Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-08-08

is waiting there with the dogs. We
will start back tonight-now." Sud
denly he sprang to her again. his
voice breaking In a low pleading cry.
my God. don't you see now hcw
love you?' he went on. taking her
white face between his two hands.
Don't you understand. Meleese? Jean
and have fought-he Is bound hand
and foot up there in the cabin-and /
am waiting for yon-for you" He
pressed her face against him. her lips
80 close that hp could feel their qua
vering breath. 81 have come TO fight
for you-if you won't 60" he whis-
pered tensely. 81 don't know why
your people have tried to kill me.
don't know why they want to Kill me,
and It makes no difference to me now.
l want you. I've wanted you since
that first glimpse of your face through
the window. since the fight on the
trail, every minute. every hour. and
won't give you up as long as I'm alive.
If you won't go with me-if you won't
20 now-tonight"- He held her closer.
his voice trembling In her hair. IF
you won't go-I'm going to stay with
you!''
mo. no. mol" she painted. her hands
clutching at his arm. "You must go
back now-now"- She pushed him
toward the door. and as he backed a
step: looking down into her face. he
saw the choking tremble Of her white
throat, heard again the 1uttering ter
ror in her breath. They will kill you
II they find you here" she urged.
"They think you are dead-tbat you
fell through the ice and were drowned.
II you don't believe me. II you don't
believe that l can never go with you.
tell jean
Her words seemed to choke her rs
she struggled to finish.
"rell Jean whatT he questioned
softly.
"Win you 20 then" she cried with
sobbing eagerness. as II he already un.
derstood her. will you 60 back II
Jean tells you everything-everything
about me-abOut"-
"No." he interrupted
"If you only knew. then you would
20 back and never see me again. You
would underestimate
IL Will never understand" he inter.
rupted again. II say, that 1t is you
who do not understand. Meleese! !
don't care what Jean would tell me.
Nothing that has ever happened can
make me not want you"
"If one should come and find you
here
There would be a fight" he said
grimly. II have come prepared to
fight" He waited a moment, and In
the silence the brown head In front
of him dropped slowly. and he saw
tremor pass through the slender form.
as If it had been torn by an instant's
pain. The pallor had gone from How
lands face. The mute surrender In the
bowed head. the soft sobbing notes
that he heard now In the girls breath.
the confession that he read in her
voiceless grief. set his heart leaping'
and again he drew her close into bis
arms and turned her face up to his
own.
"You-,you told me something that
wasn't true-once-back there" he
whispered. land you promised that you
wouldn't do t again. Why don't you
tell me everything? You believe that
II I knew certain things l would never
want to see you again: that l would
20 back into the south You have told
me that. Then. II you want me to 60
why don't you reveal these things to
me? II you can't do that 60 with me
tonight. We will 60 anywhere-to the
ends of the earth
He stopped at the look that had come
into her face. Her eyes were turned
to the window. He saw them filled
With a strange terror. and involuntari
" his own followed them to where the
storm was beating softly against the
windowpane Close to the lighted glass
was pressed mans face. he caugh,
flashing glimpse Of pair OF eyes
staring In at them. OF thick. wiio
beard whitened by the snow. he knew
the face. When life seemed slipping
out Of his throat he had looked up
into II that night Of the ambush on the
Great North trail.
With a quick movement Rowland
sprang away from the girl and leveled
his revolver to where the face had
been. Over the shining barrel be ga"
only the haunting emptiness OF the
storm. Scarcely had the face disap
peared when there came the loud shout
of q man, tha hoarse calling OF name
and then of another and after that thu
quick. furious opening Of the outer
Aoae