The evening world., 1915-03-16

to be living. That her father had
about him. though he might have
said more II he had known the un-
willing fascination Sopny had for the
man.
She remembered the day Atherton
had first rrade love to her. with q
sick wond~r at herself. II had been
one. morning when she was looking
at some sketchy maps and plans
Ridgeway had got she did not know
where-maps OF Lastluck Lake and
the position OF wonderful pocket
of gold there.
of those maps with Atherton's sud-
den avowal that he loved her, but
she did now, standing alone above
that very pocket. She saw tho man
instantaneously In her mind-and
was almost afraid to look up lest he
should be before her bodily-tall.
hawk-faced. splendidly dark and
handsome; could feel the touch of his
hand as he and she fingered those
maps.
Atherton had carried them off with
him, carelessly, as II by accident.
Sophy's face hardened as she remem-
father had ever been angry with her.
tho first time he had ever spoken
plain truth To her about tho life he
had led and the things he had done.
Some OF them she had perhaps
guessed at, but that was different
from hearing in cold blood that he
was wanted for forgery, and that
Atherton held exposure and PRISON
over him as q trainer holds a whip
over q beast.
II could have paid him Off" Ridge
way ended furiously. "if II hadn't
been for you! IL you hadn't let him
zee those maps I'd have been eafo
out In tho Lastluck country in an
other mouth. All he wants IS money
do you suppose he'll sit here quiet
and let me take my chance OF paying
for his silence out OF Lastluck gold
when he can go there and get 1t for
himself, and have me pay him too?
My last chance to get square with
Atherton was the gold that l know
Is round Lastluck Lake; and you've
spoiled 1t. Unless"-he stopped, star
Ing at q totally unexpected look on
his daughters face. and finished his
sentence with five words that struck
the girl like so many blows-"unless
you can manage him"
And Sophy had managed him.
Looking back. she thought the two
men had played pitch and toss with
her like two boys with a ball. She
had never been sure Just how or why
she had promised to marry Athcrton;
he had not threatened her father, he
had even laughed at the forgery
business as a joke; he had given
back the maps-Or Sophy thought
so then. she was not no sure now that
they had turned out all wrong; the
only thing she was sure OF was un-
derstanding that to get her father
clear she must marry Atherton. The
fact might have made deeper marks
on her II Atherton had not departed
soon after on business of his own, and
never seen her since.
For once Atherton was out OF sight
Ridgeway was q different man, and
as his courage came back the gold at
Lastluck drew him like a magnet. He
Carried of his daughter to Toronto:
and there. with secrecy. begged, bor-
rowed d-or anyhow got - enough
money to start Hazard and Rider on
their prospecting expedition to Last
luck, which no one had ever heard Of.
II the stores were bad the only Won
der was that there were any stores
at all, since they took almost the last
dollar out OF Ridgeway's pocket.
II he took Sophy with him to Last
luck 1t was because he had no money
To leave her anywhere and he said
80 frankly. But IL was not till he
was in despair OF ever finding the
gold for which he had come that he
said something else. something that
had sent the girl more frantic than
he. was on making a strike.
Athertou had given her back the
+ maps Just to keep her quiet. - raDn
DO give women thInGD; had WAsmA =