The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-05-20

quickly. The other merely grunted.
Il guess I'll ring the bell now" ne
said, arising a moment later. Eric
started to ask another question, but
thought better of II. He looked at the
sturdy back and thick neck of the man
who pulled the bell knob, and thought
not OF a bulldog, but of a bloodhound.
There was something cruel and relent-
less in the back of the strange man, in
keeping with the face of him. The boy
experienced the sudden. uncanny SEN
satton Of an enduring closeness to Ad-
am Carr. as II he la known him In
timately, in some form or another, all
his life, and always would know him.
Oddly enough and concurrent with the
strange impression, Adam turned, af-
ter pulling the bell, and said:
Il like you. Wen be good friends
for a long time, mark my word. Long
as we both shall live, I hope"
Judge Bright himself came to the
door in response to the tinkling of the
bell.
"Ah, Carr" he said. i've been wait
ing for you. Goo morning Eric"
hands with h youth, but II not offer
to do the same with Adam Carr. Eric
noticed the omission n wondered. All
thought of IL was driven from his Iii
an instant afterward when Judge
Bright, still clasping his hand, bent his
head slightly forward and looked with
searching intentness into his eyes. For
a moment the great jurist appeared to
be studying the boys face as If It
were something in which he sought to
discover a flaw. Then the hand pres
sure was renewed, more warmly than
before, and the eyes Of the justice grew
kind and generous as he said, positive
relief in his voice:
you'll find Joan in my study, Eric"
His manner puzzled the young fell
low not a little. He had the feeling that
this great judge Of men had acquitted
him of crime, as he might have passed
Judgment on a prisoner in the dock af-
ter hearing insufficient evidence against
him. What could II all mean? Vaguely
disturbed in his mind, he entered the
house, leaving the two men on the
porch. Looking back, he saw them
descend the steps and. walk slowly
across the lawn toward a stone bench
in the shade OF the vine covered wall.
Hello" he said as he entered the
judges study, addressing the girl in
pink. who sat in the window seat look
ing over the lawn. Her attitude was one
Of extreme ~pensiveness. She sat with
her elbow on the window ledge, her
chin in her hand, M leg curled up un-
der her, one small foot and ankle hang
ing free. She started a. If aroused from
a dream.
oh" she cried, its you. I didn't
hear you come in"
I've been chatting on the porch with
Il say, Joan, what Is Adam Carr do
ing here? What's up?" He crossed
the room and stopped beside her. She
hesitated, and then made room for him
on the seat. He was struck by the
wistful, inquiring expression In her ten
der eyes.
II don't know, Eric. 1 wish I did"
she said. Father sent for him this
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decided. and then returned her gaze to
meet his questioning eyes. Eric, Mrs.
Blagden was here yesterday afternoon
with Mrs. Presbrey. They talked to
me about-about that night we spent on
the reef. II think Mr.. Carr Is here
to see father about it,"
His brow clouded. What could they
have to say about that night?" he de-
manded.
She found 1t difficult to reply at once.
When she spoke II was in low tones,
suggestive Of tears that had come and
gone.
Mrs. Presbrey came expressly to tell
me that it was very wrong to have
rome out sailing with you, and that
that people are talking about us. She
said the only way to stop the-the talk
was for US to have nothing more to do
with each other"
He was silent for a long time, cold
to the marrow.
Nothing more to do with each 9TH
err" he repeated slowly.
Your aunt said that she felt
herself l n duty bound to warn me
against too close an intimacy with
with Mary. She said"
What" He began to see things
blood red before his eyes. What" he
almost shouted.
II don't believe a word she said. I
am only telling you. so that o may
know" she cried hastily, alarmed by
the expression In his eyes. She SAID
1t was the most h~umiliating thing she
ever had to do in all her life, but that
her conscience and her love for me
prompted her to Tell me that Mary is
OF always what h should be. She
said she could never forgive herself If
l fell into her ways. unsuspectfngly. Oh,
yes. and she said that she and your
uncle were doing all in their power to
curb a hereditary tendency to-Eric!"
He had sprung to his feet with a moan
of rage and despair, %clapping his hands
to his eyes as If to shut out some hor-
rid, devilish sight.
"Oh, Eric, 1 shouldn't have told you"
she cried TREMENDOUSLY.
My poor little Mary. my little angel
Mary" he groaned. Suddenly he drop
ped down beside her again, c%lutching
her hand in both of his. Joan, I'll
I'll do something dreadful to that WON
an. III XIII her. III make ner q Tor
this. She's a liar. I'm going to taxi
Mary away. won't let her stay in that
cursed house any longer. Why-why,
she's as good as gold, Mary is, She
hasn't an evil thought in her whole be-
ing. You know that. Joan, don't you?
She loves you better than anybody In
the world. Why should that devil Of a
woman try to hurt her like this? I don':
see"
Eric, listenI What she said to me
will never change my love for Mary. I
told her 30. You must think It cruel in
me to have told you, but there Is q rea-
son. She said they were going to send
Mary off to a private boarding school
to Miss Lexis. You now what sort Of
a place 1t is. People e girls there
when they ant manage them at hons
It's like a reform school. a place for In
corrigibles. Oh, Eric, she must not be
sent to that dreadful school"
He set his Jaw after the first spasm
Of dismay had gone out of his face.
She'll not go there" he said, clench-
ing his hands until the nails hurt the
flesh. Il know a way to stop that little
scheme"
His soul glowed with triumph. He
was thinking Of the blow he could strike
in return, a narrowing blow at the very
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