The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-04-19

waited. trembling on the Drink OF the
mystery. When at last he spoke his
voice sounded a note of eserve. The
unconscious intimateness was gone.
Whatever my motive in convicting
myself has been let me assure you 1t
has put me so far away from you that
! am hardly worthy even to speak to
you. But | feared you had been trou-
bled about giving your evidence. and
/ am glad of this one chance to tell
you that you lave helped rather than
hurt me. But now it is all over. You
will o have to worry or think about
IL any more. for what I am going to do
now will put me quite out of your
sight"
He said IL with such a rad, reckless
gayety. and 1t sounded so final that 1t
seemed to me the world had come to
an end with it, and without any under
standing of how or why 1t happened I
found myself crying. with my face in
my hands. My ears were filed with
the sound of my own sobs, but through
them l could hear him begging me to
stop. and, though he did not touch me.
/ could feel him now close beside me
on the same seat and bending above me.
1.-The thing isn't worth it," I heard
hin say. II deserve 1t all-every-
thing! You are too good to waste any
pity on me. But I love you for 1t. I
have loved you since the moment l
saw you staring at me as If I were the
devil. l loved you when you came to
the prison and pointed me out for
what l was-the man with the pistol.
l will never forget you"
At that / cried all the harder, but
now there was a curious feeling Of
comfort in 1t. All the misery l had
kept shut up in my thoughts for so
many weeks seemed to be running out
with my tears. Z
What can 1 do TO make you feel diff
f~erently about it," He was pleading.
Don't do what you are going to do
l whispered.
He made a queer little sound in his
throat amusement or despair, I
couldn't tell which. Don't you know
l can't stay here. Whether I shot the
man or not l am forfeit. l have to go.
But before l do | want to tell you n
thing. You won't believe it, but here
it isl didn't shoot Rood.'
A great weight seemed to slip from
my heart. | dropped my hands and
looked up, and instead of darkness
there was his face above me. great,
shadowy hollows for the eyes and a
soft, gray shadow for the mouth. His
hat was thrown aside, and 1 could see
n faint Ii0bt on his orahaad
1t seemed like a miracle in the first
wondering moment. The next | under
stood what had happened. The quar-
ter moon was rising and everything
was filmed with her dim silver. For a
little looked up at him quite content
eddy. with a feeling of peace at my
heart that l had not felt since / had
first seen him.
"Of course | believe you." | said.
II was only so frightened because in
the court you wouldn't speak. and no
one would speak for you and explain
how it happened. 1t made it seem as
if you were the one. That was why
every one thought So"
He smiled rather grimly. Yes. that
is what | supposed
But now you will go back, you will
tell them how it really happened, you
will be proved innocent?"
Il can't he proved innocent" he an
swered harshly. There is nothing
here for me-" Yet all the while he
looked at me so wistfully that it was
hard to understand.
But there is l." I said. Doesn't
it matter to you that / care:'
He did not move or speak, only kept
looking dow at me with those dark
hollows of his eyes, not Il glimmer of
light moved in them that | could see.
and, listening to the deep come and go
of his breathing. | felt frightened.
mo, l never thought. l never dream
ed such a thing was possible he said
in a queer. shocked, half awed voice.
you don't know what you are talking
about. child
But ] do know! l care terribly. All
these days when | haven't known what
had become of you l have beer under
standing it. and l am glad l said it."
| put my hand on his. which rested on
the seat beside me.
he shook it off. pushed it away from
him. NO. don't do that he said
quickly. Don't tell me that it is so.
You are too good for it," Then he
said slowly, measuring every word as
if he meant l should clearly under
stand: "This comes too late for me.
l have gone too far in the wrong di-
r~ection. and now am going away
with tho CnapiSb rop,aov
mo, no. no." | cried vehemently.
You must not! You are too good for
THAR
NO, hat is all l am good for now.
And she has done everything for me.
The sortie Mt the courthouse was hers.
She has kept me hidden in her house