Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-02-02
DUKE OF
DEVIL
MAY=CARE
BY HARRIS DICKSON
The Black VOLTS Breed" Etc.
CHATTER xvII-continued.


knew it, he felt it-watching him not
so much with her eyes as with her
very soul, tortured with doubts.
The girl had long forgot her aunt
lying i'll in the red ward. forgot the
people around her, forgot Alice whose
head she was stroking- forgot every
thing except the one thing, the unfor-
gettable thing. Why was Noel in that
prison? Why did he not deny those
fearful accusations? 1t was so unlike
him to be silent; they talked to him
as if he had been a thievfng negro,
and he said nothing.
Yes, yes, Noel had been wild, she
knew that. But Anita came of wild
stock herself. Brothers, father, grand
fathers-as far back as there was any
record of them-the Camerons had
been hard-riding, hard-fighting, hard
loving, hard-hating gentlemen. 1t was
in her blood, and Anita understood
But when men impugned the Cam
eron honor, when men accused them
of crime! Anita's full round eyes
rested upon Noel Duke, and wondered.
The subtle magnetism of her gaze
drew the man INTERESTINGLY toward
her; whether against his will or no,
she could not tell.
Step by step he crossed the room,
touched her on the elbow, and she.
looking at him all the while, seemed
to rouse herself and be conscious that
he stood beside her.
81 must see you at once-alone," he
bent down and whispered. May I
come this afternoon"
''At three" she answered, and gave
the address on st. Charles avenue.
he insisted.
conservatory; around the corner on
Bellevue street, number 49," Anita
went on calmly stroking Alice's hair.
as if she were quite accustomed to
making such appointments.
He moved away aimlessly, absent
mindedly. AS he passed the door she
saw him step into the hall and dis
appear.
After Duke went out Anita half
listened to the other three young men
who were talking angrily; they
seemed to be just realizing the thin
ness of the bluff that had been played
upon them.
Welt" Chaudron remarked, limo
Gently; 'it's no wonder that poor
Baker could not get on the track of
anything, with all those fellows pull
ing against him."
Joe could not help it; he looked at
Chaudron, and laughed.
Poor Baker-poor Baker knew
more about it than anybody; he came
out here half a dozen times to see
how Mrs. Ashton was getting on"
Chaudron stared-the fullness of
Bakers duplicity burst upon him.
where is Baker now?" he asked of
Hes out there in the street, came
IN the cab with me. 1 saw him walk
ing up and down the sidewalk a few
minutes ago."
Chaudron snatched his hat from the
table and bolted out of the door.
The detective prided himself upon
his intuitions-and discretion.
For an hour he had been hanging
to the iron fence in front of the little
red house trying to catch a Whit
from the pot of trouble that was stew
ing inside Not word could he hear,
and it made him desperately uneasy.
The atmosphere began to feel sultry
the barometer fell as il the bottom
had dropped out Hits goin' to
blow thought Baker, and pulled his
hat on tighter.
IL that lawyer from yicksburg who
looked so bloomin' good-natured,
could raise such a row, Baker shud-
dered to think what would happen
when Chaudron, the fiery Creole, ex-
ploded And the more he thought, the
less of curiosity he had to witness it,
When Chaudron bounded through
the door he saw no fidgety little Eng
1ishman pacing up and down the ban
quette; there was no checkered suit
hanging over the fence, and none OF
the cabmen knew in which direction
it had vanished.
Dr. Anderson accompanied Mrs
Chaudron and the girls to their car
riage. gave Alice his final assurances
and they drove away Chaudron hur-
ried his mother OF, jerking restlessly
at his tiny mustache-
Come along" he caught Vance by
tho arm. Tets go find Baker,
"A1l right" the ether man laughed
getting into the cab. I've got to play
even on somebody
Then Joe besea 70 look around fol
Duke.
The erstwhfle prisoner had disap
peared. as silently and effectually a,
Baker He had walked out of thu
front door, and seeing no one to hin
der, went his way unmolsted-
Il think he went down that way.
he cabman suggested. pointing in tn
direction of Canal street
Joe's temper was getting raw; tn
slightest thing irritated him.