Mexico Missouri message., 1917-02-08
CHAPTER xvIl.--cOn.lnued.

huddled form Of the dying savage.
Don't ask me, Captain Conrod," re-
turned the other cheerfully. "Your
door was open when got here and he
jumped on me when 1 came in; and
ned have got me If It had not been for
this man."
And he laid his hnnd gently on the
shoulder of the hysterlcal figure
crouched on the floor.
'Holy rattlesuakes ~ burst from the
astonished Conrod. "Its Doc Elliott !"
David Laurence lifted his rescuer to
bis feet. "Here, let's see your face,
my friend"
The man looked up slowly.
"Ned Scull !" said Laurence In a
CHASTITY whisper, and staggered back
Ward.
The man bowed his head again.
Laurence spoke like a man in a
dream:
"Sculli have found you at last |"
81 am innocent, l swear itw cried
Soul. IL never betrayed your
The others looked from one to the
other of the two men In amazement.
Where had they known each other be-
tore7 BY what name did Laurence call
ELLIOTT What was their secret2 The
moment was tense with waiting.
David turned to the little group.
"Gentlemen," he said, may talk to
this man alone for q momentP
"Sure as shootln'," said Conrod after
a pause but let's get this Injun out Of
here first" ..
He bent above the filthy body and
turned the limp shoulders over.
"Why, it's that wuthless Plankeshaw
come In last week to sell his skins;
been drunk ever since. He'll be sober
n while, now"
With scant ceremony they dragged
the heavy body with the dark red stain
between the shoulder blades into the
rain. One Indian less on the wilder
ness border was better luck than bad.
The half-shut eyes stared blankly up
ward in the beating rain.
''Bury him in the mornin'," directed
COnrod; and Scull--whom the village
had known only as "Elliott''-and Da-
cid Laurence were left alone together.
"Now," said Laurence with deadly
calm, tell me how you got hereW
The man Soul clasped his hands in
entreaty.
81 left Nottingham because heard
you had sworn to kill me. ] swear to
you before God was not responsible
for your fathers"
Laurence checked the word on Sculls
lips.
"HOw came you here?" he repeated.
al heard you had gone to America
and / came across the Atlantic to find
you; thought l might show you
was innocent. / swear am innocent"
"You lie" returned David calmly,
''you lie in every word. You Informed
falsely on my father, and he died on
the gallows because Of you. You be-
came a British spy. You fled from
England to escape me; you never
thought to find me here. Nor did I
think to find you here, under an as
sumed name, pretending to be a ply
sician."
Scull looked at him in terror.
"GOd!" he whispered, his lips dry
with fear.
A door that led to an inner room sud-
denly swung open and woman
stepped quickly out.
A cry of fear escaped her as she saw
David towering menacingly above
Scull's bowed head. She was face to
face with David and he looked at heI
In establishment.
Lydia Cranmerp
The girl flung herself between the
two men and clasping Scull in hel
arms she turned defantly toward
David.
'NO, not Lydia Cranmer," she cried
~but Mistress Scullw
"Hush, LYDIA" commanded Soul
DULY. go back, let us end our bust
ness" He swallowed convulsively ant
stroked her hair as though soothing ;
child. go back, dear"
''Not /. Ned she answered. "Wha
does this man want2 Oh, Ned, Their
Is no danger is there2 Tell me, wha
Is WrongT
As David looked at the two he fel
the wild anger dying down in hi
breast, and instead there arose feel
ing of self-pity. All, If only woma
had thrown her arms about his nee
and faced the world for him, bellevin
I'm him An unbearable pang she
through him. His eyes were hot wit
the bitter envy of one who looks int
the windows of house where Low
and light and warmth stand fir
against the desOlate world without, an
who knows himself a homeless wal
derer on the earth. When he spoke,
was In changed voice:
"Are you this woman's husbandP"
"We were married a month ago
said Soul. He seemed almost to hay
forgotten David's presence and h
hand caressed the girls cheek with
strange gentleness.
David looked at them for a momel
AN silence, then drew deep breat