SCOUTS AND ARCHERY your Chinese man, please." "And you're not going to read or Among the favorite hohliles of Iotis; study any more? laa Falrbfltiks are boy scouts and "Tea, air. I like that. If yoo atlll archery. The noted screen star be want to teach me, Mr. Gael. But I'm came an archery enthusiast inrougn Im going to get some ac- hia practice In the sport pretmrstury tion. I'll Just die If I don't Why. to his taking the part of the famous I'm so poor I can't hardly lift a broom. 'outlaw bowman in "Robin Hood," Id I don't know why I'm so miserably the recent motion picture of that r poor, Mr. Gael." name. "As a lover of boy scouts and She twisted her brows anxlonsty. a lover of the bow and arrow," says "You've had a nervous breakdown." Fairbanks, "I am glad archery hns a "A whatr place in the scout curriculum. It de"A nervous breakdown." muscles, concentration, He lit his cigarette and watched her velops strong ai.d so aids scoutlng's nerves, sternly smoke-veileIn bis usual lazy, man of character construcwork wonderful ner, but she might have noticed the tion and citizenship training." shsken fabric of his self assurance. SCOUT 8AVE3 GRANDFATHER "Say. now," said Joan, "what's tba name for?" a book about It over thera "There's Saving his grandfather's life la the third volume on the top shelf look proud achievement of 8cout Theodore up your case." HiirtrldKc, Jr. The scout was stxnd- With an sir of profound alarm she Ing nenr the pier at the family sumwent over and took it out. mer lumie In Connecticut when be saw TO BR COVTINl'TCT) ) Ms grandfather suddenly fall from the edge of the pier Into veiy deep water. Not to Har Uklng. Ind at once Jumped In, secured the The In was the yacht Mndge How atm,-tdinmnn with a hold taught In party? scout lessons, ami using a snlmmlng There ware so Mnriorle So-scarry, nlso learned In his scout work, best Char on the boat board the msny brought the elderly man Safely t 11 could do waa to Hug tha shor. shore. ing day When young hearts beat, rejoio-in- g with the old, While down the ages, gleaming still and far, Clear through the frosty night shines one bright star. Iks Cast, that Issta tn tkis nnt$ JCrssgltt tolas at BJbtra, sngals siatgisq ta ssa fro, Cn Cltilb of Jl.tiil.hint Us b; all tin Tht ... Of ribboned gifts and secrets lightly told. And now there is on joyous, fleet- klsl; Is due. BOY 6Y, CarUtau wits Ita Btaarka, iwt r -- v xsM xtfc lm I ' '" r tinsel-strew- , M plat, wits tu4 taacara. is iImm; Uu m itu Uit Wscftvsr cslItWt ftcM flsw; Tht SHilaf vuJmr may kasw kti SMS tstkrtsta. Tkst ail T ?.tar ef la Wa life-savin- "SH v" And sing one verse for the voiceless; Aad net, ere the song be done, A verse for the ears that hear not. And a verse for tha sightless one For though it be lime for singing A rnerru Christmas gles. Let a low, street voice of pathos Bun through the melodg. James TPhitcomb Tfcilon. rex. cv1. r When white snow drifts beneath the country trees, When white snow lies along far streets and near, i And sleeps upon the earth and icy seas. Now is the season in the march of time When candles in each winter winv dow burn. IWben holly glows and towered church bells chime, And carols mark the bright hours as tbey turn. n and Now is a season, Sing oj the hearts brimmed over UXth the storq of tha day Of the echo o) childish voices That tpill not die amaq. Of the blare of the tasseled bugle. And the timeless clatter end beat Of the drum thai throbs to master Squadrons of scampering feet cut, O, lot tjour voice fall fainter. Till, blent wi!h minor tone. tjou temper uour song uiith the beauhj Of the pity Christ had shown. TsrfA ft CTVTOW comes a season in the ohang- - mo thijme of Christmas me a jovial tong Aad though il u filled with laughter. Let it be pure and strong. CHANT Christmas Thir Tvir t. te; I iCT fliN T waiting Hearts whose promise yields No golden fruit of Harvest fields, Whose garnered grain of toiling hand II SSLf Lies heaped upon a barren land Hing out in hope, JSME5& Vi mm av ran nA IXIf: jf VW O chiminfl bells.' For in your trembling echo dwells To saddened hearts a thought of old A picture framed in memory's gold. A vanished face beneath the snow, ' 1 a 1 i. f ir, A dream ot ures sweei.1 long ago J t -- riHb Ring out injgnef. t ,t in tfrief. - w ajj- - I If a l- ! PJ 'V'PINGwtTn cheer, O chiming For in To listening hearts that strive to hear, The future's voice of hope and cheer; VS la'l'J your bells, peal a promise dwells For love and joy will have their birth As snowdrops spring from icy earthrung out in cneer-w- d w- y- -i. I J 1NU out in peace, U chiming bells, A a message tells i i o eager souls that bravely wait. For Christmas-tid- e ii (UlU vjyui itcmu vw luviig wi aitr To crush to earth; oh, listen then Tis "Peace on earth, good will to men" Ring out in peace. CtarrajK ttfl. Waaaata Hs.ayafi Ustaaa aJ - V |