The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-07
cHAPrER XVl,-continued,

Ti3ls a. q spy and II came 10 ]
he morning. and never mentioned MAJ
,ery's part In It Mt all.
you have q bitter enemy in Fran
~ralconnet," was his comment, when
nd made IN end OF this %recount!ng {
NY adventures. 'tHe knows you are !
aiding hereabouts. and has been ecourdn
he ~neighborhood well for you-or. NOR
Selike. for both OF US"
How do you know thisf' I asked.
II have both been and heard. This de
u ours opens on the rivers edge. and
No days since. his Indians came With
N ace OF nabb:ng me. Twas just a
tusk, and I made out to dodge them b
lonbling past In the canoe"
But you say you have heard. as well?
How n
.Don,t ask mo, Jack"
I said I u no right to ask moro thai
te chose to tell: and at this he blurte,
tut IN oath and let me have the sharp
tdged truth.
.'Falconnet has an ally whose wit Il
Ihrewder than his. Can you guess VIII
+ is?"
NO"
't'Tis the same Madge Stair you hav,
been defending. Jack" he said. bitterly
IT seems that Falconnet made sure We
had both one to join the army, which
was but natural. II she were less thar
the spiteful little tory vixen hat she is
she would have been content to let II
rest 30. But she would not let It rest SO
With her own lips Hhe assured Falconnet
he stu had us to reckon with; nay, more
-she made a-boast Of 1t that we would
never go so far way from her."
Weak and fever-shaken as I was, I YET
made shift to get upon my elbow feebly
aerce. ~denouncing It holly for a lie.
VIII slandered her like this. Dick
PUT q name to the cur. and as I live and
get my strength again. I'll hunt him down
and choke him with that liel''
he objected soberly; that would
Pc my quarrel. were there ever a peg to
hang q quarrel on. But It came by a
sure. hand. and one that Is friendly
enough to all concerned. An old free
7porderer. Ephraim Yeates by name,
brought me the tale. He had been spying
round at Appleby Hundred. wanting to
know, for some purpose Of his own, why
rho redcoats and Cherokees were hanging
on 80 long; and this much he overheard
one night when he was outlying under
the n Of thew Withdrawing room. He
says she was in a pretty passion at the
baronet's slackness, stamping her foot at
MIN flashing him with the taunt that
he was afeard Of ono or both of u.s."
tell back on the bearskins to shut my
eyer and cali up all the might OF love to
grapple with this fresh misery. It was
In this fierce conflict Of faith against ap-
parent fact that I described the parting
bf the ways for the lover and the hus-
band:
Jennifer believed this most incredible
thing. and yet he loved her-would 81 on
loving her, a. he had said. in spite Of all.
1hat was b lovers road, and I could
never bear him company on.tt. Could I
believe her 10 pitiless cruel as this, I
made sure no husband-love could live be-
You'd that moment Of conviction.
) But ct this perilous pass the husbands
road ran truef than the lovers. Richard
believed her capable Of this h~ard-hearted
khing q went on loving her blindly in.
spite OF It. But as for me. I said I would
give belief an inch OF standing
room; that had I stood In Ephriam
sYeates' shaes. having the witness OF my
eyes and ears, I would still have
found excuse n exculpation 70 rher.
I stole Q glance at Jennifer. He was
sitting with his face IN his hands, silent
sfigure of . strong man humbled., He had
her . Delilah. and The green withes
OF her binding cut sore into the flesh.
you say you love her, Dick can you
believe her capable of this. and yet 60,
on loving herr" I asked.
He let me see his face. It was haggard
and grief-marred.
! I'd pay the devils own price could I
nay no to that. Jack. But I cannot.
s'Then1 swear ! Q her better thar you
God knows h has good cause to hate
me nercely: yet I would trust her with
my life"
I looked q see him pin me down at
this; and though the words had fairly
shaped n said themselves, I laid fast
hold OF my courage and. was prepared to
make them good. But he would only
.aNntA aud Apo- thn tn~ .~N.s.