Cleveland County herald., 1920-12-30
e. And 1 am any mans game now :


 It is marvellous how woman's in- tuition will drive at the very heart of matter that puzzles men. She saw at flash what had escaped the wits of the whole village.
 You mean the-the--timber buyer" she said.
 T mean the timber buyer,"T he an swered with quick look at her His eyes see everything. You must destroy these bloody rags. and you must rake the yard in the morning. Rake the cast yard first, and then tine west. I'm not aiming to leave any tracks, but it's so dark I can't make sure" He was talking rapidly. ''Tm not expectin' to leave the Flatwoods, and-you, un- less they crowd me hard; not till I've run him down and found my proof. But the odds are against me. If any thing should happen, want you to have this money. And the minute you hear they've got me. you must go straight to the sheriff. Don't risk the woods another hour. Put yourself un- der his protection. and tell him why i; have the money transferred to you i; and-send for that surgeon"
 The tears beat their way up into the girls eyes in spite of her, and ran down her cheeks. Her head bent low It was the one thing he knew not how to face His hard life hadn't taught him that. The tears hurt hiln. What had caused them? Maybe it was just a wOman's way. Maybe he had done wrong to come to her with his cuts and blood and danger.
 She raised her face after time. He drew a long breath; dropped his hand to his side; stared in astonishment. She was smiing-smiling through the tears-and the dimples were back. The ways of woman-utteriy beyond him. and past finding out! She smoothed the draft out in her hands and was looking at him over 1t.
 "I wonder if ought to take it." she unused to herself. as much as to him. He took the paper out of her hands folded 1t and with masterful air thrust it under fold of the loose gar ment across her bosom.
 "I haven't a soul in the world to leave it to but--you.''
 His slow eyes left her face and stared hard at the1basin of red water Stepping over to the stand. he stopped and Snuffed the candle. The hug shadow of him filed the room Turn ing away, after he had the candlt again at full flame, his eyes came back to the thoughtful face of his compan ion.
 ''That revolver I saw yesterday on the mantel-is it loaded?"
 ''I think so.''
 She looked up in curious half sur prise. as if the question had brought her thoughts back from afar.
 "May I see it?"
 'Why-yes--"
 He shaded the candle again while she lifted the. curtain over the door paused 8 moment to listen to the heavy breathing of the sleeper in tine west room crossed to the mantel over the fireplace and brought him the re volver.
 Several minutes the man spared to its inspections: testing the action Of the hammer, cylinder revolution and trigger pull replacing the somewhat corroded caps on the tubes with new ones; even packing fresh grains Of powder into the tubes where he thought necessary,
 Do you know how it use it?' he asked, looking up from his inspection
 ''I've shot lots of squirrels with it. sometimes clear ill tho treetops," she answered. And once killed q hawk that pestered the chickens"
 4 grin puckered his eyes for a mo- ment, then his brows lowered. An other question, q hard one, had to be asked, that set him raking over his slim stock of words for ways to ask It. Do glrls--I mean-have you got any place about you--your dress-to car " it?'
 She was looking at him. her eyes frank and wide-eyes that had no need to narrow.
 '1 haven't" she answered; but can make one."
 "I advise you to-
 He laid the revolver on the stand and turned back to her. The time had come to go, and they both knew 1t. For q while they stood silent. Once his hand reached toward her, but he drew ii back.
 "Will you be ready to raise the blind when blow out the candie?" he said at last.
 She went to the window and the next moment the room was in dark ness.
 Two fluttering spots Of white in the gloom rolled up the blind. found the strings that held it and whipped them into q knot. Then the girl stepped back. The man crawied through the window-with extreme care not to scar the ground outside
 It Is past all knowing how her hands happened to get into his. He bent his head and laid his face upon them; suffered them 10 slip out of his fingers at last; and turned away
 He was gone on the instant-gone