The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-10-31

THAT I will not, sir, nor will I per-
init you to press the nails out of my
fngers.-if you will be so kind as to
let my hand keep it's shape" And yet
she did not seem sc angry.
Its shape! Why, God bless 1t, I
would no more" -
"Oh," cried she softly, and tried to
draw it away, ."Oh, God bless it, you
say. and still it is by now but a shape
less pulp, I'll be sworn" ~
1 lifted it to my lips once, twice, three
times and then t was gone under her
black cape where I dared not follow.
mo. no, Merton" she hurried on.
This Is no time for such things. You
said you would help me, and he will
soon be here"
will he Gomez" T asked.
Never fear" she answered with a
strange, sad smile.
Then tell me quickly"
Il do not know how. My father is not
over Jealous for the kings cause. Yet
he is not disloyal to Sir Henry in any
way. But I have e DEAF brother some
where on the other side and we are all
suspected. and Pendleton, my own
cousin, is very powerful with Sir Henry.
And-and do o not see, you stupid?".
And he tells Clinton your father is a
traitor If you do notssmile ON him, and
that he is a staunch follower of George
the-of he king, If you listen to his
suit?"
"Ah! that is but the half, the little
half" said she, her eyes glistening in
the growing moonlight. D you not see
he holds it over me day by day and will
not let me rest? And there is some
thing he has to tell Of papa
1.-The blackmailer!" I muttered.
What, 1 know not, but I fear day
and night fear always-and papa
must fear, too, and he does not under
stand why I cannot save us all by do
ing this dreadful thing, and Aunt
Mary"
What, the older, hat is-Madam
De Lancy?"
Eyes, yes, she is nearly beside her
self, for she thinks it a good match ac-
cording to her ideas. In fact" she add
ded with the quaint suspicion of a
smile, Sin fact, she does not think 1t
wise to marry out Of the family. No
other equals it, you see."
And he comes now
ITO settle the matter, he Thinks she
muttered, catching at her throat.
AYE, We'll settle the matter"
"Oh, what will you do? I fear for
this. I do not know why I should have
done it,"
why, dear, he cannot win you. You
are married already"
She looked up at me quickly with q
smile and put her hand in mine.
IT know! I know!" she cried softly.
but it will count for naught, and will
now only make him furious and spur
him on to ruin us ALL
I took the hand In both mine and we
stood an instant, when both started to
hear the sound Of some one coming
through the underbruSh.
tI11 fr 1.1-@ - r HNY--.
brave heart, go out and meet him, and
let me look at him and hear what he
says"
She shuddered a moment and then,
lifting her head as I had seer her do
SO often now walked out into the
moonlight. The dark figure Of a man
approached her quickly:
"Debby, my darling, I am here!"
Good God that voice!
I fell back against the tree an instant,
and then the woods faded away, and
with them went Deborah Philipse, her
father, and her crotchety old aunt, and
I sprang out Of the shadow n rushed
straight at his chest and bore him with
a heavy conclusion to the ground. In
an instant + had him by the throat and
turned him over n got his arms up
by the shoulder blades before he knew
what bad struck him.
"You cursed spy!" I cried. IT have
you now! Do but move and your work
is Overt"
IT was but the work of q, monen to
take. the strap Of my sword belt and
bind his wrists together. And by talk
Ing a turn around his neck his hands
were securely bound between his shoul-
der blades. Then I turned to her and
saw her standing by in terror and be-
wilderment, and said what a moment
later I would have given both my eyes
to take back:
HE Is my cousin, Frank Pendleton,"
she whispered with a strange doubt in
her voice.
THAT he may be! But he is the foul
est spy In the British army, and his
name Is Hazeltine!"
Her change Of attitude gave me a
sickening sense Of loss. She shrank
back from me with a cry, and looked at
me as If her eyes would burn into my
SOU.
"You! You'll" she cried, hoarsely.
IT? What Of 2" said I vaguely.
"You have led me here to decoy him!
You have stood here and-and-talked
to me so that you might do this
wretched thing?"
"I?"
"You coward!" she cried bitterly.
And. What a fool-what a fool !
Was!" and she san,< down on the wet
grass in a hysterical fit of tears and
laughter.
But her moods flew after one another
too fast to be understood. She was up
In an instant.
Come, Frank, let us go and leave
this-this wretch to himself"
But listen to me, Deborah, you do
not understand"
Continued Next Weekly