Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-27

get me. Jones; he's going to get me
through herr" H.. ~
CHAPTER XIV.
Fortune had slept, but only after
hours of Watchful terror. The slight
est sound outside the tent sent q
scream into her throat. but she sue
ceeded each time in sitting it. Once
the evil laughter of hyena came
over the dead and silent sands, and
she put her hands over her ears, shiv-
ering. Alone! She laid her head up
on the wadded saddle-bags and wept
silently, and every sob tore at her
heart. She must keep up the farce OF
being brave when she knew that she
wasn't. The men must not be dis.
couraged Her department would
characterize theirs; any sign Of weak
ness upon her side would correspond
ingly depress them the more. She
prayed to God to- give her the strength
to bold ont. She was afraid of Ma
homed she was afraid of his grim
smile, afraid of his knocking eyes; she
could not sponge out the scene where
in he had so gratuitously kicked
Horace in the side. Horace! No,
she did not believe that she would
ever forgive him for this web which
he had spun and fallen into himself
Two things she must hide for the sake
OF them all: her fear of Mahomed and
her knowledge of Ryanne's trickery.
What part in this tragedy had the
Arab assigned her? Her fingers twin
ed and untwined and she rocked and
rocked, bit her lips, lay down, sat up
and rocked again. But for the ex-
haustion. but for the insistent call of
nature, she would never have closed
her eyes that night. s..- ..
And her mother! What would her
mother believe. after the scene that
had taken place between them? What
could she believe, save that her daugh-
ter had fulfilled her threat, and run
away? And upon this not unreason-
able superstition her mother would
make no attempt to find out what had
become of her Perhaps she would be
glad, glad to be rid of her and her
questions. Alone! Well, she had al
ways been alone. m ..E,
The only ray of sunshine in all was
the presence of Jones. She felt, sub
tly, that he would not only stand be-
tween her and Mahomed, but also be-
tween her and Ryanne. nsr5
..Hush!' whispered George. Don't
let her see you like this. She
mustn't know *. 4.5 =
.You don't understand" replied
Ryanne miserably. Is
~ believe | do" Georges heart
was heavy. This man was in love
with her, too.
Ryanne struck the tears from his
eyes and turned aside his head. He
was sick in soul and body. 70 have
waulked blindly into trap like this,
Of his own making, too! Fool!& What
had possessed him, usually so keen,
to trust the copper-hided devil? All
for the sake of one glass of wine!
With an effort entailing no meager
pain in his side, he stilled the strang-
ling >hiccoughs, swung round and tried
to smile reassuringly at he girl.
''You are better?" she asked.
There was in the tone of that
question an answer to all his dreams.
One nights work had given him his
ticket to the land Of those weighed
and found wanting. She knew; how
much he did not care; enough to read
his guilt.
1t appeared to George that she was
accepting athe situation with phil
osophy deeper than either his or
Ryanne's. Not whimper, not a
plaints not a protest so far had she
made. She was a Roland in petit
coats.
'Oh, I'm dashed up bit" said
Ryanne. "I'll get my legs in a day
or so. Fortune, will you answer one
question:"
'As many as you like
Glow did you get here?"
Don't you know
George wasn't certain, but the girls
voice was cold and accusing.
.T?''
eyes. Wasn't it the note that you
wrote to me?'
Ryanne took his head in his hands,
YEARLY. ~ wrote you no note, Fer
tune; have never written you note
OF any kind. You do not know why
handwriting from Adams. In Gods