Williams news., 1917-05-10

q do not go with the mine-neces- sarily."
 "No. But the mine necessarily goes with you-now," replied Hardy.
 ''Be so kind as to explain. I under Btand that you were ordered to Alas ka."
 Were you not told of my return as tar as the butter"
 Then your orders to leave were tountermanded," Marie evaded the question.
 His eyes darkened, and his face con- tracted as if from twinge of pain. But he replied with quiet steadiness: That is of no consequence. May I ask if you consider my word good" "Yes." The answer was given with put an instant's hesitation.
 He smiled gravely. You cannot think I came back to win the mine for myself. You have my word that I will assign 1t to you as soon as have the legal right"
 "To me? But why?'' The dilating eyes of the girl showed her utter surprise md astonishment. "Why? There, that last night at the agency, you showed that you despised me-"
 "Never that" he disclaimed. "I was bitter-harsh. But the suddenness of the discovery that you and he Let us not talk of that. It is past. I would not have come back to trouble you, only" Again he stopped. q bol fo hoo h It was necessary that you should be- come owner of the mine-sole owner. It is to be yours, not his. Promise me that you will never give him any share fn it. That is all I ask"
 'I will not promise unless you tell me your reason for asking it, and unless you tell me your reason for doing what you have done."
 Hardy whitened. every well, then. It is simply this: If you own the mine, he will wish to marry you"
 "1f T. But he already wishes to" The girl hesitated, and fell silent, her black eyebrows bent in thought.
 'I do not seek to persuade you to the contrary" said Hardy. "All I ask is that you give me your promise to allow = him no share in the mine"
 Marie looked down. After a silence she answered in low tone: T prom ise."
 "That is al," he said. q must now be going"
 Wait" she urged. "You have not told me why-why you have dcne this"
 "Is it necessary" he replied. "Please do not fancy it is because I a:n at all unselfish. You have promised your self to him. Knowing that I no longer had even a fighting chance, I have merely sought to make sure that he that you should have at least fair op- portunity to be happy. That is all."
 He fingered a moment for last look at her beautiful face, upon which had fallen the inscrutable stolidity of the Indian in her nature. No other eX- presSion could have so completely con- frmed him in his belief that he had lost his fighting chance to win her. He faced about to return up the mountain the way he had come.
 Marie stood as he left her, silent and immobile, following his brisk ascent up the path to the mine shaft with wide-eyed gaze that perceived the objective image, yet at the same time seemed to be looking inward. A purpling that shaded the blue-black- ness of her eyes to violet-black alone betrayed the intensity of her emotion
 The receding figure had passed along the spur to the foot of the steep ascent up the mountain before the girl became aware that Vandervyn was close beside her. He started to pass behind, to where Hardy had dropped the rife and revolver. In a flash o1 swift movement she sprang ahead o1 him and set her foot upon the rife barrel.
 You shall not''
 Her voice was low and seemingly tranquil, her face as stolid as before but the look in her eyes made him to a orlo ok