Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-22

LARRY EVANS
CONTINUED from preceding issue)
AUTHOR OF ONCE TO EVERY MAN"

The girls ewes livened ut that.
"Onee. down on the island, he mixed in
an affair in which most men would not have
meddled. And he got it from behind that
tin1e. too, only il was with a knife
ale never told me- murmured the girl.
1T amt likely he would" the other stat
ed with ~finality. at was over a woman.
and not a particularly pretty story, any
way YOU look at IT,"
Her dark eyes widened. She bit her lip.
II came to her how little Of his life she had
shared.
..Ohr- she barely breathed. And again,
falterinely. "Ohr'
From that hating monosyllable Joe
Judged that Something was amiss. OBJ
Servation had never been a slow or painful
process Of concentration with him.
ale didn't even know who she was. He'd
never seen her before quickly he put her
right. '>he was just a public dancer, that
was al. But a man miStreated her. and
Steve. he lust interfered"-
Indeed. Joe had found the way to com
fort her and still tell the truth, even though
he found il foolishlv difficult TO swallow
food and watch nj the warmth which his
words kindled. SO for an hour he linger-
"a al the table and told her many things
concerning the man she loved which she
would never have learned from his own
lips. And it was Joe's popularity which in
the end subdued her rebel spirit. She
yielded al list and promised to go home
and ret, ~ only after he had promised
first. in a fashion which could leave no
doubt in her heart, that he would come for
her If things grew worse.
Before she left him hat morning she
told joe of Big Louie. whom she had had
tn leave i'm the road. but he interrupted her
before She could finish. They had already
found Big Louie. Then she gave him the
note which she had discovered crushed
under Stoves body. This Joe scanned
f~erociouSlv: he flashed a strange glance nj
her from bleached blue eyes.
'Some one traced your name" he put
into words the first thought that had been
hers. "Some one who had Your signature
to copy"
She nodded. Whitley. III horror. Joe
fWA
folded the PAPER and tucked il into = p"ck-
ct.
ave cam touch nobolv." he av"rred re
eretfri;v. ~.'unlc-s We catch Iiarrigan.
Caleb himself took Barbara home. and
on the way across the lawn she SlgS'eH
ud t,.iv rf I've 'rnnv way ~ which fhe
-rr. -r,.-.i " increase and then les
sen between Fer ewes and her feet. The
rrnund per-i~tcd ~ rising ID meet her. she
said. until She had to cling to Caleb's arm.
And the outer steps proved difficult to
negotiate. But ut the sight of her father
sunk in silence upon his desk in the ground
floor '%office' ~he drew her hand from the
crook III Calcb'S arm and went swiftly
across ~ HIM.
Barbara" he besoueht her brokenly the
moment her cheek touched his, "you mast
not believe that r.
She hushed hm with "entle fingers laid
upon his lips.
Il have been Il very foolish and hyster-
zeal child" She said. "Ill try 10 behave
more like Il m ow. And Won and
Uncle Cal have been only-absurd.'
The had To laugh again at the behavior of
her feet as she climbed upstairs hut To her
her seemed steady enough. II was only
after she had reached her own room that
she complained quarulou~ly II the failing
lights. Miriam had ID help Cecilc undress
and put her To bed.
On the floor below her father had turn
ed again Ia hiS desk hi head bowed under
.hi~ arms. And total breakdown wns imrnl-
nent for Dexter Allison when Il hand touch
I'd awkwardly his shoulder. lie looked up
a. meet this time the eyes Of Caleb
Hunter. Caleb suffered furiou~iy at first,
Tor ~cniImcntality slammed him. Then q
happy thought showed the way.
Dexter. | secured a few Sprigs of very
superior mint yesterday" lie made of it
a ceremonial. .Do YOU think YOU would
ear. to ION me, sirf"
They had been friends for close on to
forty wears not bcrau-e of common tastes.
but in spite OF innate dlSSimilarity. Dex-
ter came "a his feet. lie reached out and
crushed the other mans name within his
soft. white fingers. Nor was his reply
cutie according to formula.
IL don't mind If | do. Cal" he accepted
fervidly. Thank God. | don't care if j
do
Arm in arm they recros>ed TO the white
columned house. And they kept close,
zach to the other. throughout the hours of
suspense that followed. finding a potent
though unconfessed reinsurance in such
companionship.
"neliriam came again upon the sick man
who lay in the room which Miss Sarah had
always kept waiting for him. Fever strobe