The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-16
CHATTER LXIX.-sIEsA.

CHAPTER LXIX.-srESA.
Jealously Judith watched tho win
dows Of the second floor: and she alone
of the four detected the face that
showed for one brief instant well back
in the shadows beyond one Of the bed
! room windows--a face that glimmered
, momcntarilS with the pallor Of a ghosts
against the background Of that OBJ
security, and then was gone.
Her eyes alone. indeed, could have
recognized the features of Alan Law
in that fugitive glimpse.
Ana. recognizing, she kept her eour
scl.--rode on in grim silence. with
lowering countenance screening the
struggle that rent her bosom. whtre-
I'm love and jealousy contended not only
for the life OF this man whom she loved
and who would have none OF her. but
also for possession of his very soul.
Tho battle was still In suspense
when. alighting with every precaution
10 avoid unusual noise. the party left
its horses .hitched to the ground" and
entered the hotel.
Two sentences exchanged between
Hopi Jim and a blear-cyed follow whom
he reused from sodden slumbers be-
hind the bar sealed their confidence
with conviction: the three fusitives
were in fact sueats of the house, occu-
plying two of the three rooms that COM
posed Its upper story.
In the rush thnt followed UP the mar
row stairway, Judith led with such
spirit That not even Marrophat sus-
pectcd her revolver was poised solely
with intent to shoot from his hand his
own revolver the instant he lcveled It
at a human target.
Closed and locked doors confronted
them; and their summons educed no re-
| sponse; while the first door. when
broken in by a whole.soulcd kick, dis
| covered nothing moro satisfactory than
an empty room, It's bed bearing the i'm
| print Of a woman's body but that wo-
| man gone.
the side of tho house. Texas announced
| that the woman had not escaped by
| jumping out
So II seemed that the three must have
had warning Of their arrival, after all !;
and presumably were now herdcd to-
gethcr In the adjoining room. which
looked out over the verandsh roof
waiting in fear and trembling for the
assault that must soon come-and in
fact Immediately did.
Eut II met with more stubborn re-
| sistance than had been anticipated. The
door had been barricaded from within
reinforced by furniture placed
united efforts of four men unclud-
ing the bleary loafer OF the barroom)
| were required to overcome its inert
1 resistance. But even when 1t was
| down, the room was found to be as
| empty as the first.
Only the fingers ot two hands grip
ping the edge OF the verandah roof
showed tho way the fugitives had
| flown: and these vanished Instantly as
! the room was invaded.
| Followed swift rush OF hoofs down
the dusty street, and chorus of
blasphemy in the hotel hallway: for
Judith had headed the concerted rush
for the staircase and contriyed to block
1t for full half-minute By pretending
to stumble and twist her ankle.
| In spite Of that alleged injury. she
| never limped. and wasn't yard behind
the first who broke from the hotel to
the open, nor yet appreciably behind
him in vaulting to saddle.
Well up the road cloud Of smoky
dust half obscured the shapes OF three
who rode for their very lives.
The pursuit was off in a twinkling
and well acknowledgements mount
leading BY nose, Judith second, Hopi
Jim and Texas but little In the rear
| And in the first rush they seemed to
gain; moment by moment they drew up
on the dying cloud of dust.
Then that happened which brought
Judith's heart into her mouth. One OF
the horses ridden by the three stumbled
and fell, wallowing in the roadway In
such wise that it's rider must have
been crushed but for miraculous luck
and agility.
For before she could see whose horse
it was. while still she feared the rider
might have been Alan. q pun OF wind
whipped the curtain OF dust aside and
showed the figure OF Woman standing
In the roadway few feet distant from
the fallen horse-Rose, who had some
how managed to fall upon her fact,
waiting with her bright face of conf
dence for Alan to overtake her.
And Alan. Who. 1t appeared. had been
riding we'll to the rear. was abreast her
IL; flash.