The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-01-17
Continued from page o.

word 10 them irSt then the NlSllanteS
would be jailed before dawn. AS he
drew near Cherry Malotte's house he
saw light through the drawn cur
tains. 4 heavy raindrop FLASHED upon
his face. another followed, and then he
heard the patter of falling water in
creaslnS swiftly. Before he could gain
the door the storm had broken. 1t
swept up the street with tropical vio-
lence, while breath sighed out of the
night, lifting the litter from underfoot
and pelting him with flying particles.
Over the roofs the wind rushed with
the rising moan Of q hurricane, while
the night grew suddenly noisy ahead
of the tempest
He entered the door without knock
Ing to find the girl removing her coat
Her face gladdened at sight of him,
but he checked her with quick and
cautious words, his speech almost
drowned by the roar outside.
"Are you alone" She nodded, and
he slipped the bolt behind him, saying:
"The marshals are after me. We
just had run in at the Northern,
and I'm on the go. No-nothing ser
GUS yet, but they want the vigilantes,
and must get them word. Will you
help me?" He rapidly recounted the
row of the last ten minutes, while she
nodded her quick understanding.
You're safe here for a little while,
she told him, "for the storm will check
them. If they should come. there's
a back door leading out from the
kitchen and side entrance yonder.
In my room you'll find French win
dow. They can't corner you very
WELL"
"SlapJack and Dex are out at the
shafthouse you know - that quartz
claim on the mountain above the Mi
das." He hesitated. "Will you lend
me your saddle horse? It's black
night, and may kill him."
what about these men in town."
"I'll warn them first, then hit for the
hills"
She shook her head. you can't do
II. You can't get out there before day
light If you wait to rouse these peo-
pie, and Mcnamara has probably tele-
phoned the mines to send party up
TO the quartz claim after Dex. He
knows where the old man is as well a>
you do, and they'll raid him before
dawn"
I'm afraid So but it's all l can Of
fer. Will you give me the horse?'
mo! He's only pony, and you'd
founder him in the tundra. The mud
is knee deep. I'll go myself"
Good heavens, girl, in such night!
Why, it's worth your life! Listen tc
it! The creeks will be up and you'll
have to swim. No, can't let you"
Hes good little horse, and he'll
take me through" Then coming close
she continued: "Oh, boy Can't you
see that | want to help? Can't
you see that I'D die for you If it
would do any goodY He gazed grave.
ly into her wide blue eyes and said
awkwardly: Yes know. I'm sorry
things areas they are-but you
wouldn't have rue lie to you. little wo.
mani
mo. You're the only true man
ever knew. l guess that's why love
you. And l do love you, oh, so much.
1 want to be good and worthy to love
you too"
She laid her face against his arm and
caressed him with clinging tenderness,
while the wind yelled loudly about the
caves and the windows drummed be-
meath the rain. His heavy brows knit
themselves together as she whispered:
II
your with such an agony of longing
in her voice that her soft accents were
sharply distinguishable above the tur-
MOL. The growing wildness seemed
part of the womans passion, which
whipped and harried her like willow
in blast.
Things are fearfully jumbled," he
said finally. "And this Is a bad time
to talk about them. I wish they might
be different. No other girl would do
what you have offered tonight"
''Then why do you think of that
womanY she broke in fiercely. "She's
bad and false. She betrayed you once;
she's in the play now; you've told me
SO yourself. Why don't you be a man
ana 1OryeC ner!
IL can't" he said simply. You're
wrong, though, when you think she's
bad. 1 found tonight that she's good
and brave and honest The part she
played was played innocently, I'm sure
of that, In spite of the fact that she'll
marry Mcnamara. 1t was she who
heard them plotting and risked her
reputatiOn 10 warn me-"
Cherry's face whitened, while the
shadowy eagerness that had rested
there died utterly. "She came into
that dive alone? She did that?" He
nodded, at which she stood thinking
for some time, then continued: you're
honest with me, Roy, and I'll be the
same with you. I'm tired Of deceit,
tired Of everything. l tried to make
you think she was bad, but In my own
heart 1 knew differently all the time.
She came here today and humbled her.
self to get the truth humbled herself
to me, and sent her away. She sus-
pected, but she didn't know, and when
she asked for information insulted
her. That's the kind of a creature i,
am. I sent her back to Strive, who
offered to tell her the whole story"
'What does that renegade wantT
"Can't you guessT'
n n fErl.-