Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-07-07
to me. ard SO / crept back into the

to me. ard so l crept back into the
burr0w.
See here" he said. excitedly. What
a devil will o make OF thts?"
He had drawn the scattered embers
together, tanning them ablaze agin. and
had sought and found the arrow. 1t
was q blunt-head reed and no war
shaft. And around the middle OF 1t,
tightly wrapped and tied with silken
threads, was a little scroll OF parch-
ment.
IT'S the Catawba's arrow" said Jen-
infer. though how he knew | could not
guess: and then he cut the threads to
free the scroll.
Unrolled and spread at large, the
parchment proved to be that map of
Captain Stuart's that I had found and
lost again. And on the margin OF 1t
was my note to Jennifer, written in
that trying moment when the bribed
sentry waited at the door and my sweet
lady stood trembling beside me, muir
muring her Holy Marys."
Read it," said l.. 1T explains itself.
Tarleton had laid me by the heels TO
wait for the hangman, and / would
ave passed the word abou the In
dian arming on to you. But my mes
senger was overhauled. and"
Yes, yes" he broke IN; I've spelled
1t out. But this line added at the bot
tom-surely. that is never your grabbed
fist. BY heaven! tbs in Madge's hand!"
He knelt to hold IL closer to the flick
ering firelight, and we deciphered IL to-
gether. 1t was but g. line, as he had
said. with neither greeting nor leave
taking, address nor signature.
IF this should come into the hands
of any true-hearted gentleman"-here
was a blot as IL the pen had slipped
from the fingers holding it; and then,
in French, the very wording OF the in
articulate cry that had come to me out
OF the darkness and silence: "A moi
pour ramour de Dieu!"
We fell apart, each to his own side
Of the handful OF embers.
You make ii out?" said 1, after a
moment Of strained silence.
He nodded. She has prattled the
parleZ-vous to me aver since we were
boy and maid together"
A full minute more OF the threatening
silence. and at the end OF 1t we were
glaring at each other like two wild
creatures crouching for the spring.
1t was Jennifer who spoke first.
Twas meant for me-" he said; and
his voice had the warning OF a mas
titf's growl in 1T.
No" said / CURLY.
It say 1t vast"
Then you say the thing which Is
not"
Had been Richard Jennifer, I know
not what bitter reproach l should ave
found to hurl at the man who had
thrice owed his life to me. But he
said no word of what had gone be-
fore.
You may give me the lie, IL you like,
John Ireton: l shall not strike YOU" He
said it slowly, but his face was gray
with anger. Then he added,
hotIy: You knew we'll that word was
meant for met"
At this-God forgive me!-my jealous
wrath broke bounds and l cursed him
for a beardless coxcomb who must
needs think he stood alone In the eye
OF every woman he should meet. She
needs a mani" / ragged, lost now to
every sense OF decent justice. "a man,
/ say! And to whom would she send
IL not to her
I choked upon the word. He had
risen with me, anG we stood face to
face In that grim earth-womb, snarl-
ing fiercely at each other across the
narrow nrelit space; two men with
every tie to knit us close together, and
yet-God save us ALA pair of wild
beasts strung up to the killing pitch
because, forsooth, we must needs front
each other across a deadline drawn by
the finger of a woman!
God knows what would have come OF
all this had my dear lad been as fierce
a fool as +. Twas his good common
sense that saved us both, l think, for
when the savage rival madness was at
it's height he turned away, swearing we
were the very pick and choice OF a
world of asses to stand thus feeling for
each others throets when, mayhap, the
lady needed boil of us.
This brought me to my sense at a
gallop, as you would guess; to them
and 70 the lighting of the conscience
fire within wherein to grill the wicked
heart that but now had thirsted for a
brothers blood.
Now God have mercy On us BOTH"
/ groaned. Forgive me. Dick, if you
can: / was as mad as any Berlamite.
If I have any claim on her, it's not of
her good will. you may be sure. You
nave the baronet to fear-not me-"
He shook mis- head and pointed TO
the pa~rchment-to the line in French.
Francis F~alconnet was under the
same roof with her-or at least in easy
call-when she wrote that, Jack. He is
no longer my rival-nor yours"
His word set me thinking, and /
would fall TO picking out the strands
tina jealous wrath had woven for me
into the web of happenings. Setting
aside the story brought by Ephriam
Yeates, there was no certain proof that
she had ever favored the Englishman;
nay, more, till I had come to be madly
Jealous of Falconnet, / had made sure
tina Jennifer was the favored one.
Continued Next Weekly