The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-05-14
CHAPTER Ix-contlnued.

I lost no time. yet II took me a min
Ute--a minute of trembling haste ant
anxiety-to discover the path from tn,
causeway on to the dixie, When ono
I had stumbled or to h latter,
found had lost sight OF both figures
but / ran along at the top of my speed
calculating that the two, who could no
be far apart. the man being the neare'
20 me. were about a quarter of q milt
or rather more from the road. / hal
gone one-half OF this distance perhaps
when q shrill scream in front caused
me to redouble my efforts. expected
70 hnd tho rufian I'm the act of rob-
hing the girl. and clutched my cudgel-
FOR. alas, ] had left my sword at home
--more tightly in my grasp so thai
IL was an immense relief to me when
on turning an angle In the dixie, ] saw
her running toward me. Her face, still
white with fear, however, and her hail
streaming loosely behind her. told how
narrow had been her escape, III escape
1t could be called. For about ten feet
I behind her, the hood he a plucked
Off still in his grasp, came Master
E%paniard, hotfoot and painting, but
gaining on her now with every stride.
He was a tall fellow. gayly dressed
swarthy, mustachioed and fierce eyed
His corslct and sword belt shone and jim
gled as he ran and swore. but he had
dropped his feathered bonnet in the
slight struggle which had evidently
taken place when she got by him. and
AZ lay a black spot in the middle OF
the grassy venue behind him. The
gun--it was about three hours after
noon--was at my back and shining di-
rectly into his eyes, nj I marked this
as i raised my cudgel and jumped
aside to let the girl pass, for she in
her blind fear would have run against
me.
N uoa alpnoet tha sama With him
He did not see me until l was within
q few PAGES of him. and even then ]
think he noticed my presence merely
Ms tina of an unwelcofne spectator. He
fanoied / should step aside. and he
cursed me, calling me a Dutch dog for
getting In his way. :
The next moment-he had not drawn
his sword nor made any attempt to
draw tive came together violently,
and / had my hand on his throat. We
Bwayed as we whirled round one an
other In the first shoe. OF the collision.
"A cry OF a~stonlshmei escaped him
f~RStonishment at my hardihood, He
tried, his eyes glarins into mine and
his hot breath on my cheek, TO get at
his dagger, but 1t was too late. ]
brought down my staff with all the
strength OF an arm nerved at the mo-
ment by rage and despair, upon his
N bare head.
He went down Ike a stone, and the
blood dubbed from his lips. / stood
over him watching him He stretched
himself out and turned with a con-
yulsivc movement on his face. His
hands clawed the grass, His leg moved
once. twice, a third time family. Then
he lay still.
There was a lark singing Just over
my head. and its clear notes seemed
during the long, long minute While ]
stood bending over him in an awful
fascination to be the only sounds In
nature. ] looked so long at him in
that dreaded stiffness and absorption
dared not at last look up lest ]
should see I knew not what. yet when
o touch fell on my arm / did not start.
you have killed him." the girl whis-
pered, shuddering.
Yes, l have killed him. I answered
mechanically.
| could not lake my eyes off him. II
was not as lftI had lone this thing
after a long conflict, or in a melee
with others fighting round me, or on
the battlefield. / should have felt nc
horror then such ms / felt now, stand
ing over him in the sunshine. with the
lark's song In my ears. 1t had hap
pened so quickly. and the waste about
us was so still. and I had never killed
O man before nor seen a man die.
"Oh, come away!" Dymphna walled
suddenly. Come away" 4
] turned then. and the sight OF the
girls q face and strained eyes re-
called me In some degree to myself.
I saw she was III, and hastily / gave
her my arm and partly carried. partly
supported her. back to the road, The
way seemed long. and i looked behind
me often, but we reached the cause
way at last. and there in the open
/ felt some relief. Yet even then stop
ping TO cast q backward glance at the
marsh. I shuddered anew. espying a
bright white spark cleaning amid the
green OF the rushes. It was the dead
mans corslet. But If 1t had been his
eye 1 could scarcely have shrunk from
Il In greater dread.
II will be imagined that we were
not long In CROSSING the island. Nat
uraliy ! was full OF what had hap
2ened end never gave a thought to
Tar Trees Jealousy or the incidents
OF his short visit. / had indeed for
gotten his existence until we reached
the porch. There, entering rapidly,
with Dymphna ~clinging to my arm. j
was so obliVious of other matters that
when the young Dutchman rose sud
Denly from the seat On one side of the
door and at the same moment the
0uchess rose from the bench on the
other \ DID nor understand In the first
instant OF surprise what was the mat
ter though let Dymphna's hand fall
from my arm. The dark Sowing face
Of the one, however, and the anger and
chagrin written on the features OF the
other, as they both glared at lls
brpughs all pack to me in a flash. But
II was too late. Before I could utter
a word the girls lover pushed by me
with q fierce gesture and fiercer cry
and disappeared round a corner of the
house. "
"W3s ever such folly" cried the
duchess, stamping her foot and stand.
ing before us. her face crimson. "Or
euch fools, You idiot! YOU"
Hush. madam said / sternly. Had
! really grown older in doing the deed
Something has happened"
And Dyinphna. with a low cry o.
Tthe Spaniardi The Spaniard.' t~otteref
up TO her and tainted IN her arms
cHAPTEattX.
''Tkis IS a serious matter" said Mas
Ter Rertie thoughtfully as we sat in tn,
conclave an hour later round the tabit
4 n the pa:ioE Mistress Anne was at
tending to Dymphna up stairs. n Val
Tree had rot retut ned again. so tina
- Mh-l4EA 49, .x4aklaAN - fall htNo. nf ~,