The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-02-26
CHAPTER xIt-Continued.

In spite of his black mood of bitter
ness and despair the words brought
I.athom a little thrill 1t was some
thing to know that there were those
wro believed him innocent. that
dense crowd had gathered there to
show their sympathy for him-the
knowledge moved him more than he
would have admitted. His thoughts
flew 10 Hilda. Neither would Hiida.
he knew. believe word Of this mon
strors charge-Hilda. who loved him.
And for moment. at the thought of
| Ter, the hard look In his face softened
into an expression strangely tender.
Living. Philip Hume did his best to
ait us-dead, Re seems to have sue
.eeded!" he told himself bitterly.
TIE cab drove on through the dark
cning streets: already the lamps were
l;shted. Now they were crossing the
broad main street. Past the chief ho-
tel of the town. the Woolpack. where
tie windows glowed cosy and invit-
| ing; from behind one of the windows
he could almost have fancied he heard
The click of billiard balls-how often
lie had played a game in that room,
Past the club; at the entrance he
caught glimpse of two men who m
lie knew going in, laughing and talk
ng.
TIE sight of the old familiar scenes
| touched him with a curious sense of
| unreality. Could it really be that he
was man under arrest, being taken
to that bare, whitewashed cell to drag
out endless weary weeks there until
the day came for him to stand in the
dock charged with murder-perhaps
20 be found guilty?
How swiftly this blow had followed
on his great wonderful happiness? 1t
was only four weeks since that night
that had brought him his hearts de-
sire. when he had told himself he was
the luckiest man in the country
"Hilda, have | been blind? thought
you didn't care-do you carer" he
cried that night. How wildly 1t all
came back, now when his luck was a
broken thing of the past!
And only her eyes had spoken
wide, gray eyes, soft as velvet. touch.
ed with beautiful tenderness that
ftd told him his answer though her
| lips were silent. And he had caught
her to his arms out there in the wind
and the darkness.
Jack Lathom set his teeth. Those
memories We're too poignant. The
thought of this injustice he was suffer,
ing, that had robbed him of freedom.
II at had separated him from the won.
| IN lie loved. perhaps forever. filled
him with a bitter. surging sense of re-
volt. For moment a mad. desper-
ate impulse was on him To make a
light for his liberty. One of the con.
stables. watching his face. reading
perhaps, something of the thoughts
passing through his mind. laid heavy
hand on his arm.
At the touch the impulse passed.
Nonng aLthom gave short. hard
laugh. He would have been a fool to
| Yield to the impulse. II would have
bCen hopeless, any such attempt. Two
% one-and both CT his warders pow.
| Cfnl men,. Before he could gel the
fcor oren they would have him fast
held and handcuffed-so far he had
been srared that indisnity. II there
Lad been the slightest chanee-only
| ,te!" wasn't one chance in a hundred
Tie cab lad turned into n quiet back
! tEcet. Through the window Jaci;
Gii.orl could see that one side OF the
rad WAS Up for repairs. and flares
were urning to warn drivers to pro
;tsa carefully. Not that their cal
seemed TO go any more carefully in
,ona equenee. They We're rafting alon.
I tremendous pace.
he wondered what IL was Fredd,
Thointon had wanted to say to him al
lie Was Icing hurried into the cab
lie could hear the sound of a motto
ter u little distance behind: through
OF he journey he had been vaguei!
tcE'd Re Freddy Thornton fol,owln.
him in the hope of snatching INC
n.ent's conversation with hims at IN,
end Of the journey. before he wa
taken to tha horrible cell.
"Halloa, what's up?"
The cab had made a sudden plung
forward. swerying with a jerk, an
, shaking the occupants considerably.
Che of the constables jumped u
with the exclamation and thrust hi
head out of the window. The hors
had SHE'D at one of the flares. Almos
Is he spoke one side OF the moor G
the cab seemed to drop with jarrin
jolt that almost shook them OF thei
seats.
The sudden swerve OF the startle
, horse had carried them over the edg
were The excavations were bein