Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-19
IL1-lT N-l



the fortune jointly with him. Happen
ing to watch day or two back, saw
him go into the house quite late
doubtless to meet her"
There was long silence, while
4 Joyce strained her ears to listen for
the next words. They came, slowly
and deliberately enough, from Owen
Jaggard.
"Mr. Hawley, you and me will be
partners in this business. we've both
| got something at stake. We'd better
divide the business to save time and
trouble. I'll deal with the Grace Var
wood ur at Hawley Park" he added,
grimly, with fist coming down smart
/ ly on the table. us that understood? 2"
Seeing that you know the lady, it
might be well, perhaps" said Roger
| Hawley, with a laugh. "And l will
seek out the other Grace Yarwood
among the gipsies. l like the look of
her. In a word, my dear unknown
| friend-unknown, that is. until to-
/ night-you run your woman and I'll
run mine; we'll see what happens
eh ~
Joyce Bland got up cautiously from
among the bushes and crept out into
the moonlight. She had heard all that
could be Of use to her; she knew with
whom she had to deal, at least. In
her mind was confused idea that
/ the fight had really begun, with this
| night; 1t had begun with the coming
of Owen Jaggard. He must be 81.
|4lenced at any cost; but what of this
Grace Yarwood of whom they spoke?
! Was 1t possible that the girl she had
| left dying in the hut in Nevada had
been brought back to life?-or was it
possible that some other woman,
knowing the story, had come forward
to put In claim to the great fortune
| that was waiting? AT all events, she
need not fear that; she had already
| proved her claim up to the hilt. The
| one person to be got out of the way
was Owen Jaggard. AS Joyce Bland
| gathered her skirts about her and
| raced back to the house in the moon
light, that was the one thought in her
| mind.
The two men who had met SO.
strangely after some further CONVEX
sation parted; Roger Hawley to re-,
main in the tumble-down cottage, and
Owen Jaggard to take his way out into
| the country, in his own mysterious
| fashion, and to mature his plans re-
garding the woman he had followed
1 half over the world. In the mind of
the latter man was asdeeply burning
/ resentmen that she should have been
/ so Wiling to break faith with him-so
eager to cast him aside at the first OPP
portunity; while, on the other hand,
there was a grim determination that.
| he would have share in whatever
| fortune she might have secured.
1 Roger Hawley slept the remainder
of the night away, and came out into
the morning sunlight to fulfill his part
4 of the bargain he had made. There
/ was no very clear idea in his mind
as to what he should do; only that
4 evil spirit of mischief that had always
been uppermost in the man told him
that this was to be a war Of wits, and
that he might stand a chance IL it
came to a rough-and tumble for the
| fortune. With quite sporting in
stinct he had determined, if possible,
to get hold Of this new Grace Var
| wood who had come on the scene, and
! to run her against the other. as it
were. II, as he more than suspected,
she was an imposter. he would at
lease he able to give those whom he
regarded as his natural enemies a.
very consid erable amount Of trouble,
which would be something of a re-
ward in itself; on the other hand he
was to take up a sort OF partnership
with q young and beautiful girl, whose
1 face seen but for a moment In the
moonlight9in the gypsy camp the night
/ before, had strongly impressed him.
He was fortunate in his venture at
once. It happened that Grace had
| also awakened early, and had come
out Of the little. hot tent and had
made her way out OF the tent into
the woods. This was a new and won
derfll heaven for her; this was what
| she had dreamed Of all her life. This
was England g England OF the soft,
sweet woods and the bright flowers,
and the dew, and the birds. There
had been nothing like this in her life
before; she could not come out to
greet and meet II all too early s.: :s3s
| So she went on and on. without
needing In which direction she wan
dered and so came at last, up through
/ the W. ods, to that fence which bound
ed Eawley Park, and to the gap in it.
And there, seated on q bank outside
| the fence, was tain man. quietly;
smoking. She was quite close to him
before she noticed that he was there
at all and then the first thing she
saw WAS that he was smiling, III an
linsolent; familiar fas hion, al her, and
that he still kept his pipe III HIS mouth.
She stopped. and faItered for 4 mo-
| nlent; then turned to retraca her.
Steps
Oh, don't 30, I, the man called after
/ her. AS y matter of fact. 4 have come
Isout Az this mccarthy hour solaly to