The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-07-06
Another Mystery.

me so wholly" l ventured. "a Yankee
and a stranger N n under such
grave suspicion of crime. Why should
you trust me. Miss Denslowr'
Indeed l do not know" as II the
thought had but just occurred to her.
"only the act Is natural to me eli
Their trust fully or not at all. 1 have
beer like that from a child-the serv-
ant of first impressions"
"Yet you have not forgotten my n
FORM"
mo. although there are times when
1 seem to forget" her voice hesitated.
81 was brought up to hate my enc
niles, to fight them bitterly and to the
death. That was the feud spirit. and
we took this feeling with US into the
war. We of the south chung together.
l sincerely wish l could take a broad
er view"
And you do already. You are here
now with a Yankee whom you trust
Peculiar conditions have brought rs
into sudden intimacy. We are really
friends. are we notT
I'll am hardly ready TO promise
that / feel kindly toward you. but
do not know you. Lieutenant King,
and-and ali my friends are on the
other side"
"Oh, no they ere not. Miss Denslow.
l am your friend In spite Of every
difference between us. So long as l
live there will be one heart under a
blue uniform you may feel confidence
I'm. do not even believe you are as
hard hearted as your words would In
dictate. Shall l be entirely forgotten
as soon as this episode is over? Will
you not retain some kindly memory
Of me?"
ct could not be Indifferent to the
claim Of gratitude"
Nor can you refuse friendship
while show myself worthy. can
your
She remained silent, a silence | did
not understand. yet l was unwilling
to accept 1t as a negative.
you gave me your hand a few mo-
ments ago because. you were ~frighten-
ed and nervous. 1t was a comfort
then for you to feel the nearness OF
one upon whom you relied for protec-
ton. Will you not give me the same
hand now In token Of f~riendshipr
IL seemed to me | waited a long
while. nv W heart beating like a trip
hammer. as she sat there motioniess
In the dark. Then there was a slight
rustic of her loose sleeve. as her hand
slipped hesitatingly along the arm OF
nv chair. / held it for a moment In
----x - .I,~sax 20 nftQr tho mad
words tina came thronging to my lips.
II thank you." | said at last; your
friendship will mean much to me-"
81 do not know why ] am so foolish"
she confessed. as though the words es-
capped her control. Somehow you
make me do things. even against my
will. III haven't liked Yankees. you
know. and it is pretty hard to learn to
like even one Yankee"
But you are going to tryr"
| could hear the breath between her
half opened lips.
~ don't think | shall have to try
very hard. Somehow you do not
seem like a Yankee at ALL"
Good! am not going to seem like
one-at least not in the sense you
mean"
IL 1 could have read the expression
In her eyes | might have dared more.
but in that darkness. her words barely
audible from the cautious whisper In
which we c~onversed. my courage fail
ed. Already / had gained much. more
even than | could Justly have expected.
She had trusted herself to me. and
were | to take unfair advantage OF the
situation it might cost me all l had
already gained Of her good will
| tiptoed forward and peered into the
library. Judge Dunn sat Just as be-
fore, bis posture unchanged. his head
bent forward upon the table. Sud
denly my ears caught the creak of a
board sounding from the top of the
stairs. | was not even certain | actual
~ heard 1t. yet | stepped aside into
the deeper shadow Of the coat rack.
every nerve a-tingle. my hand reach
ing for the revolver at my belt.
! could see nothing. the circular
staircase a mere dark blur barely dis
tinguishable. yet. faint as the sounds
were, / was convinced some one was
stealthily descending step by step. feel
ing a way cautiously through the
gloom. Who could 1t be? What pur-
pose could account for such a pres
ence? | felt no doubt that this was
the murderer. seeking to complete his
work OF blood. but how could | meet
him? With a shot. ending his career
with n pressure of my finger against
the trigger. or should / attempt TAX
ing him alive. thus the more thorough
ly vindicating myself of all suspicionf
Had | been older undoubtedly !
would have chosen the safer method.
but as 1t vas ! felt confidence in my
strength and in the advantage OF
prise and was urged into recklessness