The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-09-25


her slip, she would have fallen to the
ground. Her breath shook her all
Owe in painful throbbing gasps, her
eyes had dropped almost shut, and
from violent scarlet her face had gone
dead white. With faint CHASTITY shad-
ows of gray and blue about her lips
and under her eyes.
! David thought she was going to die
in his arms. and in a frantic agony Of
fear he clutched her tight and called
to her.
cried. He laid her down by the road
side, and with the storekeeper's as
s%istance famed her and chafed her
hands distractedly, crying to her wild
ly again and again. At last in answer
to his voice she opened her eyes for
one faint moment.
Don't go, Dave-don't leave me-"
she painted out.
David caught her up against his
breast. "My sweetheart, my darlin',
l won't leave yer. lever, never-nOt
for nothin'-nothin'," and suddenly re-
mempering, with his disengaged arm
he caught his pistol from his pocket,
and with a great sweep of his hand,
he flung it far away from him into
the green underground. where it fell
through the leaves with a tearing
crash.
Sweetheart. sweetheart! My dar-
lin, my honey. I'll never leave yer
never!"' he cried again, all the pOignan-
cy of his love let loose in great bound
ing waves of fire that tore the very
vitals of his being and utterly oblit-
Grated and swept away every other
emotion.
"Not fer-not even fer Kip?" Mary
gasped.
mot fer nothin'-nothin', nothin'."
he cried, with hot kisses.
And Mary knew all at once that she
had won-had won without ever Alder
son Cree's message.
She shut her eyes again and lay still,
and it was very hard to breathe, her
ears still roared and the black waters
We're still upon her, but David's arm
was about her, and she was not afraid
Of anything any more.
At last the color began to creep faint
I ly back to her face, changing its death
like grayness to a delicate pink, and
the frantic leaps of her heart grew
easier. She opened her eyes and strug-
! gled up to a sitting posture.
II got er message fer yer, Dave"
she said feebly-"er message from ole
Ant Marthy Lamfire. Oh, Dave, lis
ten, listen. Anderson Cree sent word
not ter kill HIM
What cried David, ''what did yer
say, honey"
Mary nodded her head and went on
breathlessly. Not ter kill Kip. Ter
make yer take yer promise back. Ant
, Marthy tole me all how hit happened.
She came erlong by ther Maple spring
jest after you went ter cit help, an
there she saw Anderson layin' on his
, side an prayin'-prayin' u loud with
, all his soul jest ter live till yer got
) back SOS he could tell yer not ter do
hit-Dave, that he didn't want Yer tel
, do hit"
S 81 knowed hit knowed hit.' the
~stOrekeeper burst out. II tole yer
Dave-I tOle Yer eff he'd Jest he'd twict
ter think ne wouldn't er done hit
tole Yer so"
1 But David stood still in the road, his
eyes astOunded and his face white and
e amazed.
Good Cod he whispered as the
words came home to him. Good God"
AN then" Mary painted on, ether
while he was prayin' he heered AM
G Marthy in the bresh an he hollered tel
her ter take Their word ter you, bu,
/. she wouldn't let on she heered, an
r then he cussed her, an when she was
+ skeered an run he hollered terrible
G things after her. But she never tOle
cause she alters blamed him fer Am
e my's death. so she wouldn't tell YER out
er spite. But ! set up with her las,
night. an this mornin' jest fore sht
3 died she tolc me-"
e as ole Ant Marthy dead:" the store
keeper questioned.
Eyes, yes, she's dead. She died thi,
mornin' when l was all erlone will
S her-l was all erlone. Mis- Cooper he,
gone home an l was jest all crlone
n Dave" she cried, her terror Of tina
It time returning upon her.