The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-04-16

CHAPTER xii.-continued.
10
"He1l o be well. don't you think.
mister? He said he would be well
when the holidays"
But Dawes expression stopped the
boy. whose own face went suddenly
wild with fear. "He is well now.
Charlie" he said. as steadily as he
could. ut is all holidays now for
him"
The match had burned out and the
room was In utter darkness. Dave
heard the child drawing his feet
across the floor. then suddenly whim-
pering like q thing that had been NOR
tally hurt. He CROPPED toward him.
and at length his fingers found his
shock Of hair. He drew the boy
slowly into his arms; then very. very
tight. . After all. they were Or
phans together.
"You will come with me-" he said
ut length. II will see that you are
provided for. The doctor will soon
be here. or we will meet him on the
way, and he will make the arrange
ments for-the arrangements that
have to be made, you know"
They retraced their steps toward
the town. meeting the doctor at the
broken bridge. Dave exchanged a
few words with him in low tones. and
they passed on. Soon they were
swinging again through the city
streets Even with the developments
Of the evening pressing heavily upon
his mind Dave could not resist the
temptation to stop and listen for q
moment to bulletins being read
through q megaphone.
1.-THE kaiser has stripped OF his
British regalia." said the announcer.
HE says he will never again year
Z British uniform"
A chnckle Of derisive laughter ran
through the mob: then someone struck
up q well4knOwn refrain-"What the
h- do We carer" Up and down the
street voices caught up the chorus.
+. Within q year the bones Of
many In that thoughtless crowd,
bleaching On the fields Of Flanders
showed how much they cared.
Dave drove direct to the Hardy home.
After some delay Irene met him at
the door. and Dave explained the sit
uation In q few words. I'VE must
take care Of him. Reenie." he said. II
eeel . personal responsibility"
"Of curse we will take him." she
answered. HE will live here until
We have a-some place Of our own"
Her face was bright with something
which must be tenderness. "Bring
him upstairs. We will allot him q
room and introduce him first to-the
bathroom. And tomorrow we shall
have an excursion downtown, and get
some new clothes for Chaxlie-El.
dem"
As they moved up the stairs Con-
ward. who had been In another room
In conversation with Mrs. Hardy, fol-
lowed them unseen. The evening had
been interminable for Coward. For
three hours he had awaited word that
his victim had been trapped. and for
three hours no word had come. II
bis plans had miscarried, II Dave had
discovered the plot. we'll And here
at lenEth was Dave, engrossed In a
very different matter. Coward fol-
lowed them up the stairs.
Irene and Dave chatted with the
boy for . few moments. then Irene
turned to some arrangements for his
| comfort and Dave started downstairs.
In the passage he was met by Con-
ward.
"What are you doing heref" Dave
demanded. a. he felt his head begin
ning to swim In anger.
Coward leered only the nor Of
feusively, and walked down the stairs
beside him. At the foot he coolly lit
another cigarette. He held the match
before him and calmly watched 1t
burn out. Then he extended It toward
Dave.
"You remember our wager. Eden.
I present You with-a burned-0ut
MATCH
"You liarl' cried Dave. "You in.
famous liar!"
ASK her." Coward replied. "She
will deny It, Of course. All women
do"
Dave felt his muscles tighten, and
knew that In q moment he would tear
| his victim to pieces. As his clenched
Asst came to the side Of his body !.
struck something hard. His re.
volverl He had forgotten: he was
not Ii the habit Of carrying It. In an
instant he had Coward covered.
Dave did not press the trigger a
once He took q fierce delight In tor
turing the man who had wrecked biz
ufe-even while he told himself be