The Hickman courier., 1914-12-17
CHAPTER xxxVlI.
Fireplay.

Fireplay.
ccutnnIfl with the promise OF a
thIasand dol ars advance on his con.
uscf providing he returned with
horts within a stipulated time. Mr..
Hom James slade drifted quietly away
intO tho desert night
WGi caBtcnt. persuaded that the
mori0wa san would never set upon a
world tcuanted by one Alan Law, that |
monomaniar. seneca Urine. forgot his
recent n temper and set himself diplo.
maiiciiy 70 adjust the differences be-
tween his daughter. Judith. and his
hrst nsGlenant. Marrophat
II wm no fhcile task: Marrophat
could uot DO Trusted To work with
single mind because OF his iniatuatlon
ior Judith; Judith could no more ha
frustcd faithfully TO serve out her vow
10 bring Alan Law to her fathers feet.
alive or dead. because-O cruel irony
Of Fatel--she herself had fallen in
I0ye with that same man whose death
he had pledged herself to compass.
only when. as now, half mad with
jealousy. determined 20 see Alan dead
rather than yield him to the woman
he loved. her sister, might Judith be
counted upon TO serve her father in
his lust for vengeance as he would be
seryed-and even 80 no; without Mar.
rlphat at her elbow TO egg her on
through her resentment Of his suryeil-
lance. Neither could be trusted. In
deed, TO work alone to the desired con-
summation, for Urine had secret rea-
son to fear lest Marrophat might.
given opportunity. connive at Alan's
escape In order that he might marry
Rose and so throw Judith back into
his. Marrophat's. arms.
Poor. deluded fOoll
Such was the private comment OF
Marrophat's master
For all that. II was the man and not
his daughter whom Trine designated
to lead the expedition. ounningly
counting on Judith's chagrin 10 work
upon her passions and excite her TO
one last. mad. blind attempt that
should prove successful.
Smiling his secret smile. Trine an.
nounoed his decision at the last mo-
ment. while Hopi Jim waited with his
horses and an assistant-one Texas
for whose utter innocence OF scruplee
Mr.. Slade unhesitatIngly vouched.
Sullenly submissive, at least In out
ward seeming. Judith bowed to this de-
cision. marched out OF the car. and
suffered Marrophat to help her mount
her horse.
Now. deliberately. AS the little cayal.
cade rode through the moonlit desert
nlgnt. the gir Unanswered her horse
10 the side OF Hopi Jim, and then
dropped back. permitting Marrophal
TO lead the way with Texas.
Az deliberately she set herself "a
work upon the bandits susceptibility
TO her charms
Within an hour she had him ready
to do anything to win her smile.
In that first rush Of golden day a
thwart the land. the party came quietly
INTO the town Of Mesa riding slowly IL
order that the noise OF their approach
might not warn the fugiiiyes, who
lIopi asserted confidently would stu
be sound asleep In the accommoda
lions offered by the towns one hotel
Il was To be termed town only IL
courtesy. this Mesa: a stragglini
street OF shacks. ramshackle relics o
what had once been a promising com
munity. the halfway station betweei
The railroad and the mining camp
seoreted in the Businesses Of the Paint
I'd h.lls-camps now abandoned, ihei
very names almost faded out OF th'
memory of mankind.
Midway In this string OF ediiices th
hotel stood--a rough, unpainted, wood
On ediiice. mainly veranda and bai
room as to it's lower floor.
Jealously Judith watched the viii
dows OF the second floor: and sh
alone OF the four detected the face tina
showed for one brief instant we'll bac
IN the shadows beyond one OF the bee
room windows face that glimmere
momentarily with the pallor of
ghosts against the background OF tina
obscurity. and then was gone.
Her eyes alone, indeed. could hav
recognized the features OF Alan La
4 (Cont. on next page.)