The Washington times., 1908-12-29

THE one possible exception" he hesI-
! tated second. lis with the concession
/ which you disposed Of"
But that is not yours" she inter
rupted quickly. That belongs TO Cap
] tain Northcote"
mo, I-er-was able to get it from
him. II, too. is absolutely mine"
And there are diamonds on the
! land2' her eyes widening.
! = cannot say yet. The experts think
there may be. OF course" hurriedly,
If such should prove the case. 1 would
see that much larger purchase price
was allotted 20 you than the amount
! you have already received"
! No she said ccldly. II sold in good
faith, and 1 Will stand by my bargain"
She could not put her finger on what
was wrong; but she felt instinctively
| that somehow she had been duped in
/ the transaction
| Had he not told her once that the
/ land was absolutely worthless for his
purposes; yet it now appeared that he
! had turned around and acquired it from
Northcote
| To offer her bonus now that he was
/ proposing marriage TO her-fOr she saw
| his trend-did not relieve the affair OF
! a decidedly questionable aspect.
But enough Of business" Starr
Spencer saw that he had made a mis-
/ take, and struggled 10 recover his lost
ground
! He played up skillfully the hardship
| Of one SO fitted 20 adOrn wealth as he~-
/ self having to contend with straiteu-d
| circumstances and the necessity Of
making p own way. He told her how
/ il hurt him TO see her wearing out her
youth as she was doing at work. and
! painted by contrast a glowing picture
/ OF what she might do and accomplish
with fortune at her command-sucu
/ a fortune as his, foT instance.
Yet all the time she was saying d
herself: He cheated me i'm regard 10
! that concession; cheated me and lied
/ 20 me. Can ] take a man for a hus-
/ band whom 1 neither love nor respect?''
I And before her minds eye rose "A
/ picture Of Square Jim" Harrison with
: his fearless, straightforward face and
I unfiinching eye
4 But now Starr Spencer was speaking
{ Of himself. He was lonely, he said, in
I his bachelor life He wanted a con-
( ldante, a helpmeet. a wife.
Il have tried 10 be- a good fr end
/ 20 YOU, Helene" ne said. "WtU you
not let me be that and more. your hus-
/ band?"
He took a tcp toward her. holding
out his HANDS. but Cheat, Cheat.
! Cheat seemed to he ringing I'm her
: ears. and she knew nov FOR certainty
/ that never could she let this man stand
beside her in Jim Hsrrisou'S vacant
place.
Yet. what ne had said was true. he
had been a good friend to her. and she
did net wish 20 wound him any mo-e
than sic could help. Eagerly she
, searched her mind Tor words 10 soften
the blow TO him as much as possible.
Il love YOU, Helen" ne pleaded. will
yon not be my wife,
SO engrossed were they that neither
Of them saw the tense figure come
stealing out from behind the portieres
and glide silently toward them.
Nearc. and nearer the woman ap-
preached. her ace afame with jealous
rage, until no, three feet separated her
from them.
Then thrustinE her hand into a fold
Of her skirt she drew a cheap but
none the less deadly revolver into view
and leveled it st the unconscious He
Iene.
With murderuus purpose she aimed,
pressed her finger 10 the trigger
And then winr a crash the pane Of
the window shattered into fragments
and a small. round pebble dropped in
side upon the floor
All three Of the occupants OF the
room started, and the shot OF the in
voluntary movement. passed harm -essly
UP into the ceiling.
At the same instant. the unwittinC
pair saw. her for the first time. and
shrank back before the alarming spec
tacle-
'Flossyt" Easped Starr Spencer: then.
needless Of Helene. ne sprang toward
the front door, tore it open. and rushed
bare-headed from the house
At the entrance threshold he IOstled
against a tall. bearded man coming
in; but he was scarcely conscious Of the
fact
1t amt him 1 want" snarled FTossy.
recovering from her momentary futter
at the crashing glass Its you, yo-.
soft-faced hussy. You cant steal my
man.
She was cooking the weapon again. I
her impIacabIe purpose written in every
line of her wild, hassard face; but she
had a mOmentary difficulty wiz. the
hammer Of the bargain-coJnter gun.
Only moment II lasted; for almost
Immediately she raised her head again /
with a cry of indicative triumph. But
the delay had been long enough for
the bearded man at the entrance TO /
gain the fiat
Helene, covering, half-swooning. saw
him as he appeared at the door, and /.
for the instant forgot her deadly. peril. !
JIM she cried. JIM
He caught her as she sprang toward I
hims swung her behind him, as he had Z
done twice when they were assafled at
Vartra, and offered his own breast as A 1
target to the aim of the frenzied FIossy. /
The Continuation of This Story Will
BE Found in TOmorrovy,S
Issue of This Paper.