The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1912-08-16

1ucTS CdlIlS uO dHSWcT. uO luONcuclil
outside. and Rowland stilled the beat
ing of his heart to listen. Surely Crois-
set was there! He looked again at the
watch he held in his hand In four
minutes the shot would be fred. A
cold sweat bathed his face He tried
to cry out again. but something rose
in his throat and choked him until his
voice was only gasp. He sprang
back to the table and placed the note
once more under the watch. Two min
utes! One and a half. One.
With sudden fearless cry he sprang
into the very center of his prison and
flung out his arms with his face to
the hole next the door. This time his
voice was almost shout.
"Jean Croisset. there is a note under
my watch on the table. After you have
killed me take 1t to Meleese. II you
fail shall haunt you to your grave"
Still no sound. no CLEAN of steel
pointing at him through the black aper.
ture. Would the shot come from be-
hind?
Tick-tick-tick-tick
He counted the beating of his watch
up to twenty. A sound stopped him
then. and he closed his eyes. and
great shiver passed through his body.
1t was the tiny bell of his watch
tinkling of the hour Of six!
Scarcely had that sound ceased to
ring in his brain when from far
through the darkness beyond the wall
of his prison there came creaking
noise as II a heavy door had been
swung slowly on its hinges or trap
opened. then voices. low. quick. excited
voices. the hurrying tread Of feet.
flash of light shooting through the
gloom. They were coming After all,
1t was not to be private affair, and
Jean was to do his killing as the hang
mans job is done in civilization-be-
fore crowd. Howland's arms drop
ped to his side. This was more terri.
BILE than the other-this seeing and
hearing Of preparation. in which he
fancied that he heard the click Of
Croisset's gun as he lifted the hammer.
. Instead 1t was hand fumbling at
the door. There were no voices now.
only strange moaning sound that he
could not account for. In another mo-
ment 1t was made clear to him. The
door swung open and the white robed
figure of Meleese sprang toward him
with a cry that echoed through the
dungeon chambers. What happened
then-the passing of white faces be-
yond the doorway. the subdued MUIR
muir of voices-were all lost to How
land In the knowledge that at the last
moment they had let her come to him.
that he held her in his arms and that
and sobbing things to him which he
could not understand Once OF twice
in his life he had wondered If realities
might not be drea ms. Ind the thought
came to him now when he felt the
warmth of her hands. her face. her
hair and then the passionate pressure
Of her lips on his own. He lifted his
eyes. and in the doorway he saw Jean
Croisset and behind him a wild, beard.
ed face-the face that had been over
him when life was almost choked from
him on the great north trail. And be-
yond these two he saw still others
shining ghostly and indistinct in the
deeper gloom of the outer darkness
He strained Meleese to him, and when
he looked down into her face he saw
her beautiful eyes flooded with tears
and YET shining with great joy. Hel
lips trembled as she struggled to speak
Then suddenly she broke from his
arms and ran to the door. and JeaI