The Jasper news., 1920-06-03

he laughed q little and looked at
her with eyes that narrowed Ike
those Of a cat basklng In the sun. he
had something the look Of the larger
members Of the cat family-the soft
long tread, the compact ripping mus
cles OF q tame panther, and. with these
the threat that always lies behind It's
sleepy wariness.
you're young lady of one idea.
mo use arguing with you, reckon"
mot the least use. I've talked with
Mrs. wylie."
He raised his eyebrows, "Do know
the lady7" a
"she win know you. That is more
to the point"
"Did she say she knew me?" he
purred,
"she will say It in court-if It ever
comes to that.4
"Just what will she say, II you
pleasef"
Kate told him In four sentences with
a singing directness that was the out
standing note, ,of her, that and flne
self.forgetful courage.
as that ALI Comes to this then,
that she says heard her scream, ran
in, and saved your fathers life. Is
that penitentiary offense2"
"You helped the villain take his
body into the cellar. You plotted with
him to hold father a prisoner there"
"Snys that, does she-that she over
heard us plottingf"
"Of course she did not Overhear
what you said. You took good care Of
that But she knew you were conspir-
ing"
"Just naturally knew II without
? oyerhear ring" he derided. "And of
course IL | was In plot | must have
teen Johnnyon-the-spot good deal OF
the time. Hung round there a'plenty,
/ expect?"
He had touched on the weak spot of
Mrs. Wylie's testimony. The man who
had saved Cullison's life, after long
talk with Blackwell, had gone out OF
the Jack of Hearts and had not re-
turned so far as she knew. For her
former husband had sent her on an
errand Just before the prisoner was
/ | taken dWhy anu ShS uiu hVh hho" WV
had helped him.
Kate was silent.
"How would this do for an explana'
tion?" he suggested lazlly. "We'll say
Just for the sake of argument that
Mrs. WylIe's story Is true, that ! die
save your fathers life. Wen put 4
that ! did help carry him downstairs
where It was cooler and that ! die
have long talk with the fell0w Black
well. Whnt would ] be talking to hin
| about, II wnsn't reading the riot ac
TO him7 And after he had said he wal
3, ry why shouldn't hit the road ou
| Of there2 There's no love lost betweeI
4 me and Luck Culllson. l wasn't unde
any obligations to wrap him up in cot
ton and bring him back this side VI
| with care &c his anxious friends. !
he chose later to take hike out o
town on p.d.Q. hurry up business
amt to blame. And reckon you'l
find a jury will agree with me-"
She brushed his explanation asld
r with a woman's superb Indifference {
!" logic.
You can talk of course. don
care. It Is all lies--lles. You hav
" kidnapped father and are holding hlI
w somewhere. Don't you dare to hur
., him. II you should-oh. If you shoul
W you will wish you had never bee
born" The flerceness OF her passio
ne beat upon him like sudden summe
- hail.
g, He forgot for the moment that h
a. was a man with the tolls Of the la
~ closing upon him, forgot that his su,
II cess and even his liberty were at stak
o He saw only a girl with the hunger {
'e' love In her wistful eyes. and kne
that It lay IN his power to bring bnc
81 the laughter and the light into them.
'.S suppose | can't fight fair any lon
- er. Suppose I've let myself get trappe
"a and II isn't up to me but to somebot
else. Up to your father, sayf"
ew my fatherf"
"Yes. How could turn him looi
err when the first thing he did would |
to swear out warrant for my arrest
ia. "But he wouldn't-not II you fr'
him."
10Y He laughed harshly. Il thought u
he knew him. He's hard as nails" T
ain laughed again. bitterly. mot that
matters. OF course was Just puttiI
ew case. Nothing to It really"
un- He was hedging because he thong
. he had gone too far, but she appear
ar not to notice II. Her eyes had the n