The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-07
By JAMES. OLIVER CURWOoD
Author of THE DANGER TRAIL"
THE HONOR OF THE BIG SHOWS" &c.

time before Philip had seen the rich
crimson glow of life, and something
that was not fear.
I'VE must come to an understand
ing" she repeated, fixing her eyes
steadily upon the man before her. Il
would sacrifice my life for him-for my
husband-and you are demanding that
do more than that. ! must be sure
of the reward"
Hodges leaned forward eagerly, as Il
about to speak, but she interrupted him
Listen she cried, fire beginning
to burn through the whiteness of her
cheeks. 1T was you who urged him
to come up here when. through misfor-
tune, we los, our little home down in
Marion. You offered him work. and
he accepted it, believing you friend.
He still thought you a friend when l
knew that you were traitor, planning
and scheming to wreck his life, and
mine He would not listen when l
spoke to him, without arousing his sus-
picions, of my adherence of you. He
trusted you. He was ready to fight for
you. And you-you-
In her excitement the young woman's
hands gripped the edges of the table.
For a few moments her breath seemed
to choke her, and then she continued,
her voice trembling with passion.
And you-you followed me about
like serpent, making every hour OF
my life one of misery, because he be-
lieved in you, and dared not tell him.
So / kept it from him-until that night
you came TO our cabin when he was
away, and dared to take me in your
arms, to kiss me, and IL told him
then, and he hunted you down and
would have killed you if there hadn't
been others near to give you help. My
Cod, love him more because OF that
But / was wrong. ! should have kille$
your
She stopped, her breath breaking in
sob. With a sudden movement Hodges
sprang from his chair and came toward
her, his face flushed, his lips smiling;
but, quicker than he, ThoJpe's wife was
upon her feet. and from his prison Phil
ip saw the rapid rising and falling of
her bosom, the threatening FIRE in her
beautiful eyes as she faced. him.
''Ah. but you are beautiful he heard
the man say.
With a cry, in which there was min
SlCu dill lllC pdSSlOu dllu SEOfliilS Joy VI
triumph. Hodges caught her IN MS
arms. In that moment every vein in
Philips body seemed flooded with fire.
He saw the woman's face again, no10
tense and white in an agony of terror,
saw her struggle TO free herself, heard
the smothered cry that fell from her
lips For the first time he strained TO
free himself, TO cry out through the
thick handage that gagged him. The
box trembled His mightiest effort al
most sent it crashing to the floor.
Sweating, powerless, he looked again
through the narrow slit. In the strug-
gle 1.-The woman's hair had loosened, and
tumbled now in shining masses down
her back Her hands were gripping
at Hodges throat. Then one of them
crept down to her bosom. and with that
movement there came a terrible. nluf-
fed report. With a groan the chief
staggered back and sank to the floor.
For moment, stupehed BY what she
had done. Thorpe's wife stood with
smoking pistol in her hand, gazing upon
the still form at her feet. Then. slow
". like one facing a terrible accuser,
she turned straight to the cothn box.
The weapon that she held fell to the
floor. Without trerror in her beau
tiful face she went to one side OF the
room. picked up 4 small belt-aX, and
began prying off the cover 10 Philips
prison. There was still no hesitation.
no tremble OF fear in her face or hands
when the cover gave way and Philip
stood revealed, his face as white as her
own and bathed in perspiration OF ex-
element and horror Calmly she took
away the cloth about his mouth, loos-
ened the straps about his legs and arms
and body, and then she stood back. still
spcechless. her hands clutching at her
bosom while she waited for him 10 step
forth.
His first movement was to fall upon
his knees beside Hodges. He bowed
his head, listened, and held his hand
under the mans waistcoat Then he
looked up. The woman was bending
over him. her eyes meeting his own I'M
He IS dead he said quietly.
yes. my brother. he is jcad!'
The sweet, low tones OF the woman's
voice rose scarcely above a whisper
The meaning of her words sank into
his very soul.
MY sister" he repeated, hardly
knowing that the words were on his
"Or-your wife" she interrupted.
and her hand rested gently for mo-
ment upon his shoulder. "Or your wife
what would you have had her do"
Her voice-the gentleness OF her
touch, sent his mind flashing back to
that other tragic moment IN a little
cabin far north, when he had almost
killed a man. and for less than this
that he had heard and seen. II seemed,
for an instant. as though the voice so
near to him was coming. family, plead
ngly, from that other woman at Lac
Bain-the woman who had almost caus-
I'd a tragedy similar to this, only with
he sexes changed He would have ex-
cused Col. Becker for killing Bucky
Nome. for defending his own honor
and his wife's. And here-now-was
woman who had fought and killed for
1er own honor, and to save her hus-
band. His sister-his wife Would
ne have had them do this? Would he
nave Mrs. Becker, the woman he loved,
defend her honor as this woman had
defended hers? Would he not have
owed her ten times-a hundred times
more for doing so?
He rose to his feet. making an effort
% steel himself against the justice OF
what he had seen-against the glory of
owe, of womanhood, of triumph which
le saw shining in her eyes.
Il understand now. he said. You
lad me brought herein this way-that
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