Gunnison news-champion., 1918-08-02

-And you knew
Il had forbidden It"
You had forbidden ity-
He went to her and caught her by
the shoulders, forcing her TO look up
Into his face.
"You7 Then all this time that you
have seen what you must have seen in
my eyes, you have been"
AT the head of band Of thieves
Elinor said slowly.
Ward released her. and turning took
slow survey Of the room.
"Then l suppose this is n trapf- he
said.
1T is not trap Her voice was
dead. Il opposed this-thIs plan from
the start. That Is the reason one OF
the men-of my friends-suspected
that l."
"Go on. What did he suspects"
THAT I-but that doesn't matter.
He burned the parish house and
planned all this. Tonight he meant
TO get the money from you, and WAS.
desperate. / could think of no other
way
Wards faith in her was slow 10 die.
He took step toward her, his hands
out, then dropped them at his sides.
'Then-the night the parish house
burned when I came down in the dawn
and found you sitting there"-he
clenched his hands-"all the time you
knew. You knew, And had
, thought"
He went TO the table and, opening
Il contained into his pocket. Then he
buttoned his coat about him. Elinor
watched him stonily.
.You are going back down the hill7"
Il am going home" He did not even
look at her.
''If you would only go some place
else" she said pitifully. ITO the club,
or TO Mrs. Brynnt's. Please believe
me. Whatever l am. and have told
you the worst, am trying to think of
you tonight, not of myself"
Il am going back to my house." said
the assistant rector of Saint Jude's.
He got as far as the door on to the ter
race. and there he turned. II was as
II he dared not look at her. as II he
meant to carry away with him some
tenderer memory than of this white.
Tipped, guilty woman before him.
If seem hard" he said INSTEAD
lily. 'it is because am suffering. You
are quite safe, of course. shall not
go to the police" Had he cared less
he would have been more merciful.
Old Henriette watched his figure "a
he went down the garden steps and
into the road.
Strange things in this house !" she
mumbled. shaking her head. preach
ers coming and going at all hours. and
Elinor In church this morning.
Strange things. Hilary Kingston. since
you went away"
She shnfled along the terrace and
into the house. her thin black shawl
drawn about her shoulders. In the
library Elinor lay face down on the
floor. Old Henriette bent over her.
MY lamb. my pet" she soothed her.
Hes fine man. but there are many
others And when one Is young and
lovely"
Since Elinor made no response but
only nioaned, old Henriette rose from
her knees and shuffied out of the room,
but cautiously, as she passed she took
| from table drawer old Hilary's re-
volver and carried 1t out under her
shawl.
She was very wise, was wrinkled
Henriette. and she knew the Kingston
blood.
Ward came down the road rapidly.
There was d faint moon. One part of
his mind had ceased to work his high
er faculties were dormant with mis-
cry. with the anesthesia that comes
for time after. great grief or shock.
Physically he was entirely alert; HIS
keen eyes searched each clump of
shrubbery before he reached 1t. Not
that he feared attack for himself; his
cup Of life was bitter to his taste that
night but he carried trust In his
pockets, that he would deliver.
HUI was waiting at the foot Of the
Kingston place. crouched behind q
wall. II the boy had been Jealous be-
fore, he was maddened now. Ward
had been with Ellnor. Hun, coming
up the. ihhl had heard his short good
night to Henriette ip the garden, had
heard him come down the hill. There
were only two explanations. Either the
man was In love with her and had
gone up that night Of his own volition,
or Elinor had sent for him. One was
~ bad as the other.
Ward did not have a chance. As
he came abreast Of the wall, the boy
nfed and he pitched forward on his
face. With the re-echoing Of the shot
among the hills, Hunrs madness died
away. Murder was not his game; vio-
lent and sudden death perhaps, but
never. before. shot from behind. Had
the wealth Of q city been In Wards
Il l-~ - L.. - A. - a