The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-06-28

HE saw a fire on Music mountain
and watched the lower end OF the gap
all night. Sassoon was wide-awake
man."
We'll Tn sorry, Pardaloe," con-
tinued De Spain after a moment mo
body could call 1t my fault, 1t was
either he or Tor the life of woman
who never harmed a hair of his head
and woman I'm bound to protect, lie
was running when he was hit. If he
had got to cover again there was moth
ing to stop him from picking both of
us on
He was hit In the head
De Spain was silent,
1T was soft-nose bullet" contln-
ued Pardaloe.
Again there was pause. I'm tell
YOU about that. too, Pardaloe,' DE
Spain went on collectedly. II 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 OF III Capt
tan. We were pinned against the wall
like couple Of targets, II there were
soft-nose bullets in her rifle it's be
cause she uses them on game-bohcats
and mountain lions, l never thought
of It till this minute. That is it,
"What | came up 10 tell you has TO
do with Dave Sassoon. From what
happened today In the gnp / 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 1t up
again with his uncle, and Il ended In
Dukes driving him clean out Of the
gap"
where has he goney
"Nobody knows yet Ed WiclSwirc
told me once that your father was shot
from ambush "A good many years ago,
IL was north Of Medicine Bend, on a
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
n clue
"What about it?" asked De Spain,
his tone hardening.
81 was riding home one night about
a month ago from Calnbasas with sas.
soon. He'd been drinking. / 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,
Il seemed, would hurry the story,
"Pinally, Sassoon says: That hound
don't know yet who got his dad, 1t
was Duke Morgan that's who got him.
was with Duke when he turned the
trick. We rode down 10 De Spain's
ranch one night TO look up rustler.'
That" concluded Pardaloe, was all
Sassoon would say"
He stopped. He seemed 20 wait
There was no word OF answer, none OF
comment from the man sitting near
him. But, for one, at least, who heard
! the passionIess, monotcnous recital Of
murder OF the long ago, there fol.
lowed silence as relentless as fate,
a silence shrouded In the mystery Of
! the darkness and striking despair into
two hearts-a silence more fearful
than any word.
Pardaloe shunled his feet He
coughed. but he evoked no response. II
thought you was entitled 10 know
| he said finally "Now that Sassoon will
never talk any more"
De Spain moistcned his lips. When
he spoke his voice was cracked and
harsh, as If with what he had heard he
had suddenly grown old.
"You are right, Pardaloe. | thank
/ you. when lin the morning. Pnr-
daloe, FOR the present go back TO the
gap. | will talk with Wickwire TO-
morrow"
Good night, Mr.. de Spain"
Good night, Pardnloe."
Bending forward, limp, In his chalr,
supporting his head yucanly on his
hands trying to think and fearlag TO
think. De Spain heard Pardaloe's meas
ured tread on the descending steps
/ and listened mechanically 10 the re.
treating echoes OF his footsteps down
the shaded street. Minute after min.
ute passed. De Spain made no move.
/ A step SO light that IL could only have
/ been the step of a delicate girlhood, n
I step free as the football OF youth,
| poised as the tread Of womanhood aud
/ benuty, came down the stairs. Slight
MS she was, and silent as be was, she
walked straight TO him in the DIRK.
ness, and, sinking between his feet
wound her hands through his two
arms. 81 heard everything. Henry
/ she murmured, looking up. An inyol-
untary start OF protest was his only
response. II was afraid Of a plot
against you. ! stayed NJ the head Of
the stairs. Henry, told you long ago
some dreadful thing would come be.
tween something not our fault.
/ And now it comes TO dash our cup Of
happiness when II Is tiIling.'
She stopped, hoping perhaps he
would say some little word. that be
would even pat her head, or press her
hand. but he sat Ike one stunned III
| Il could have been anything but this T.
she blended. low aud sorrowfully. "Oh,
( why did you not listen TO me before
we we're engulfedl My dear Henry
You who've given me all the happiness
have ever had that the blood Of my
own should come against you and
yoursw The emotion she struggled
with. and fought back with all the
strength of her nature, rose In re-
sistless tide that swept her on, in the
face Of his ominous silence, to despair
Her breath, no longer controlled, came
brokenly, and her voice trenbed.
"You have been very kind to me,
Henry--yOu've been the only man I've
o.,os t,no,yn thot a1vvava avarv,yhere