Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-08-30
CHAPTER XVII.


NR& BAu AuoN
-sacA had reason Ion: ia remember. n
: "'snt mat seemed to bring them. In
%sate OF their devotion, to the end Of
sneaf dream. They parted late. each
Tying to soften the blow rs It fell on
me the each processing q courage
W@scn. In the face of the revelation,
neither could clearly feel.
u h morning .Ieifrtes brought
n0wn To De Spain. who had spent a
'saeepiess night at the Office, q letter
from Nan.
DE Spain opened 1t with acute mis-
sEsSs1gs. Hardly able to believe his
eyes, he slowly read:
tbearest-A wild hope has come to me.
kexnAp3 we don't know tIa truth OF this
'tesrtbte story as it really is. Suppose we
shesiid be c~ondemning poor Uncie Duke
Sttnnut having the real facts: 6assoon
~sS 4 wretch. Henry. il ever one lived
. curse TO everyone. What purpose he
+ceosd serve by repeating this story. which
80 nave kept very secret till now. l
FfsEt Know, but there was some reason.
I must kuaw the whole TRUTH feel that
Il. ahsfse, a get hold Of 1t. ana that you
would approve what l am dong II you
bStS WIN HE IN l}iS atlkl6 IoSAis
where ] am writing at aaybrcak. to show
. my heart
Long before you get this I shall be
speeding toward the gap. l am going
70 Uncle Duke to sat from lin the ex-
tHee truth. Uncle Duke Is t~seaking-has
hrsken-aai row that the very worst has
"Sxszne, n VIC must face it, he will tell
frse what I ask. Whether l can get him
tn repeat this to you. to come to you, to
@NF1rnM htrsSaff an vnttr rttS my 1FaraSt
ssne- l don't know. But 1t Is for this I
s2n1 going to try, and for this l beg OF
~ysssar O.e-ttsa low OF which / have been
crcuds-that you will Lot me stay with
ham until I at least learn everything and
can bring the whole story to you. II l
e Ean bring him. / will.
Aud I shall DO safe with Unexpectedly
safe. Gale has been driven away Pard-
asns, I know l can trust. and he will be
ander the roof with me- Please. do not
try to con to me. 1t might ruin every
thing. Only forgive me. n l shall be
hack with what | hopa for. or what I
Gear, very. very seen. MOI till then can
K hear to look into your eyes, You have
4 Sesscr right than anyone in the world
ss know the whole truth, cost what 1t
ssasy. he patient for only a little while
EsSs. NAN.
IL was Jeffries who said, afterward,
Th. hoped never again to be the bearer
eof q sctter such as that. Never until
H., had reai aud grasped the contents
If Mans note had Jeffrtes seen the
bundle OF resource and nerve and
ssEue8. thar men called Henry de
Spain. 80 to pieces. For once. trouble
-1ve.Htth3re him.
When he was able to speak he told
aIeSfries everything. ut is my fault
szae said hnpelessly. II was so crippled,
So stunned, she must have thought
-xse 1t naw-that I was making ready
10 ride out by daybreak and shoot
Duke down on sight. It's the price a
msa must pay, Jeffries, for the abil-
sty to defend himself against this
buaca, OF holdup men and assassins.
Because they can't get me. I'm a gun
gsayl-~" ~
mo, you're not a %'gunman.'"
"a gunman and nothing else. That's
what everybody. friends and enemies,
reckon me--a gunman. You put me
here to clean out this Calabasas gang,
sase because Of my good looks. but
because I've been, 70 far. a fraction Of
IA second quicker on a trigger than
these doubied-d crooks"
Jeifries, from behind his pipe, re
gasvied DE SPANS random talk calmly
II do feel hard over my fathers
death," he went on moodlly. "Whc
woalin't7 II God meant me to forget
&c, why did ne put this mark on my
face. Jeff? 1 did talk pretty strong tt
Man about 1t on Music mountain.
Il did feel, for a long time. I'd like
10 kill with my " hands the mar
THAT murdered my father. JEFF. NJ!
another mus have realized that heI
sbabe, II a m%nn-child, was doomed to ,
life Of bloodshed. I've been trying h
think most Of the night what she's
want me to do now. Idon't know wha
Il can do, or can't do. when I set eye
90 the old scoundrel. He's got to tel
the truth-that's all l say now. II h
s1ies, after what he made my mothe
suffer, he ought to. die like a dog-n'
culatfer who he IL.
II don't want to break Mans heart
what can I dot Hanging him here Il
Sleepy Cat, n I could do 1t. wouldn'
Qhelp her feelings q whole lot. II
gould zee the fellow" De Spain
hands, spread before him on the table
<drew up tight, III I could get my FIR
secrs on his throat. for a minute. nm
1nyk to him, tell him what I think 0
anisu--I might know what I would war
10 do-Nan might be there to see an
,1ss1Se between us. I'd be almost vii
1ur 10 leave things to her to settle hel
ssetf. oaly want what's right. But,
si.4, oath that recorded his closin
Threat was collected and pitiless. y
ssany harm, comes to that girl now frot
.fjtfs wild trip back among those wolve
God plty the men that put It over. I
4a.spe out the whole accursed clan. II
have to swing for It right here !
sstsepy Gait" ,
Jdabr Lefever, Jeffries. Scott In tur
,essk him Ia hand to hold him durln
,fnese days, b restrain ne fury Of NJ
,rrenfment. and keep him from ridln
- tAc gap IL : temper that each {
$50 t7aeW would mean only q trnged
$50 thsn what had gone befor
- three days " tactful represents
1asaI and patient edmonidon from coo
rnee&ed c~sunastoes did not accoinpala
- eaey hcpsd fDr n Do SPANS 1T
AZ 4rseo sabsldsd. but only 1
49, ena,oWela6y ! ssttisd gloom ~
A.- sISS1 fmsi9AAf h0FDk Int uneQ1