The daily Alaskan., 1908-12-01
I'm Place
 Of Paul. By EPES ". SARGENT. Copyrighted. lsOs by Associated
 Literary Press.
By EPES ". SARGENT.

grave, Wlln u lNugu lilul ulu AON NONSA the irritation that It was intended to conceal. Tt seems to me. Jeanne, that you are always fooling with that mur- derous looking thing"
 Not always" was the grave re- sponse. For whole weeks 1t lies in the top drawer, Flank, but once a month I take 1t out and clean 1t that 1t may al- ways be ready and that may not for get, as though ever could" she added wildly.
 Musgrave shuddered. He dlsllked the sight of weapons, and there was some thing sinister In the care with which the girl kept the revolver always in good condition.
 It was no pearl handled toy such as woman might be supposed to carry, but blue barreled 10 that would "stop" man with a single shot, the sort of weapon that was meant for men.
 It struck jarrlng note in the femI- nlnlty of Jeanne Barthon's personality. It was absurd and yet repelling that the dainty little artist should devote so much time to the care of the black muzzled threat. All about were half finished sketches, bits of French sea, coast, ideal heads and fashion draw ings in odd confusion, with a hand some toilet over a dressmaker's form in one corner.
 Jeanne herself was essentially feml- nine, a tiny mite Of woman with a coroRet of golden hair surmOuntIng a fragile face. She was scarcely i've feet tall, and the guu was oddly out of pro, portion.
 Musgraye sank Into chair from which he swept the fashion maga zines to the floor and watched the girl with gloomy face,
 Perhaps lt will be as well to tell you my secret Frank" she said at length when the weapon had been oiled and reassembled. Then you will under stand my care and also why cannot promise to marry you, dear It is best that you should understand"
 "I have no wish to pry into your secrets" he demurred. "Thcy cannot be very importunt-except your reason for not wanting to marry me. You ad- init that you are mmhrrled and frce and that you love me. Those are the essentials"
 "Unmorricd-yes." the girl breathcd tensely but free-no. It Is that I would tell you, dear. so sit that I may not see the horror in your face, and do not speak until have finished. Sit so," she added as she placed chair so that it stood directly before her own.
 Tt is the gun with which some day | am to kill a man." she began, pung- ing into the middle of her story. Do not stir until l say that you may. l cannot talk If you interrupt It Is hard enough to tell even so,"
 "Then don't tell" urged the man, "You never will kill man. You are afraid even of the dark"
 "Of the dark, yes," she admitted softly. "but when the moment of re- vengc comes I shall shoot to kill, with never a thought of what will follow. They may not kill me, but will spend years in prison. and all because have done the justice that men would not do. That is why may not marry.
 "I had brother once. He was all that I had. Not even cousins had I, and when my Paul went to your Klon- dlkc 1 grieved and grieved, even though he had promised that in one year he would return with millions of francs and I should enter the atelIer of the great artist with whom would study and become famous
 "For year had his letters. Then none came said that mails were not regular in that far off land. and so I waited almost another year, Then with the little money that l had l sought him, for I knew that evil must have befaneu
 "I jourueyed across this great land to the frozen north. and there l learn ed the worst. Paul was dead-kllled by his friend they said-his friend who could shoot him down for the lit tie gold that he had.
 "They said 1t was all an accident Bah. Men who handle guns do not have accidents. Is 1t reasonable to tell that one k killed by another by acci- dent? This man said that he was cleaning hls revolver and that 1t went on by itself. They had let him go He had fed the scene. He came to New York, they said, and he was lawyer.
 "There was little photograph of him. That I brought with me. Of course he would shave his beard, but l have made other sketches-yOu have seen them-with the face clean shaven aud with the mustache. One mark he had-a great scar across the cheek. It Is his brand of Cain. By 1t l shall know him.
 "Now l study art no more. l draw fashions because 1t pays, and when l am Idle l haunt the O. ':ts. I look for a lawyer with a great scar, and when r .s.a 1,t,,, tI,t- ,y,,,, rb,1r gy,aoly