The Forrest City times., 1914-03-27

Yes. You poor thing" There Voc
infinite pity in her voice.
The ;irl laid her head on her arms
Mrs. Wrandall sat above her look.
ing down held mute by warning emo.
tons. The impossible had come IN
pass. The girl for whom the who,o
world would be searching in a dav or
two, had stepped out of the unknown
and, by the most whimsical lest q,
fate, into the custody OF the one ner.
son most interested of all in that self.
same world. 1t was unbelievable. She
wondered If 1t were not a dream or
the hallucination of an overwrouebt
mind Spurred by the sudden doubt
a. to the reality of the object before
her, she stretched out her hand and
touched the girls shoulder.
Instantly she looked up. Her fin.
gers sought the friendly hand and
clasped It tightly.
"Oh, If you will only take me to the
city with you, If you only give me
the chance she cried hoarsely. 81
don't know what impulse was driy.
ing me back there. | only know
could not help myself You really
mean it? You viii take me with your
Yes Don't be afraid Come, Get
in said the woman in the car rapidly.
"You-you are real?"
The girl did not hear the strange
question. She was hurrying around
to the opposite side of the car. As
she crossed before the lamps, Mrs.
Wrandall noticed with dulled inter
est that her garments We're covered
with mud; her small. comely hat was
in sad disorder; loose wisps of hair
futtered with the unsightly veil Her
hands, she recalled. were clad in thin
suede gloves. She would be half.
frozen She had been out In all this
terrible perhaps since the
hour of her fight from the inn.
The odd feeling of pity grew strong
er within her. She made no effort to
analyze It, nor to account for IT, Why
should she pity the slayer of her hus-
band? 1t was a question unasked IN
considered. Afterwards she was to
recall this hour and its strange i'm
pulses and to realize that 1t was not
pity, but mercy that moved her to do
the extraordinary thing that followed
Trembling all over her teeth chat.
tering, her breath coming in short lit
tie means, the girl struggled up be-
side her and fell back in the seat.
Without a word Sara Wrandall drew
the great buffalo robe over her and
tucked it in about her feet and legs
far up about her body, which had
slumped dOWn in the seat.
You are very. very good, chartered
the girl, almost inaudibly. Il shall new
er forget" She did not complete the
sentence, but sat upright and fixed her
gaze on her companions face. You
you are not doing this just to turn
me over TOTO the police? They must
be searching for me You are not
going to give me up to them. are your
There will be a reward /"
There is no reward" said SarS
Wrandall sharply. Il do not mean to
give you up. l am simply giving you
a chance to get away. | have always
felt sorry for the fox when the time
for the kill drew near That's tbs
way feel"
"Oh, thank you! Thank you But
what am | saying? Why should per-
NIT you to do this for me? | meant TO
go back there and have It over with.
| know | can't escape 1t will have TO
come, 1t is bound to come, Why put
1t off? Let them take me, let them
do what they will with me. /"
Hush Wen see First OF all un-
derstand me: | shall not turn you
over to the police. | will give you the
chance. I will help yoC l can DO
no more than that"
But why should you help me? :
l-oh, | can't let you do it! You 90
not understand. I-have-committeo
-a-terrible-" she broke off with u
groan.
Il understand" said the other, some
thing like grimness in her level tones
i have been tempted more than once
myself. The enigmatic remark maze
no impression on the listener.
i wonder how long ago 1t was thaV
1t all happened" muttered the girl, as
If to herself. 1T seems ages-oh'
such ages"
Where have you been hiding since
last night?' asked Mrs. Wrandail'
throwing in the clutch. The car start
ed forward with a jerk, kicking up the
snow behind it.
Was 1t only last night? Oh. I've
been" The thought Of her suner'
lngs from exposure and dread was 700
much for the wretched creature. she
broke out In a soft wall
You've been out in all this weath'
err demanded the other.
Il lost my way. In the hills back
there. l don't know where | was
Had you no place of shelter
Where could | seek shelter
spent the day in the cellar Of a farm
ers house. He didn't know ] was
there. | have had no food
Why did you kill that man?"
trO BE CONTINUED