Las Vegas optic., 1914-08-27
THE CALL OF
DUTY &c &c
By
HAZEL
HALE

| was coming-except her-and she
didn't know when. had them fooled
all right / hear they called me the
Unknown-to be identified by the
scar"
Carter nodded.
"I'm-glad the old name shant be
dragged in the dust-no one shall ever
know" went on the sufferer. And
I'll go down through history as the IN
known outlaw-who came to your
quiet village-killed mani wish
they could know how he deserved kill
ing-and then killed another, and was
finally tracked to death-by dogs.
Thank God! my mothers dead-and
all the folks. But what will she-she
will never know, never hear-My God!
what will she think"
Then through the trees, gladsome
and gay as the twitter of the birds,
came the sound Of a woman's voice
singing. 1t startled the silence OF the
woods, and a greater contrast to the
tragedy which had just been enacted
there could not be imagined.
The outlaw had raised a haggard
face.
do you know what that means2" he
cried hoarsely. do you know what
that means, man? 1t means that she
is con3ing-that | am going to see her
once more-before 1t is too late!"
The trilling voice was becoming
louder. Carter went from red to
white as he listened Then suspicion
became certainty. and he broke out;
at cant be-because-tha Is my
sisters voice!"
Then she is your sister 1t is the
song | taught her-over at Albany
where l met her"
"She visited there" murmured the
other DULY. my God!" he cried as a
clearer understanding of the situation
was borne home to him.
The dying mans face had under
gone a change. Already lined from
the agony he was suffering, and damp
with the dew Of DEATH 1t became an
awful sight to behold,
DO you understand-don't you
see?" The words fell from his stiff
lips almost inaudibly. For the love
of God, man." he broke off-"don't let
her know-keep it from her. and yet
and yet-let-me see her"
For moment Carter stared, then
the nearing voice warned him into
action.
"She shall never know" he said
, answering the eyes which looked VI
, into his as trusHngly as dog might;
and yet you shall see her."
A little later, in answer to whistle
from Carter, there burst into the cir
n Gle formed of fallen logs and under
growth, and hidden by trees. the fig
/, ure of a girl She was bareheaded ant
flushed, and the love of life burned
from her eyes. The concluding strains
Of her song trembed for an instant or
her parted lips. then died there.
Don't be alarmed. but there has
been an accident" her brother was
saying. See. dear he was coming to
you. But he carried a weapon-the
man-hunt, you know-and the weapon
fell accidently to the ground. 1t went
off"
But even before ne had finished
speaking the girl had turned dea'
ear to him, and with the sublime cour
age of womanhood had pushed him
aside until she herself pillowed the
sufferers head. Her hands were buss
ministering the hundred and one llttle
attentions a woman has at her com
mand and of which man knows notl
ing; only touch, caress, here ant
there perhaps, but only those OF
who have experienced know.
Carter, after receiving the lightninl
look of gratitude from the dyin,
mans eyes, had turned away. But frag
ments of the whispered colloqu'
reached him.
Don't grieve, dear" murmured til
woman, though grief had alread'
burned it's imprint in her own starini
eyes. TT might be worse. Yes, dear
think, for instance. If you were dyin!
death such as the poor outlaw yol
we're tracking must die-think, too
how much worse 1t would be for me-
: You die respected of men. and love-
loved always
Carter never knew how long after
ward it was-as time is counted-tha
: he heard a faint gasp, then a woman'
!. cry. But the sound told him that al
= was over and that to one more exis
tence there had been written "Finis.
:, Copyright, by Daily Story Pub Co)