Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-15
No MANS '
LANDADWNlANGE
4BI0UIS JOSEPH VANCE
e..r1 ILzy Is 11l1I !'9E 80 81 >M~@
CHAPTER x.

CHStAEHr ~ DILAc10 .A&E9k
CHAPTER x.
Coast haA not taken two-score PAGES
along the path to the shore before the
day was again darkeDed by . sudden
and heavy thickening Of the mists.
That Frightening glow, which . little
time back he had hailed with hope 40
promise of early clearing. was in an
inatant wiped away. So deep became
the gloom TO his fancy. ~ II the fog
had been sprayed to saturation with
. myrisd inlinitsstiusl atoms Of ink)
that though Il WAS now high morning
10 found It hard to go the ground BE-
aeakA his feet.
TIE eane ths dsl1es. The heavens
oDeas4 and .Arsaehed The earth With
dusA q raia ussrally toersntial. II
Q tviDkHnG soaked to the skil. Coast
sasDel for bssa&A and bent his heaA
70 . downpour which whipped him
With . million cruel singing las&ses.
Psrforce at pause for fear OF losing
his way. ALMOST beaten thoughtless.
lacking any shelter to dy to, he de-
rived forlorn comfort Of sort from
the very violence of the squall, which
supplied its own assurance that It
could not endure long. And briefly
this proved itself: heralded by sradu-
al tightening. the heavier clouds
passed of; the initial fury exhausted
itself.
For some distance the path led him
q wandering way; but this he did not
resent. any more than he really re-
sented his soaking. which seemed but
IN Uncomfortable annoyance to mind
prsoccupied. HIS being was altogether
diseased and the process OF his
thoughts clouded by intense solicitude
and pity for Katherine-coupled with
doubts as to the wisdom of his course.
Was he justified in leaving her.
though she begged and commanded
hint He felt his understanding har.
ried by the pro and con Of the ques'
ton like q bail In volley between two
rackets. How could he leave her so?
What else could he do? She rejected.
Aiscrsdfted, dismissed him definitely.
without appeal She needed him-or
somebody 20 whom she might turn for
comfort and protection. Blackstock
vas not to b tmted: yet she loved
him. II. - aAe protested. she were
AsDpy IN sons strange fashion pass
1ag Coasts somprehsnsiou, had he
any right 10 step bstween her and her
Aappi1sss. whatever tie eircum-
stances? II, - was the case. Black
stock had murdered q man in mo-
ment of uncomfortable rage. had
Coast any right to leave the woman at
he mercy Of temper which might
ct any moment resume the complex
ION Of homicidal mania? Yet would
not his presence there. upon the is
hnd. work her nor0 harm than good.
we're he to be discovered?
He was. in the summing up. con.
scious of no choice Of action: he could
but 90 his wsys. She desired it, and
though his duty Che saw clearly was
to denounce Blackjack to the nearest
authority, secure his arrest and i'm
prisonment he could not.
Thus in !wretched communion with
his heart. he came almost unawares q
second time to the deserted fishing
village, was abruptly conscious OF
shapes of buildings looming through
the mists and driving rain on either
hand And with this recognition re-
CURED the memory Of the blind dog
and the murdered man.
Il was scant consolation that he
no longer heard the bowling Of the
dog. Perhaps It had abandoned its
dead. perhaps hs need no longer fear
70 inset the blank misery Of those TN.
canny. sishtless eyes, perhsps. :.
Even as he warmed that hope. With
out warning something more cold and
moist than his own flesh touched his
hand. He jerksd away with an uncon-
trollable shudder and smothered ex-
clamation Of horror. only to realize
that the animal had stolen up behind
him and thrust its muzzle into his
palm. He bent over and petted the
dripping head, soothing the dog with
muttered words for . moment or two.
II snuggled close TO him, whining,
shiveying.
Poor boy" he said gently. 80
now. 90. old fellow. :" Then. sur
pFtsed: "Heuo!" he exclaimed.
"Whats this?"
Beneath his hand the dog had stiff
fened suddenly. and now stood tense
and bristling. deep and angry 9rowl
rupbling In its throat.
simultaneously. from some indie
terminate point. he heard the sound
Of . mans voice. the words indistin-
guisAable. aceonpanied by grating
noise Ike that made BY metal en-
countering stone.
Hello, hello!" he said softly, knit
ting his brows. - he. stared down the
roadway, in the direction that he must
90. the direction from which the
sounds seemed to como.
He could see nothing save vague
shadows. formless. dim.
A monotonous iteration Of mufdOd
sounds forced itself upon Coasts A.