Charlevoix county herald., 1920-06-18

meant little enough, II II only served
their ends. Mendez, no doubt, was
brute and monster. yet It was Juan
Cateras whom she really feared-he
was cruel, Shiny. seeking to hide his
hatefulness behind that hideous smile:
and ne had already chosen her for
his victim. Who would save her,
Mendezf Lacy7 She did not know;
and somehow neither Of these was the
name which arose to her lips, almost
In the form of prayer; the name she
whispered with a faint throb of hope
| In Its utterance-Jim Westcott.
The big miner. was all she had to
rely upon; he had been in her mind
all through the long ride; he arose
before her again now, and she wei.
coined the memory with a conscious
throb of expectation. Those people
back there could not conceal for long
her absence from him; II he lived he
would surely seek her again. =.
Her womanly instinct had read the
message In the mans eyes; she was
Of interest to him. he cared; 1t was
no. mere ordinary afriendliness which
would bring him back; no! not even
their mutual connection with the case
Of Frederick Cavendish. Her eyes
frightened, and a flush of color crept
into her cheeks. She believed In him,
In his courage-he had appealed to
| her as a man. Z
Suddenly she seemed to realize the
yearning Of her own heart, her utter
faith In him. He would come, he
must come; even now he might have
| discovered her sudden disappearance,
and suspected the cause. He would
never believe any lies they might tell
that she had departed without
word, without message-he would
find out the truth somehow; he was
not the kind to lie down, to avoid
danger when IT confronted duty-and,
besides, he cared. She knew this,
comprehended without question; there
had been no word spoken, yet she
knew.
Suddenly the girls slender body
grew taut, and her thin, white, deli
cate hands clutched' the granite wall
| back Of her, and into her gray eyes
crept the light of terror, terror that
was new and strange to her, a name
less clutching fear that her varied ex.
periences In the city had never
brought her, an insidious, terrible
fright for her bodily safety. Her deli
cate ears, strained under their spun
brown covering of hair-there was no
doubt of 1t; she heard footsteps in
| the passage way. Juan Cateras with
his leering, lustful smile was coming
back.
The uncertainty was Of scarcely an
instant. The key turned in the lock
and the door opened. Cateras, smil-
ing, stepped within, calmly closed the
door behind him, and then turned to
greet the lady. She met his bow with
eyes Of firm resolve, though her heart
ached. 4ES.
why do you come, senorY' she
asked so quietly that the man In sur.
prise halted his step forward.
ITO keep my word" and his white
teeth cleaned in an effort at pleas
antness. II am always truthful with
your sex; and told you would re-
turn shortly"
"Yet whyT she insisted, anxious
only to keep him away as long as pos
sible, and yet enchain his interest
IF am prisoner here, / am not your
prisoner. Do you come, then, to serve
mel"
"Can you doubt that senorita p
still endeavoring to retain the mask
he had first assumed. Because cir
cumstances make me defy the lava
mere love of adventure, no more-ls
no reason why I should be devoid Of
heart and sympathy" He took a step
nearer. II care nothing for this Bill
Lacy-nothing." and he snapped his
fingers derisively. why should II
But, instead. would be your friend.
The senOrita Is an American, and to
her one of my race may not appeal,
yet I would prove my devotion with
my life"
"YOur devotion, senorr
us not the word expressivef I am
of Southern race, senorita, and we
d. not calculate-we feel. Why. then.
should conceal my eagerness? 1t Is
love which causes me to thus defy all
and offer you freedom"
'Lovei" she laughed. why, that is
impossible. Surely you only Jest,
senor."
The smile deserted his lips. and
with a quick. unexpected movement
he grasped her hand.
Jest! You would call It a lest. You
Will not think so for long. Why. what
can you dor No; stop shrinking back
from me. 1t will be well that you hs-
ten. / come to you with a chance of
escape 1 will take the risk and pledge
you my aid. alone can save Won:
there Is no other to whom you can
turn. In return I but ask my re-
ward"
She hesitated. her eyes lifting to Ids
face ..a~