Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-07-20

, Spain went on collectedly. II lost my
| rifle before that man opened fire on
| us. Nan happened to have her rifle
. with her--lf she hadn't, he'd We
dropped one or both Of us off El Capt.
tan. We were pinned against the wall
like couple Of targets. II there were
soft-nose bullets In her rifle It's be-
cause she uses them on game-bobcats
and mountain lions. never thought
of II till this minute. That Is It."
"What came up to tell you has to
do with Dave Sassoon. From what
happened today In the gap thought
you ought to know 1t now. Gale and
Duke Quarreled yesterday over the way
things turned out; they were pretty
bitter. This afternoon Gale took II up
again with his uncle, and 1t ended In
Dukes driving him clean out Of the
gap
Where has he gomez"
4 "Nobody knows yet. Ed Wickwire
told me once that your father was shot
from ambush good many years ago.
II was north Of Medicine Bend, on a |
ranch near the Peace river: that you
never found out who killed him, and |
that one reason why you came up Into
this country was to keep an eye out for
a clue"
"What about III" asked De Spain.
his tone hardening.
II was riding home one night about
month ago from Calabasas with Sas-
soon. He'd been drinking. let him
do the talking. He began cussing you
out, and talked pretty hard about what
you'd done, and what he'd done. and
what he was going to do" Nothing,
1t seemed, would hurry the story.
"Finally. Sassoon says: That hound
don't know yet who got his dad. It
was Duke Morgan; that's who got him.
was with Duke when he turned the
trick. We rode down to De Spains
ranch one night to look up a rustler.'
That" concluded Pardaloe. "was all
Sassoon would say"
He stopped. He seemed to wait.
There was no word Of answer, none of
comment from the man sitting near
him. But, for one, at least, who heard
the passlonless, monotonous recital of
a murder Of the long ago, there fol-
lowed silence as relentless as fate, ,
a silence shrouded In the mystery OF !,
the darkness and striking despair into .
two hearts-a silence more fearful /,
han any word. !.
Pardaloe shuffled his feet He i.
,oughed, but he evoked no response. II
thought you was entitled to know"
he said finally. "Now that Sassoon will
lever talk any more"
De Spain moistened his lips. When
he spoke his voice was cracked and
larsh, as If with what he had heard he
lad suddenly grown old.
you are right, Pardaloe. I thank \
'Ou. when lin the morning. Par \
aloe, for the present. go back to the
zap. | will talk with Wickwire-to- II
morrow"
"Good night, Mr.. de Spain"
Good night, Pardaloe.'
Bending forward, limp. In his chair,
his head vacantly on his
aDds, trying to think and fearing to
link, De Spain heard Pardaloe's meas z
red tread on the descending steps, Z
nd listened mechanically to the se- i
'eating echoes Of his footsteps down \
ne shaded street. Minute after min |
te passed. De Spain made no move. =
step so light that II could only have b
cen the step of delicate glrlhood, u
ep free as the football Of youth, r
oised as the tread of womanhood and
eauty, came down the stairs. Slight
, she was and silent as he was, she
alked straight to him In the dark
ess, and, sinking between his feet, L
ound her hands through his two .o
ms. II heard everything. Henry"
lie murmured, looking up. An invol- II
ltary start of protest was his only on
Spouse, y was afraid of plot thu
,ainst you. stayed at the head Of lie
9 stairs. / Henry, / told you long ago sui
me dreadful thing would come be- ma
zen .us--something not our fault. ,
nd now 1t comes to dash our cup of WI
ppiness when II Is filing" Sic
She stopped. hoping perhaps h. hel
Juld say some little word, that he co,
,uld even pat her head. or press her har
nd, but he sat like one stunned. III DIRE
could have been anything but thisp 49,.
Q pleaded, low and sorrowfully. "Oh. ~,
~ did you not listen TO me befors .a''
sswere enguifedl Ny dear Henry n'''
u who've given me all the happiness =. -,
lave ever had-that the blood of my !uu'
IN should come against you and ing
ursp The emotion she struggled pen
tn, and fought back with all the lhe
'ength of her nature. rose In q 70. ,irt
tless tide that swept her on. In the any
,e of his ominous silence, to despair. tnis
u breath, no longer controlled, came III
,kenly, and her voice trembled. wip'
you have been very kind TO me, nas'
nry- you've been the only man rye Siee
T known that always. everywhere,
ught OF me FIRST told you didn't
erve IL, wasn't worthy of IT."
Us hands slipped silently over her
DIS. He gathered her close into his M
= ~ anu y his tears ieii on nor up side
acu luce. 0nf