Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-01-18
III De there /.

the tr3p-IS this strange move of yours
going to be fair to Miss Longstreth?"
asked 1IacNelly, ia significant low
voice.
Like great tree chopped at the
roots Duane vibrated to that. He
looked up as if he had seen a ghost.
Mercilessly the ranger captain went
on: You can win her, Duane! Oh,
you can't fool me. [ was wise in a
minute. Fight with US from cover
You'll be free, honored, happy. That
girl loves you! l saw it in her eyes.
She's"
But Duane cut him short with
fierce gesture. He lunged up TO his
feet, and the rangers fell back. Dark,
silent, grim as he had been, still there
was a transformation singularIy more
sinister, stranger.
Enough. I'm done" he said, SOM
berly. I've planned. Do we agree
or shall meet Poggin and his gang
alOne|
MacNelly cursed and again threw
up his hands, this time in baf1ed
chagrin. There was deep regret in
his dark eyes as they rested upon
Duane
Duane was left alone.
Never had his mind been so quick, so
clear, so wonderful in it's understanding
Of what had heretofore been intricate
and elusive impulses Of his strange
nature His determination was TO meet
Do al
had a chance-Poggin first-and then
the others He was as unalterable
in that decision as if on the instant
of it's acceptance he had become stone.
Why? Then came realization. He
was not ranger now. He cared moth
ing for the state. He had no thought
of freeing the community of a danger
Gus outlaw, of Kidding the country of
an obstacle to its progress and pros
perity. He wanted to kill POggin. 1t
was significant now that he forgot the
other outlaws. He was the gunman,
the gun-thrOWer, the gun-fghter, pas
sionate and terrible. His fathers
blood, that dark and fierce strain, his
| mothers spirit, that strong and I'M
quenchabIe spirit of the surviving piO-
neer-these had been in him; and the
killings, one after another, the wild
and haunted years, had made him, alb
SOlutely in spite of his will, the gun
hopelessly.
The thing he had intelligence
| enough to hate he had become. At
| last he shuddered under the driving,
ruthless, inhuman blood-lust of the
gunman. Actual pride of his record
Actual vanity in his speed with a
gun! Actual jealousy of any rival!
Duane could not believe it. But
! there he was without a choice. What
| he had feared for years had become
a monstrous reality. He stood strip
| ped bare, his soul naked-the soul of
| Cain. And at the utter abasement
! the soul ne dcspised suddenly leaped
| and quivered with the thought of Ray
! LOngstreth.
Then came agony. He loved the
girl. He wanted her. All her sweet
ness, her fire, and pleading returned
to torture him.
| At that moment the door opened, and
Ray Longstreth entered.
Duane" she said, softly. Captain
! MacNelly sent me to you"
But you shouldn't have come" re-
! piled Duane.
CAS- soon as he told me I would
have come whether he wished it or
not You left me-au of us-stunned.
I had no time to thank you. Oh, | do
with all my soul. It was noble of
you. Father is overcome. He didn't
expect so much. And he'll be true.
But, Duane, l was told to hurry, and
here I'm selfishly using time"
GO, then-and leave me. You
mustn't unnerve me now, when there's
| q desperate game to finish"
'Need it be desperate?" she whisp-
cred, coming close to him.
yes; it can't be else"
Her eyes were dark, strained, beau
| tiful ana they shed q light upon
| Duane he had never seen before.
you're going to take some mao
| iISh, Sllt Stiitl bcI llS
| you not to. You said-yOu cared fol-
! me-and I-oh, Duane-don't you
| know"
The low voice deep, sweet as ar
old chord, faltered and broke auC
| failed.
Duane sustained a sudden shock
and an instant of paralyzed confusion
of thought.
She moved, she swept out her hands
and the wonder of her eyes dimmed
in a flood of tears.
MY God! You can't care for me7'
he cried, hoarsely.
Then she met him, hands outstretch.
ed.
But I dol dor
Swift as light Duane caught her and
held her to his breast. He stood hold.
ing her tight, with the feel of her
warm, throbbing breast and the CLASP
OF her arms and flesh and blood reali
ties to fight a terrible fear. He fell
her, and for the moment the might
of it was stronger than all the demons
that possessed him. And he held hel
as if she had been his soul, his
strength on earth, his hope of heaven
against his lips.
The strife of doubt all passed. He
| II