Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-12-10

CHAPTER NNI.

Hope gnaShed his teeth. but he tried to
content himself for the sake of the facts
Kane might divulge.
Il am going to tell you little history"
proceeded Kane, because | have point
to gain-because l have a compact, bar
gain. to make with YOU
NO" declared Hope, uncompromising-
ly.
"But-ycs. For her sake, for Claire's
sake. you know!
Hope was shaken. He paled. He dis
cerned the precipice towards which he
was hastening-was being FASTENED by the
sheer vjllainous force of this mans cool
and calculating tinesse.
He had pulled this man down, and now
he could at his will send him to the gal
lows, he believed. His sworn holy duty
had been to run down this man. lie had
been batfed. circumvented. Now at the
final ending he was diverted from his ori-
ginal purpOse-for a woman's sake
speak :" he said mandatorily.
'Very WE'LL" answered Kane, somewhat
more seriously Il determined to abandon
the field when YOU secured the half of the
bank notes. though l was not entirely
pennless, and as | vaunted there was
Claire While you were resting on your
oars in fancied security | had fastened
to my pretty secretary. My will seemed
to be her law-I only knew later your
hidcous plot in which hatred and revenge
alone actuated her. | placed her in the
hands of trusted friend while | hastened
NV arrangements to wed her and fly the
country and you. | had not needed mad
old Gabriel Marsdens threat. You might
say at the very altar Elita, the woman
YOU lust saw, confronted me. She was
nv Nemesis. She had learned of the pre-
carious position | was in-she was armed.
1t was exposure betrayal death-or |
must wed her. Worse than that. she had
haffied me concerning Claire. She had
lured her away to an isolated place, had
put her in charge of an accomplice. a wo-
man knitted to her by ties of unwaverins
fidelity. Thus was baffed She brought
me here-I dared not defy her-and |
knew she had proOfs-that is. the DISPOSE
ton to doom me by the law if | resisted
her commands. Thus far she combined
with me to have you imprisoned, in
hopes of securing the half of the severed
bank notes that you had secured posses
sion of promised to go with her to some
foreign country if she succeeded. But she
she did not trust me. She has made me
a continual captive, as you see"
"And Claire?' eagerly insisted Hope,
with lustrous eyes Of anxiety-and love.
Kane shrugged his shoulders.
well" he said. annoyedly gnawing the
- lo..
a baftled. beaten man, she has the per-
severance and fierceness of a tigress-in
fact, she has kept Claire, too, a prisoner
"Where?"
Kane smiled provokingly at the ingenu
ous pagerness of the other.
"Do you suppose | would tell you
that?" he inquired sardonically
after all the wrongs You have done
me-
Call quits. then - hoarscly. suddenly
spoke Kane, dropping his tones to a whs-
per. Let up on me for crime you can
never fully prove
Il have sworn-
"Bah! Is not she, Claire all in all,
now"
1t was true. Gideon Hope lowered his
head-in humiliation. Truly, he was pal
tering with this enemy, for he surmised
the daring proposition that was coming.
But he was only human, and-he loved
Claire Tremaine.
500 on he said, without lifting his
head.
Il will make a bargain with you-fair
exchange Rid me of this woman who has
me in chains. that is give me the chance
to fly. She has not. and have secreted
the half of the severed bank notes. Sc
cure my freedom, as | say and give me
your worthless half of the money, start
Of twcnty-four hours against pursuit. and
will tell you what this woman will
never tell while | am on the same conti-
nent with the being she deems her rival
the whereabouts Of Claire Tremaine"
The tempting bait alured, but only for
a moment did it dazzle Then there was
a sudden reyulsion Of feeling with Gideon
Hope.
He abruptly arose to his feet. His
head came erect. his eyes were stern, duty,
resolve, shone from his soul.
Mo- he said--once and defantly.
"Nof" echoed Kane, thunderstruck.
81 shall find Claire Tremaine without
your help. As to you-hcavens -
Gideon Hope started as if from a vio-
lent electric shock.
lie had resolved not to palter with this
man, and he now determined to free him
from that hampering chain and drag him
to the nearest jail-for the sanctity of
his VOW to his dead brothers memory he
must do this
If the woman Elita interfered. so much
the worse for her.
But, about to advance upon his enemy
and carry into execution this design, as
has been said, Gideon Hope was suddenly
electrified.
The life currents Of his being checked
their flow and his heart stood still.
lie had wasted, was wasting, precious
mOments-was sacrificing duty, and men
aced humanity appealed for the fulfill