Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-20
CHAPTER VI.


Miss Cullen was sitting on a rock apart
asked her to do when I helped her dis
mount. / went over to where she sat- and
said, boldly:
Miss Cullen, 1 want those letters"
what letters?" she asked, looking me
in the eyes with the most innocent of ex-
pressions. She made mistake to do that
for 1 knew her innocence must be feigned
and so didn't put much faith in her face
for the rest of the interview.
"And what is more,'' continued. with
firmness of manner about as genuine as
her innocence, unless you will produce
them at once 1 shall have to search YOU
'Mr. Gordonv she exclaimed, but she
put such surprise and grief and disbelief
into the four syllables that I wanted the
earth to swallow me then and there.
why, Miss Cullen / cried, Took at my
position. I'm being paid to do certain
things, and
But that needn't prevent your being a
gentleman" she interrupted.
That made me almost desperate. Miss
Cullen / groaned, hurriedly, I'D rather
be burned alive than do what Eve got to,
but if you won't give me those letters,
search you must"
But how can give you what haven't?"
she cried, Indignantly, assuming again her
innocent expression. ~
''Will you give me your word of honor
that those letters are not concealed in your
clothes?'
Il will" she answered AZ
l was very much taken aba OK, for 1t
would have been so easy for Miss Cullen
to have said so before that ! bad become
convinced she must have theH.'
And do you give me your wordT'
Il do she affirmed, but she didn't look
me in the face as she said IL.
ought to have been satisfied. but l
wasn't for, in spite of her denial some
thing forced me still to belietershe had
them; and looking back now,eI think it was
her manner. l stood rejecting for a min
ute. and then requested, please stay where
you are for a moment" Leaving her,
went over to Fred.
Mr.. Cullen I said, Miss Cullen, rather
than be searched, has acknowledged that
she has the letters, and says that II we
men will go into the hut shefl get them
for me-
He rose at once. 81 told nay father not to
drag her In he muttered sadlyt'I don't
care about myself Mr.. Gordon but can't
you keep her out of it? She's as innocent
born"
TN do everything in my power" prom
Used. Then he and Hance went into the
cabin and walked back to the culprit
Miss Cullen" ! said gravely, "you have
those letters. and must give them to me-
But told you she began.
To spare her second untruth 1 inter-
rupted her by saying, IT trapped your
brother into acknowledging that you have
Them
You must have misunderstood him." she
replied calmly, 'or else he didn't know
that the arrangement was changed
Her steadiness rather shook my convic-
ton, but said, You must give me those
letters, or l must search you"
You never would. she cried, rising
and looking me in the face
On fmpulSa 7 tried q hio bJ,,H tool
hold of the lapel of her wrist, intending
to undo just one button. let go in fright
when | found there was no button-only
an awful complication of hooks or some
other feminine method for keeping things
together-and I grew red and trembled
thinking what might have happened had /
by bad luck made anything come undone
II Miss Cullen had been noticing me she
would have seen a terribly scared man.
But she wasn't, luckily, for the moment
my hand touched her dress, and before she
could realize that I Gnatched it away, she
collapsed on the rock, and burst into tears.
on. oh!' she sobbed Il begged papa not
to, but he insisted they were safest with
me. I'll give them to you if you'll only go
away and not Her tears made her in
articulate, and without waiting for more 1
ran into the hut, feeling as near Like a
murderer as gultless man could
Lord Rallies by this time was making al
most as much noise as an engine pulling
heavy freight up grade under forced draft,
.,
Ing the cowboy and Hance money to re-
cover them. When they told him this was
impossible he tried to get them to sell or
hire pair, but they didn't like the idea of
riding into camp minus those essentials any
better than he did. While I waited they
settled the difficulty by strapping blanket
round him, and by splitting it up the mid
die and using plenty Of cord they rugged
him out after fashion; but think If he
could have seen himself and been given an
option he would have preferred to wait till
1t was dark enough to creep into camp un-
noticed.
Before long Miss Cullen called, and when
l went to her she handed me, without a
word, three letters. AS she did so she
crimsoned violently, and looked down In
her modification. 1 was SO sorry for. her
that, though moment before 1 had been
judging her harshly, now couldn't help
saying:
Our positions have been so difficult Miss
Cullen, that / don't think we either OF us
are quite responsible for our actions
She said nothing, and, after q pause /
continued:
II hope you'll think as lesiiently of my
conduct as you can. for can't tell you how
gr1eyed am to have panied YOU"
Cullen Joined us at this point and. know
ing that every moment we remained would
be distressing to his sister announced
that we would start up thestraiL hadn't
me heart TO oner to help her mount, and
sirgle file behind Hance, Lord Rallies COM
ing last.
AS soon as we started 1 took lock- at
IN tne rhree letters. They were all addressed
to Theodore E. Camp, esq.,, Ash Forks,
Arizona-one of the directors Of the X. g. i,
and also of the Great Southern. with This
clue, Tor the FIRST time things began to clear
up TO me. and when the trail sbroadened
enough to permit It, pushed NV mule up
alongside OF Cullen and asked:
The letters contain proxies Tor the K &
A. election next Friday?'
He nodded his head. THE Missouri West
ern and the Great Southern are fighting for
control, he explained. "and we should have
won put for three blocks of eastern stock
that had promised their proxies to the G.
:. Rather than lose the fight. we arranged
70 learn when these proxies. were ,rnailed-
that was what kept me behind-and then to
hold up the train that carried them
NY Mas II worth the risk?''sI calculated.
had put more than was safe into Missouri
western and into California Central The
.. 5. wants control to end the traffic agree
father" - ~ i'f'
nodded. seeing it all as clear as day.
and hardly blaming the Cullens for what