The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-03-27


of the men as they struggled together,
the sound Of blows. and the dreadful
sienees that had followed them. she
turned from him, and there came the
relief Of tears.
There, Betty. the danger is over
now and you were so brave while II
lasted. 1 can't bear to have you eryi"
L was wild with fear-all that time
on the boat, Bruce" she faltered be-
tween her sobs- Il didn't know but
they would find you out l could only
wait and hope-and pray.-
I was in no danger, dear. Didn't
the girl tell you l was TO take the
place of a man Slosson was expect
ing? He never doubted that I was
that man until a hght-a signal it
must have been-on the shore at the
head Of the bayou betrayed me-"
Where are We going now, Bruce7
Not the way they went" and Betty
glanced ont into the black void where
the keel boat had merged into the
gloom
NO, no-but We can't get the raft
back upstream against the current,
so the best thing is to land at the
Bates plantation below here; then as
soon as you are able We can return to
Belle Plain" said Darlington
There was an interval broken only
by the occasional sweep of the great
steering oar as Cavendish coaxed the
raft out toward the channel. The
thought Of Charley Norton's murder
rested on Darlington ike a pail
Scarcely a week had elapsed since he
quilted Thicket Point. and in that
week the hand Of death had dealt
with them impartialIy, and 10 what
end? Then the miles he had traversed
in his hopeless journey up-river trans
lated themselves into a division OF
time as well as space. They were
Just as much further removed from
the past with its blight Of tragic ter
Tor. He turned and glanced at Betty.
He saw that her eyes held their steady
look of wistful pity that was for the
dead man; yet in spite of this, and IN
spite Of the bounds beyond which he
would not let his imagination carry
him, the future, enriched with sudden
promise, unfolded itself. The deep
sense Of recovered hope stirred with
in him He knew there must come a
day when he would dare TO speak OF
his love, and she would listen.
Its best We should land at Bates
plaee-we can get teams there" no
went on to explain And, Betty,
wherever We go Wen go together.
dear. Cavendish doesn't look as If he
had any very urgent business Of his
own, and reckon the same is true
Of Yancy, so I am going to keep them
with Us. There are some points to be
cleared up when We reach Belle Plain
some folks who'll have a lot to ex-
plain or else quit this part Of the
stated And I intend to see that you
are not left alone until-untiI have
the right to take care Of you for good
and all-that's what you want me to
do one Of these days, isn't It, dar-
ling?" and his eyes, glowing and In
fnitely tender, dwelt on her upturned
face.
But Betty shrank from him In IN
voluntary agitation.
"Oh. not now, Bruce-not now-we
mustn't speak OF that-its wrong
it's wicked-you mustn't make me
forget him!" she cried brokenly, in
protest
Forgive me, Betty, I'll not speak
Of it again." he said.
Wait, Bruce, and some time-Oh.
don't make me say It." she gasped.
"or 1 shall hate myself" for in his
presence she was feeling the horror
of her past experience grow strangely
remote, only the dull ache of her
memories remained, and to these she
chung. They were silent for a mo-
ment. then Darlington said:
After I'm sure you'll be safe here
perhaps III go south into the Choctaw
Purchase. I've been thinking Of that
recently; but I'll ind my way back
here-don't misunderstood NELL
not come too soon for even you, Bet
~. l loved Norton. He was one OF
my best friends, too" he continued
gently. But you know-and know
dear, the day viii come when no
matter where you are l shall md you
and not lose you,"
Betty made no answer in words,
but a soft and eloquent little hand
was slipped into his and allowed to
rest there.
Presently a light wind stirred the
dead dense atmosphere, the mist lift
ed and enveloped the shore, showing
them the river between piled-up
mass of vapor. Apparently 1t ran
for their raft alone. II was just TWEEN
ty-four hours since Darlington had
looked upon such another night, but
this was a different world the gray
fog was unmasking-a world OF hopes
and dreams. and rich content. Then
the thought OF Norton-poor Norton
who had had his world. too. of hopes
/ and dreams and rich content
The calm of a highly domestic ex
istence had resumed its interrupted
sway on the raft. Mr.. Cavendish, as
ISOLATED in Betty's memory with Ger
tain ear-splitting manifestations Of
ferocious rage, became in the bosom
of his family low-voiced and genia
and hopelessly impotent to deal with
his i've small sons; while Yancy was
again the Bob Yancy Of Scratch Hill
violence Of any sort apparently had
no place in his nature He was deep
ly absorbed in Hannibars account Of
those vicissitudes which had befaller
him during their separation. They
we're now seated before a cheerful mrs
that blazed on the hearth, the boy
very close to Yancy, with one hand
clasped in the Scratch Killers. while
about them were ranged the six small
Cavendishes sedately sharing in th'
| reunion of uncle and nevvy, toward
which they felt they had HONORABLE,
labored.
And you want dead. Uncle BobT
said Hannibal with a deep breath
viewing Yancy unmistakably in tn
flesh.
Never once. been floating peace
fully along with these here title.
friends Of mine; but was some anz
ious about you, son"
And Mr.. slosson. Uncle Bob-dil
you smack him Ike you smackeI
Dave Blount that day when he trie'
to steal me17 asked Hannibal who's
childish sense Of justice demands
repsration for the wrongs they ha'