The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-03-31

uerlng, greatness at moments, wheth.
er he could get past the waiting traps
DE Spain, true to all she had ever
heard of his 1ndianlike stealth, had
lett her side unabashed and unafraid-
living, laughing, paying bold court to
her even when she stubbornly refused
to be courted-and had made himself
In the twinkling of an eye n 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 it. She would have vel.
coined, in her keen suspense, a sound
OF some kind. some reminder that he
yet lived and could yet laugh; none
came.
Day was breaking when the night
boss standing In the doorway at the
Calabasas barns, saw horseman rid.
ing at a leisurely pace up the Thief
River road. The bA'nman scrutinizpd
the approaching stranger closely
There was something strange and
something familiar in the outlines OF
the figure. But when the night rider
had dismounted in front of the barn.
door, turned his horse loose, and, limp.
ing stitlly walked forward on foot the
man rubbed his eyes hard before he
could believe them. Then In, uttered
an incredulous greeting and led Henry
de Spain into the barn office.
"There's friends Of yours in your
room upstairs right now" he declared
bullying with shock. De Spain, sitting
down, forbade the barnman to disturb
them. on'y asking who they were.
Nhcr1 he had asked half a dozen
more leisurcly questions and avoided
answering twice as many. the barnman
ut De Spain's request helped him M.
stairs. Beside himself with excite.
ment, the night boss turned, grinning
as he laid one hand on the doorknot
and the other on De Spain's shoulder.
You couldn't have come" he whis-
pcr"d loudly, lat Il better time"
The entryway was dark, and from
the silence within the room one might
have thought it's occupants, if there
were such, wrapped in slumber. But
at intervals u faint clicking sound
could be heard. The night man threw
open the door. BY the light of two
stage-lampS, one set on the dresser
and the other on n window ledge, four
men sat about rickety table in a life
and-death struggle ut cards. No voice
broke the tense silence, not even when
the door was thrown broadly open.
No one--neither Lcfevcr, Scott
Frank Elpaso nor McAlpin-lookcd up
when De Spain walked into the room
and, with the night man tiptoeing be.
hind, advanced composedly toward the
group. Even then his presence would
have passed linnoticed, but that Bob
Scotts ear mechanically recorded the
limping step and transmitted to his
trained intelligence merely notice of
something unusual.
Scott, picking up his cards one at q
time as Lefever dealt, raised his eyes
Startling as the sight of the maj
given up for dead must have been, nc
muscle of Bob Scott's body moved
His expression of surprise slowly dis
solved into a grin that mutcly invited
the others, as he had found out for
himself, to find out for themselves.
Lefever finished his deal, threw down
the pack, and picked up his hand. His
suspicious eyes never rose above the
level of the faces Mt the table; but
when he had thumbed his cards and
looked from one to the other of the
remaining players to read the weather
signals, he perceived on Scott's face
an mwonted expression, and looked tt
where the scouts gaze was turned fol
an explanation of it. Lefever's Owr
eyes, at the sight of the thinned, fa
miliar face behind Elpasos chair
starting, opened like full moons. The
big fellow spread one hand out, his
cards hidden within it, and with the
other hand prudently drew down his
pile of chips. Gentlemen" he sale
lightly, "tiis game is interned." He
rose and put silent hand across the
table over Elpasos shoulder. Henry
he exclaimed impassively, zone ques
ton, If you please only one: How
In thunder did you do it?''