The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-07-11

thing in the continuous smile cllight-
cned her more than the word, II no
ticed your pony vent lame. You
stopped To took at his foot"
You were behind me-" exclaimed
Nan.
Il didn't see YOU" ne countered pru-
IDENTIFY.
She seemed to fathom something
from the eXpressIv.: OF his face. You
couldn't have known / was coming in,"
She said quickly.
"No." He paused. Her eyes seemed
to invite Il further confidence. But
after you started 1t would be IA pity
if any harm came To you on the road"
you knew Uncle Duke was in
town." Scott nodded. "Do you know
VIII. | cameI'
II made a guess at it. | don't think
you need worry over anything"
Did you follow me down from the
hospital tonight?'
81 IA coming from my house after
supper. | only kept close enough to
you to be handy"
"Oh, | understand. And you are very
kind. | don't know what to do now"
go back to the hospital for the
night. | will send Henry de Spain
up there just as soon as he comes to
town."
Suppose Uncle Duke sees him first.
| am deathly afraid Of their meeting"
"Tll see that he doesn't see him
first"
Even De Spain himself, when he
came back the next night, seemed
hardly able to reassure her. When
she had told all her story, De Spain
laughed at her fears. 'Ill bring that
man around, Nan, don't worry. Don't
believe we shall ever fight. may not
be able TO bring him around tomorrow,
or mex week, but I'll do it. 1t takes
two to quarrel, you know"
"But you don't know how unreason-
ing Uncle Duke Is when he is angry"
said Nan m%ournfully. HE won't listen
to anybody. He always would listen
to me until now. Now, he says l have
gone back on him, and he doesn't care
what happens. Think, Henry, where
IL would put me If either Of you should
kill the other. Henry, I've been think
ing II all over for three days now. |
see what must come. 1t will break
both our hearts, l know, but they will
be broken anyway. There is no way
out, Henry-none."
"Nan. what do you mean?"
you must give me up"
They were sitting in the hospita
garden, he at her side on the bench
that he called their bench. 1t was
here he had made his %unrebuked
avowal-here, ne had afterward told
her, that he began to live. Give you
up" he echoed with g~entleness. How
could do that? You're like the morn
ing for me, Nan. Without you there's
no day you're the kiss of the noun
tain wind and the light Of the stars
to me. Without the thought of you
I'd sicken and faint In the saddle, I'd
lose my way in the hills without you
there would be no tomorrow. No mat
ter where l am, no matter how l feel,
If l think Of you strength wells into
give you up"
he told her all would be we'll be-
cause 1t must be well that she must
trust him; that he would bring her
safe through every danger and every
storm, If she would only stick to him.
And Nan. sobbing her fears one by one
out on his breast, put her arms around
his neck aud whispered that for life or
death, she would stick.
1t was not hard for De Spain next
morning to find Duke Morgan. The
difficulty vas to meet him without the
mob Of hangers-on whose appetite had
been whetted with the prospect of a
death, and perhaps more than me-, In
the meeting of men whose supremacy
with the gun had never been success
fully disputed. IL required all the
diplomacy Of Lefever to pull of" a
conference between the two which
should not from the start be hopeless.
because OF q crowu Of dukes partisans
whose presence would egg him on, in
spite of everything. TO a combat.
But toward eleven o'clock IN the
morning. De Spain having been con-
cealed like a circus performer during
every minute earlier. Duke Morgan was
found, alone. in a BARRIERS hands in the
Mountain house. At the moment Duke
left the revolving chair and walked to
the cigar stand to pay his check, De
Spain entered the shop through the
rear door opening from the hotel office.
Passing with an easy step the row
OF BARRIERS lined up In waiting beside
their chairs, De Spain walked straight
down the open aisle, behind Morgan's
back. While Duke bent over the case
to select a cigar, De SPAIN, passing,
placed himself at the mountain-man's
side and between him and the street
sunshine. 1t was taking al advantage,
DE Spain was well aware, but under
the circumstances he thought himself
entitled to q good light on Dukes eye.
De Spain wore an ordinary sack
street suit. with no sign Of Q weapon
about him /; but none of those who con-
nidoro6 fhomaolvoa favoro6 nnoCfatOrn