The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-08-17
By RANDALL PARRISH
COPYRIGHT. 1909. BY A. c MecLuRC & co.

has lleen driven to acts OF violence by
the conditions of birth. He possesses
all the feelings natural TO humanity
and Is here now In peace. Will you
listen to me: VIII you hear the storyf
Yes. slowly. almost reluctantly. Il
will listen. II but make him stand
where ne is
lie shall not move until I am done.
Miss Jean. and ! can explain all in
few words You had scarcely left me
| alone when this door was pushed open
ana / Snw reflected in the mirror there
the awful face OF that woman who
seems to haunt this house. l sprang
toward her. but tripped and fell. so
that when reached the hail she had
vanished searched every on
the ftOor vainly. Although my W es-
cape depended on my getting away at
once. did not dare cav you COM
parativeiy alone here with that crea-
ture ut large | found O'Brien on
guard below and set forth myself TO
exnlure the tunnel once more. Half
way through | met Daniels. Ii doesn't
make any difference what happened
bet ween us down there. nor how be
came TO be there. but | told him about
this woman-that you, as well as l..
'qd seer her. and he wanted to ask
II something. VIII you answer himT
She looked at the man. wetting her
lips. her eyes opened wide In Devil
derment.
Yes" she said. II will answer"
Daniels spoke with difficulty.
Wal. miss" he said. forcing hiS
words out. Il reckon yer don't think
none too much o. me. In | 'spect l
hev done some pretty blame mean
things. but they weren't n darn bit
meauer than what's been done ter me.
When | went off ter ther war | bed
Il cabin up on Lost Crick. whar |
thought 1t was safe. an / left a wife
an three kids thar awaitin' my comm
back. Las night / got a chance ter
ride thet way. an ! found some hell
hounds he'd burnt Their cabin. an either
murdered Their woman an Their kids.
or else drove EN- inter Their bills. !
couldn't git no trace O. them high er
low. an | naturally laid 1t up agin your
people. Now. miss. maybe I'm tough.
but I'm man enough ter care a heap
fer my wife an Their kids jist Their
same. an | started out ter find what
bed become o. them. Thet's what
fetched me yere. an l come ightin'
mad. ] reckon yer know what we
uns are I'm Their mountings. an how
hard we hate. Wal. | never hated no
worse than | do now"
MIR. Daniels" she broke in. II have
been taught to fear you. but l am not
afraid now" and she looked quickly
from his face into mine. You seem
10 think that we-that lem Donald
has burnt your cabin. driven your fam
ily out: but II is not so. | know 1t Is
not so. III am just as sorry as any
one TO gear this-indeed | am. for
have met your wife. She-she was
kind TO me once. years ago"
The man choEed. much or the stern
ness gone from his haggard face,
Yes. she told me bout tibet. an 1t
was because you'd know her tibet
kim we're ter question yer. Ther leften'
ant says you saw Their woman who
has been murderin' In this house. III
yer did. | want yer ter tell me Their
truth-was it Maria?"
YES, IL saw the facet" she an
swered. shuddering. The very mem
ory seemed painful. IAN awful face.
scarcely human. It was white and
haggard, with wild black eyes n
wisps Of gray hair dangling on either
side. 1t seemed to me like a vision or
hate. and ! cannot Danish the recollec-
tion from my mind. But-but ] v
saw that face ~before-never: as God
hears me. 1t was not your wife"
A long moment the mountaineer
looked at her, apparently seeking the
truth in the girls eyes. then he col
,ansed into the chair. shuddering as he
hurled his face in his hands.
I could scarcely realize the truth
that this grim mountaineer. savage In
cruel instinct. utterly devoid OF hu-
man tenderness. responsive only TO