The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-01-25
CHAPTER xxvI-continuad.

of freeing the community of danger
Gus outlaw, Of Kidding the country of
81 obstacle to its progress and pros
perity. He wanted to kill Poggin. II
was significant now that he forgot the
other outlaws. He was the gunman,
the gun-tarower, the gun-fighter, pas
sionate and terrible. His fathers
blood, that dark and fierce strain, his
mothers spirit, that strong and un-
quenchable spirit of the surviving piO-
neer-these had been in him; and the
killings, one after another, the wild
and haunted years, had made him, abb
soIuteIy in spite of his will, the gun
man. He realized it now, bitterly,
hopelessly.
The thing he had intelligence
enough to hate he had become. At
last he shuddered under the driving.
ruthless, inhuman blOOd-lust of the
gunman. Actual pride of his record F.!
Actual vanity in his speed with a
gum Actual jealousy of any rival
Duane could not believe it. But
there he was, without a choice. What
he had feared for years had become
a mOnstrous reality. He stood strip
ped bare, his soul naked-the soul of
Cain. And at the utter abasement
the soul he despised suddenly Ieaped
and quivered with the thought Of Ray
LOngstreth.
Then came agony. He loved the
girl. He wanted he". All her sweet
ness, her fire, and pleading returned
to torture him.
At that moment the door opened, and
Ray Longstreth entered.
Duane" she said, softly. Captain
MacNelly sent me to you"
But you shouldn't have come" re-
piled Duane.
"As soon as he told me l would
have come whether he wished it or
not. You left me-all of us-stunned
/ had no time to thank you. Oh, do
with all my soul. 1t was noble of
you. Father is overcome. He didn't
EXPECT so much. And he'll be true
But, Duane, l was told to hurry, and
here I'm seIfshly using time"
go, then-and leave me. You
mustn't unnerve me now, when there's
a desperate game to finish"
"Need it be desperate?" she whisp-
cred, coming close to him.
yes; it can't be else"
Her eyes were dark, strained, beau
tiful, and they shed It light. upon
Duane he had never seen before.
You're going to take some mad
risk she said. Let me persuade
you not to. You said-yOu cared for
me-and Lob, Duane-don't you
know"
The low voice, deep, sweet as an
old chord, faltered and broke and
failed.
Duane sustained a sudden shock
and an instant of paralyzed confusion
of thought.
She moved, she swept out her hands,
and the wonder of her eyes dimmed
in flood of tears.
my God! You can't care for me?"
he cried, hoarsely.
Then she met him, hands outstretch-
ed
But ! do dor
Swift as light Duane caught her and
held heT TO his breast. He stood hold !
ing her tight, with the feel of her
warm, thrObbing breast and the clasp |
of her arms and flesh and blood reali- |
ties to fight a terrible fear. He felt |
her, and for the moment the might |
of it was stronger than all the demons |
}, III hold hETs
as if she had been his soul, his |
strength on earth, his hope of heaven, |
against his lips.
The strife of doubt all passed. He
found his sight again. And there |
rushed over him a tide of emotion I'M
sweet and full, strong like
an Intoxicating wine, deep as his ma
ture, something glorious and terrible
as the blaze of the sun to one long in
darkness. He had become an outcaSt;
a wanderer, Il gunman, Il victim Of
he had lost and suf-
fered worse than death in that loss;
he had gone down the endless, bloody
trail, Il killer of men, a fugitive whose
mind slowly and inevitably closed to
all except the instinct to survive and
a black despair; and now, with this
in his arms. her swelling breast
against his in this moment almost of
he bent under the storm
of passion and joy possible only to
him who had endured so much.
DO you care-a Httle?" he whis-
oered unsteadily.
He bent over her, looking deep into
the dark, wet eyes.
She uttered a low laugh that was
half sob, and her arms slipped up
10 his neck.
"A little! Oh, Duane-Duane-a
great deal !"
Their lips met in their first kiss.
The sweetness, the fire of her mouth
seemed so new, so strange, so irresist-
Bile to Duane. His sore and hungry
Ieart thrObbed with thick and heavy
yeats. He felt the outcast'S need of
owe. And she gave up to the enthral-
ing moment. She met him halfway.
'eturned kiss for kiss. clasp for clasp
Ter face scarlet, her eyes closed till
Ter emotion overcame her and she fell
,uck upon his shoulder.
Duane suddenly thought she was
,oing to faint He OWNED then that
he had understood him. would have
lenied him nothing, not even her life. {
n that moment. But she was over
ONE, and he suffered pang OF regret S
t his unrestraiHt. l
Presently she recovered, and she
a., Sfo,,,, .,,J Io,n,l =