Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-22
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NOulh lAtFRi R1AaAAAe
"Then what are you going TO do2"
she demanded again.
There was a fumbling at the latch,
then the door swung in and Hay
thorne entered with an armful Of
hrewood. At the first warning. Their
esa began casually to clear away the
dishes. Haythorne went out again
after more wood.
"Why didn't you introduce u.s.
BIessner queried.
I'm tell him. she replied, with q
toss Of her head Don't think I'm
afraid"
II never knew you to be afraid, very
much, of anything"
And I'm not afraid of confession,
either" she said. with softening face
and voice. And I'm not afraid to
ask you to forgive me-"
There is nothing to forgive,
Theresa. I really should thank you.
True, at first I suffered, and then,
with all the graciousness of spring,
it dawned upon me that l was happy
very happy"
She came over to his side. resting
her hand on his arm. you don't
want me, john" Her voice was soft
and caressing, her hand rested lightly
as lure. IF told you had made
a mistake? IL | told you that / was
very unhappy?-and | am. And 1 did
make a mistake"
Fear began to grow on Messner. He
felt himself whiting under the lightly
laid hand. The situation was slipping
away from him, all his beautiful
calmness was going.
II am coming back to you, John.
am coming back today--now."
Suddenly he sprang to his feet,
| thrust her from him as her arms at
tempted to circle about him, and re-
treated backward to the door He
was in a panic
"I'll do something desperate!" he
cried.
Don't run away" she laughed, 81
! won't bite YOU
81 am not running away" he re-
piled with child-like defiance, at the
same time pulling on his mittens.
I'm only going to get some water"
| When he entered he found the other
man waiting, standing near the stove,
certain stiff awkwardness and inde-
cision in his manner Messner sat
down his water pals.
GLAD to meet you. Graham Wom-
ble," he said in conventional tones, as
though acknowledging an introduce
ton.
Messner did not offer his hand.
Womble stirred uneasily, feeling for
the other the hatred one is prone
to feel for one he has wronged.
And so you're the chap" Messner
said In marveling accents well,
well. You see l really am glad to
meet you. 1 have been--er-curious
to know what Theresa found in you
where [ may say, the attraction lay.
Well, we'll"
And he looked the other up and
down as a man would look a horse
up and down.
What we want to know is what
are you going to do?' Womble asked.
Messner made a well-feigned ges-
ture of helplessness.
81 really don't know"
"All three of us cannot remain the
night in this cabin"
Messner nodded affirmation.
"rhen somebody must get out
'That also Is incontroVertible,
Messner agreed. when three bodies
cannot occupy the same space at the
same time, one must get out
"And you're that one" Womble an
lnounced grimly It's a ten-mile pull
10 the next camp but you can make
lit all right"
Messner cleared his throat. your
lungs are all right, aren't they?"
Eyes, but what Of it?''
Again the other cleared his throat
and spoke with painstaking and jul
dicial slowness. why, | may say,
nothing of it, eXcept-ah-accordl
to your own reasoning, there is moth
ing to prevent your getting out, hit
ting the frost, so to speak, for a mat
ter of ten miles. You can make 1t all
right"
Womble looked with quick suspicion
at Theresa and caught in her eyes
q CLINT of pleased surprise.
"Well?" he demanded Of her.
She heAtated and a surge of anger
darkened her face. He turned upon
NJ essner
Enough of this. You can't stop
here"
Eyes, l can"
womble stopped a moment to
steady his voice and control himself.
Then he spoke slowly, in a low, tense
dice
az ,ook here. Messner, If you refuse
to get out I'll thrash you. This isn't
California. I'll beat you to jelly
with my two fists"
Messner shrugged his shoulders.
'If you do, I'll call miners meet
ling and see you strung up to the
nearest tree AS you said, this is not
California. They're a simple folk,
these miners. and all I'll have to do
will be to show them the marks of
the beating, tell them the truth about
you, and present my claim for my
wife"
The woman attempted to speak,
lbut Womble turned upon her fiercely
"You keep out of this!" he cried
in marked contrast was Messuers
"I'lease don't intrude, Theresa"
What of her anger and pent feel
ings, her lungs were irritated into the
dry, hacking cough, and with blood
suffused face and one hand olenched
against her chest she waited for the
paroxysm to pass
Womble looked gloomily at her,
noting the cough.
"Something must be DONE" he said.
"Yet her lungs can't stand the ex-
posture. She can't travel till the tenn
perature rises. And I'm not going to
give her up"
Messner hemmed, cleared his throat,
and hemmed again, semi -apologetical-
i w. and said. II need some money"
Contempt showed instantly in
womble's face. AT last, beneath him
in vileness, had the other sunk him
self. ;,
Messner went on. II saw you unload
II from the sled"
4 GLOW much do you want?" Wom-
: HE demanded, with a contempt in his
, voice equal to that in his face.
"I made an estimate of the sack,
, and I-ah--should say 1t weighed
about twenty pounds What do you
saw we call 1t four thousand?"
"But it's all I've got, mani" Wom-
BILE cried out.
you've got her." the other said
soothingly 'She must be worth 1t.
Think what I'm giving up. Surely
II is a reasonable price"
/ "All right" Womble rushed across
the floor to the gold sack. Cant put
a..1 4l,rn,,oh fnn dt1tplx for m q