Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-06
was utterly re-
presence.


She merely stood as she had enter
ed the room, straining, suppressinc
her breathto The final possibility that
her senses might be better attune
10 that which transpired beyond her
sight. Her whole world was outside
Hardy and her immediate surround.
ings were beyond her consideration.
And in that iota of time Hardy
gazed at her with IN absorption That
wiped out memory or bought Of what
might be happening in the street he
low them Yet even as he felt the
spell OF her beauty, made almost ira
6ic by circumstance, he told himself
that il must be only Il freak OF his
over-wrought consciousness that this
wo..an before him could not extend
an appeal strong enough to wreck hts
concentration on all that melodrama-
tic turmoil,
Again ,he rifle spat yiciously.
With the sound the girl bounded
forward. coming to an abrupt halt d.
recily before Hardy, SO near that he
could have touched her by raising an
arm She looked sharply at him. her
brow harried. but he felt rs though
she were not even then wholly con
scious Of his presence.
Her gaze sought his and Glove there.
Gradually change came; slowly she
recognized in him another Individual.
Then she raised both hands toward
him, palms upward, appealingly.
They're shooting," she said in a
whisper, weakly and with n catch in
her voice that made him wonder ii she
were going 10 cry.
But with that whimsical wonder his
mind flashed back 10 the scene out
side and abruptly he turned from her,
! starting for the window.
Careful" she warned. plaintivc.
| ness gone from her voice, harsh
noie, IN is place. and her fingers
( putkcd hts coatsieeve. we may be
in their line OF fire."
He experienced feeling of chasrin
on the words, coming from a girl.
showing her more possessed than he
~ae; nat he saw the wisdom and went
forward cautiously, raising TO his tip
toes to see the trio in the street.
Hardy heard the girl gasp behind
him as she, too saw.
The outlaw with the rifle was
backing swiftly, carefully toward the
! horses. His gunstock was close
against his hip and the Larrel had
ceased 10 swing slowly in measured
arc. but was stiff, ready 10 spring
either way.
His figure was no longer 1.-THE and
lettering but rigid. mechanical. NOV.
ing with fixed precision, as is the
frame of a dog that backs snarline
away from menace
The man with the revolvers who
had advanced on the bank walked
siaowise into the street His forearmS
stuck stfrly out from elbows that
were close 10 his sides and his gaze
was fixed on the building toward
which he had stalkod so eagerly mo
mcnt before.
As Hardy looked he shot quick
r'.nce across the triangle; then re
.sumed his careful, steady, covered
edeing along toward the mounted
man-guns ready TO stab at the frs
sign of danger from the quarter which
he commanded.
The horses were milling, one OF
either side of The man who EelC
them, both jerking and lunsine wick
eddy
The rider still held his revolver
high, but his eyes no longer searche,
the street. He talked TO the horse.
lowly, rapidly, coayingly. Hardy coult
not distinguish the words, but in th'
unbroken monoIogue was something
OF desperation.
Then the dull crash of the assailinl
weapon again, AND before ii coul'
echo the weapons they watched belch
ed orange flame. The rifleman fire.
as though automatically, the on
with The reviewers half turned ava.
from the bank 10 set his weapons ril
ping.
f'FC NE Jf)NTINrrED