The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-04-27
CHAPTER xxIlI-Continued.

De Spain suspected nothing of what
ehey were talking about, but he was
uneasy concerning Nan, and was not
to be baked, by any combination, of
his purpose of finding her. To secure
information concerning her was not
possible, unless he should enter the
house, and this, with scant hesitation,
he decided to do.
He wore a snug-fitting leathern
coat. He unbuttoned this and threw
1t open as he stepped noiselessly up
to the door. Laying his hand on the
knob, he paused then, finding the
door unlocked, he pushed it slowly
open.
The wind, rushed in, upset his cal
culations and blew open the door lead
ing from the hall into the living room.
the open door, across the hall. In
stantly De Spain stepped inside and
directly behind the front door-which
he now realized he dare not close
and stood expectant in the darkness.
Gale Morgan, with an impatient ex-
clamation, strobe from the fireplace to
close the front door.
AS he walked into the hall and
slammed the front door shut, he could
have touched with his hand the man
standing in the shadow behind it. De
Spain, not hoping to escape, stood
with folded arms, but under the ell
bow Of his left arm was hidden the
long muzzle of his revolver. Holding
his breath, he waited. Gales mind
was apparently filed with other
things. He did not suspect the pres
ence of an intruder, and he walked
back into the living room, partly clos
ing the second door. De Spain, fol-
lowing almost on his heels, stepped
past this door past the hall stairs OPP
opening at the end of the hall into
the dining room. Barely ten feet from
him, this room opened through an
arch into the living room, and where
he stood he could hear all that was
said.
"who's thereT" demanded Duke
gruffiy.
Nobody" said Gale. go on,
Druel."
Druel talked softly and through his
nose: II was only going to say 1t
would be good idea to have two wit
nesses."
''Nita," suggested Gale.
Duke was profane. "You couldn't
keep the girl I'm the room If she had
Nita to help her. And 1 want 1t I'M
derstood, Gale, between you and me,
fair and square, that Mans goin' to
live right here with me after this mar
riage till I'm satisfied she's willing
to go to you-otherwise 1t can't take
place, now or never"
De Spain opened his ears. Gale
felt the hard, cold tone of his crusty
relative, and answered with like
harshness: "What do you keep harp
ing on that for? You've got my word.
All want of you is to keep yours
understand"
Come, come" interposed Druel.
There's no need of hard words. But
we need two witnesses. Who's going
to be the other witnessT
Before anyone could answer De
Spain stepped out into the open arch
way before the three men. "I'll act
as the second Witness" he said.
!. With a common roar the Morgans
standing slightly sidewise, his coat
lapels tapped wide open, his arms
akimbo, and his hands on his hips,
faced the three In an attitude of read
aness only. He had reckoned on the
instant of indecision which at times,
when coupled with apprehension, par
alyzes the will of two men acting to-
gether. Under the circumstances Ell
ther of the Morgans alone would have
whipped a gun on De Spain at sight.
Together, and knowing that to do so
meant death to the one that took the
first shot from the archway, each wait
ed for the other; that fraction of a
second unsettled their purpose. In
stead Of bullets, each launched curses
at the intruder, and every second that
passed led away from fight.
De Spain took their oaths, demands
and abuse without batting an eye.-
"Pm here for the second witness"
was all he repeated, covering both
men with short glances. Druel, his
face muddy white as the whisky
bloat deserted ii, shrunk inside his
shabby clothes. De Spain with each
epithet hurled at him took a dreaded
step toward Gale, and Druel, in the
line of fire, brought his knees up and
his head down till he curled like a
porcupine.
Gale, game as he undoubtedly was,
cornered, felt perhaps recollectlons Of
Calabasas and close quarters with the
brown eyes and the burning face.
What they might mean in this little
room, which De Spain was crossing
step by step, was food for thought.
Nor did De Spain break his obstinate
silence until their burst of rage had