The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-30

LIS dASACL " g A1E answer OF LQG
man who was, for the time being. nei-
Their the moralist nor the criminal
With a swift outreaching he drew her
to him, crushed her in his arms. Gov
cred her face with kisses
1 am glad-glad that 1 am your
lover" he whispered. passionately
God. girl but you are q woman to die
fori No, Eyk Eef--when she would
have slipped out OF liza s-ns-beliere.
me, Margery; there has ne<sF been
anyone else-not for a moment. But
thought If was Rayner. and for your
sake and his 1 could have stepped
aside That is the one decent thing
l have done in all this devilish bust
ness Are you Hstening7'
She had stopped struggling, and was
hiding her face on his shoulder. He
felt her quick little nod and went on.
Since you know the one decent
thing, you must know all the horrible
things, too. A dozen times I have been
a murderer in heart"
She looked up quickly.
No, boy. III never believe that
never!"
Wait" he said. 1T was there this
evening-just a little while ago. Miss
Farnham and Galbraith were not the
only ones had to fear: there was an
other; the teller who got here from
New Orleans on the seven-forty-five
train. You didn't know about him, did
you? He came, and an old newspaper
| friend Of mine was with him. |
stumbled upon them on the sidewalk
in front of the Winnebago house; and
BrOfhn was there, too. We were intro
duced, the teller and I, and Brofin was
so sure he had me that he got his
handouts out and was opening them"
Margery shuddered and hid her face
again And II didn't know!" she
gasped.
Luck was with me again." he con-
| tinued. johnson didn't remember
me; refused to 90 so even when
| Broffin stopped him and tried to tell
| him who l was. I had a pistol in
my pocket, and it was aimed at Broffin-
| If he had made a move to take me.
/ 1 should certainly have killed him"
She sat up suddenly.
Give me that pistol. Kenneth-give
it to me now!"
Il can't" he confessed, shamefaced-
| ~. when it was all over, 1 smashed
/ the pistol with a stone and threw 1t
away"
She drew long breath. Us that
all?" she asked.
All but one thing; the worst Of
them all that day in the bank
vault"
The daughter of men buried her face
| on his shoulder again at that DON'T"
she begged. You couldn't help it,
boy; l made you do it-meaning to.
| TheTeI and I said that Wild horses
should never drag it out Of mel"
| Again he said. Wait" and covered
the shining head on his shoulder with
| a caressing hand at wasn't love
then, little girl; that's what it breaks
my heart to tell you-it was just mad
ness And it wasn't clean; you've
got to know that. too
| She nodded her head violently 81
| know" she murmured; 81 knew 1t at
the time. and that was what made
me cry. But now it's-it's different.
! isn't it, boy? now you-are-"
| You have heard it all, Margery.
/ You know what l thought 1 was, and
what / have turned out to be- I'm
afraid I am just a common crook. after
| all; there doesn't seem to be stand
ing room anywhere else for me. But
every living fiber of me, the good and
| the bad, loves you-loves youi"
What do I care for anything else?"
| she flashed back You are you, Ken
meth, dear; that is all know, and all
1 care for If you had stolen all the
money in the world, and had killed a
dozen men to make your getaway. it
would be just the same Only"
Only what?" he demanded jealousy.
1T would be Just the same to me;
but-but- Oh, boy, dear! it
will never, never be the same to youl"
Il don't understand" he STAN
mered..
Some day you will You call your
| self a crook-man, man! there isn't
a crooked drop of blood in you! Don't
1 know? You persuaded yourself that
you had a right to take this money;
| perhaps you did have; I don't say
| you didn't When l see anything !!
want, l reach out and take it, if can
and 7 guess most people would. if they
dared. But you are different; you are
good Some day all these dreadful
things that have come tagging along
| after the fact will rise up and gnash
! their teeth at you and tell you that it
| was a sin, a crime And then-oh.
boy. dearI then I shall lose youi"
Very gently he took her in his arms
| again; and for a time all things sen
| sible and tangible, the deserted drive
way, and the FLASHING OF the little
| waves on the sands, the staring moon
light and the stenciled shadows OF the
oaks. were forgotten in the great soul
healing silence that wrapped them
about and enveloped them
CTO BE CONTNUED)