The Jasper news., 1917-03-29


brooded upon 1t. She would have well
coined, In her keen suspense, n sound
of some kind, some reminder that he
yet lived and could yet laugh; none
came.
Day was breaking when the night
boss, standing in the doorway at the
Calabasas barns, saw horseman rid
ing at leisurely pace up the Thief
River road. The barnman scrutinized
the approaching stranger closely.
There was something strange and
something familiar in the outlines OF
the figure. But when the night rider
had dismounted In front of the barn.
door, turned his horse loose, and, limp
Ing stifiiy walked forward on foot, the
man rubbed his eyes hard before he
could believe them. Then he uttered
an incredulous greeting and led Henry
de Spain into the barn office.
"There's friends Of yours In your
room upstairs right now," he declared.
bulglng with shock. De Spain, sitting
down, forbade the barnman to disturb
them, on'y asking who they were.
Wheel he had asked half dozen
more leisurely questions and avoided
answering twice as many, the barnman
at De Spain's request helped him up
stairs. Beside himself with excite
ment, the night boss turned, grinning.
as he laid one hand on the doorlsnob
and the other on De Spain's shoulder.
"You couldn't have come" he whis-
pered loudly, "at better time"
The entryway was dark, and from
the silence within the room one might
have thought its occupants, If there
were such, wrapped In slumber. But
at intervals n faint clicking sound
could be heard. The night man threw
open the door. BY the light of two
stage-amps, one set on the dresser
and the other on window ledge, four
men snt about rlckety table in life
and-death struggle at cards. No voice
broke the tense silence, not even when
the door was thrown broadly open.
No one-neither Lefever, Scott,
Frank Elpaso nor McAlpin--looked up
when De Spain walked into the room
and, with the night man tiptoeing be-
hind, advanced composedly toward the
group. Even then his presence would
have passed unnoticed, but that Bob
Scotts ear mechanically recorded the
llmping step and transmitted to his
trained intelligence merely notice OF
something unusual.
Scott, picking up his cards one Mt O
time as Lefever dealt, raised his eyes
Startling as the sight of the mar
given up for dead must have been, nc
muscle of Bob Scott's body moved
His expression of surprise slowly dis
solved into grin that mutely invited
the others, as he had found out fol
himself, to find out for themselves.
Lefever finished his deal, threw dow
the pack, and picked up his hand. Hi
suspicious eyes never rose above thu
level Of the faces at the table; bu
when he had thumbed his cards ant
looked from one to the other of tn,
remaining players to read the weathe
signals, he perceived on Scott's fac
an unwonted expression, and looked t,
, where the scouts gaze was turned 70
an explanation Of it. Lefever's owl
eyes, at the sight of the thinned, fn
miliar face behind Elpaso's chail
starting, opened like full moons. TIL
| big fellow spread one hand out, hi
) cards hidden within 1t, and with tn
other hand prudently drew down hi
pile of chips. Gentlemen" he sal
, lightly, "this game is interned." H
rose and put silent hand across tn
q table over Elpaso's shoulder. "Henry,
he exclaimed impassively, zone ques
e ton, If you please-and only one: Hov
g in thunder did you do it?"