The Mena weekly star., 1917-05-17

enemy. No witnesses could be found to throw any more light on the inquiry than the barn boss himself. And De Spain made only pretense of a formal investigation. If be had had any doubts about the origin of the fire they would have been resolved by an anony- nous scrawl, sent through the mail, promising more if he didn't get out of the country.
 But instead of getting out of the country, De Spain continued as a mat ter of energetic policy to get into it. He rode the deserts stripped, so to say, for action and walked the streets of Sleepy Cat welcoming every chance to meet men from Music mountain or the sinks. It was on Nan that the real hardships of the situation fell, and Nan who had to bear them alone and almost unaided.
 Duke came home a day or two later without word for Nan concerning his encounter with De Spain. He was shorter in the grain than ever, crustier to everyone than she had ever known him-and toward Nan herself fiercely resentful. Sassoon was in his com pany great deal and Nan knew of old that Sassoon was bad symptom. Gale, too, came often. and the three were much together. In some way, Nan felt that she herself was in part the subject of their talks, but no infor- nation concerning them could she ever get.
 One morning she sat on the porch sewing when Gale rode up. He asked for her uncle. Bonita told him Duke had gone to Calabasas.. Gale an- nounced he was bound for Calabasas himself, and dismounted near Nan. professedly to cinch his saddle. He fussed with the straps for a minute, trying to engage Nan in the interval, without success, in conversation. Look here. Nan" he said at length, studious- ly amlable, "don't you think you're pretty hard on me, lately?
 "No, don't" she answered. eff Uncle Duke didn't make me, I'd never look at you, or speak to you-or live in the same mountains with you"
 q don't think when a fellow cares for you as much as I do. and gets out of patience once in a while, just be- cause he loves a girl the way red blooded man can't help loving her, she ought to hold 1t against him forever. Think she ought to, Nan?" he demand Nh of ha T kept silence.
 q think" she responded, showing her aversion in every syllable, before man begins to talk red-blood rot, he ought to find out whether the girl cares for him, or just loathes the sight of him."
 lie regarded her fixedly. Paying no attention to him, but bending in the sunshine over her sewing, her hand fly ing with the needle, her masses of brown hair sweeping back around her pink ears and curling in stray ringlets that the wind danced with while she worked, she innamed her brawny cous- in's ardor afresh "You used to care for me. Nan. You can't deny that" Her silence was irritating. Gan youT he demanded. Come, put up your work and talk it out. l didn't use to have to coax you for word and a smile. Whats come over youT
 Nothing has come over me, Gale. I did use to like you--when l first came back from school. You seemed so big and fine then. and were so nice to me. l did like you"
 "Why didn't you keep on liking me?"
 Nan made no answer. Her cousin persisted. You used to talk about thinking the world of me-" she said at last; "then l saw you one Frontier day, riding around Sleepy Cat with car- riage full of women"
 Gale burst into a huge laugh Nan's face flushed. She bent over her work. "Oh. that's what's the matter with you, is it?" he demanded jocularly. You never mentioned that before"
 "That isn't the only thing" she con- tinued after a pause.
 "Why, that was just some Frontier day fun, Nan. A mans got to be lit- tie bit of a sport once in a while, hasn't he?"
 Not if he likes me" She spoke with an ominous distinctness, but under her breath He caught her words ant laughed again. "Pshaw, didn't think you'd get jealous over a little thing like that Nan. When there's a cele- bration on in town, everybody's friend ly with everybody else. If you lay little thing like that up against. me, where would the rest of the men get ong iour strawberry-raced Medicine Bend friend is celebrating in town most of the tlme."
 Her face turned white. "What a falsehood p she exclaimed hotly. Look ing at her, satisfied, he laughed whole heartedly again. She rose. furious. Its a falsehood," she repeated, land I know it."
 q suppose" retorted Gale, regarding her jocosely, you asked him about it."
 He had never seen her so angry. She stamped her foot "How dare you say such thing One of those women was at the hospital-she is there yet, and she is going to die there. She told Uncle Dukes nurse the men they knew, and whom they didn't know, at that place. And Henry de Spain, when he heard this miserable creature had been taken to the hospital, and Doctor Torpy said she could never get we'll, told the sister to take care of her and