Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-03-16
CHAPTER XII.
Nan Drifts.

Ni'i'NN Sums Id W sptuh W pule
whom Bull Page, his nurse, reported
very cross but not hurt much, Nan
left her packet for him and rode
home. Her Uncle Duke Was in town
She had the house TO herself with
only Bonita, the old Mexican serving
woman, aud Nan ute her late supper
alone.
The longer she pondered on Do
Spain ana his dlcmma--und her owl
the more she worried. When she
Went 70 bed upstairs In her little
gable room, She tossed ON her PILLOW
till Il resolve seized her TO 70 up again
to his hiding place and SIZE what Sht
could see or hear possibly, If one
were on foot she could uncover a plot
She dressed reSoutcly, buckled on
Il holster TO her side, and slipping n
revolyer--a new one that Gale had
given her-into II for protection, she
walked softly downstairs and out 81
doors. The night mir wus clear with
thrce-Quarter moon well up in The
sky. She took her way rapidly along
the trail TO the mountain, keeping ~
much as possible within the great
shadows cast by the towering peaks.
Breathing stralthIly ana keyed Ia n
tense feeling Of uncertainty aud sus.
plclon. Nan at length reached without
adventure the corner Of the ledge
whore She had first seen he Spun,
and there, lying Hat, listened.
Hearing only the music Of the little
cascade. She swept the ledge rs we'll
rs she could With her eyes but II was
now 50 far In shadow as 10 lie in i'm.
pcuetruhe darkness Hardly daring
10 breathe. she crept md felt her way
over II with her hands, discovering
nothing until She had almost reached
he Spains retreat At the farther side.
Then her heart stopped In M agony
of fear underneath tie oyrrhuugns
wall She heard voices. De Spain had
ronfcdrrttrS then. aud had trickHi
her after all.
rut moment later this explanation
failed 70 satisfy her. The mutterngs
were too constant and Too dlsconurct-
ed II laHned ou Nan that his must
be- lelirlum She could hcnr lDc spain
throwing himself from SIDE 10 side,
ana the nour ana far sounds us II "
two voices were explained. She crcpt
nenrer.
He was hahhllng IN the chill dark
ness about ammunition. urging men
to make hnSte, warning them Of some
one coming Nan listened 10 HIS raw
iugs, overcome hy the revelation ~
hts condition she tod herself H. must
lie If he remained longer uuaIded. and
there were unpleasant possibilities II
heded where he lay She did not want
TO pity or 10 help him. She convinced
herself; but she did not want his death
laid 10 Morgan plot-for none Of his
friends would ever believe De Spnln
had found hts way alive and alone
to whore he lay
All OF this Nan wns casting up In
her mind MS she walked home. She
had already decided, but without
realizing It, what to do, aud was will
ing to assume that her mind was sull
open.
Toward daylight OF the morning, De
Spain dreamed he was not alone-that
d figure moved silently In the falutness
n the dawn figure he struggled 10
believe a reality, but one that tricked
his wandering senses and left him. at
The coming Of another day, weaker,
with failing courage and alone.
But when he opened his eyes later.
md with a clearer head, he found food
md drink near Unable 10 believe his