The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-02-09

though, so TAR rs De COutu see.
When Jeanne came out with the
stick, he handed that to Cayley also.
You viii notice." he said. that that
dart and the groove in this stick were
evidently made for each other, Mr.
Cayley"
The pupils OF Jeanne's eyes dilated
as she watched the accused man fit
them together, and then balance the
stick In his hand. as II trying to dis.
cover how it could be put to so dead
~ use as Mr. Fanshaw had indi-
Gated He seemed preoccupied by
nothing more than purely intel1
lectnal curiosity.
His coolness seemed to anger Mr.
Fanshaw, as 1t bad formerly angered
his son. For a moment this sudden
anger Of his rendered him almost In
srticulate. Then:
I'VE don't want demonstration,
came like the explosions OF a quick
Are gun. And you have no need for
| trying experiments. You knew how
nicely that dart would fit in the
groove that was cut for 1t. You
know, altogether too well. what the
stain is that discolors It, You know
whore we found that dart You're
only surprised that 1t was ever found
at all-it and the body of the man it
| slew"
Everything you say is perfectly
true" said Cayley. very quietly. Il am
surprised that the body of the man was
ever recovered. I'm little surprised,
also, that you should think, because
this stick fell from my belt last night,
/ and this dart, which you found trans
fixing a mans throat this morning
Tom Fanshaw interrupted him. His
| eyes were blazing with excitement.
1T was not from us that you learned
that that dart transtxed the murdered
mans throatl' he cried.
Il knew It, nevertheless" said Cay
ley in that quiet voice, not looking to
| ward the man he answered. but still
| keeping his eyes on old Mr. Fanshaw.
And also little surprised" he went
on. as II he had not been interrupted.
/ that you should think, because this
stick and this dart fit together, that
am. necessarily. murderer"
You have admitted it now. at all
events" Mr. Fanshaw replied. His
! voice grew quieter. too, as the in
tensity of his purpose steadied II. Il
suppose that is because, upon this
| 'No-Man' s-I.and, you are outside the
pale Of law and statute-beyond the
| jurisdiction of any court tell you
| this: / think we would be justified
in giving you trial and hanging you
| from that yard there. We VIII not do
| It. We will not even take you back to
| the states to prison. You may live
outlaw here and enjoy, undisturbsd,
your freedom. such as It is. and your
thoughts and your conscience, such
as they must be- But II ever you try
to return to the world OF men"
Cayley interrupted the threat before
1t was spoken: Il have no wish TO re-
turn TO the world of mcn," he said. II
wish the world were empty OF men,
as this part OF it Is. or as | thought
| 1t was. | abandoned mankind once be.
fore, but yesterday when | saw men
here. ] felt stirring OF the blood
the call of what was in my own veins
Last night when | took to the air
again, after the hour ! had spent on
that ice-fioe yonder / thought want
| ed to come back to my own kind.
wanted, in spite OF the past, TO be one
OF them again. Perhaps it is well thai
! should be rid OF that delusion SC
quickly ! am rid of it, and am ria
of you--bioody, sodden, stupid, blind.
Yet, with all my horror OF you, my
disdain of you, | should not expect one
OF you to do murder, without some
sort of motive, some paltry hope OF
gain, upon the body of a stranger II
Is OF that that you accuse me-
"A stranger" Tom Fanshaw echoed
why, when you confess to SO much
| do you try to lie at the end? You
can't think we don't know that the
man you murdered was once your
friend--or thought he was, God heir
him! Why try to make us believe
that Perry Hunter was stranger to
your"
The girls wide eyes had never left
Cayiey face since the moment of her
return to the deck with the throwing
stick. Through It all--through Fan
shaw's hot accusation, and his own
reply-through those last words OF
Toms, II had never changed There
had been contempt and anger in it,
subdued by an iron self-control: nc
other emotions than those two, until
the very end Until the mention OF
that Perry Hunter"
But at the sound OF that name
just then the girl saw his face &c
bloodiess. not all at once. slowly, rath
err And then after little while he
uttered great sob; not of grief. but
such sob as both the Fanshaws had
heard before, when. In battle or Skin
mish, a soft-nosed bullet smashes its
! way through some great. knotted nerve
center. His hands went out in a con
| vulsive gesture, both the stick and
the dart which he held falling from
them. the stick at the girls feet, the
dart at his own. Then leaning bach
against the rail for support. he cover
ed his face with his hands. At last
while they waited silently, he drew
himself UP straight and looked dazed
ly into her face.
Suddenly. to the amaxement of tbs
other two men, she crossed the deci
to where he stood. Tn perfect,