The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1917-05-24
Copyright BY Charles sOribners sons,
CHAPTER XVII.
Hope Foriorn.
IL

Inere were hours in that night that
each had reason long to remember; a
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 protesting q courage
which, In the face Of the revelation.
neither could clearly feel.
In the morning Jeffrles brought
down to De Spain, who had spent
sleepless night at the Office, letter
from Nan.
De Spain opened 1t with acute mis-
glvings. 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 wretch. Henry, II 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.
l must know the whole truth-I feel that
1. alone, can get hold of It. and that you
would approve what / am doing II you
were here with me in this little room,
where am writing at daybreak, to show
you my heart
speeding toward the gap. l 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 1 ask. Whether 1 can get him
to repeat this to you, to come to you, to
throw himself on your pity, my dearest
one. l don't know. But 1t is for this
am going to try, and for this l beg of
your love-the love of which I have been
so proud!-that you will let me stay with
him until / at least learn everything and
can bring the whole story to you. If
can bring him, will
And shall be safe with Unexpectedly
safe. Gale has been driven away. Pard-
aloe, 1 know l 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 i shall bc
back with what l hope for, or what l
fear very, very soon. Not till then can
j bear to look into your eyes. You have
better right than anyone in the world
to know the whole truth. cost what It
may. Be patient for only little while
with NAN.
1t was Jeffrles who said, afterward,
he hoped never again to be the bearer
of letter such as that. Never until
he had read and grasped the contents
of Mans note had Jeffries seen the
bundle of resource and nerve and
sinew, that men called Henry de
Spain, go to pieces.
When he was able to speak he told
Jeffries everything. ut Is my fault"
he said hopelessly. II was so crippled,
so stunned, she must have thought
see 1t now--that l was making ready
to ride out by daybreak and shoot
Duke down on sight. It's the price n
man must pay, Jeffries, for the abil-
ity to defend himself against this
bunch of holdup men and assassins."
John Lefever, Jeffries, Scott in turn
took him in hand to hold him during
sthree days, to restrain the fury of his
resentment, and keep him from riding
to the gap in temper that each Of
them knew would mean only tragedy
worse than what had gone before.
Even three days Of tactful representa-
ton and patient admonltlon from cool
headed counselors did not accomplish
nll they hoped for in De Spains attI-
tude. His rage subsided, but only to
be followed by settled gloom that
they knew might burst into uncon-
trollable anger at any moment.
A report reached McAlpin that Gale
Morgan was making ready to return to
Music mountain with the remnant of
Sandusky's gang, to make demand
on Duke for certain property and
partnership adjustments. This rumor
he telephoned to Jeffries. Before talk
ing with De Spain, Jeffries went over
the information with Lefever. The two
agreed 1t was right, In the circum-
stances, that De Spain should be near
er than Sleepy Cat to Nan. Moreover,
the period of waiting she had enjoined
on him was almost complete.
Without giving De Spain the story
fully, the two men talking before him
let the discussion drift toward a pro.
posal on his part to go down to Gala
basas, where he could more easily Keep
track of any movement to or from the
gap, and this they approved. De Spain
already chatting under hardly en-,
dured restraint, lost no time in start.
Ing for Calabasas, directing Lefever to
follow next day.
1t added nothing to his peace OF
mind in the morning to learn definitely
from McAlpin that Gale Morgan, with
in twenty-tour hours, had really disap'
peared from Calabasas. No word OF
any kind had come from Music noun
tain tor days. No one at Calabasas