The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-06-15

hut ono man for one woman. one
woman for man. In all the world.
Annie must have been right. propins
guilty did Twas that not why men
and women nearly always married In
their own village. their own social
eircie1 Well. then. her. WIS propin.
guilty. Object. matrimonyl Would
propinduity solve all this at last. as
tho this were a dessert island. they
two alone remainingy Codl
Hours or moments later she could
moi have told which she raised her
head suddenly, what was IL that she
had hcard7 There was n cough, a
football In the yard.
oh, then he was coming hornet
] Why not have the whole thing out
now. over once and for ali1
She felt tho light In the door dark
en-. knew that some one was stand.
Ing there. But something. subcon.
AciouH. out OF her new. dark world
something. she could not tell what
told her this WINS not Sim Gage.
She reached out her hand instinc-
lively. by mere chance u fell upon
the heavy revolver In Its holster
| which Sim had hung upon the pole At
the head Of her bed. She caught IL
out. drew back into the room. IN.
ward the head OF the bed. and Stun
bling into her rude boz chair. aat
there. the revolver held loosely in
her hand. She knew little OF It's &C.
ton,
She heard heavy step on the
floor. that did not sound familiar.
a clearing OF the throat which was
yet moro unfamiliar. a laugh which
was the last thing needed This man
had no business there. else he would
not have laughed.
Who's thereT" she called out.
TREMENDOUSLY. who are your" She
turned on him her sighticns eyea. q
vast terror In her soul.
Good. morning" said n throaty
voice. She could fairly hear him grin.
-How'r everything this morningy
Where's your man this morning."
"Hes-just across In the meadows
he'll be back soon." said Mary War.
ren.
ia that 30, seen him 10 miles
down the road just a while back.
Now. look here. womsn-----''
lie had come fully into the room.
and now he saw In her lap the
weapon. Half unconsciously shs
raised ~
Look outr' h. called. 1T may be
loaded Drop ii'''
''comc step further. and III
| shootr' said Mary Warren. And
/ then. aiiho he did not know that she
| was nightieas he saw on her face
that look which might well warn
him. Any rufsisn knows that WON.
an "a moro apt to shoot than In q
man.
This rufiian paused now half way
inside the door and looked about
him. A grin spread across his wide.
high. checked face. lie reached down
silently 10 tho stout spruce stick.
| charr-d at one end. that stood be.
tween him and the stove. GraspinE
q; he advanced on uptoc. silent an a
cat. toward IN. woman He was con
WINGED that her sight was poor. al.
most convinced that she did not se~
At all. because she made no move
4
hack with a swift sweep he struck
tho barrel OF the revolver blow 40
forccfui that II was cast quite across
the room He sprsng upon II at ones.
"Simr' she called out aloud. sim,
simr'
The name caused vast mirth In
her cap,or. sim Simr' he Knocked
her. Lot o. help Sind be II he was
here. wouldn't h~7 A. tho I cared
for that dirty ioafcr, He's going to
sit all that's coming 10 him' Aw.
SIM He'll leave us Soviet sabcats
alone. We're thinkers Were free
men. We run our own government.
and we run our own selves. toor'
The liquor had made the man 10
quaclous. He mus; boast. She tried
to guess wha, he might mean.
but something In the. muddled
brain OF tho man retained recollection
Of an earlier purpose. stay inside.
your he said. Il got work TO do. II
you go outside III kill you Do you
hear me-
she heard his feet passing. heard
| them upon the scattered boards near
the door. then mufficd In the grass.
She could not guess what no was
about.
He went to the edge Of the stand
Ing grass beyond the dooryard. and
began sowing. broadcast. spikes.
nails. bits Of iron. intended to ruin
tho sickle blades of the mowers when
they came to work. Even he thrust
n spike or bolt hero or there upright
In the ground TO catch a blade.
Mary Warren where she sat knew
none Of this. but she heard sound
presently which she could not mis-.
take--the cracking Of fret The scent
OF II camc TO her nostriis. The man
had fired the meager remnants of