The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-28

"Afr y lookin' fer Ryan," she asked
Since she might be interested In
Ryan's safety. she received no positive
reply.
@Cos If y air l reckon can help "
locate him. Look a-herer'
She pulled up the sleeve Of her cali.
CO dress and. showed some shocking
marks on her arm; .then she lowered It
at the back Of the neck and showed
more Of them.
Ryan give me these" she said In a
bitter tone.
Are you his wifer'
"Pm his gal He came to our house
onct when a posse was chasin' him.
| hid him. and when he went away
went with him. And these sears air
what I got fer what I done fer him
Do y wonder want TO turn him mr.
The men Of the committee looked at
one another. This might be a case Of
girl who had saved desperate from
death. had trusted herself to him and
had received the reward that might
have been expected from a hardened
criminal. That she should desire re-
venge was not remarkable.
WELL what do you proposer said
the leader Of the committee.
See that rock up thereY"
"The one next the big treeY'
Eyes. He's goin' to hide till after
dark and then climb up there and git
away. He's hidin' up near the head Of
the gulch. I'll go and tell him that
y're comm up to take him. That'Il
scare him so that he'll try to git over
the rock by day. Y kin shoot him
when he's between v and the skyline"
The committee held consultation.
Some declined to trust the GIRL some
did not like giving up hanging the
man instead Of shooting him. But
they all wished to be through with the
job and get back home. So they told
the girl she might go ahead and tell
Ryan the story. They would be ready
to pick him Off as soon as they got
clear view Of him.
She went Off up the gulch muttering
maledictions on the man who had re-
turned evil for good The men took
position where they could get a good
view of the rock and any one who at
tempted to climb it. There they wait.
ed, some one Of their number keeping
watch and his gun cooked ready for
the execution.
About an hour after the girl had left
them they saw the figure of man
slowly climbing the rock. But 1t was
indistinct and the man on guard pre-.
ferred to wait till 1t passed over the
upper edge Of the rock when 1t would
be between him and the light. Just
as It landed on the summit it turned,
looked down into the gulch and threw
a kiss at some one there. The man of
the committee who held his rife to his
shoulder fired, but the weapon was
knocked up by one of the committee
and the shot went skyward.
TITS the galv' exclaimed the man
who had interfered.
you gol burned fool, you've let the
rascal escape. What makes you think
1t was the gal?"
He'd never throw her a kiss like
that even though he believed she'd
saved him again, and it's just what
she'd do If she was going to die for
him. Spread yourselves over the
mouth of the gulch. Well get him
yet"
And they did His girl had intended
to die that he might live, supposing
that after she bad been killed for him
the committee would go home believ.
ing that they had killed the man they
were after. Then the horse thief could
walk out of the canyon in perfect safe.
ty. She had betrayed herself and him
by feminine act.
Before they hanged him they asked
him to tell them about the girl who
would have died for him without eff.
feet He told the story, but did not
seem to be especially impressed with
the sacrifice she had made.