The Washington times., 1902-07-06
CHAPTER Xxx.
THE MEETING BY THE yAUXHALL GAR
DENS
(Continued.)

(Continued.)
Robert, my friend. We have lost
your bearings. Do you take your sister,
and leave him TO me- and l signed Ha-
zeltine to move toward the road.
Merton, if you attempt to remove
this man you must first cross swords
with me-" said Curtis, in cold. wiry
voice the more terrible in. it's meaning
because its tcne was not raised one
whit beyond the ordinary.
What do you mean, MANI" asked /,
in amazement, unconsciously drawing
my sword an inch or two He did not
move, but folding his arms, said, in the
same cold voice:
Precisely what I say. If you try to
remove him you must first overcome
ME, and, whatever the result of our
struggle, there will be. more than time
for him TO make good his escape
Then, turning to Hazeltine, he walked
slowly up to within foot of him, with
folded arms. ard said, slowly and dis
tinctly, in that same wiry voice:
Frank PendIfton, you are my cousin.
Therefore shall you not. if 1 can
prevent it, go 10 the gallows, as God
knows you should. But l have within
this hour learned that you are the veri-
est traitor in this land; for you have
acted as spy to both armies in this
war, and therefore shall you not go
from this spot till either l have killed
you or you me. Turn round!"
DO not do it, Curtis!" l cried. IT is
a foolish sense of honor. and the man
does not belong to US" But he pro-
ceeded, and soon Hazeltine's arms were
free.
Curtis did not even look at me. but
kept his eye on Hazeltine all the time,
only vouehsafng:
Hold thy peace, Mertoni This affair
is between only God, that man, and
me-" And they were at it there in the
dim moonlight before he had finished
speaking. And a weird sight it was to
see these two men, one fighting TO save
his life. knowing he must cope afterward
with me: the other, cool, sure. as fine
a swordsman as ever saw, standing for
his honor and crossing swords with his
own cousin, whom he had lived and
played with through all their boyhood,
whom now he detested. but would not
hang And under the dim blue light of
the moon few yards away stood the
girl, watching them with wide eyes, ST.
lently
l hovered about them with drawn
I Il
this man should not escape. but re-
strained more by my instructive respect
for Curtis standards than by any sense
Of chiyalry from taking active part.
So, in my bewilderment, and with the
misery of this episode in my heart.
did not see till too late how Hazeltine,
as he twisted about, gradually APP
preached the big trees. nor guess his
purpose, until on a sudden he made two
long lunges. and then. turning tail, like
any cur. dartcd in under them and, hid
den by the darkness. made off. l fired
both my pistols at him, but he vas gone.
And then l turned on Curtis:
Now see what your miserable honor
has done for us!" I cried.
What matter?" answered he coolly
"It but shows him the greater bastard"
But what good does that do, since
your idiotic standard has let the man
&c. IT will be fine reason TO give TO
our general, And do you perchance re-
uiize that neither your life nor mine is
worth a penny from now on?"
Tho coward" said Curtis quietly, as
be sheathed his sword. who could have
thought he would have so run from
fair fight? Fear not, mani he added
hastily. as l made a gesture OF disgust
for 10y that / was beyond words Fear
mot. He is not worth a thought. When
! next meet him III crush him like a
worm"
Il cannot understand you. man." cried
]. bitterly. 81 cannot talk of II. Let us
60. in Gods name. from this place"
And we did.
Mistress Philipse would not speak TO