The Adair County news., 1921-01-05
Continued from Pag. 2.

opened and Uriah called her name.
"Come out here, Tonnibel," he COM
handed roughly, and Tony, with Gus
sic In her arms. crept into the cabin
where Reggie was seated on bunk,
looking pale and sullen.
"Set down on the floor, brat" COM
manded Uriah, and Tonnibel dropped
down. snow listen to me, Tony"
went on Devon. "Ever since you've
been knee high to a grasshopper you
Nbeen as mean as the devil. You always
got In behind EIDE when she was here,
but now there amt no skirts to shove
me of. You heart"
Every vestige of blood left the wan
young face.
"Where is mummy" she said, lift
ing imploring eyes to his.
Dead" said Devon brutally, ''as
dead as door nail. Here, my lady,
II you hoIler~ I'll rap you one on the
COB"
"Deadi" cried Tonnibel. Pop,
you're lying to mel know you arei"
"Have it your own way, kid" re-
piled Uriah, with an insolent laugh,
"but one things sure-Ede amt here
to buck against me now. What want
to get into your thick noodle Is you're
goin' to get married as soon as we
get to Auburn. Sect"
The girls eyes remained centered
on his face, horror deep seated In
their gray depths.
Here's Reggie wantin' to marry
you" continued Devon, with q wide
wave at the limp young man. "And
when l say you've got to mean It."
Il won't" fell from Tony's lips, but
the awful expression on her face didn't
change nor did she drop her eyes.
Devon took quick step toward her,
with an appraised arm, and as he had
beaten his wife so he laid the blows
about the girls head and shoulders.
The pig fell from Tony's arms in her
desperate efforts to protect herself
"Oh, daddy, don't, don't, any more!"
she screamed.
Reggie Brown was watching the
brutal scene duly as If it interested
him but little. At the girls fearful
plea Devon stepped back and glared
at her.
'Win you do what bid you, missT
he demanded hoarsely. I'D as soon
kill you as take wink"
Tonniber made no answer save to
weep more wildly, and, because she
did not make ready reply, Uriah
struck her again. Then suddenly
Reginald stood up.
Don't hit 'er any more, Dev," he
drewled. "Shut 'er up a while and
keep 'er without grub, and she'll come
to time. Give 'er a night to think 1t
over. God, but you've walloped her
black and blue as it's"
In answer to this Devon picked
Tony up and threw her into the back
cabin. Then he kicked Gussie over
the threshold, slammed the door and
locked 1t.
Philip MacCauley had padded away
from the Dirty Mary with a dull,
sick fear for the girl he had had to
leave behind. To fight single-handed a
drunken man with a gun was fool.
hardy and would do little Tony nc
good.
When he reached the corner Of the
lake he ran his craft ashore and sat
for long time thinking Suddenly
he saw through the dusk that the ca,
nal boat had left its mooringS and was
moving slowly northward in the teeth
Of the rising wind. With an ejacula.
ton he showed off and was out in the
boiling surf. Wherever that boat went
he decided to go, too.
As he padded carefully along, he
could see the shadows of two men in
the glimmer of the little light in the
small pilot house. Then Reggie was
there with Devon, but where was
Tony?
One small window in the canal boat
gave forth dim light He felt within
him that she was there where thai
light was, alone and suffering. What
had she thought of his allowing him
self to be forced away from her wher
she needed him most? His teeth came
together sharply. He was no coward
this Philip MacCauIey, this captain Of
the Salvation army.
Suddenly he caught sight Of pass
ing shadow in the cabin, and his hear
leapt up within him. Twas the shad
ow of a girl walking up and down
Grimly his teeth set into his under LIZ
and with one deep thrust of the pad
die into the water, he sent the cano'
headlong toward the canal boat. TheI
it was that girls face came to tn
window.
The canoe almost crashed agains
the side of the bigger boat as it cam
sidewise of it, and Philip caught at |