The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-10-14
cHAPrRR xxvII.-tcontlnuod.l

the courage 10 cross the lawns TO Deei
Trace. No word had passed between
him and Ardea since the September al
ternoon when no had oyertaken her ~
the church door-countlng as nothlnH
the effort she had make to speak "a
him on the night Of vengeance.
She was sitting at the plano in tha
otherwise deserted mualc-room wheh
he entered; and she broke a chord IN
the middle to give him both OF hef
hands, and to say, with eyes shinihs'
as II the rescue were thing OF yes
terday:
20 Tom! knew you had it in you'll
II was fine!"
Hold on" he said. a bit unsteadily'
There must be no more misuhder-
standings What happened that night
three weeks ago. had to happen; ana
fve minutes before II happened / was
wondering II l could aim straight
enough In the light from the Stag pot
to hit him. And fully meant TO do
H."
Il was afraid" she faltered. 1
knew, you know-Japheth had told me.
in-in justice to you. That was why
ran across the lawn and called to you.
Looking It all over. don't see that
there is much to choose between me-
and the men I've been hunting down.
They went after the things they need
ed. without much compunetion for 9TH
or people and so did /. on the night
OF the-on the night when you called
to me and l wouldn't answer, l was
going down to rub 1t in; to tell them
they were in the hole and that l had
put them there. l met a man at the
gate who told me what Japheth told
you. It made a demon OF me, Ardea.
took the mans gun and followed
Vincent around the yard. l meant 70
kill him."
The provocatlon was very great"
she said, evenly. why didn't you do
II, Tom?"
Now you've cornered me: 1 don't
know why didn't. had only to walk
away and let him alone when the time
came. The slag-spilllng would have
settled him. But l couldn't do it."
"Of course you couldn't" she agreed,
sonvincingly. God wouldn't let you"
HE let's other men commit murder;
enc a day, or such a matter"
Not one of those who have named
His name, Tomas you have"
Now that it's all over, the taste OF |
II is like sawdust in the mouth; I'll |
admit that much. I'm free; free among |
the dead, like the slain that lie in the |
grave as David put 1t when he had |
sounded all the depths, Is that being |
sorry"
"No-I don't know" she confessed.
You think / ought to go back to
first principles: get down on my knees
and agonize over it? Sometimes | |
wish l could be a boy long enough to
do just that thing, Ardea. But l can't.
The mill won't grind with the water
that has passed"
But the stream isn't dry" she as
serted, taking up his figure. What
will you do now? That is the ques-
tion: the only one that is ever worth
asking"
"They took to the woods, the waste
places, the deserts-those men of old
who didn't understand Some of them
went blind and crazy and died there;
and some of them had their eyes open
ID and came back to make the world
little better for their having liven in
Il I'm minded to try It,"
ou arc 6OAll6 away |
Yes; out to the beyond in Northern
Arizona. There is a new iron field out
here to be prospected, and Mr. Clark
ION wants me to go and report on It,
And that brings us back to business.
Nay talk business--aold money bust
less-to you for minute or two?"
"If you like" she permitted "Only
think the other kind of talk is more
profitable"
"A curious thing has come to pass }
Iuite miraculous thing, in fact CHA Z
vassee will pay the better part of its
ebts and-and redeem its stock or
ONE of 1t, at least" He rose and :
TODD beside her. isn't it a thousand I
titles that Colonel Duxbury couldn't :
ave held on to his shares just a little =
onger?"
Yes; he is an old man and a broken /
ne, now There was sob In her !,
oice, or he thought there was. But 1t
yas only the great heart of compass
lon that missed no object of pity. e
True; but the next best thing is 10
ave the young woman who marries 3
ito the family bring 1t back with her Y
ont you think? Here Is a check for 0
hat Mr.. Farley's stock would have .
old for before the troubles began. IT'S .
lade payable to you because-well for g
ovious reasons: as have said, he lost u
IT." o
You are still the headlong impulsive u
oy aren't your? she said, not alto p
ether approvingly. you are paying y
lis out of your own money" y
well, what if l ann" u
IF you are, 1t is either a just resti
ltion, or it is not. In either case. I al
w not be your go-between." sy
Now look here" he argued; you've tn
It to be sensible about this. Thereu
} four of you, and at least two incom- ly
'tents; and you've got to have money nC
live on. / made Colonel Duxbury
Sc 1t, and" id
Not another word, il you please. ]
mt do your errand in this, and WI
ouldn't II / could" We
You think | ought to be generous he
d give 1t to him, anyway, do you?"
Il don't presume to say" was the ov
ol rejolnder. when you have come sa
lily to your right mind, you will know
nat to do, and how to GO about it." he
He crumpled the check, thrusting it do
to his pocket, and made two turns les
out the room before he said: tn,
TIL see them both hanged frst!" br
Very well; that is your own affair.""
40 fell to walking again, and for