Mexico Missouri message., 1917-06-07
CHAPTER XVII.
Hone EorIorn.

eacn naG reason long TO rememDers
night that seemed to bring them, In
spite of their devotion, to the end Of
their dream. They parted late, each
trying to soften the blow as 1t fell on
the other, each processing q courage
which, In the face of the revelation,
neither could clearly feel.
In the morning Jeffries brought
down to De Spain, who had spent
sleepless night at the Office, a letter
from Nan.
De Spain opened it with acute mis-
givings. Hardly able to believe his
eyes, he slowly read:
Dearest-A wild hope has come to me.
Perhaps we don't know the truth Of this
terrible story as II really Is Suppose we
should be condemning poor Uncle Duke
without having the real facts? Sassoon
was n wretch, Henry, IL ever one lived
q curse TO everyone. What purpose he
could serve by repeating this story, which
he must have kept very secret till now,
don't know; but there was some reason.
I must know the whole truth-I feel that
], alone, can get hold Of 1t, and that you
would approve what I am doing II you
were hero with me in this little room,
where am writing at daybreak, TO show
you my heart.
Long before you get this 1 shall be
speeding toward the gap. am going
TO Uncle Duke to get from him the ex-
act truth. Uncle Duke Is breaking-has
broken-and now that the very worst has
come and we must face It, he will tell
me what ask Whether / can get him
20 repeat this to you, to come to you, to
throw himself on your pity, my dearest
one, I don't know. But 1t is for this
am going to try, and for this L beg OF
Iasra nF Nf1Nn hnx hnA
so proudl-that you will let me stay with
him until at least learn everything and
can bring the whole story to you. If l
can bring him, will.
And l shall be safe with Unexpectedly
safe. Gale has been driven away. Pard-
aloe. know ! can trust, and he will be
under the roof with me. Please. do not
try to come to me. 1t might ruin every
thing. Only forgive me. and shall be
back with what hope for, or what
fear, very, very soon. Not till then can
bear to look into your eyes. You have
a better right than anyone in the world
TO know the whole truth, cost what 1t
may. Be patient for only a little while
with NAN.
1t was Jeffries who said, afterward,
he hoped never again to be the bearer
of q letter such as that. Never until
he had read and grasped the contents
of Mans note had Jefflies seen the
bundle of resource and nerve and
sinew, that men called Henry de
Spain, go to pieces. For once, trouble
Overbore him.
When he was able to speak he told
Jeffries everything. ut is my fault,
he said hoIelessly. 81 was so crippled,
so stunned, she must have thought
see it now-that 1 was making ready
to ride out by daybreak and shoot
Duke down on sight. It's the price a
man must pay, Jeffrles, for the abil-
Ity to defend himself against this
bunch Of holdup men and assassins.
Because they can't get me, I'm a gun
man"
mo, you're not 'gunman.'
"a gunman and nothing else. That's
what everybody, friends and enemies
reckon me-a gunman. You put me
here to clean out this Calabasas gang
not because of my good looks, but
because I've been, so far, fraction of
a second quicker on q trigger than
these double-d-d crooks"
Jeffries, from behind his pipe, re-
garded De Spain's random talk calmly
II do feel hard over my fathers
DEATH" he went on moodily. "Whc
wouldn't? If God meant me to forget
1t, why did he put this mark on my
face, JEFF? 1 did talk pretty strong tC
Nan about 1t on Music mountain.
II did feel, for long time, I'd like
to kill with my own hands the mar
MN fafh Tnep
mother must have realized that hei
babe, If man-chlld, was doomed to {
life of bloOdshed. I've been trying t.
think most of the night what she'(
want me to do now. don't know wha
l can do, or can't do, when set eye
on the old scoundrel. He's got to tel
the truth-thats oil / say now. If h,
lies, after what he made my mothe
suffer, he ought to die like .dog--n,
matter who he Is.
~ don't want TO break Mans heart
What can do? Hanging him here Fl
Sleepy Cat If could do it, wouldn'
help her feelings a whole lot. If
could see the fellow" De Spain
hands, spread before him on the table
drew up tight. 'If could get my fin
gers on his throat, for a minute, an
talk to him, tell him what think 0
him-I might know what would wan
30 do-Nan might be there to see an
Judge between us. I'd be almost viii
ing to leave things to her to settle hel
self. only want what's right. But,
the oath that recorded his closin
threat was collected and pitiless, g!
any harm comes to that girl now frol
this Wild trip back among those wolve
God pity the men that put it over. L
wipe out the whole accursed clan, II
have to swing for it right here
Sleepy Cati"
John Lefever, Jeffries, Scott In tur
took him in hand to hold him durin
three days, to restrain the fury of h
resentment, and keep him from ridir
to the gap in a temper that each I
Chem knew would mean only TRACED
4uyoraa than what had pana hpfnr