The Jasper news., 1917-03-29

me-but you will say: u put the car
tridges in his revolver with my own
hands, and know he won't abuae the
means of defense I gave him myself
There can never be any real doubts
or Misunderstanding between us
again, Nan" He waited for her to
speak. but she remained silent,
"You 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 :t home"
"My Uncle Duke"
"Then / never will raise q hand
against your Uncle Duke. And this
man, tonlght-this cousin-Gale? Nan,
what is that man?'
II hate him."
"Thank God So do II"
"But he Is q cousin"
NINE"
"Unless he tries to kill you"
"He won't be very long in trying
that. And now, what about yourself2 2
What have you got to defend yourself
against him, and against every other
drunken MANI"
She laid her own pistol without q
word in De Spain's hand. He felt It,
opened, closed, and gave it back.
That's good defender-when it's in
reach. When it's at home it's a poor
one"
"It will never be at home again ex-
cept when / am"
"Shall tell you secretT
"What is lt?" asked Nan unsuspect-
ingly.
eve are engaged to be married"
She sprang from him like deer. "Its
dead secret" he said gravely; mo
body knows 1t 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 1t If you will; 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."
"I'll hate you IL you persecute 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 ull." They hat
walked out of the trees. He looked
reluctantly to the east. "Tell me ant
I'll co." he promised.
after went up to my room wait
ed till the house was all quiet. Ther
I started for Calabasas. When came
back I got up to my room without be
ing seen, and sat at the window Ions
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 hit
on the porch and slipped over to tn,
horse barns and found a hackamore
and went down to the corral and hunt
ed around till found this little pint
she's the best to ride bareback"
II could ride razorback--why tax
all that trouble for me?"
"If you don't start while you hav
a chance, you undo everything I hav
| lTleu 10 10 10 uNOlu lBnt.
The wind, stirring softly, set tn
aspen leaves quivering. The stars
chilled in the thin, clear night all
hung dlamondlike in the heavens an
the eastern sky across the distant des
ert paled for the rising moon. TIL
two, standing at the horses head. lis
tened a moment together In the darl
ness. De Spain, leaning forward, sal
something In low, laughing voic'
Nan made no answer. Then, bending
he took her hand and, before she coul
release 1t, caught 1t up to his lips.
For long time after he had gon
, she stood, listening for shot-wor
denng, breathless at moments, whetl
er he could get past the waiting trap
De Spain, true to oil she had eve
J heard of his Indianlike stealth, ha
left her side unabashed and unafrald-
living, laughing, paying bold court I
her even when she stubbornly refuse
: to be courted-and had made himse
} in the twinkling Of an eye a part {
/ the silence beyond-the silence Of th
night, the wind, the stars, the vast
: of sand, and of all the mystery tbs