Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-12-28
CHAPTER XII.

/
voiver in grasp of steel. The ping
ping of exploding cartridges still
sounded in his ears-the dead mans
stark face and glazing orbs seemed
| photographed on his brain.
1--WE killed a mani" he tried to
| erunciate the words, but his tongue
| seemed to have swollen in his mouth.
| Suddenly that happened which at that
moment he would have died to obvi-
ate. He saw the yellow pony-cart
| from Carnleigh, and it's sole occupant
was Evelyn Hasbrooke. He stopped
| in the middle of the road and stood
| staring at her as one paralyzed. See
| ing him, she started, her fine features
become suffused with a soft pink
glow; she smiled and bowed, then, as
she remarked the fierce stare of his
eyes, and the white helplessness of his
face. she caught her breath.
"What has happened?" her eyes fall
ing on his revolver.
With his disengaged hand he lifted
his hat.
IL think you had better not go
that way" he said. haltingly.
"But why?'' her glance shifted from
his revolver to his rigid face.
He hesitated, and then it occurred
to him that he might as. well tell her
all. 1t might be better for her to hear
it from his own lips than to get a dis
torted report from others.
81 have had trouble with Sgd Hart
He wondered at the strange calmness
that had suddenly come over him in
her presence. SIT took place just
there, round the bend; you'd better
turn your pony the other way"
Her face was as full of agony as her
shrill voice when she said:
'You don't mean that you have"
He nodded. ''They are removing the
afraid Of me! 1 had to do it; he would
have killed me. Perhaps it would have
been better if he had. I have always
thought I'd rather die than kill man,
even in defense of my own life, but in
the heat of the fight did not look at
it that way. All I wanted was to hit
him-to hit him in the heart before he
could kill me-
Every muscle in her body seemed to
lend an ear to what he was saying.
The reins fell from her inert fingers.
ooh Ronald" (she had never called
the name aloud before, and it thrilled
him to the center of his benumbed
being), "for Gods sake, tell me it is
not trIe-there must be some mis-
take"
"Ncne whatever" was his reply, as
his desperate eyes Toasted on her
sweet, lovc-illed face. Evelyn, dar-
ling" gentle glow showed in his
face like the flame of his inward, spir-
itual fire, "there was never the slight
est hope for our love, but had there
been, this would have killed it. You
have been only a hopeless dream to
me. I have been unworthy of even
your faith in ne; this is the end;
my struggles were great enough be-
fore, my burden is now too heavy to
bear. Without CLEAN of hope I can
not novel haven't that"
She gazed at him steadily, her glance
continually softening.
81 shall be true to you always" she
said. 81 love you more than I do my
life. This will make me suffer as
not have one moments peace. Already
you going. Ronald?"
81 guess that is best-if anything
can be BEST" she said, bitterly. 81
know where the sheriff lives. Get in
the cart with me; I shall drive there;
it is only a mile"
''That will never do he drew back;
your father"
She shrugged a shoulder, and took
up the reins in a pair of suddenly firm
hands.
"As if 1 could think of my father
when you are in such distress. should
be ashamed of myself if I lost one min
ute with you between now and
But" he broke in, 81 have never felt
that had the right to-even your
friendship-it would be unheard of, it
would-oh! you see it would be unman-
~ of me, at such time, particularly,
to allow young girl to compromise"
"It would be unmanly of you to re-
fuse to let me see you as long as pos
sible, when your calamity is killing me.
Oh, do come!"
Her melting eyes seemed to draw him
outside of himself. AS he took his seat
beside her a sweet sense of her SYM
pathy took possession of him and
warmed him through and through. A
momentary feeling of elation bounded
and thumped in his breast as the little
bay pony started back along the road
at brisk trot. She was first to speak.
"Why have you never told me before
that you loved me?"
Because" he made answer, 81 have
hardly felt that had the right to tell
myself so. I have been fighting it ever
since I first saw you that day in the
meadow"
you are different from me, Ronald"
He read vast truth in her deep, despair
ing eyes. 81 have never for one instant