Wild Youth, Complete

ictorious. There are no drawn battles in the struggles of the soul. As Orlando fought, he was tortured by the thought

; and yet, when morning came, and her eyes opened on the prairie at day-break, with life stirring every

little use for them to call upon Heaven to witness what the night had been; and Joel Mazarine, who dist

heartened her; yet both were conscious of the make-believe. They realized they were helpless in the grip of harsh circumsta

kered-flickered, and vanished. Yet as they looked out over the prairie towards Tra

........

here his voice had always been able to summon his slaves, and to know that they would come-Chinaman, half-breed, wife. Now he called, and the wife did not come. On the new c

ed the Chinaman; and then he declared that they lied to him, that they knew more than they said; and when he was unable to bear it any longer, he mounted his horse and galloped over to Slow Down

w it all. They had agreed to meet; they had met; they had eloped and were gone! His beady eyes were those of s

away from, or with, anything in his life; that he-Joel Mazarine-had never had anything worth her son's running a

ions after him, as he rode back again towards Tralee muttering curses which n

r and be glad; and that he should be defied suddenly and his garden made desolate, that the lines of his good fortune should be crossed, caused h

s-heads and their million needles, so that, when the reptile wakes, it cannot escape through the palisade of bristling weapons by which it is surrounded; and in ghoulish anger it strikes its fangs i

ork and beans for breakfast with the appetite of a ravenous animal. He put pieces of the pork chop in his mouth with his fingers; he gulped his coffee; but all the time he kept his eyes on the

newspapers proclaiming that his wife was strayed or stolen and must be put in pound when discovered. At the moment he decided thus, he caught sight of a wagon approaching from the north.

alee, and the Master of Tralee filled the doorway. "What yo

ouise answered quietly but f

t smiled, for this was Louise with a new nature. There was defiance and courage in her face, not the apprehension which had almost overwhelmed her as they

ve done-after where you've been-the likes of you!

n the wagon, as though to call them in evidence of her innocence; but there came

minal. I'm not going to be treated that way. I've got my rights. Stand back and let me in-stand back, Joel Mazarine,"

rinking, colourless child of a few weeks ha

n and what I've done," she continued. "I wan

ow angry and threatening. The ranchman dropped from his horse. Only Orlando stood cool, q

his is a free country, and she's free in her own house. It's her house until you've proved she's g

Mazarine, in spite of his rage, quailed before the sharp, menacing voice so little in tune with its rep

hypocrite, and listen to what I've got to say. Listen to the truth I've got to tell you. If you don't listen, I'll horsewhip you, that'd horsewhip a woman, till you can'

that moment. Down through generations had come to him some iron thing that sudden

They were unready for the passion that possessed him. Not a muscle of his body appeared to move; he was as motionless as the

his voice was low and husky now.

from her chestnut on the prairie. He told how Louise was too shaken and ill to attempt

jealousy. "You needn't tell me the rest," he broke in, his hands

when from the wagon a man said: "Wait-

und, and ran between

verybody knows you, and nobody likes you. I know what happened last night. I'm a brother of your fellow Christian Rigby, the druggist, over

n to my bed wherever I be on the prairie. I was asleep-I'd been half drunk-when the chestnut threw your wife and broke its leg; but I was awake when he rode up.

an get it. Lots of people know me out here. I ain't got any house or any home, and I get drunk sometimes, and I ain't got money to buy meals with, lots of times, but nobody ever knowed me lie. That's what ruined me-I been too truthful.

d don't you forget it, and"-he drawled out his words-"you go inside your house and get down on your knees, same as you do in the Meeting House, and thank the Lo

founded; then, without a word, he t

d he?" said one of Orlando's ranchmen. "Ain

an take care of herself. You'll forget what's happened, if you want

e all on their way on the ro

ime," said one of the ranchme