Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-07-20
CHAPTER XVII.
Hone ForIorn.

SplLe u their uSNOtiOut TO the emu OF
their dream. They parted late. each
trying to soften the blow as it fell on
the other, each protesting a courage
which, in the face of the revelation,
neither could clearly feel.
In the morning Jeffries brought
down TO De Spain. who had spent. a
sleepless night at the office, a letter
from Nan.
De Spain opened 1t with acute mis-
gjvings. 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 it really is. Suppose we
should be condemning poor Uncle Duke
without having the real facts? Sassoon
was u wretch, Henry, If ever one lived
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.
must know the whole trnth--I feel that
I, alone, can get hold of 1t, and that you
would approve what I am doing IL you
were here with me in this little room,
where am writing at daYbreak, to show
you my heart.
Lcng before you get this shall be
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 I ask. Whether l 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 it is for this
am going to try, and for this l beg of
your love-the love of which 1 have been
80 proud!-that you will let me stay with
him until I at least learn everything and
can bring the whole story to you. II I
can bring him, 1 will
And shall be safe with Unexpectedly
safe. Gale has been driven away. Pard-
aloe, know 1 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 l shall be
back with what hope for, or what I
fear, very, very soon. Not till then can
/ bear to look into your eyes. You have
better right than anyone in the world
20 know the whole truth, cost what it
may. Be patient for only little while
with NAN.
1t was Jctfries who said, afterward,
be hoped never again to be the bearer
Of letter such as that Never until
be 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. For once, trouble
overbOre him.
When he was able to speak he told
Jeffries everything. at is my fault"
he said hopelessly. Il was so crippled,
80 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
man must pay, Jeffries, for the abil
tty to defend himself against this
bunch of hOldup men and assassins.
Because they can't get me, I'm 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 a trigger than
these doubie-d-d crooks"
Jeffries, from behind his pipe, re-
Corded De SPANS random talk calmly.
Il do feel hard over my fathers
DEATH" he went on moodily. 'Who
wouldn't? If God meant me to forget
It. why did he put this mark on my
face, jeff? 1 did talk pretty strong to
Nan about 1t on Music mountain.
Il did fec, for long time. I'd like
TO kill with my own hands the mar
that murdered my father, JEFF. My
mother mus have realized that her
babe, If man-child. was doomed to a
ute of blOodshed. I've been trying to
mink most of the night what she'd
want me to do now. don't know what
can do, or can't do, when 1 set eyes
On the old scOundrel. He's got to tell
the Tuth-that's all say now. If he
hes, after what he made my mother
euffer, he ought to die like a dog-no
matter who he Is.
don't want to break Mans heart.
What can do7 Hanging him here in
sleepy Cat, If I could do 1t, wouldn't
aeip her feelings a whole lot. If
could see the fellow" De Spain's
hands, spread before him on the table
Hrew up tight, eff l could get my fin
gers on his throat, for a minute, and
'ulA 20 MIN, tell him what l think OF
mm-I might know what I would want
10 do-Nan might be there to see and
suuge between us. I'd be almost will
Jug 10 leave things TO her to settle her
sell only want what's right. But"
Tue cath that recorded his closing
threat was collected and pitiless, ''if
any harm comes to that girl now from
uils wild trip back among those wolves
God pity the men that put it over. I'll
wipe out the whole accursed clan, if I
n@'7 TO swing for it right here in
Sleepy Catw
Jokh Lefever, Jeffries, Scott in turn
e''k him in hand to hold him during
1-lfee days, TO restrain the fury of his
htment, and keep him from riding
80 me gap in temper that each of
mem knew would mean only a tragedy
worse than what had gone before