The Cook County herald., 1902-11-22
CHAPTER x1II.-(Continued.)
Bv II. S. CANFIELD'

CdAtIhH A1l1.-(COutAuueu.J
Maude glowered ,at her, his sharI
teeth meeting upon, his black nous
tache. Then he raised his right hand
half threateningly and said: ~, ,,.
1T seems singular thing to me
Miss English, that the rascal could
have deceived you so completely as to
his condition. You are said to have
some medical knowledge as we'll as
mere mechanical skill. It. seems
strange that in the nighttime he could
have found his way SO readily to the
gun-room in another part Of the house
and distracted his own weapon in the
dark from the midst of dozens OF
other weapons hanging there. His
pistol was not gone on the morning
before his flight, for I saw it myself.
Therefore he must have taken time to
secure it on the night Of his sudden
departure-unless," more slowly still,
1T was brought to him by some one.
He was handsome fellow, and is no
doubt responsible for a dozen broken
hearts among the Mexican bellies along
the river.' '~ s<~ . b. .s
Now, Maude had planned this at
tack while nursing his bruise, but he
had mistaken utterly the temper of the
woman with whom he had to deal.
With one side of her many-faced char
acter he was unacquainted and this
was her sense of humor. His clumsy
attempt to terrorize struck her as dis
tinctly funny, and, because he loved
her ahd she knew that he loved her,
the game was in her hands. So she
looked at him with every appearance
of earnestness and said:
Il know nothing Of Mr.. Weston's
Typographical knowledge, or of the
manner in which he obtained posses
sion of his weapon, but certainly he
was the most beautiful man 1 have
ever known, with most beautiful
voice and beautiful manners Reck-
less he was, but 1 am sure he was not
dishonest and he had splendid
strength and courage. I came within
an ace of falling in love with him
myself and l am not sure that if he
asked me 1 would not have shared his
flight to the nearest Mexican parson-
age and be now a smuggler's bride. I
regret his absence more than 1 can
say"
Maude looked at her placid face,
then marked a lurking devil of laugh
ter in her reddish hazel eyes and Hut-
tered a curse. He saw that he was
-2sins ground rapidly and changed
front:
4. "Qf Course, Miss English" he said
easily and genially, ''he made his es-
cape unaided. 1t was easy enough.
Indeed if, unfortunately Tor me, 1 had
not been in his way. his progress to
freedom and thievery would have been
undelayed."
"Yes," she said: "News of the flight
was sent to Fort Clark next day. Did
you hear what Captain Harding said?"
NO. Maude replied incautiously,
what did he say?"
He said: Good enough! Next time
l. meet him 1 hope he will be hurt
in fair fight"
The ex-cavalryman, without another
word, wheeled and left her. She looked
after him musingly, with a dash of tri-
umph in her face. She knew that now
he was even more willing to work her
harm, but she cared nothing Her
heart was sore and, womanlike, she
enjoyed making some one pay for; It..
no NH ioI, hoI
fight of her lover had seemed a month
in length to her. She found herself
thinking OF him every waking mo-
ment >picturing to herself his face.
his voice, his pose, his gesture, and
now and then wave of crimson stole
to her cheeks as memory of his ca
ress came to her. Work in the school
room seemed intolerable in it's irk-
someness; the prattle at meal times
the most inane drivel possible to en-
dure. Even Allyn was hateful in her
sight and she avoided him when DOS
sible. Indeed, her lengthy passage at
arms with Maude was not of her seek
ing. He had met her: as she was re-
turning from a stroll, met her at some
distance from the house and ranged
alongside her in his usual assured
manner. To show how very much In
love she was it is necessary to men
ton only that she had visited Wes
toms room on the morning. after. his
flight, hoping to :, find some token 4 Of
him. 1t had been. pretty :, narrowly arr
searched blythe excited males; but In
one corner, under a pile of old maga-
zines she, had, lent to him, she found: q
single spur: It was not an attractive
object, dulled from use and rusted
from the river, but it was now locked
in her escritoire along with her most
precious and secret belongings. She
had held it in her hands often and
thought of the wild night rides upon
which it had been, and -sAuddereds at
the perils which had encompassed him
and, prayed feverishly for his return
Indeed: it would have needed only hie
tones and presence to persuade her to
go with him, whether he had mended
his somewhat errant ways OF not Tc
such a pass had a. strong, proud, re.
served, cold maiden come. Il i9 is9ss3 ssgl
She wanted to be alone and, as an