Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-07-13

anu Watched the lower END OF the gap
all night. SassOon was u wide-awake
man"
"Well, I'm sorry, Pardaloe," con-
tinued De spain after moment. "No-
body could call it my fault. 1t was
either he or I--or the life of n woman
who never harmed hair of his head,
and woman I'm bound to protect. He
was running when he WIS hit. II he
had got to cover again there was moth
ing to stop him from picking both of
US off"
HE was hit in the head"
De Spain was silent
at was soft-noSe bullet" contin.
ued Pardaloe.
Again there was a pause. "TlI tell
YOU about that, too, Pardaloe," De
Spain went on collectedly. Il lost my
rifle before that man opened fire on
us. Nan happened to have her rifle
with her-if she hadn't, he'd we
dropped one or both of US off III Capt.
tan. We were pinned against the wall
like n couple of targets. Ii there were
cause she uses them on game-bobcatS
and mountain lions. l never thought
of it till this minute. That is it,"
"What l came up TO tell you has to
do with Dave Sassoon. From what
happened today in the gap l thought
you ought to know it now. Gale and
Duke quarreled yesterday over the way
| things turned out; they were pretty
bitter. This afternoon Gale took it up
| again with his uncle, and it ended in
| Dukes driving him clean out of the
gap"
"Where has he gonew
Nobody knows yet. Ed Wickwiro
told me once that your father was shot
from ambush a good many years ago
! 1t was north of Medicine Bend. on
ranch near the Peace river; that you
never found out who killed him, and
that one reason why you came up into
this country was to keep an eye out for
clue"
"What about it?" asked De Spain,
his tone hardening.
81 was riding horne one n'aht about
| a month ago from CalabasaS with SAG
soon. He'd been drinking. l let HIM
do the talking. He began cusSing you
| out, and talked pretty hard about what
you'd done, and what he'd done, and
| what he was going to do" Nothing,
it seemed, would hurry the story.
FINALLY. SassOOn says: That hound
don't know yet who got his dad. II
was Duke Morgan; that's who got him.
| was with Duke when he turned the
| trick. We rode down TO De SPANS
ranch one night to look up a rustler.
That" concluded Pardaloe, 'was all
! Sassoon would say"
He stopped. He seemed to wait
There was no word of answer, none Ot
comment from the man sitting near
! him. But, for one, at least, who heard
| the passi0nleSs, mOnotonOus recital of
| murder of the long ago, there fol-
| lowed a silence as relentless as fate
a silence sh:ouded In the mystery III
| tho darkness and striking despair into
| two hearts-a silence more fearful
| than any word.
Pardaloe shuGled his feet. He
| coughed, but he evoked no response. Il
thought you was entitled to know
he said finally. "Now that SassoOn will
never talk any more"
De Spain moistened his lips. When
he spoke his voice was cracked anc
! harsh, as if with what he had heard be
had suddenly grown old.
"You are right, rardaloe. l thanB
you when lin the morning. Par
daloe, for the present, go back 20 the
gap. | will talk with Wlckwire--to
morrow"
"Good night, Mr.. de Spain"
Good night PardalOe."
Bending forward, limp, In his chair
supporting his head vucantly on hi1
| hands, trying to think and fearing t.
| think. De Spain heard Pardaloe's meas
! ured tread on the descending steps
and listened mechanically to the no
| treating echoes of his footsteps dow
the shaded street. Minute after min
ute passed. De Spain made no move
A step SO light that it could Only have
beer the step of delicate giTlhood,
step free as the football of youth
poised as the tread of womAnhood and
beauty came down the stairs Slight
as she was, and silent as he was. she
walked straight to him in the dark.
ness, and, sinking between his feet
wound her hands through his tive
arms. 81 heard everything, Henry
/ she murmured, looking up. An invol
| untary start of protest was his only
/ response. ~ was afraid of pl0s
against you. l stayed at the head Of
the stairs. Henry, told you long age
some dreadful thing would come be
! tween us-something not our fault
And now it comes to dash our cup Of
happiness when it Is filing"
She stopped, hoping perhaps he
would say some little word. chat he
would even pat her head, or press hct
hand, but he sat like one stunned. If