The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-03-22
CHAPTER xxvi-continued.

ing Tor the Sttlte. lie nlu no tnougnt
Of freeing the community of u danger
Gus outlaw, Of Kidding the country of
an obstacle to its progress and pros
perity. He wanted tn kill poggin. Ii
was significant now that he forgot the
other outlaws. He was the gunmnn.
the g~un.thrower, 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, alb
solutely in spite of his will. the gun
man. He realized IL 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
gunmnn. Actual pride of his record
Actual vanity in his speed with II
gun! Actual jealousy of any rival!
Duane could not believe It. But
there he was. without II choice. What
Nv lll'l l'llNh A'A s'hAH A'A'A ''''AA4'
a monStrous reality. He stood strip
ped bare, his soul naked-the soul of
Cain. And at the utter abasrment
the soul he despised suddenly leaped
and qulvcred with the thought of Ray
LongStrcth.
Then came agony. He loved the
girl. He wanted her. All her sweet
ness, her fire, and pleading returned
TO torture him.
At that moment the door opened, and
Ray Longstrcth entered.
Duane she said. softly. Captain
MucNelly sent me to you"
But you shouldn't have come" re-
piled Duane.
AS o as he told me / would
have come whether he wished 1t or
not. You left me-all Of uS-Stunned.
] had no time to thank YOU. oh, | do
with all my soul. II was noble Of
YOU. Father Is overcome. lie didn't
expect so much. And he'll he true.
But, Duane, | was told to hurry, and
here I'm selhshly using time"
Go, then-and leave me. You
Ilh|iH I lllilfl W III l'N NItl lll'lt >
II desperate game to finish"
"Necd 1t be deSperntc?" she whisp.
cred, coming close to him.
YES II can't be else.v
Her eyes We're dark, strained. beau
tiful, and they shed Il light upon
Duane he had never seen before.
You're going to take some mad
- - - IL .-fI al 80, - l.
you not to. You said-you cared for
me-und I-oh, Duane-don't you
-knOw-T
The low voice, deep, sweet as an
old chord, faltered and broke and
failed.
and an instant of paralyzed confusion
of thought.
She moved, she swept out her hands
and the wonder Of her eyes dlmmed
In a flood of tears.
My Cod You can't care for me?'
he cried, hoarsely.
Then she met him, hands outstretch
ed.
But / dol do"
Swift as light Duane caught her an'
held her to his breast. He stood hold
Ing her tight, with the feel of he
warm, t%hrobbing breast and the clasI
Of her arms and flesh and blood reali
ties 10 fight a terrible fear. lie fel
her, and for the moment the Nigh
of II was stronger than all the demon
that possessed him. And he held he
as II she had been his soul. hi
strength on earth, his hope Of heaven
against his lips.
The strife Of doubt all passed. II
found his sight again. And ther
rushed over him II tide of emotion NJ
utternhly sweet and full. strong lik
an Intoxicating Wine, deep as his M
ture, something glorious and terribl
us the blaze Of the sun 20 one long !
darkness. lie had become nm outcGst
n wanderer, a guhman, n victim {
circumstances, he had lost and su
fered worse than death In that loss
he had gone down the endless, blood
trail, n killer Of men, n fugitive who,
mind slowly and inevitably closed
all except the instinct 20 survive al
n black despair; and now, with IN
woman In his arms, her swelling brea
against his, in this moment almost
resurrection, he bent under the Stor
Of passion and Joy possible only
him who had endured so much.
"Do you care-a little?" he viii
pered unsteadily.
He bent over her, looking deep In
the dark, wet eyes.
She uttered a low laugh that "
half sob, and her arms slipped
to his neck.
"a iittiei On, Duane-Duane-
great deal"
Their lips met In their first XII
The sweetness, the fire of her mou
seemed so new, so strange, so irresi
ible to Duane. His sore and hung
heart thrObbed with thick and hea
beats. He felt the outcast's need
love. And she gave up to the enthr