The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-10-21

their pDiS. hltIl'lCL. III Ncuots was
brute and monster, yet II was Juan
Cateras whom she really feared-he
was cruel. Shiny. seeking TO hide his
h~atefulness behind that hideous smile /:
and he had already chosen her for
his victim. Who would save her
Mendez? Lacy? 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 well
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 10 him, he cared; 1t was
no mere ordinary frlendliness which
would bring him back; no! not even
their mutual connection with the case
Of Frederick C~avendlsh. 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 n man.
Suddenly she seemed to realize the
warming OF her own heart, her utter
4 ~ T. II. .z t.
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 q
word, without n messag~he would
find out the truth somehow; he was
not the kind to lie down, to avoid
danger when II confronted duty-and,
besides, he cared. She knew this,
co%mprehended 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, a 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
,yl,,Lt 80 10. rhn hnnV l fnntctnrr tn
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-
"Why do you collie, senor?" she
asked so quietly that the man in sur
prise halted his step forward.
"To keep my word" and his white
teeth cleaned in an effort at pleas
dltll'oos 4 am always IL VI VII
your sex; and l told you l would re-
turn shortly"
"Yet why?" 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, senoritaf'
still endeavoring to retain the mask
he had first assumed. Because cir
cumstances make me defy the lava
mere love of adventure, no morris
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 1?
But, instead, / would be your friend.
The senorita Is an American, and to
her one Of my race may not appeal,
yet / would prove my devotion with
my life"
"Your devotion. senor?"
as not the word expressive? I am
of a Southern race, senorita, and we
d, not calculate-we feel. Why, then,
should l conceal my e~agerness? 1t is
love which causes me to thus defy all
and offer you freedom"
"Love!" she laughed. "Why, that Is
impossible. Surely you only Jest,
senior"
The smile deserted his lips, and
with a quick. unexpected movement
he grasped her hand.
"Jest! You would call 1t a Jest. You
Will not think so for long. Why, what
can you do? No; stop shrinking back
from me. 1t will be well that you lis
ten. / come 10 you with a chance of
escape; l will take the risk and pledge
you my aid. l alone can save O
there is no other TO whom you can
turn. In return 1 but ask my re-
ward"
She hesitated, her eyes lifting to his
face.
"You promise me your assistanceY'
within the hour"