Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-05-17
CHAPTER xxViI.
Hope EorIorn.

| Hope ForIorn.
| There were hours In that night that
each had reason long to remember; a
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 1t fell on
the other, each protesting a 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, letter
| from Nan.
De Spain opened it with acute mis-
gtvings. 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 a wretch, Henry, if ever one lived
a 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
would approve what I am doing If you
were here with me In this little room,
where I am writing at daybreak, to show
| you my heart.
Long Before you get this I shall be
speeding toward the gap. ! am going
| to Uncle Duke to get from him the ex-
act truth. Uncle Duke is breaking-has
broken-and now that the very worst has
| come, and we must face 1t, he will tell
me what I ask. Whether I can get him
to repeat this to you, to come to you, to
| throw himself on your pity, my dearest
| one, I don't know. But 1t is for this I
am going to try, and for this I beg Of
your love-the love Of which I have been
so proud:-that you will let me stay with
j him until at least learn everything and
/ can bring the whole story to you. II ]
can bring him, will.
And I shall be safe with Unexpectedly
| safe. Gale has been driven away. Pard-
aloe. know I can trust, and he will be
| under the roof with me. Please, do not
| try to come to me. 1t might ruin every
| thing. Only forgive me. and / shall be
back with what I hope for, or what
| ] bear to look into your eyes. You have
! q better right than anyone In the world
| 60 know the whole truth, cost what 1t
| 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
overbore him.
When he was able to speak he told
Jeffries everything. "It is my fault -
he said hOpelessly. II vas 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-
ity 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, fraction of
a second quicker on a trigger than
these doubled crooks"
JefTrfes, from behind his pipe, re-
garded De SPANS random talk calmly.
II do feel hard over my fathers
DEATH" he went on moodily. "Who
wouldn't? II God meant me to forget
| 1t, why did he put this mark on my
| face, JEFF? I did talk pretty strong to
Nan about 1t on Music mountain.
ST did feel, for long time, I'd like
| to kill with my own hands the man
that murdered my father, jeff. My
mother must have realized that her
babe, If a man-child, was doomed to
| life of bloodshed. I've been trying to
| think most of the night what she'd
| want me to do now. don't know what
| can do, or can't do, when I set eyes
on the old scoundrel. He's got to tell
| the truth-thats all I say now II he
| lies, after what he made my mother
| suffer, he ought to die like a dog-no
matter who he is.
Il don't want to break Mans heart.
What can I do? Hanging him here In
| Sleepy Cat, if 1 could do it, wouldn't
| help her feelings q whole lot. If
could see the fellow" De SPANS
hands, spread before him on the table,
drew up tight, 'if could get my fin
gers on his throat, for a minute, and
talk TO him, tell him what l think Of
mini might know what / would want
to do-Nan might be there to see and
Judge between us. I'd be almost will
Ing TO leave things to her to settle her
self. only want what's right. But"
the oath that recorded his closing
threat was collected and pitiless, IF
any harm comes to that girl now from
this wild trip back among those wolves
God pity the men that put it over. I'll
wipe out the whole accursed clan. If I
have to swing for it right here In
Sleepy Gait"
Tnh- 7