The Ordway new era., 1921-04-01

up TO. 1t was some time before he went
on. I'm askin' you TO keep It," he
said. "And If anything should happen
TO me. I'm askin' you to keep the mon
ey. too"
The girl caught his tattered sleeve.
No, mol" she said. "Dont say
thatI"
He looked down at the hand on his
sleeve; picked it up; held 1t an in
slant; suffered her to take it away.
II know who killed Louie Solomon
he said slowly. Il know who has the
Blue Moon-absolute knowledge, but
no proof He'll be on my trail tomor-
row: and his eyes are the most danger
Gus eyes In the Flatwoods- He'd ask
nothing better than chance to XIII
me. And l am any mans game now.'
1t Is marvellous how woman's In
tuition will drive at the very heart OF
a matter that puzzles men. She saw at
a flash what had escaped the wits OF
the whole village.
You mean the-the-timber buyer,
she said.
II mean the timber buyer" he an
swered. with a 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
east yard first. and then the west. I'm
not aiming to leave any tracks, but
it's so dark can't make sure" He
was talking rapidly. I'm 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. II 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;
have the money transferred to you;
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.
1t was the one thing he knew not how
to face. His hard life hadn't taught
him that. The tears hurt him. What
had caused them? Maybe 1t 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 long breath; dropped his hand
to his side; stared in astonishment.
She was smiling-smiling through the
tears-and the dimples were back. The
ways of woman-utterly beyond him.
and past finding out! She smoothed
the draft out in her hands and was
looking at him over it.
81 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 1t under a fold of the loose gar
ment across her bosom.
81 haven't a soul in the world to
leave it to but-you."
His slow eyes left her face and
stared hard at the basin of red water.
Stepping over to the stand, he stopped
and snuffed the candle. The huge
shadow of him filed the room. Turn
ing away, after he had the candle
again at full flame, his eyes came back
to the thoughtful face of his compan-
ion.
THAT revolver saw yesterday on
the mantel-is 1t loaded?"
II think So"
She looked up in curious half sur
prise. as If the question had brought
her thoughts back from afar.
May see it?"
"Why-yes-"
He shaded the candle again while
she lifted the curtain over the door (;
paused a moment to listen to the
heavy breathing of the sleeper in the
west room; crossed to the mantel over
the fireplace and brought him the re-
volyer.
Several minutes the man spared to
its inspection: 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 1t use it?" he
asked, looking up from his inspection.
i've shot lots of squirrels with 1t,
sometimes clear In the treetops," she
answered. "And once I killed hawk
that pestered the chickens"
A grin puckered his eyes for mo-
ment, then his brows lowered. An
other question, hard one, had to be
asked, that set him raking over his
slim stock of words for ways to ask 1t.
do girls-I mean-have you got any
place about yOu-your dress-to car
ry it?"
She was looking at him.. her eyes
frank and wide-eyes that had no
need to narrow.
u haven't" she answered; 'but 1
can make one"
"I advise you to-"
He laid the revolver on the stand