The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-03-02
and laugh in his ACE. Are you glad

lib HIhNNI WINS wv
nan who was, for the time being, mel
Their the m~oralist nor the criminal
with a swift %outreaching he drew her
TO him, crushed her In his arms, Gov
cred her face with kisses.
81 am glad-glad that ! am your
lover" he whispered, passionately.
God. girl. but you are n woman to do
fort No. not yet"-when she wouh
have slipped out OF his arms-believe.
me, Margery; there has never been
anyone else-not for a moment. But
| thought II was Raymer, and for your
sake and his | could have stepped
aside. That II the one decent thing
| have done In all this deyilish busi.
ness. Are you listening?'
She had stopped struggline, and was
hiding her face on his shoulder. Flo
felt her quick little nod and went on.
since you know the one decenf
thing, you must know all the horribls
things, too. A dozen times | have been
a murderer In heart"
She looked up quickly.
NO. boy, I'll never believe that
never"
whit" he said. 1T was there this
evcning-just a little while ago. Miss
Farnham and Galbraith were not tho
only ones | had to fear; there was an
other: the teller who got here from
New Orleans on the seven.forty.tlve
train. You didn't know about him. did
you? He came. and an old newspaper
friend OF mine was with him. l
stumbled upon them on the sidewalk
In front OF the Winnebago house; and
Brofiin was there. too. We were intro
duced, he teller and ], and Broffln was
so sure he had me that he got his
handouts out and was opening them"
Margery s~huddered and hid her face
again. And III didn't know!" she
gasped.
Luck was with me again." he con-
tinued. johnson didn't remember
me: refused to do 80 ever when
Brofin stopped him and tried to tell
him who ] was. ! had a pistol In
my pocket. and II was aimed at Brofin.
II he had made n move to take me,
| should certainly have killed him."
She sat up suddenly.
Give me that pistol. K~enneth-give
II TO me now!"
Il can't" he confessed. shamefaced.
ly. when It was all over. | smashed
the pistol with a stone and threw IL
away"
She drew a long breath. rs 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'tl"
she begged. you couldn't help II.
boy; I made you do it-meaning TO.
There! and ! said that wild horses
should never drag II out OF mel"
Again he said. Wait" and covered
the shining head on his shoulder with
a caressing hand. 1T wasn't love.
then, little girl: that's what II breaks
my heart to tell you-it was just mad.
ness. And II wasn't clean: you've
go, 10 know that. too"
She nodded her head violently. 81
know" she %murmured; Il knew II at
the time, and that was what made
me cry. But now it's-it's different,
isn't II, boy? now you-are-"
you have heard II all. Margery.
You know what | thought ! was. and
what I have turned out TO be. I'm
afraid ! 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-loyes you'll"
What do ! care for anything else?"
she flashed back. "You are you Ken.
meth. dear; that Is all | know. and all
| care for. II 20. had stolen all the
money In the world. and had killed q
dozen men to make your getaway. 10
would be just the IN Only"
only what?" he demanded jealously.
1T would be Just tho same to me:
but-but. . Oh. boy. dear! II
will never, never be the same 70 you'll"
II don't understand" he STAN
mered.
Some day you will. You call your
self a c~rook-man. man! there isn't
a crooked drop of blood in you! Don't
| know? You persuaded yourself that
you had a right to take this MONEY:
perhaps you did have; ! don't say
you didn't. When ! see anything !
want. | reach out and take II, II can
and ! guess most people would, II they
dared. But you are different; you are
good. Some day all these dreadful
things that have come tagging along
A.. after the fact will rise up and gnasA
their teeth at you and tell you that Il
"as a sin. a crime And then-oh.
boy. dearl then ! shall lose you'll"
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.
3 light and the stenciled shadows OF the
. oaks, we're forgotten In the great soul
healing silence that wrapped them
|. about and o%nveloped them.
frn ng rnNpVNITEnN