The Dermott news., 1917-09-06


iety, my reason for asking?"
II do
"And you Will tell us?'
IL wish to heaven / could"
"Can't you tell us anythng?"
well. yes. l can
"whatT
ut may be breach OF confidence"
I'D take the risk" said the girl, her
bosom heavlng. Was she at last about
to hear from her lover?
"Know where he Is. old manw asked
Rodney.
II think so--not sure, but"
''Where?'-from the woman. breath
lessly.
II didn't agree to tell you that"
what then3"
"All can say is that after the death
of his father he turned up at my ranch
one day some five months ago and told
me his story"
what" exclaimed Rodney. did
he tell you he was innocentf"
Not at first. He told me he was
guilty"
but you didn't believe him, did
you?" asked the woman impulsively.
Il certainly did not"
"Why not?"
well. / don't know why. l just
didn't. that's all. l know Meade.
know him well. know his makeup.
We get accustomed TO sizing up
mans actions out West here. and Il
didn't take me longer than II took
him TO tell the story to know that II
wasn't true"
"Oh. thank you for that" said the
woman.
But our beliefs are not evidence.
Dick" interposed Rodney.
I'VE cant prove II and that's the
point. / told him." continued Winters
that IL was da-darned lie-I beg
Your pardon, Miss Illingworth. l mean
told him that 1t was not true and that
he was n fool for sticking to II. and
-admitted-l-er." floundered
Winters. suddenly realizing that he
was on the eve OF breach OF conf.
dence and checking himself Just In
time. "In fact. the bject was painful
TO him, and l let him alone, which 10
what wt generally do TO n man who
doesn't want his affairs inquired into
too closely" Winters ended lamely.
realizing how near he had come to
betraying his friends confidence and
telling OF Meade's own admission that
he had said what he had TO save the
fame and honor OF the father.
well. what ncxt?" asked Rodney,
as did Helen Hing. 4
worth herself the ranchman's hesita-
ton. and respecting 1t. although the
unavoidable inference gave her great i.
joy.
ale hung around the ranch for q
month or six weeks TO get his balance.
lie WAS pretty badly broken up. I'm !
II bachelor myself and don't know
much about those things. but can
more than life itself"
'But not more than the reputation Of
his father" she said with a little tinge
OF bitterness.
well. l take II he looked at that rs
a matter OF honor. You know n mans
got TO keep his ideals of honor"
Even nj the expense OF a woman's
hearth" said the girl.
at sounds hard. but l guess we've
got 10 admit that, But that's neither
here nor there" he continued. gliding
over the subject "the point is found
that he had 10 fight Ii out himself, and
| mainly let him alone gave him
horse and gun and turned him loose In
the wilds. Best place on earth for a
man in his condition, Miss Ilingworth.>
You can go out into the wilderness and
get nearer 10 God there than any
place l know OF He came back finally.
turned In his gun, borrowed the horse, ,
babe me good-by and said he was go
ing out TO make new start"
where did he go7 Which wayf"
"lle was headed south when / saw
him last. and all this lay in his way
"You mean-l" cried the woman.
"lie may be here?" said Rodney.
Winters nodded.
~ have thought so. It's only
guess. of course, and probably a poor
one. But when l read In the papers
that Colonel Illingworth was coming
here, and that you were along. and
Miss lllingworth, l thought I'd just
take n run down here and see what
could be done"
"Oh. I'm SO glad you have come"
Hes not working on the bridge
said Rodney.
How do you know. Rod2"
II examined all the nav rolia suA
none of them bears his name"
He wouldn't work under his owu6
name In the Martlet Bridge company.
said the woman.
Certainly not. That was only my
hrst step. went around among the
too. and got look at every
one of them. I'm sure he's not there"
CTo BE coNTINUED)
W tuck One