Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-11-17

ness that speedily accounted Tor every
thing in sight. "You have saved my
life. Now am going, and thank you
a thousand times. There, by heaven,
I've forgotten Wickwirei He is with
me-waiting down in the cottonwoods
at the fork. Could Puss put up
lunch I could take to him? He hasn't
had a scrap for "a hours. But, Dick
sic, your tramp is a hummer! I've
tried to ride him down and wear him
out and lose him, and, by heaven, he
turns up every time and has been of
more use to me than two men,"
She put her hand on Whispering
Smiths arm. IT told him if he would
stop drinking he could be foreman
here next season" Puss was putting
up the lunch. "Why need you hurry
away?" persisted Dicksie. eve got
thousand things to say"
He looked at her amiably. "This is
really a case Of must"
"Then, tell me, what favor may
do for your" She looked appealingly
into his tired eyes. Il want to do
something for you. must! don't deny
me- Only what shall it be?"
Something for me? What can
say? You'll be kind to Marion-I
shouldn't have to ask that. What can
l ask? Stopi there is one thing. I've
got a poor little devil Of an orphan up
in the Deep Creek country. Du Sang
murdered his father. You are rich
and generous, Dicksie; do something
for him, will you? Kennedy or Bob
Scott will know all about him. Bring
him down here, will you, and see he
doesn't go to the dogs? You're good
girl What's this, crying? Now you
are frightened. Things are not so
bad as that. You want to know every
thingI see it in your eyes. Very
we'll, let's trade. You tell me every
thing and I'll tell you everything. Now
then: Are you engaged?"
They were standing under the low
porch with the sunshine breaking
through the trees. She turned away
her face and threw all Of her happi-
ness into a laugh. II won't tell"
ooh, that's enough. You have told"
declared Whispering Smith. II knew
why, of course I knew-but wanted
to make you own up. Well, here's the
way things are. Sinclair has run us
all over Gods creation for two days to
give his pals a chance to break into
Williams Cache to get the Tower w
money they left with RebStock. For
q fact, we have ridden completely
around Sleepy Cat and been down in
the Spanish Sinks since l saw you.
He doesn't want to leave without the
money, and doesn't know it is in Ken
nedy's hands, and can't get into the
Cache to find out. Now the three
whoever the other two are-and Sim
clair-are trying to join forces some
where up this valley, and Kennedy,
Scott, Wickwire and 1 are after them;
and every outlet is watched, and it
must all he over, my dear, before sun
set tonight. Isn't that fine? 1 mean
to have the thing wound up somehow.
Don't look worried"
do not-do not let him kill you,"
she cried, with a sob.
HE will not kill me; don't be
afraid"
Il am afraid. Remember what your
life is to all of us!"
"Then, of course, I've got to think
of what it is to myself-being the only
one I've got. Sometimes | don't think
much of it; but when I get a welcome
like this it sets me up. If 1 can once
get out of the accursed man-slaughter-
ing business, Dicksie- How old are
you? Nineteen? Well, you've got the
finest chap in all these mountains, and
George McCloud has the finest"
With a bubbling laugh she shook
her finger at him. Nov you are
caught. Say the finest woman in these
mountains if you dare! Say the finest
woman!"
"The finest woman Of 10 in all crea-
toni" He swung with a laugh into
the saddle anu waved his hat. She
watched him ride down the road and
around the h9l. When he reappeared
she was still looking and he was gal
Looping along the lower road. A man
rode out at the fork to meet him and
trotted with him over the bridge. Rid
ing leisurely across the creek, their
broad hats bobbing unevenly in the
sunshine, they spurred swiftly past
the grove of quaking asps, and in a
moment were lost hevond tho trooG