Cleveland County herald., 1919-08-14

1 must be no struggle, no blOodshed. ! Anything but that O'Dowd spoke out of the darkness: You forget that have your own word | for if thar yell be dead woman he fore the day is over Wouldn't it be | better for me to begin shooting at once and spare your soul the everlasting | torture that would begin immediately after your self-produced deceaseY
 A little cry of relief greeted this | quaint sally. "You have my word that I will return with you quietly if-"
 "Thunderation exclaimed Barnes wrathfully What do you think I am? A worm that"
 Easy, easy, me dear man." eau toned ODowd. Keep your seat. Don't be deceived by my internal Irish humor. It is my way to be always pc lite, agreeable an1-prompt. I'll shoot in a second if ye move one step out side that cabin.'
 "ODowd, you haven't the heart to drag her back to that beast of a"
 Hold hard We'll come to the point without further palavesing. Where are ye dragging her yourself. ye ras cal?"
 ''To place where she will be safe from insult, injury, degradation-"
 Well, I have no fault to find with ye for that" said O'Dowd. 'Bedad, I didn't believe you had the nerve to tackle the job. You may be interested to know that up to the moment I left the house your absence had not been noticed, my dear Miss Cameron. And as for you, my dear Barnes, your visit is not even suspected. How the divil did ye do it, Earnest"
 Are you disposed to be friendly, O'Dowd?" demanded Barnes. eff you are not, we may just as we'll fight it out now as later on."
 You are not to fightl" she cried in great agitation. What are you doing? Put It away! Don't shootl' r ''1s 1t gun he is pulling" inquired O'Dowd calmly. And what the deuce are you going to aim at, me hearty? l have q hulpSeye lantern with me. From the luxurious seat behind this rock l could spot ye in a second. Hav- ing said as much I now propose arbi- tration. Would ye mind handing over that tin box in exchange for my po- lite thanks and courteous goodby to both of yer"
 "We have 20 box of any description, Mir. ODowd," cried she triumphantly. ha al Do you mean to tell me you came away without the-your belongings, Miss Cameron?" exclaimed O'Dowd.
 "They are not with me-" she replied Her grasp on Barnes arm frightened. "Oh, isn't it splendid? They did not catch him. He"
 "Will you both swear on your sacred honor that ye haven't the jewels in your possession?'
 "Unhesitatingly," said Barnes.
 q swear, MT. O'Dowd."
 Then" said he, 'I have no time to waste here. I am looking for a tin box. I beg your pardon for disturb ing you."
 "Oh, Mir. O'Dowd, I shall never for get all that you have"
 ''Whist, nowi There is one thing l must insist on your forgetting com pletely: all that has happened in the last five minutes. What l am doing, Mir. Barnes, would be my death sen tence if it ever became known"
 Ut shall never be known through me, O'Dowd I'd like to shake your hand, old man."
 God bless you, MT. O'Dowd," said the girl in low, small voice, singular ly suggestive of tears. "Some day l may be in a position to-"
 Don't say it! You'll spoil every thing if you let me think you are in my debt Bedad, don't be so sure l sha'n't see you again, and soon." 'Tell me how to find Harts Tavern, old man. Fll-"
 ''No, I'm dashed if I do. You ought to be grateful to me for not stopping you entirely, without asking me to give you helping hand. Good-by, and God bless you. I'm praying that
 
 long, Barnes. If you were a crow and wanted to roost on that big tree in front of Hart's Tavern, I dare say you'd take the shortest way there by flying as straight as a bullet from the mouth of this pit, following your ex- tremely good-looking nose"
 They did not wait for the break of day. Taking ODowds hint, Barnes directed his steps straight out from the mouth of the quarry and pressed confidently onward. In answer to question she informed him that there were no fewer than twenty-five men in Green Fancy, all of them shrewd, reso- lute and formidable.
 "I cannot, for the life of me, see why they took chances on inviting me to the house Miss Cameron"
 She was silent for moment, and when she spoke it was with great in- tensity. MT Barnes, had your life