The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-02-15
CHAPTER XvlI.--Continued.

~
"Great God, how did that Injun get
in here, Mr.. Larrence?" calculated
Conrod, as the candles showed him the
huddled form of the dying savage.
Don't ask me, Captain Conrod," re-
turned the other cheerfully. your
door was open when I got here and ne
jumped on me when I came in; ana
he'd have got me if it had not been for
this man."
And he laid his hand gently on the
shoulder OF the hysterical figure
crouched on the floor.
"Holy rattlesnakes -" burst from the
astonished Conrod. Its Doc Elliott y
David Laurence lifted his rescuer to
his feet. "Here, let's see your face,
my friend"
The man looked up slowly.
"Ned Scull!' said Laurence in a
CHASTITY whisper, and staggered back
ward.
The man bowed his head again.
Laurence spoke like man in q
dream:
"Scull, / have found you at last y
81 am innocent, / swear it," cried
Scull. 81 never betrayed you"
The others looked from one to the
other of the two men in amazement.
Where had they known each other be-
fore? By what name did Laurence call
Elliott? What was their secret? The
moment was tense with waiting.
David turned to the little group.
Gentlemen" he said, ''may I talk to
this man alone for mOment?"
"Sure as shootin'," said Conrod after
a pause, "but let's get this Injun out of
here first"
He bent above the filthy body and
turned the limp shoulders over.
"Why, it's that wuthless Piankeshaw
come in last week to sell his skins |;
been drunk ever since. He'll be sober
while, now"
With scant ceremony they dragged
the heavy body with the dark red stain
between the shoulder blades into the
rain. One Indian less on the wilder
ness border was better luck than bad.
The half-shut eyes stared blankly up
ward in the beating rain.
'.Bury him in the mornin'," directed
ConrOd; and Scull-whom the village
had known only as "ElliOtt''-and Da-
vid Laurence were left alone together.
'Now," said Laurence with deadly
calm, "tell me how you got here"
The man Soul clasped his hands in
entreaty. ..~.,..
II left Nottingham because 1 heard
you had sworn to kill me. swear to
you before God was not responsible
for your fathers"
Laurence checked the word on Scull'S
lips.
"How came you here?" he repeated.
81 heard you had gone to America
and I came across the Atlantic to find
you; I thought I might show you
was innocent. I swear am innocent"
"You lie," returned David calmly,
''you lie in every word. You informed
falsely on my father, and he died on
the gallows because of you. You be-
came British spy. You fled from
England to escape me; you never
thought to find me here. Nor did
think to find you here, under an as
sumed name, pretending to be ply
Sician."
Scull looked at him in terror.
"God" he whispered, his lips dry
with fear.
A door that led to an inner room sud-
denly swung open and a woman
stepped quickly out.
A cry Of fear escaped her as she saw
David towering menacingly above
Scull's bowed head. She was face to
face with David and he looked at her
in establishment.
Lydia Cranmer
The girl flung herself between the
two men and clasping Scull in her
arms she turned defantly toward
David.
mo, not Lydia Cranmer," she cried,
"but Mistress Scull %
Flush, Lydia" commanded Scull
duly. eco back, let us end our bust
ness" He swallowed convulsively and
strOked her hair as though soothing a
child. go back, DEAR"
'Not I, Ned !" she answered. "What
does this man want? Oh, Ned, there
is no danger, is there? Tell me, what
is wrongT
AS David looked at the two he felt
the wild anger dying down in his
breast, and instead there arose feel
ing of self-pity. All, if only woman
had thrown her arms about his neck
and faced the world for him, believing
in him! An unbearable pang shot
through him. His eyes were hot with
the bitter envy of one who looks into
the windows of a house where love
and light and warmth stand firm
against the desolate world without, and
who knows himself a homeless wan
derer on the earth. When he spoke, it
was in a changed voice:
"Are you this woman's husband?"
eve were married month ago."
said Scull. He seemed almost to have
forgotten David'S presence and his
hand caressed the girls cheek with a
strange gentleness.
David looked at them for a moment
in silence, then drew deep breath.
He had made up his mind. He was
glad that he could be merciful, to an
other, though life might be never mer-
ciful to him. He thrust the pistol back
into the bosom of his hunting shirt
and his hand fell upon the knot Of