The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-03-31
~ Hate Him."

"a Hate Him."
He had drawn his revolver from his
waistband. He broke it now and held
1t out. Load it for me, Man,
"What do you mean?"
"Put four more cartridges in it your.
self. Except for your cartridge, the
gun is empty. When you do that you
will know none of them ever will he
used against your own except to pro.
tect my life. And if you have any
among them whose life ought to come
ahead of mine-name him, or Them
now. Do as tell you-load the gun"
He took hold of her hands and, in
spite of her refusal, made her do his
will. He guided her hand to draw the
cartridges, ono after another, from his
belt, and waited for her to slip them
In the darkness into the empty CYL
tnder, to close the breech, and hand
the gun back.
"Now, Man," he said, "you know me.
You may have doubts-they will all
die. You will hear many stories about
me-but you will say: 4 put the car
tridges in his revolver with my own
hands, and l know he won't abuse the
means Of defense gave him myself.'
There can never be any real doubts
or misunderstanding between us
again, Man." He waited for her to
speak, but she remained silent.
"lou have given me my life, my de-
fense," he continued, passing from
subject that he perceived was better
left untouched. "Who is nearest and
dearest to you at homer"
"N1y Uncle Duke"
"Then I never will raise a hand
against your Uncle Duke. And this
man, tonight-this cousin-Gale? Nan,
what is that MANI"
~ hate him."
'"Thank God! So do II"
But lie is cousin"
"Then suppose he must be one of
NINE"
UNLESS he tries to kill you"
HE won't, be very long in trying
that. And now, what about yourself?
What have you got to defend yourself
against him, and against every other
drunken MANI"
She laid her own pistol without 8
word in De Spain's hand. He felt it,
opened, closed, and gave it back.
"Thats a good defender-when it's in
reach. When it's at home it's a poor
One."
1T will never be at hoppe again ex-
cept when 1 am"
"Shall tell you a secret?"
what is it," asked Nan unsuspect-
lngy.
1--WE are engaged to be married"
She sprang from him like deer. "Its
dead secret" he said gravely; mo
body knows it yet-not even YOU"
"You need never talk again like
that if you want to be friends with
me-" she said Indignantly. II hate
it."
Hate it if you win; it's so. And
1t began when you handed me that
little bit of lead and brass on the
mountain tonight, to defend your life
and mine"
"1'll hate you If you prosecute me
the way Gale does. The moon is
almost up. You must CO."
you haven't told me-" he persisted.
show you got away at ALL" They had
walked out of the trees. He looked
reluctantly to the east. 'Tell me and
I'll co." he promised.
"After l went upsto my room watt
ed till the house was all quiet. Then
[ started for Calabasas. When came
back I got up to my room without be-
Ing seen, and sat at the window long
time. WAITED till all the men stopped
riding past. Then climbed through
the window and down the kitchen roof,
and let myself down to the ground.
Some more men came past, and hid
on the porch and slipped over to the
horse barns and found q hackamore.
and went down to the corral and hunt
ed around till found this little pinto
she's the best to ride bareback"
AAuO d ldLOIOdCk-W0Y t0Ko
all that trouble for me?"
IF you don't start while you have
chance, you undo everything 1 have
tried to do to avoid a fight"
The wind, stirring softly, set the
aspen leaves quivering. The stars,
chilled in the thin, clear night air,
hung diamOndlike In the heavens and
the eastern sky across the distant des.
ert paled for the rising moon. The
two, standing at the horses head, lis
tened a moment together in the dark
ness. De Spain, leaning forward, said
something in low, laughing voice.
Nan made no answer. Then, bending,
he took her hand and, before she could
release it, caught it up to his lips.
- .
For long time after he had gone
she stood listpuinu for chot .-o,,