The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-14

your eyes-I was bidding good-by to
the man I love-kissing him without
his knowledge or consent before leav-
ing him to you for good and ALL"
What do you mean"
"That I'm going away-that ] can't
stand this situation any longer. Mario
phat and Jimmy are dead, my fathers
helpless-and l mean to see that he
remains so. Nothing, then, stands In
the way Of your marrying Alan but
me. And such being the case-and
because he's as dear to me as he is
to you-I'm going to take myself on
!, and keep out Of the way"
"For fear lest he find out that you
love him."
Judith's lip curled. do you think
him 20 witless he doesn't know that
already"
And 30 you leave him to me out OF
your charity! Is that it,"
ANY way you like. But II it's 80
intolerable to you to think that dare
love him and confess 1t to you'll
you begrudge me the humiliation OF
STOPPING to kiss a man who doesn't
want my kisses-if you are SO afraid
of losing him while l live and love
him-very well. them"
With q passionate gesture Judith
tore open the bosom Of her waist.
~Wo~~~ M, Aoeh IN tho mn 111o NJ tha
revolver.
A cry broke from the lips Of Rose
that was like the cry Of forlorn child
punished with cruelty that passes Its
understanding. She fell back against
the wall. The revolver swept up
through the air-but its mark was
her own head rather than Judith's
bosom.
But before her finger found strength
to pull the trigger the man at the
table, startled from his sleep by the
sound of angry voices, leaped from
his chair with a violence that sent 1t
Gathering to the floor. and hurled him
self headlong across the room, i'm
prisoning the wrist of his betrothed
with one hand while the other wrested
the weapon away and passed 1t to
Judith.
Rose" he cried thickly, what does
this mean? Are you mad? Judith
Dragging the bosom OF her waist
together, Judith thrust the weapon
into its holster and turned away.
BE kind to her. Alan" she said in
an uncertain voice: She didn't under
stand and-and l goaded her beyond
endurance, I'm afraid Forgive me
but be kind to her always!"
Somehow. blndly, she stumbled out
of the cabin into the open, possessed
by thought whose temptation was
stronger than her powers OF resist
ance. What Rose had failed to &C.
complish might now serve to resolve
Judiths problem. d. None. she told
herself, bitterly, would seek to hinder
her. But she meant so to arrange the
matter that none should see or sus-
pect and be moved to interfere.
Round the shoulder Of the noun
tain. on the road along the edge Of Me
cliff, she was sure OF freedom from
observation.
And yet, such Is the Inconsistency
of the human animal, the instinct for
selfpreservation was stronger than
her purpose: when a touring car swung
round the mountain and shot toward
her, she checked herself hastily and
jumped aside In ample time to escape
being run down.
The next instant the machine was
lurching to halt and the sonorous
accents Of Seneca Urine we're saluting
her:
Judith. You here! What the devil.
Where've We been? Where are Mario.
phat and Jimmy?'
Digging the nails of her fingers pain.
fully into her palms, she breathed
deep, fighting down hysteria, reassert-
ing her self-control in so short q space
Of time that her father failed to ap.
preciate that there was anything un.
common in the mind Of the girl.
"Where?" he demanded angrily as
she approached the car, where,
want to know. are Marrophat and jim
my? Haven't you seen or heard any.
thing of them? They left me at six
O'Clock this morning. to 60 after"
Dead" the girl interrupted, SEN
tentious. cycling him strangely.
Il don't believe IT," the old man
! screamed, aghast Il won't believe It.
You're lying to me. you jade! You're
! lying"
Il am not" she broke in coldly. II
am telling you the plain truth /.
They followed us all morning In that
red racer. firing at US all the while
Finally they caught up with us here
about noon-came up this road shoot
ing over the Windshield. 1t was our
lives or theirs. We turned the hydrau.
lie stream on them and washed the car
over the cliff. II you don't believe
me, get somebody to show you their
faces"
She indicated with q gesture two
forms that lay at little distance
back from the roadside, motionless
beneath sheet Of canvas-the bodies
Of Trine's creatures. recovered by the
mining gang and brought up for a
Christian burial.
But Urine required no more confirm.
alton Of Judith's word. The light
flickered and died in his evil old eyes:
his stricken countenance assumed a
hue Of pallor even more intense than
was normal with it: broken curse
issued from his trembling. thin. old
lips; and his chin sagged to his chest,