Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-05-25

NV, nan, ne SalO, you huoW Ahc'
You may have doubts-they will all
die. You will hear many stories about
me-but you will say: I put the car
tridges in his revolver with my own
hands, and / know he won't abuse the
means of defense 1 gave him myself
There can never be any real doubts
or misunderstanding between us
again, Nan" He waited for her to
speak, but she remained silent.
"You have given me my life. my de-
fense." he continued, passing from a
subject that he perceived was better
left untouched. "Who is nearest and
dearest to you at homer
"My Uncle Duke"
"Then l never will raise & hand
against your Uncle Duke. And this
man. tonight-thls cousin--Gale2 Nan,
what is that mann"
81 hate him"
"Thank God! So do II"
"But he is a cousin"
"Then l suppose he must be one OF
mine"
"Unless he tries to kill you"
"He won't be very long In trying
that. And now, what about yourself2
What have you got to defend yourself
against him, aud against every other
drunken man7'
She laid her own pistol without a
word in De Spain's hand. He felt it,
opened. closed. and gave it back.
''That's a good defender-when It's In
reach. When it's at home it's a poor
one"
at win never be at home again ex-
cept when I ann
"Shall tell you a secretY'
"What is it?" asked Nan unsuspect-
ingly.
"We are engaged to be married"
She sprang from Mm like deer. 'It's
dead secret" he said gravely; mo
body knows it yet-not even you"
you need never talk again like
that IL you want to be friends with
me-" she said Indignantly. II hate
It."
"Hate It If you will; it's so. And
it began when you handed me that
little bit Of lead and brass on the
mountain tonight, to defend your life
aud mlne."
"Pn hate you IL you prosecute me
the way Gale does. The moon is
almost up. You must co."
"YOu haven't told me-" he persisted,
show you got away at ALL" They had
walked out of the trees. He looked
reluctantly TO the east. "Tell me and
I'll CO." he promised.
after went up to my room wait
ed till the house was all quiet. Then
/ started for Calabasas. When came
back I got up to my room without be-
Ing seen. and sat at the window q long
time. / waited till a. the men stopped
riding past. Then ] climbed through
the window and down the kitchen roof,
and let myself down to the ground.
Some more men came past, and I hid
on the porch and slipped over to the
horse barns and found q hackamOre,
and went down to the corral and hunt
ed around till found this little pinto
she's the best to ride bareback"
81 could ride a razorback-- Why take
all that trouble FOR me?"
''f you DOM start while you have
chance, you undo everything have
tried TO do to avoid a fight"
The wind, stirring softly, set the
aspen leaves qulvering. The stars,
chilled In the thin, clear night air,
hung diamondlike In the heavens and
the eastern sky across the distant des-
ert paled for the rising moon. The
two, standing at tn norse's head, lis
tened momen together ir the dark
ness. De Spain, leaning forward, said
something In low, laughing voice
Nan made no answer. Then, bending,
he took her hand and, before she could
release it, caught It up to his lips.
For a long time after he had gone
she stood, listening for a shOt-wOn-
dering, breathless at moments, wheth-
er he could get past the waiting traps.
De Spain, true TO all she had ever
heard of his Indianiike stealth, had
left her side unabashed and unafraid-
living, laughing, paying bold court to
her even when she stubbornly refused
to be courtad-and had made himself
in the twinkling Of an eye a part of
the silence beyond--the silence of the
night, the wind, the stars, the waste
of sand, and of all the mystery that
brooded upon 1t. She would have well
coined, in her keen suspense, a sound
of some kind. some reminder that he
yet lived and could yet laugh; none
came.