The Lamar register., 1917-06-06
De SPAIN Lauahed at Her Fears.

laughed at her fears. ''I'll bring that
man around, Nan, don't worry. Don't
believe we shall ever fight 1 may not
be able to bring him around tomorrow,
or next week, but I'll do it. 1t takes
two to quarrel, you know"
"But you don't know how unreason-
ing Uncle Duke is when he is angry"
said Nan mournfully. "He won't listen
to anybody. He always would listen
to me until now. Now, he says, have
gone back on him, and he doesn't care
what happens. Think, Henry, where
1t would put me if either of you should
kill the other. Henry, I've been think
Ing It all over for three days now. |
see what must come. 1t will break
both our hearts, know. but they will
be broken anyway. There is no way
out, Henry-nOne."
"Nan. what do you meanT
'You must give me up"
They were sitting in the hospital
garden, he at her side on the bench
that he called their bench. II was
here he had made his unrebuked
avowal-here, he had afterward told
her, that he began to live. "Give you
up" he echoed with gentleness. "How
could 1 do that? You're like the morn
ing for me, Nan. Without you there's
no day; you're the kiss of the noun
tain wind and the light of the stars
to me. Without the thought of you
I'd sicken and faint in the saddle, I'd
lose my way in the hills; without you
- 4. -
ter where am. no matter how feel,
If l think of you strength wells into
my heart like a spring. 1 never could
give you up
He told her all would be well he
cause 1t must be well that she must
trust him; that he would bring her
safe through every danger and every
storm. If she would only stick to him.
And Nan, sobbing her fears one by one
out on his breast, put her arms around
his neck and whispered that for life or
death. she would stick.
1t was not hard for De Spain next
morning to find Duke Morgan. The
difficulty was to meet him without the
mob Of hangers-on whose appetite had
been whettes with the prospect of
death, and perhaps more than one, In
the meeting Of men whose supremacy
with the gun had never been success
fully disputed. 1t required all the
Diplomacy Of Lefever TO pull or a
conference between the two which
should not from the start be hopeless,
because OF crowd OF Dukes parusans
whose presence would egg him on. lDI
spite Of everything. to a combat.
But toward eleven O'Clock In the
morning, De Spain having been con.
cealed like a circus performer during
every minute earlier. Duke Morgan wa
found, alone In BARRIERS hands In tn,
Mountain house. At the moment Duke
left the revolving chair and walked to|
the cigar stand TO pay his check De
Spain entered the shop through the
rear door opening from the hotel office
Passing with an easy step the row
OF BARRIERS lined up In Whiting beside
their chairs, De Spain walked straight
down the open aisle, behind Morgan's
back. While Duke bent over the case
to select n cigar, De Spain. passing,
placed himself at the mountain-man's
side and between him and the street
sunshine. 1t was taking an advantage,
De Spain was well aware, but under
the circumstances he thought himself
entitled TO II good light on Dukes eye.
De Spain wore an ordinary sack
street suit, with no sign Of weapon
about him; but none of those who con.
sidered themselves favored spectators
of a lOng-awuited encounter felt any
doubt as to his ability to put his hand
on one at incomparably short notice
There was, however. no trace of hos,
tility or suspicion in De SPANS greet
ing.
Continued next week.