lupes seemed to whisper, to beckon to her. Beyond them somewhere
was Stewart, awaiting the end of a few brief hours--hours that to her
were boundless, endless, insupportable.

Night fell. But now the white, pitiless stars failed her. Then she
sought the seclusion and darkness of her room, there to lie with wide
eyes, waiting, waiting. She had always been susceptible to the somber,
mystic unrealities of the night, and now her mind slowly revolved round
a vague and monstrous gloom. Nevertheless, she was acutely sensitive to
outside impressions. She heard the measured tread of a guard, the rustle
of wind stirring the window-curtain, the remote, mournful wail of a
coyote. By and by the dead silence of the night insulated her with
leaden oppression. There was silent darkness for so long that when the
window casements showed gray she believed it was only fancy and that
dawn would never come. She prayed for the sun not to rise, not to begin
its short twelve-hour journey toward what might be a fatal setting for
Stewart. But the dawn did lighten, swiftly she thought, remorselessly.
Daylight had broken, and this was Thursday!

Sharp ringing of the telephone bell startled her, roused her into
action. She ran to answer the call.

"Hello--hello--Miss Majesty!" came the hurried reply. "This is Link
talkin'. Messages for you. Favorable, the operator said. I'm to ride out
with them. I'll come a-hummin'."

That was all. Madeline heard the bang of the receiver as Stevens threw
it down. She passionately wanted to know more, but was immeasurably
grateful for so much! Favorable! Then Stillwell had been successful.
Her heart leaped. Suddenly she became weak and her hands failed of their
accustomed morning deftness. It took her what seemed a thousand years to
dress. Breakfast meant nothing to her except that it helped her to pass
dragging minutes.

Finally a low hum, mounting swiftly to a roar and ending with a sharp
report, announced the arrival of the car. If her feet had kept pace with
her heart she would have raced out to meet Link. She saw him, helmet
thrown back, watch in hand, and he looked up at her with his cool,
bright smile, with his familiar apologetic manner.

"Fifty-three minutes, Miss Majesty," he said, "but I hed to ride round a
herd of steers an' bump a couple off the trail."

He gave her a packet of telegrams. Madeline tore them open with shaking
fingers, began to read with swift, dim eyes. Some were from Washington,