Show LAME h 0 ER by VINGIE E ROE copyright normay Doub no iMay lAday dorm doran A co 7 T SYNOPSIS seeking death to escape dishonor at the hands of a drunken des dea 0 sonya bonya chavarin allows he herself r to bo be bayed by her repentant tai 1 attacker the girl giri Is a self belt appoint ed physician to the navajo indians living on an arizona sheep cheep ranch with her bar brother serge his film wife llla lila and their small daughter babs she bhe Is to rodney Bl blahe ale wealthy now new yorker but her heart la Is with the friendless nava jos joa and nhe i evades a wedding sonya pulls little moon aloon wire wife of two a navajo through the crisis of an illness two ringers to Is deeply grateful sonya again meets the man who had insulted her ito tells ells her he bitterly regrets his him action ano aal has never had ft minutes peace since that day sonya Is affected but un unforgiving forgiving she hears heare rumors of it a border bandit ini el capitan diablo and ly connects him with tier her attacker on lone alena she ghe again comes upon the tha strange youns young man but bhe he no longer tears fears him when he reiterates hla his morrow borrow over aho misconduct she ehe indicates indicate and him a man can always change for the better CHAPTER V continued n 7 some ono one claimed her ter and sonya went berit buck back to tho the maze of moving figures but everywhere she fill went sit alio 0 was conscious ot tile brilliant eyes eye s of this man lie ile stood against the wall a little beyond tile main door and lie he seemed to bo be alone ile he did not lot dance annee again even though there was another paul jones jonca but watched tier her in a grave stillness and sonya could not gather tier her faculties for her usual light banter what was the mutter with tier her wily why did her heart hammer in her breast with long slow bents beats her blood flo flow through hor her veins liko like molten gold drenched in perfume what was happening to her to tier her ufa itself to tier her destiny destin yand and hr her hopes tears came to tier her eyes and she he did not hear what hor her chance part nor ncr was saying fear was in tier her heart and a certain terrible fire that hat mounted and grow time parsed and she was not conscious of it I 1 finally lato late in tile the night the lid dies struck up Il home lonie sweet home f was tile tho last number A cowboy from the K X bar Z with whom site she always liked 0 it o dance ans asking her for it site she had just held out tier her hand when some ono one reached forward from the side and took it ment she was gone out along tho the floor in tho the dreamy rhythm of the old sweet tune pd and this time she mie was held field so close that she could feet feel the boating of his heart a thundering reverberation like tides on the shore desperately she raised baled tier her eyes and poked at film tell me ino slie site whispered thickly what tt hat are you who are you No nothing thrig lio ito said bitterly t to 0 you nothing over ever and id give half roy my life to kiss one adne earl curl on your bead head with a decent mans tight right the words camo came through his lits set teeth and even in the of the nio aliment site noticed that lie did his words worda at tho the ends then be decent I 1 sho she cried passionately siona slona tely ue be decent I 1 too late im only looking in windows from the outside and I 1 built the wall between myself tell me your lour name slie she said tell me ono no 11 yes well nip now 1 I cant I 1 tin tinnent yent a name any more 11 you have your own name riot not what yen you go by where whery where you answer roll call answer roll calif good what dodou do you know about me what have youl you heard icard I 1 nothing im guessing fitting things in place sho she sald swiftly anti and theres somebody across tile the border who crucifies P IIii I 1 for dods enke dont speak or of that hat again evor ever anywhere I 1 where did you hear of such no matter there la Is and some way youre connected I 1 it cuts cuta me ilke it a youve got to tell ine inc who are you pir if I 1 tell you tny my name will you keep it like you would your oath yes you know I 1 will of course I 1 kanom im starr stone to ny nv mother who thinks im lend dead and burled buried inthis in this country 1 I go by something different now are you satis fiedl ap ive got to know tile tho rest I 1 wll know it wily why knows you have little to thank me for little to think of for ive blackened your first memory of roe me beyond all hope why do you speak carelessly sometimes and noy now correctly iso ino beau two men I 1 cm am twos two tuen men what kind of men V what does doea tt it matter im tt ft dead man mandean dead and damned and add rotten dont trouble tour our darling head about nie me im running true to form right now in being here in holding you in my arts arms la in looking in your fice faco lt if anyone this side glde of the border anyone who counted knew me id not have done it theres that much decency left in me but no one knows and im dikea dying man begging for water I 1 come back to look at you again and again id crawl on my knees around the world to change my leopard spots ho be finished bitterly to look in your eyes with a clear conscience suddenly the fire alro and the fear and tho the ecstasy which bad warred in sonya all night seemed to rise above tier her like a tide of sorrow and disaster site she felt as tt if she sank in swirling waters drowned in tears iler throat closed aching pain ond and one liard hard sob escaped her instantly the man looked down holding tier her from him my G gd d I 1 he said what what my adl then he drew her to him film close and hard and tho the trembling of ills his arms intensified the face ace above her small black head had gone hag giford agn rd as 03 an old roans mans 1 tho the last goft boft strains ok of the tender tune were dying the leet feet of the dancers slowed and suddenly from nowhere out of tile the very night beyond the doors it iscem ed a hand fell on his shoulder a i powerful grasp whirled him film about sonya with him A stranger stood there a stranger so fierce and terrible in aspect that one know knew him tit at once for a n roan man of violence of cruelty and death it waa vas in his small black eyes above his olive ch cheeks eelis black with shaven board beard in ills his nose in ills his abin lapped mouth merciless as n panthers no he stood six feet two in ills his spurred boots and he wore tile the wide sombrero of the mexican Alex ican hidalgo gD fine of material and ornamented with silver A studded belt circled his narrow waist 1 a braided velvet velve jacket showed tl the 0 muscled strength of his wide shoulders lie ile was a mexican and a bad one it if ever one of that brand lived ile ho spoke and the man before him stood rooted to 0 o the spot his arm still around the girl ii ombre lie he said in spanish you disobey diso beyl lets go and turning he walked swiftly to to the door the arra rr slid son ron yas shoulders and without a backward look tile the man of lone mesa followed alone her feet like lead her head whirling with a strange dizziness her throat netting aching sonya crossed the almost empty floor and picked up her coat from where llla lila was waking bahs B abs serge joined them and they went out into the night among the roaring cars of the departing crowd just as they passed out of the circle circio of light from the open doors a fantastic figure loomed for a moment beside them its shabby garments and long white hair dim in tho the blending shadows beelzebub said the lie soft voice of tile servant leaves hell to 1 work evil hereabouts beware innocent one want in thunder said serge who was that only a strange old man I 1 met at myras you know theold the old aad preacher who rides the reservation Reserva tio n on hla his donkeys youve heard of him oil oh the servant of tile the lord yes I 1 have never saw him before though ghi well lets get going girls babs lazybones sit up while daddy flies fixes the for you thais tile the girl CHAPTER VI shadows of death IV TF SONYA had been trou brou I 1 bled before had searched search ed her soul with fearful and bewildered eyes that summer night plunged tier her into chaos shame wits in her and a breathless lame flame of ecstasy an 04 d a fear vint that mounted hourly and knowledge knowledge terrible complete devastating destiny had reached and taken her body nad and soul all that tier her life had meant was gone her plans her future every think thing rod hod blake new york safet safety land and assurance the eane cane and ordered things of everyday they were all wept into the discard like so much trash and in their place stood starr stone her blood leaped at her first conscious use of his name renegade mystery what seq did not know aud with him film dan danger ger wrong disaster ile he had touched berwith her with his mysterious power and she had turned and fol followed I 1 owed him in her soul she had turned and followed like a bird charmed to its death she had bad bent tier her eyes on his nod and she was lost there was nothing in tilts world but starr stones fitce face tile the blue light of hla his eyes the curve of his lips the grace of his lean body hod blake was a dream a fantasy ills face was a strangers face hla his voice a far oft off echo there was nothing real about him had never been to her she knew now there was nothing real but this man this renegade tills outlaw who followed where a mastey master led and left behind him a great flare of light that glowed with shadows to in tier her heart fire and lame and darkness joy and ecstasy and sorrow fear and a vast strength three these were tier her portion row new given to her presently she pushed her hair back from her forehead went to tho the pool in tile the dark corner and kneeling washed her face with her hands it wits a strange baptism of abnegation of acceptance whatever wai was to happen in the new future she was waa committed to toi it body and soul whatever happened to starr stone would happen tober to her that she know knew beyond all question ing next morning she met lila with a grave face and the smart little woman looked at tier her and set down the cup she held field you may as well come clean sonya darling she said gently not to will only prolong the agony 1 I know sonya said soberly come out in the patio Ther theres theries ils still time before we have to io begin supper and there with the sun going down the ive western sfern sky and the shadows lengthening about ab out them sonya told thil the story sto of the man of lone lond mesa ilesa and llla lila listened with infeld breath at its close they looked silent at each other you will understand but serge 0 a soya sonya told the story of the man of lone mesa and llla lila listened with infeld breath never will sald JS sonya onya so well not tell him until we wo have to llla lila laid tier her hand on arm rodl rod she sald said we have for gotten himl him I 1 no said the other fiote not fio tl L rod will be one of the things thing sIll ill have to face one of the dangers I 1 shall write to him tonight and tell him Wh atThe word was in italics starr stone arany of the other tragic things jve told you only that I 1 cannot marry him and have him here as quick ras as the air lines can bring him said lla lila quietly youre right said sonya afdera I 1 moments thought ill not tell him yet ye serge came home from his days riding dusty and tired weary for sleep As lie he was vas washing at the i bench bey beyond 9 i the door lie ho called in to them als he said 1 I think theres going to be work for you ahead I 1 saw old Il osteen tso today from up long ruins way and he told me there are two sick indians indiana over there did lie he say say just where they were yes in a hogan by blue water hole said there was a rug for you it come the medicine roans mans been making sings for them but no better hm darn these medicine ment men t said the girl her brows drawing together they kill more patients than I 1 canever save ill start early in the morning it if you take my iny advice better keep a sharp eye out tor for that very thing the medicine man dont eat anything around where he Is and watch your trails f or traps 11 1 1 will said sonya true to her bet 1 plan the girl was 01 out t on the desert next nest day b before the sun was up the thoughts which had moiled in her mind for hours now beset her again where was this roan man who was her man where did he follow that monstrous master and why what wits was the power which had turned him from her without a backward look was it fear or some strange loyalty beyond the comprehension of a bor mal mind what did it portend and who was the master who but that ono one from across the border whom the mad servant called deel beef tho the terrible prince of ban aits who cruel crucified fled those who double crossed him sonya shivered in tho the coming coniing day what had lie he said to starr stone 1111 Jl ombre you disobey I 1 lots go 0 11 whore where had they gone what would aedo he do to him and wily why had lie he disobeyed in what with deep intuition she knew the had to do with her with hla his arm about her in the public place it was a small thing not a double cross crosa yet chevery th the every very thong thought of the sinister words chilled her to td the bone come she told herself snap out of it there I 1 la s something dark and terrible here but starr stone again shei she thrilled at the mental sound round of his name will take care of himself blell come back totals to talk again at blue water she found what she had expected and a great deal more two navajos cavajos Nava jos an old roan man and a young one lay in the hogan hot with fever from the shelter of a skeleton brush canopy over an outdoor cooking fire yellow buck the medicine man whom she had seen at two fingers watched hr her with flaming eyes in big wrinkled face critically the girl studied the two sick men man with stethoscope on the hot brown brow P breasts she knew her course I 1 the old man was beyond help his lungs already stiff with congestion sunk in coma the young one not so bad had bad business she told herself spanish flu iti summer miner flu o or r im very much mistaken this one she said to the women pointing to the old sire Is about aboud to go on the long journey I 1 come too late this one well try to hold get me hot water in the cooking baskets and cold water nater from tile the hole bole also a warm stone wrapped la in cloth in two hours the ancient one was gone on that long journey and she helped the wamen women carry hlin him bil out and lay hlin him decently dece under somo some blankets in the cano pys shado shade all day she eho worked in almost utter silence alie ifie sick man could still speak annonce and once he asked after two fingers wife and again directed the women to cook and feed the blue south woman refe here it was again tier her sweet and mysterious name among thed the day wore on anand and night came cool and sweet and still she stayed by the bed on the sand floor making Ingher her mustard compresses compres sm forthe for the ja laboring borIng chest using hot water and cold alternately giving her drops tordice tor to reduce duce the ghastly fever and at two iwo of the night by the watch on her wrist the sick man sighed and went to sleep his temperature down to a hundred Gl glory oryl 1 said sonya to herself her seif its a great life it if you dont weaken I 1 she slept blepta n bit hers herself elfand and dawn found things better Inthe in the hogan noon found them better bet ter still and late in the afternoon she went away leaving strict instructions to her patient to stay in bed until she came again if he got up lie he would die she told them all flatly and that was that at home she told llla lila and serge of what shed found and dis infected herself from head to heel before stretching her tired body for |