Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-10-06

Of happiness than she had ever known.
1T is long. hard ride" she thought,
land another night on the trail will
not matter" And so the moments
passed on velvet feet, and still she lin
gered. reluctant to break the spell.
Suddenly into their idyllic browse OF
content. SO sweet. SO youthful and so
pure of heart. broke the sound Of Il
horses hurrying.s clashing steel shod
feet. and, looking up. Berrie saw Il
mounted man coming down the noun
tain side with furious. reckless haste.
1T is Cliff she cried out Hes
OIL our trail!' And into her face came
IL look OF alarm. Her lips palcd: her
eyes widened. He's mud-hes dan
gerous. Leave him to me-" she added
There was something so sinister in
the riders disregard OF stone and tree
and pace. something SO menucing in
the forward thrust Of his body. that
Berrie was able to divine his wrath
and was smitten into irresoIution. all
her hardy. boyish self reliance swal
lowed up In the weakness OF the WON.
an. She forgot the pistol at her belt
and awaited the assault with rigid
pose.
As Belden neared them Norcross also
perceived that the riders face was dis
torted with passion and that bis glance
was not directed upon Berrie, but upon
himself. and he braced himself for the
attack.
Leaving his saddle with one flying
leap. which the cowboy practices ut
play, Beldcn hurled himself upon his
rival with the fury Of Il panther.
The slender youth went down before
the big rancher as though struck by a
catapult, and the force of his fall
against the stony earth stunned him so
that he lay beneath his enemy as help
less as a child.
Belden snarled between his teeth. II
told you I'd kill you, and l. will"
But this was not to be. Berea sud.
denly recovered her native force. With
a cry Of pain. Of anger. she flung her
self on the maddened mans back. Her
| hands encircled his neck like a collar
of bronze.
Let go" she commanded. with dead
~ intensity. Let so or I'll choke the
life out Of you! Let 20. l say!' Il
He raised a hand to beat her or. but
! she was too strong. too desperate to be
driven away. She was as blind to pain
as mother eagle and bent above him
| so closely that he coulo not bring the
full weight Of his fist to bear. With
one determind hand still clutching his
throat. she ran the fingers OF her other
hand into his hair and twisted his head
upward with a power which he could
| not resist. And so. looking into his
upturned ferocious eyes. she repea ted
with remorseless fury. LET 90. say"
His swollen face grew rigid. his
and at last. releasing his hold on his
victim. he rose. 6inging Berrie Off with
q final desperate effort. ''I'll kill you.
too!' he gasped.
Up to this moment the girl had felt
no fear of herself. but now she resort
| ed to other weapons. SnatchlnS her
pistol from it's holster. she leveled 1t
ut his forehead. ''Stop!" she said. and
SOmetnnS LII ner VOICE lioZe ulul iulo
| calm. He was not fiend; he was not
! q deliberate assassin; he was only a
| jealous, despairing, insane lover. and
| as he looked into the face he knew so
| we'll and realized that nothing but
hate and deadly resolution lit the eyes
he had so often kissed his heart gave
way, and, dropping his head. he said:
kill me If you want to. I've nothing
left to live for
There was something unreal. appall-
ing in this sudden reversion to weak