Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-07-19
CHAPTER TX (Continued).

10 uTy ms ClOtEeS. He was not
in u fit condition to risk catch
were chattering. To find u shelter
In that barren waste seemed a futile
task. Quite unexpectedly, however.
they happened upon II deserted adobe
cabin situated a little off the road. Not
only did 1T prove to have "a dry inter-
lor, but also there was firewood.
Water was available in pools very
where; however, there was no grass for
the horses.
A good fire and hot food and drink
changed the aspect of their condition
as far as comfort went And Jennie
lay down to sleep. For Duane, how
ever, there must be vigilance. This
fell harder all the time, and the WING
changed to the north. Its "a norther,
all right muttered Duane. 1.-TWO or
three days" And he felt that his ex-
traordinaly luck had not held out.
Still n point favored him. and 1t was
that travellers We're not likely to come
along during the storm.
Jennie slept while Duane watched.
The saving of his girl meant more to
him than any task he had aver as
sumed. First it had been partly from
q human feeling to succor an unfortu-
nate Woman and partly Il motive to
establish clearly to himself that he was
no outlaw. Lately, however, had come
a different sense, a strange one, with
something personal and warm and pro-
tective in it.
AS he ooked down upon her, a slight,
slender girl with bedraggled dress and
disheveled hair. her face, pale and
quiet, a little stern in sleep, and her
long. dark lashes lying on her cheek,
ne seemed to see her fragility. her pref
tiness, her femininity as never before.
RIlf for him ohio MIGHT Oft that %,ar
m have been a broken. ruined
girl lying back in that cabin of the
BANDS. The fact gave him a feeling
OF his importance in this shifting of
her destiny. She was unframed. still
young; h would forget and be happy:
h would live to be a good wife and
mother. Somehow the thought swelled
his heart. Hic act. death dealing as it
had been, was u noble one. and helped
him to hold or to his drifting hopes.
Hardly once since Jennie had entered
into his thought had those ghosts re-
turned to torment him.
Tomorrow h would be gone among
good. kind people with a possibility of
finding her relatives. He banked God
for that; nevertheless, he felt u pang.
She slept more than half the day.
Duane kept guard. always alert,
whether ne was sitting. standing, or
walking. The rain battered steadily
ON the roof n sometimes came in
gusty flurries through the door. The
horses were outside in u shed that af-
1orded poor shelter, and they stamped
restlessly. Duane kept them saddled
and bridled.
About the middle of the afternoon
jennie awoke. They cooked "a meal
and afterward sat beside the little fire.
h had never been, in his observation
OF her, anything but a tragic figure. an
unhappy girl, the farthest removed
from serenity and poise. That char
acteristic capacity for agitation struck
him as stronger in her this day. He
attributed 1t, however, to the long
struln, the suspense nearing an end.
Yet sometimes when her eyes were on
him h did not seem to be thinking
OF her freedom, of her future.
This time tomorrow you'll be in
81. ibyvi!ie," he said.
Where will you be?" she asked.
QLia:ily.
Me-" Oh. IN be making tracks for
sons lonesome place." he replied.
The girl ~shuddered.
I've been brought up in Texas. 1
remember what a hard lot the men of
my family had. But poor as they
were. they had "a roof over their heads,
a hearth with a fire. a warm bed
somebody to love them. And Won.
Duane-oh. my God! What must your
life be? You must ride and hide and
watch eternally. No decent food, no
pillow. no friendly word. no clean
: "thes. no woman's hand! Horses,
be the important things in your life.
You must go on riding. hiding. killing
until o meet"
She ended with a sob and dropped
her head on her knees. Duane WAS
amazed, deeply touched.
My girl. thank you for that thought
OF me" he said, with a tremor in his
that mean ia me-"
She raised her sace, and 1t was tear
stained. eloquent. beautiful.
I've heard teli--the best of men 20
TO the bad out there. You won't.
Promise me you won't. 1 never-knew
n man-like you. live may
never see each other again-after to-
for YOU, and I'll never give up trying
to-to dc something. Don't despair.
It's never too late. It was my hone that
kept me alive-out there at Bland's-
before you came. | was only q poor
weak girl. But II | could hope-so
can you: Stay away from men. Be a
lone wolf. Fight for u life. Stick
out your exile--and maybe-some
Then she lost her voice. Duane
cla1ped her hand and with feeling "a
deep az hers promised to remember her
words. In her despair for him she had
6poken wisdom-pointed out the only
Duane,a vigilance. momentartlv
broken byaem0tion. Shad no sooner re-
asserted Itself than he discovered the
hay horse, the one Jennie rode. had
l6fokena ahtg halter and rome off, The
1o1t wet earth had deadened the SOUND