El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-11

NLlE4 ny pOELAAE VI LlAE AAdA - 4An-G--
10 prove himself a coward when
l. forced to contemplate the prob
ability Of being faced by the evidences
Of his wrongdOing or deceit Ralph
Morton would have declared himself 10
be a brave man. Certainly he mad not
hesitated TO run great risks 10 advance
his own interests But TO dare and to
be brave are not one and the same
AS he drove tonight, alone with his
thoughts, he suddenly found himself
afraid. horribly afraid, Of the exposures
that his cousin might make. Despera-
ton the unreasOning fear Of an almost
trapped animal possessed him as, hold
ing the steering Wheel ugnJly, ne
watched the yellow road snip toward
him in the glare Of his headlights. one
thought alone he chung TO with hope
He must keep Tom Morton from going
10 the Hale home
How TO do this he did not know, but
he was determined to use every effort
in his power to check his cousin He
would persuade, command, lntlmldate-
vet he knew now, as he had known
every minute Of the evening, that none
of these things would change Tom IN
his course. Well, then, he would MAIN
him even. If necessary XIII hlIn-
There was a wild, menacing glitter IN
his eyes as plan after plan surged
through his mind and broke into the
froth Of impracticability-
Suddenly he threw on his brakes and
brought his car to a sliding stop. he
was well outside the town now The
white pathway cut into the darkness
by the acetylene lamps shone along the
road leading to the New 4ork Terry
Tom must come this way. He would
wait for him here With myers Lnal
trembled, Ralph lit cigareL then
stepped down into the road. In his
hand he held the slender whip he had
bought few minutes ago
He Relies on Fortune
Fortune had favored him lately, he
reminded himself, TO calm ms nerves
Of course she would help him In this
crisis II not-he set his lips IN hard
line to prevent their tWltchlng-he
would help himself The Tip of his
cigaret ElOwed holly IN the darkness
as he drew in quick breath and looked
about him calculatingly-
A little ahead of him the road curved
sharply. behind him was another turn
where II crossed a narrow bridge. be
knew that he could recognize Toms
low, red speed car as soon as il should
shoot around the corner into the glare
Of his own lights He seated himself
on the running board Of his machine
and waited, whip in hand. Tom Nor
ton always drove fast He would sure
" hurry this evening
The brook gurgled and chuckled loud
" beneath the bridge To-the left
above the trees, the searchlight Of q
Hudson river boat swept across the
sky The night was very still All al
once, far away TO the sOutnr low
drone caused a rift in the silence The
man looked at his watch, then SUNK
hack into the darkness behind his car.
The drone grew into a hum, the hum
into the approaching roar Of a speeding
car A growing beam Of light shone
around the curve on the trees at the
side Of the road The man crOuching
in the darkness grasped his whip more
tightly
A car swung into the glare Of his
headlights-a low swung roadster with
q single occupant a warning scream
sounded from its horn as il rushed for
ward. cut out open, roaring like ma
As it flashed past, "a figure spraug
out from behind the waiting automO-
bile. For the fraction Of a second the
light shOne full upon him, photograph Z
ing for an instant the appraised arm !
The sudden sharp hiss Of a lash cut the I
air and the man in the car cried out .
hOarsely- His voice was drowned In /
the ear splitting crash as MS car, /
guard rail Of the little bridge There /
was the splash Of water, the groan /
OF tortured metal, then silence.
Ralph Stands Waiting.
Ralph Morton stood motionless in I
the middle Of the road, listening with !
every nerve taut Then twisting the 4
whip double ne thrust il into his car, /
and, starting his engine, sprang into 4
the drivers seat and sped down the Z
road like q hunted creature whose one 4
idea was flight
Edith Hale sat tense and silent by I
her mothers side. Her hands were (
clasped tightly, and she gave seemingly /
respectful heed to the "reminiscences /
with which the elder woman was try
ing TO while away the time for herself /
and her child. Certainly the repetition
Of these oft told incidents Of a bygone {
day had the effect OF taking her own /
mind from the near at hand troubles /
and perpleXities-
Hearing them did not have as happy
results for the anxious girl Not only I
had she heard them all before many
times, but the most interesting story
would not have held her attention un- \
der existing circumstances. Her !
thoughts were flying wildly from her ]
lover to her father, stopping occasion |
ally to touch the orphaned girl who /
had gone away so suddenly and so IN 1
gratefully
The sound Of motor car on the 4
driveway brought Edith to her feet
That's father now" she exclaimed /
Il must see him.