The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1920-03-27
Crooked
Trails
and
Straight
William Macleod R0ine
cepynss. ., . W pusssan oenp.a,

Did she zay she knew mei' he
purred.
she will say 1t In court--if II ever
comes to that"
'Just what will she say. II you
pIeaser
Kate told him In four sentences with
a singing directness that was the out
standing note OF her. that and fine
self-forgetful courage.
us that ALI Comes TO this then.
that she says heard her scream, ran
an. and saved your fathers life. Ia
that a penitentiary offenseT"
you helped the villain take his
body into the cellar. You plotted with
him to hold father prisoner there
lf.Says that, does she-that she over
heard us plottingf"
"Of course she did not oyerhear
what you said. You took good care Of
that. But she knew you were consplr-
ang." sf eN
"Just naturally knew It without
overhearing." be derided. "And of
course IL was In a plot i must have
been Johnny good deal of
the time. Hung round there a-plenty,
4 expectY
He had touched on the weak spot OF
Mrs. Wylies testimony. The man who
had saved Cullison's life, after a 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 away and she did not know who
had helped him.
Kate was silent.
.How would this do for an explana-
tonT" he suggested lazily. "Well say
Just for the sake of argument that
Mrs. wylIe's story is true, that ! did
save your fathers life. Wen put 1t
that did help carry him downstairs
where IL was cooler and that / did
have long talk with the fellow Black
well. What would / be talking to him
about, IL wasn't reading the riot act
TO him7 And after he had said he was
sorry why shouldn't hit the road out
OF there7 There's no love lost between
me and Luck CullIson. / wasn't under
any obligations TO wrap him UP In cot
ton and lEing him back this side up
with care TO his anxious friends. II
he chose later 20 take hike out OF
town ON p.d.q. hurry up business |
amt 60 blame. And l reckon you'll
find n jury will agree with me-"
She brushed his explanation aside
with a woman's superb indifference to
logic.
sYou can talk OF course. don't
care. II is all lles--lies. You have
kidnapped father and are holding him
somewhere. Don't you dare 10 hurt
MIN. II you should-Oh. II you should
You will wish you had never been
born" The fierceness OF her passion
beat upon him like sudden summer
hall.
He forgot for the moment that re
was man with the tolls OF the law
closing upon him. forgot that his sue
cess and even his liberty were at stake.
He saw only q girl with the hunger OF
love in her wistful eyes, and knew
that It lay In his power to bring back
the laughter and the light into them.
Suppose can't fight fair any long
er. Suppose I've let myself get trapped
and II isn't up TO me but 10 somebody
else. Up to your father. sayf"
my fatherf"
sYes. How could turn him loose
when the first thing he did would be
to swear out warrant for my arrestf"
But he wouldn't-not II you free
hlm."
He laughed harshIy. Il thought you
knew him. He's hard as nails" He
laughed again. bitterly. mot that II
matters. or course was just putting
a case. Nothing to IL really"
fHe was hedging because he thought
ne had gone too far. but she appeared
not TO notice II. Her eyes had the far
away look Of one who communes with
herself.
sIf ! could only see him and have a
talk with him. think could get him
20 do as I ask. He nearly always
does" Her gaze went swiftly back to
him. .Let me talk with him. There's
a reason why he ought TO be free now.
one that would appeal 10 him."
This was what he had come for, but
now that she had met him half way he
hesitated. II she should not succeed
ne would be worse OF than before. He
could neither hold her prisoner nor
free her 20 lead ths pack Of the law
20 his hiding place. On the other hand
n CullIson thought they intended TO
keep her prisoner he would have &c
compromise. lie dared not leave her
IN the hands OF Lutte Blackwell. Fem
drick decided TO take chance. At the
worst he could turn them both free
and leave for sonora.
.All right I'll take you TO him.
bot you'ii have 20 do AZ ] say"
.Yc1" she. srced- H~EF
-youvs cot 70 persuade Luck to