The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-06-02
CHAPTER XVII.
Hope ForIorn.

rope forlorn.
There were hours in that night that
each had reason long to remember; q
night that seemed to bring them, in
spite Of their devotion, to the end of
their dream. They parted late, each
trying to soften the blow as it fell on
the other, each protesting courage
which, in the face of the revelation,
neither could clearly feel,
In the morning Jeffries brought
down to De Spain, who had spent
sleepless night at the office, a letter
from Nan.
De Spain opened it with acute mis-
givings. Hardly able to believe his
eyes, he slowly read:
Dearest-A wild hope has come to me.
Perhaps we don't know the truth of this
terrible story as it really is. Suppose we
should be condemning poor Uncle Duke
without having the real facts? Sassoon
was wretch. Henry, If ever one lived
curse to everyone. What purpose he
could serve by repeating this story, which
he must have kept very secret till now, ]
don't know: but there was some reason.
I must know the whole TRUTH feel that
I, alone, can get hold Of 1t. and that you
WOuAO dQpEOVo WudL I'LL uOlnS IL YOU
were here with me in this little room.
where am writing at daybreak. to show
you my heart.
Long before you get this shall be
speeding toward the gap. I am going
to Uncle Duke to get from him tho ex.
act truth. Uncle Duke IL breaking-has
broken-and now that the very worst has
me what ask. Whether I can got him
to repeat this to you. to come to you. to
throw himself on your pity. my dearest
one. I don't know. But It L. for this I
am going to try. and for this beg Of
your love-the love Of which have been
10 proudl-that you will lot me stay With
him until at least learn everything and
can bring the whole story to you. II ]
can bring him, will.
And shall be safe with Unexpectedly
safe. Gale has been driven away. Pard-
aloe. know I can trust, and he viii be
under the roof with me. Please, do not
try to come to mo. It might ruin every
back with what I hope for, or what
fear, very, very soon. Not till then can
I bear to look into your eyes. You have
better right than anyone In the world
to know the whole truth, cost what Il
may. Be patient for only little while
with NAN.
It was Jeffries who said, afterward,
he hoped never again to be the bearer
Of letter such as that. Never until
he had read and grasped the contents
Of Mans note had Jeffries seen the
bundle of resource and nerve and
sinew, that men called Henry de
Spain, go to pieces. For once, trouble
overf1 ore him.
When he was able to speak he told
Jeffries everything. 1T is my fault"
he said hopelessly. II was so crippled,
so stunned, she must have thought
see it now-that was making ready
to ride out by daybreak and shoot
Duke down on sight. It's the price
man must pay, Jeffries, for the abil.
lily to defend himself against this
bunch of holdup men and assassins.
Because they can't get me, I'm gun.
man."
"No, you're not '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,
not because Of my good looks, but
because I've been, so far, a fraction of
q second quicker on trigger than
these doubled crooks"
Jeffries, from behind his pipe, re-
garded De Spain's random talk calmly.
II do feel hard over my fathers
DEATH" he went on modify. "Who
wouldn't? If God meant me to forget
It, why did he put this mark on my
face, jeff? I did talk pretty strong to
Nan about it on Music mountain,
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