Page 244 (1/1)

"Fire! That must be one of the barns--the old one, farthest out," she said, gazing out of the"Soarette!"

Helen resisted an io out and see what had happened She had decided to stay in the house But when footsteps sounded on the porch and a rap on the door, she unhesitatingly opened it Four Mexicans stood close One of therasp her, and in a single motion pulled her across the threshold

"No hurt, Senora," he said, and pointed--o

Helen did not need to be told what this visit meant Many as her conjectures had been, however, she had not thought of Beasley subjecting her to this outrage And her blood boiled

"How dare you!" she said, tre in her effort to control her te with these swarthy Mexicans They grinned Another laid hold of Helen with dirty, brown hand She shrank froo!" she burst out, furiously And instinctively she began to struggle to free herself Then they all took hold of her Helen's dignityrush of blood was her first acquaintance with the terrible passion of anger that was her inheritance from the Auchinclosses She who had resolved never to lay herself open to indignity now fought like a tigress The Mexicans, jabbering in their excitement, had all they could do, until they lifted her bodily from the porch They handled her as if she had been a half-e each hand and foot they packed her, with dress disarranged and half torn off, down the path to the lane and down the lane to the road There they stood upright and pushed her off her property

Through half-blind eyes Helen saw theateway, ready to prevent her entrance She staggered down the road to the village It seeh a red diestion in her brain--that the distance to Mrs Cass's cottage was insurer up the path, to hear the old wo all she looked at, Helen felt herself led into the sitting-rooht and clearness of mind returned to her She saw Roy, white as a sheet, questioning her with terrible eyes The old wo to comfort her as well as fasten the disordered dress