Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1919-08-16
HIS DISCOVERY
BY JACK LAYTON.

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Torrents of rain caught Brant IN his
or ~ the lunelicSt point of the road.
IL had hoped TO reach his hotel before
Ia" clouds burst. Now. he decided 10
abandon the rJin-Sna 6cd rUua5out and
seek shelter in the old vacated house
cliu. ~cd through surrounding trees.
He made dash for it and was re-
wa~,.rd by Cry space on the verauda.
Through a French window he could
SEE low cciIiu-ed room. He pat his
hand 20 tie window sash and II
Slipped upward AT his touch.
Eu~couccl In the reclining chair,
h" Iir n riga". drew newspaper from
his pocket. and proceeded To make
the best Of the situation. The storm
not rrIcuting I'm force. the busy man
of affairs lay and dreamed ~ he WAS
ror permitted TO dream i'm the lite
which hurried. And the dream car
RED hm back TO boyhpod days to a
loW-crilugcd room with freight flick
eriug against its panels a room peo-
pied with those who were gone.
He remembered. too. Youthful
dream. of woman 70 be. who should
fill lis mothers place and make for
him the sort of home his father knew.
Hotel apartments satisfied his home
need or he had thought the want sat
iSfiei until storm clouds had driven
him to This haven. and The enforced in
action ia he silent room brought back
to him strangely his memories.
He decided 70 remain longer. Time
could not make the situation worse, il
might make It better. SO he folded his
paper and lighted q second cigar.
musing over brief article he had read
concerning p set of desperate poachers
/ who we're supposed 10 be located some
where in this vicinity. Their secret
place Of residence was said to he
| stacked with stolen sDoils. Sheriff and
troopers had been unsuccessful In
their capture. and the amazing thing
about 1t all was the fact that their
accommodating scout was Il woman.
An innocent appearing girl, the article
said, entirely allaying suspicion"
Brant thought he would like to meet
this girl he thought that he would
enjoy n part in bringing the creature
20 justice. And as he reflected.
seeming panel in the wall slipped back
before his eyes and In the reflected
light from a further room he saw q
girl framed in the opening.
The first thing that he noticed about
the girl was that she deliberately
aimed a revolver in his direction. and
the second thing was her rare beauty.
The startling part of the adventure TO
HIM was the fact that the girl was re.
markably like the woman of his
dreams, like the ideal woman In his
picture Of home. The woman pointed
a revolver now at his heart.
II had made up my mind to ask you
TO go quickly" she said, "but II may
be snfer to keep you here. you might
come 6nKrk 1gsfn NJ rt.me -svhen-fsrsfnn !
no, prepared. There Is windowless
closet at your right; step in there di.
rectly, please, so that I may lock the
door"
He was In her eyes, of course, an
agent to bring her companions to JUS
tice. As he looked again into the
girls purposeful eyes. Brant cOnsid.
cred it best to pretend prompt obed.
ence to her command. If, In some
way he might outwit her, he would
be able to find the solution of the diff.
fculry.
After that one glance he was,
strangely enough, not eager to bring
the girl to punishment. She was, lie
reflected Savagely, hut n tool in the
hands Of the desperadOes who dom.
mated her. Then with sudden daring
Bent rushed across the floor in the
darkness and caught the girl off
guard, dashing the pistol from her
nPrvcleSs hand. Firmly he held her
in his arms. until in the hicierlng light
from the farther room he saw terror
gather and grow In her eyes. then with
q low. sOhbing breath, the girl tainted
When he carried her through the
door panel into the lighted room he q
found there a sort of compact living
apartment. kitchen utensils. an oil q
stove. n dresser, cot bed. And near G
the widest window some half finished
sketches, paint brushes close by. The /
lovely girl at last opened her trembling S
eyelds. -
81 know" she breathed, "you are =.
one of those horrible poacr ers-hid.
den near here. | read It In the paper. .
got out my revolver when saw you
rome through the window. Then I "
thought I'd better take the advantage. t
But I've never NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
was afraid. I'm not as brave as
you will 90 away-quickly,
ri rromise-nOt TO give information"
Great Scott" cried Brant. "I'm VI
lot a poacher-girl. I'm the man who
,wnS this house-uSed to live here
when was kid Can't hear to sell
he old place, always hoping to have
I fixed up some day-for my home. q
But how did you happen to he here"
lie paused rerplexPdly.
"Why." murmured the lovely girl,
he color came flooding back to her Il
ace. az am the poacher. guess. after "a
H. You see. had put little tent HI
lear by so that | might sketch the 9,
IN rdrn The vacant hOt,Sa sapr,,ad sn