The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-24

Heaven" the young man prayed
fervently, "forfend!"
THAT is hardly gallant"
Il mean-heaven forIend that you
should throw yourself away!"
"Humph!" she unused. perhaps
you're right"
Their banter was not without q.
subtle object, namely, to reassure the
girl who followed, supported By her
lovers arm.
In the course of the last "a hcurs
Roses jealousy of her sisters new
found :rfendliness with Alan had
become acutely evident The least
courtesy which circumstances now
and again demanded that he show
Judith OF seem boor, was enough.
to cloud the countenance OF Alan'S
betrothed.
Nor, indeed, was Rose altogether
destitute Of plausible excuse for this
feeling. It was undeniable that br'
tween Alan and Judith bond OF sym.
pathy had grown out Of the trials and
hardshIps they had Of late suffered
II hGtS bAS
even in his most private thoughts
Alan denied it fiercely. Judith. on
the other hand, not only acknowledged
it freely to herself, but secretly de-
rived strangely sweet and poignant
pleasure from the knowledge that she
loved SO madly and hopelessly.
That her love was hopeless she
$780,, b,,k 49,, ,Tyo11 ENuhn
might not be altogether Indifferent to
her, after all that had passed between
them, his loyalty to Rose was un-
shakable. And not for worlds would
Roses rival have had 1t otherwise.
She could not have loved him as she
did had he not been SO unmoyably
true. AS it was, since she could not
hope her love might be returned she
was content to love and to promise
herself that, If opportunity ever Of
fered, she would not prove unready to
sacrifice herself for her love.
And at times she caught herself
praying that such opportunity would
bs accorded her, and, quickly, and
that the sacrifice it should demand
would be complete. -.
Now prayers are sometimes an
swered when the boon craved is good
for the soul.
Slowly and painfully these four
totled along an obscure trail that fol-
lowed the windings Of the little river,
until branch struck into the main
stream and SO discovered to them yet
another trail leading into the west
ward canyon.
Then again slowly and painfully
they plodded on following blindly an
other trail blazed by Fates as blind as
they.
Above them, on the road they had
abandoned, the crimson racer doubled
back to the point where It had passed
Judith md Barcus; its occupants de-
seconded, explored, and came present
ly upon the trail of the fugitives.
Bloodhounds could not have set
tied down upon a scent with more
good will and eagerness than Mr. Mar
rophat aud his faithful aide.
The sun was high and blazing above
the canyon when the pursuit came
within rife shot Of the chase.
A spiteful shot reused the quar-
tet from a pause Of lethargic dismay
due to tardy appreciation OF the fact
that they had penetr&:ed witlessly al
most to the end of blind alley.
A hasty council of war armed Alan
with Judlth's revolver and posted him
behind q boYlder commanding the ap-
proaches to the chasm. The weapon,
/, a powerful AS, had range sufficient
ito numb the impetuostty OF the as
sassins and keep them under cover
and out OF sight OF the desperate es-
says the fugitives were making to
icompaas.a an escape.
! Form the shed behind an abandoned
log cabin souvenir, no! doubt, of some
forgotten prpspector-Barcus shadsu n:l