Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-06-24
WAS TRUE TO HIM
conWCt's Mountain Sweetheart
c!ung to Him Through All
His Troubles.
BY GEORGE A. eAFFlN.

He crOuched In the underground,
cautiously parting the bushes with
one hand to peer out down the noun
tain side, He was a ragged giant Of
a man, clean-limbed, yet with a
strange pallor upon his face. Upon
each wrist, too, were half healed
scars These had been caused by
the heroic efforts which he had used
TO free himself from his manacles.
But he was free at last He had es-
capped from the state penitentiary
three weeks before and his pursuers
had never been able to discover his
secret hiding place upon Bear noun
tain.
He had heard them seeking for him
eternally; on the very day after his
escape he had come upon one OF the
guards doing under fir tree. He
had taken his rife and then, awaken
Ing him, scornfuly ordered him to de-
part The man had obeyed fearfullyr
and the rifle and box of matches had
enabled the fugitive to live. But
every time he brought down rabbit
or partridge the sound of the shot,
echoing through the valleys, at once
informed his pursuers of his where
abouts
lie looked round cautiously. No one
was in sight High up on the opposite
hill be saw the outlines of tiny
cabin. 1t was his sweetheart's home
IHAIl H. En- On
an insult to her that he had shot and
crippled Seth Baldwin That was
two years before, and he had been
sent up for ten. Mollie had sworn to
be true to him
But since his fight he had not dared
go near her home. 1t was too des-
perate chance to take. But visit
on his part to the wild glen in which
they had plighted their troth had re-
suited in the finding of package of
food placed there by Mollie. In it vas
a little note
"Dere Ben" it ran. II hid this and
brout it here thinking you would come
here Come to the cabin on Monday
mite at nine Lovingly, Mollie."
The full moon gave almost as much
light as the sun The fugitive crawled
down the slope and approached the
opposite height, worming his way up
through the ferns and close-clinging
vines. At last he emerged upon a lit
tie rocky eminence a hundred yards
distant from the cabin. From Mol
Hes window rag fluttered. The fugi-
tive understood that sign. She was
alone Grasping his rifle he went for
ward boldly.
He was within ten yards when the
door opened. His heart leaped. Mol
lie stood In the doorway, her arms out
stretched. to welcome him. Behind
her was the pickering candle. But as
he drew near, suddenly sight froze
his blood The shadow of man had
passed the candle; another, and an
other. He halted In his tracks. Be-
hind Mollie he saw rife barrel.
With an oatL he flung back into
the brushwood He would have fired,
but. treacherous though she was, he
could rot bring himself to kill her.
He heard yells behind him, Mollie's
screams. the shouts Of his pursuers.
If they had fred before he won the
woods they might have brought him
down as he had brought down that
rabbit the afternoon before But odd-
ly enough, they forebore, and with a
shout of defiance he gained the forest
path and was speeding like stag to-
ward Bear mountain.
An hour later he dropped exhausted
upon the ground inside his cave. 1t
was a bears hole, cunningly hidden
on the mountain side. Among that
waste of burned-over pine stumps
none could hit upon 1t save by acct
dent, and that did not anticipate.
1t was not fear that made him pant
like a marathon runner. but wrath and
selfcontempt.
Molle was traitress! lie lad been
fooled by chit of girl. for whose
sake he had suffered two years in
the penttentiary Anger overcame all
other feelings He would show her,
He would show them What should
he do?
For an hour he lay thinking, gnaw-
Ing his lip in rage. His passion for
her had been so strong his love so
large part Of his existence, that the
revuisioE was terrible. He must con-
trive some punishment commensurate
with the crime Among the hill wo-
men there could be none other so
base as to betray her lover, as Mollie
had sought to betray him He had
recognized one of the men in the par
lor as Frank Merriman, the sheriff. He
had been sutton for Mollie's hand
before she promised herself to Ben.
Doubtless he had persuaded her.
liza! He had his plan. 1t flashed
into his brain ready-forged in the fur
mace OF his wrath Doubtless Merri-
man would be at her home the follow
ing night Her father the bedridden
old man, would be helpless. He would
steal in and shoot the man before
Mollie's eyes-and theu-theu-cut off
her hair. leaving her to the derision Of
che hill folk
His plan consumed him. He passed