The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-29


while. That poor felolw-as II he
didn't have enough on his hands
without this!"
I'm not on his hands! And I
won't lie down." Evadna jerked
away from Miss George.
And l was going to marry
him!" Evadna shuddered. HE
wasn't sorry afterward. He was
ready to kill more men. It's the
Indian in him. | suppose" she
walled, "he killed Saunders, too,
like old Hagar said"
IF you don't shut up, I'll shake
you!" Miss George, In her fury.
did not wait, but shook her any
way as IL she had been ten-year-
old child in a tantrum. my Heav-
ems above! I'll stand for nerves
and Mysteries and almost any old
thing, but you're going a little bit
too far, my lady. There's no ex-
cuse for your talking such stuff
as that. Now, you march to your
own room and-stay there. Do
you hear? And don't you dare let
another zip out of you till you can
talk sense"
Good Indian stood upon the
porch and heard every word. He
also heard the shuttle of feet as
Miss George urged Evadna to her
room, and he rolled a cigaret
with fingers that did not so much
as culver. His face was stoically
calm, and there was a glitter
deep down in his eyes. Evadna
was right; to certain extent the
Indian in him held him quiet.
Good Indian had. not so long
ago, spent hours in avoiding all
thought that he might prolong the
ecstacy of mere feeling. Now he
had reversed the desire. He was
thinking of this thing and of that,
simply that he might avoid feel
ing. If someone didn't kill him
within the next hour or so, he was
going to feel something-some-
thing that would hurt him more
than he had been hurt since his
father died in that same house.
The shadow of the grove, with
the long finger of the poplars to
point the way, climbed slowly up
the bluff. Good Indian smoked
another cigaret while he watched
Ii. When a certain great holder
slowly darkened to a chill gray,
he threw his cigaret unerringly a.
a lily pad which had courtesied
many time before to a like mis-
sile from his hand and started
around the house to the gate
which led to the stable.
Phoebe came out from the sit
ting room, ran down the steps,
and barred his way.
Grant," she said, and there
were tears in her eyes, don't do
anything rash-don't. If it's for
our sakes-and | know it is II
don't do it. They'll go, anyway
I've got to go, Mother Hart.
I've made my war-talk." He bent
his head and kissed her on the
forehead as she stood looking up
at him and went on.
"Grant-Grant!" she cried
heart-brokenly after him, and
sank down on the porch-steps.
Miss George was standing be-
side the gate, looking toward the
stable. She may not have been
waiting for him, but she turned
without any show of surprise
when he walked up behind her.
We'll, your jumpers seem to
have taken the hint" she inform
ed him. Stanley is down there
talking to Mr.. Hart now, and the
others have gone on. They'll all
be we'll over the dead-line by
shutdown. There goes Stanley
now. Do you really feel that your
future happiness depends on get
ting through this gate? Well
IL you must" She swung II
open. but she stood in the open-
Grant, Its hard to say Just
what | want to say-but you did
right. No matter what-others-
may think or say, remember that
| think that you did right to kill
that man. And If there is any,
thing under Heaven that | can do.
to-to help-you'll let me do it,
won't your" Her eyes held him
briefly. unabashed at what they
might tell. Then she stepped back.
and contradicted them with a lit
tie laugh. II will get fired sure
for staying over my time" she
said. "I'll wire for the coroner
soon as / get to the office. This
will never come to a trial, Grant.
He was like a crazy man, and we
all saw him shoot first"
She waited until he had passed
through and was a third of the
way to the stable where Peaceful
Hart and bis boys were gathered.
and then she followed him briskly.
Its a shame you fellows got
cheated out of scrap" she taunt-
ed Jack, who held her horse for
her while she settled herself in
the saddle.
Save for the fact that she kept
her eyes studiously turned away
from a certain place near by, one
could not have told that Miss
George remembered anything
tragic.
But Good Indian seemed to re-
call something, and went quickly
over to her just in time to pre-
vent her starting.