The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-05-03

| believed he would go the sooner IL she
were to consent to see him again.
| That day Nan washed her hair. On
the second day she found herself de-
Gliding consclentiously to see De Spain
for the last time, and toward sunset.
She began dressing early for her trip,
picking the best of her limited stock
of silk stockings, choosing the freshest
of her few pairs of tan boots. All of
her riding skirts looked shabby as she
fretfully inspected them; but Bonita
pressed out the newest one for the
hurried occasion, while Nan used the
interval, with more than usual care,
on her troublesome hair-never less
tractable, it seemed, in her life.
De Spain was sitting with his back
against a rock, and the look on his
face was one of reflection and irreso-
luton rather than of action and de-
cision. But he looked so restored after
his brief period of nourishment that
Nan, when she stepped up on the ledge
at sunset, would not have known the
wreck she had seen in the same place
the week before.
His heart jumped at the sight of
her young face, and her clear, coura-
geous eyes surveyed him questioning
ly as he scrambled to his feet.
81 am going to tramp out of here
tomorrow night" he confided to her
after his thanks. at is Saturday;
lot of your men will be in Sleepy Cat
and they won't all be very keen
sighted on their way back. l can get
good start outside before daylight"
She heard him with relief. what
will you do then? she asked.
Hide. Watch every chance to crawl
q mile nearer Calabasas. By the way"
he added, his glance resting on her
right side as he noticed the absence of
her holster, where is your protector
today?" She made no answer. Fine
FORM" he said coldly, ito come I'M
armed on an errand of mercy to a
desperate"
Nan flushed with vexation. "Per-
haps you've forgotten you left a car
fridge belt behind once yourself" she
returned swiftly.
De Spain, convicted, finally laid his
fingers over the butt of his empty re-
yolver. "How did you find that out?"
She tossed her head. They were
standing only a few feet apart, De
Spain supporting himself now with
his left hand high up against the wall
Nan, with her shoulder lightly against
it; both had become quizzical. "Other
people forget, too, then" was all she
said.
NO" he protested, 81 didn't forget;
not that time. 1 went over to the
joint TO get cup of coffee and ex-
pected to be back within five minutes,
never dreaming of walking into bear
trap" He drew his revolver and,
breaking it negligently, took out a
single cartridge. "Take this" He
held the cartridge in his left hand and
took two halting steps toward her
since you are unarmed, will be, too.
Not that this puts US on an even foot
ing. / don't mean that. Nothing
would. You would be too much for me
in any kind of a contest, armed or
unarmed."
what do you mean?" she demand
ed to hide her confusion. And she
saw that each step he took cost pain,
skillfully concealed.
81 mean" he said, you are to take
this cartridge as a remembrance of my
forgetfulness and your adventure"
She drew back. 81 don't want it."
Take it."
He was persistent. She allowed
him to drop the loaded shell into her
hand. "Now," he continued, replacing
his gun, '1f 1 encounter any of your
people in an attempt to break through
q line, and somebody gets killed, you
will know, when you hear the story,
that this time, at least, didn't start
it,"
He put her objections aside, enjoy
ing being so near her and happy that
she made no retreat. MY reputa-
tion," he insisted, has suffered a little
in Morgan's gap. / mean that at least