Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-02-10
CHAPTER xxv1I.-(continued.,

dinner-hour before he could muster mp
the courage to cross the lawns to Deer
Trace. No word had passed between
him and Ardea since the September ar
ternoon when he had overtaken her ct
the church door-counting as nothing
the effort she had make to speak 20
him on the night OF vengeance.
She was sitting at the piano In the
otherwise deserted music-room when
he entered; and she broke chord in
he middle to give him both of her
ands, and to say. with eyes shining,
as If the rescue were thing OF yes
terday:
20 Tom! 1 knew you had 1t in you!
1t was fine!"
Hold on" he said, bit unsteadily.
There must be no more misunder-
standings. What happened that night
three weeks ago, had 10 happen, am
five minutes before 1t happened was
wondering If could aim straight
enough in the light from the slag-po
to hit him. And l fully meant to do
It"
Il was afraid" she faltered. Il
knew, you know-Japheth had told me,
Al III yuSLlCC " JOu- 4ndl MoS WhJ
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 compunction for 9TH
er people; and SO did l. On the night
of the-on the night when you called
to me and / 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 man at the
gate who told me what Japheth told
you. 1t made a demon of me. Ardea.
I took the mans gun and followed
Vincent around the yard. l meant to
kill him"
THE provocation was very great"
she said, evenly. why didn't you do
1t, Tom?"
Now you've cornered me: l don't
know why didn't. had only to walk
away and let him alone when the time
came. The Stag -spilling would have
settled him. But couldn't do it"
'Of course you couldn't" she agreed,
convincingly. God wouldn't let you"
HE let's other men commit murder;
one day, or such matter"
mot one of those who have named
His name, Tomas you have"
Now that it's all over, the taste of
It 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 1 ought to go back to
first principles: get down on my knees
and agonize over It? Sometimes l
wish l could be boy long enough to
do just that thing, Ardea. But 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
ed and came back to make the world
little better for their having liven in
It, I'm minded to try it."
You are going away?"
Yes; out to the beyond In Northern
Arizona. There is new iron field out
there to be prospected, and Mr.. Clark
son wants me to go and report on 1t.
And that brings US back to business.
May talk business-cold money bust
ness-to you for minute or two?"
'If you like" she permitted. "Only
I think the other kind of talk Is more
profitable"
"A curious thing has come to pass
quite miraculous thing, in fact. CHA
wassee will pay the better part of its
debts and-and redeem its stock; or
some of it, at least" He rose and
stood beside her. Isn't 1t a thousand
pities that Colonel Duxbury couldn't
have held on to his shares just little
longer?"
Yes; he Is an old man and broken
one, now" There vas a sob in her
voice. or he thought there was. But it
was only the great heart of compass
sion that missed no object Of pity.
True; but the next best thing Is 10
nave lHe young WOHidH WHO NidTTleS
into the family bring 1t back with her.
don't you think? Here is check for
what Mr.. Farley's stock would have
sold for before the troubles began. It's
made payable to you because-well. for
obvious reasons: as have said. he lost
out"
You are still the headlong impulsive
boy aren't your" she said, not alto
gether approvingly You are paying
this out of your own money"
We'll, what II em?"
'Tf you are. It is either just resti-
tuition, or It Is not. In either case, !
can not be your go-between-"
Now look here" he argued; you've
got to be sensible about this. There'n
be four Of you, and at least two incom-
pstsntsi ana you've got to have money