Putnam patriot., 1911-11-10

FfFTsEIt HE CALLED SOFTLY. had expected-the first terror at his nrasence. the struggle against his will -and there surged back over him the .0rcas he had reserved for this mo oant He opened his arms, and Me eese slipped from them, her hands elutched again in the clinging drapery | of her bosom
 q have come for you. Meleese." he said AS calmly as though his arrival had been expected. ''Jean is my pris oner 1 forced him to drive me to the old cabin up on the mountain. and he
 k waiting there with the dogs. We
 will start back tonight-now." Sud
 denly he sprang to her again, his
 roice breaking in a low pleading cry.
 My God. don't you see now how l
 love you?" he went on. taking her
 white face between his two hands
 sDont you understand. Meleese? Jean
 and I have fought-he is bound hand and foot up there in the cabin-and l
 an waiting for you-for you" He
 pressed her face against him. her lips ,so close that he could feel their qua .yering breath '1 have come 10 fight for you-if you won't go," he whis- ,pe,ed tensely. -"I don't know why your people have tried to kill me. l don't know why they want to kill me. and 1t 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 l won't give you up as long as I'm alive. If you won't go with me-if you won't 70 oBow-tonight"- He held her closer his voice trembling in her hair "lf you won't go-I'm going to stay with yout"
 No. DO. Do" she panted. her hands clutehing at his arm. ~"You must go back new-now"- She pushed him toward the door. and as he backed step, looking down into her face. ne saw the choking trembie of her white throat heard again the 'fluttering ter TOT in her breath They will kill you If they find you here" she urged They think YOU are dead-that you fell through the ice and were drowned If you don't believe me. if you don't believe that can never go with you, tell Jean"-
 Her words seemed to choke her as she struggled to finish.
 .Tel Jean .what?" he questioned softly.
 "Will you 20 then T she cried with sobbing eagerness. as if he already un- derstood her 'Will you go back 1T Jean tells you eeverything-everythihg about me-about"-
 No" he interrupted.
 If you only knew. then you ~Oufo go back and never see me again. Hon would understand"-
 T will never understand" he inter rupted again ''I say that it is you who dc not understand, Meleese' don't care what Jean would tell me Nothing that has ever happened can make me not want yog."
 If one should come and find you here"-
 There would be fight" he said frimly. "l have come prepared to light" He waited a moment. and ID the silence the brown head in front or him dropped slowly. and be saw tremor pass through the slender forin' as If it had been torn by an lnstahts pain. The pallar had gone from How lahd's face The mute surrender Tn tue bowed head. the soft sobbing notes mat he heard now in the girls breath' The confession that he read Tn Der Voieeless grief. set his heart leaplhe' end again he drew her close into ELS arms and turned her face up to DIS own.
 "You-you told me something thai wasn't true-once-back there. ue whispered. and you promised that you wouldn't do it again. Why don't you .er me everything? You believe tha' II knew certain things l would never want to see you again: that l Weuiu 70 pack into the south. You nave 'ofu me that. Then. if you want me 10 go' Why don't you reveal these things 10 nef If you can't do that go with n'e tonight. We will go anywhere-'o tns ends of the earth"-
 He stopped at the look that had come mo her face. Her eyes were turheu 10 the window He saw them hiieu with strange terror. and invoiuntari Y bis own followed them to where tne storm was beating softly against the ~'ndowpane. Close to the lighted gisss Was pressed a mans face. He cangnl a flashing glimpse of pair or syes staring in at them. of thick. "nu beard whitened by the snow. He kne" 'ae face. When life seemed shppihe out of his throat he had looKeo up lato 1t that night of the ambush on 'ne treat North trail. :,
 With quick movement Ho" : spfang away frem the girl and 'e'eies ais revolver to where the race nA1 oeen. Over the shining barrel pc "a 'niy the taunting emptiness 0, sse
 Y, had rhe fare o's"