The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-09-15
She grasped Mrs. Devon's arm and

She grasped Mrs. Devon'S arm ana
hurried her toward the porch door.
Run" hissed the girl. Get back
to the boat quick. Don't ever say
word to any one." Then Tony spied
the little black bag she'd seen SO Of
ten on the Dirty Mary. Picking 1t
up she thrust 1t into her mothers
hands. "Here! Take this, too. oh.
mummy; kiss me, kiss mel"
She flung herself upon the woman
frantically, kissed the pallid, impas-
sive face again and again and then
showed Edith out upon the dark porch.
1t was while Tony's whole attention
was centered on her beloved that Reg
inald Brown seized the opportunity
to sneak stealthily from the room.
The nervous women In the upper
part of the house had not expected
to hear the piercing scream that came
to their ears, and, as 1t was repeated
more than once with such terrible in
sistence. Mrs. Curtis. followed by
Katherine, Ned down tie stairs.
Tony heard them coming, and a
surging love for her mother brought
q resolution full-born from the loyal
young heart. She was standing over
| the PROSTATE Uriah when Sarah Cur
tbs and her daughter rushed madly in.
II shot my father" gasped Tonnibel,
looking at Mrs. Curtis, her fingers
locked tightly over the handle of the
revolver.
"Where's your mother?" came from
Mrs. Curtis lips.
Tonnibel didn't answer for a min
! ute, then she shook her head.
'She hasn't been here!" she swal-
lowed hard and continued: "'Twas
my father, and-and / shot him."
Katherine took long breath of ex-
citement.
Don't you know you'll be arrested,
you wicked girl?" she calculated.
"And executed!" interposed Mrs.
Curtis. katherine, call the police"
AS Katherine made for the tele-
phone, motor car driving up to the
house stayed her action. Her hand
dropped from the receiver when Phil
ip MacCauley came in. For moment
he didn't see Devon. With quick,
flashing glance he noticed how pallid
and deathlike his Tony was.
"What have you two been saying to
herr" he demanded in deadening
tones. II suspected something like
this. and-and got away as soon as 1
could. Darling girl. don't look
ht me like that"
Mrs. Curtis was fully herself now.
1.-The wicked girl has shot her own
father" she told Captain MacCauley,
making an effort to keep the salts
faction out of her voice. There he
is. dead on the floorl"
Then Philip saw Devon. In horri-
fed amazement and disbelief his gaze
came back to Tonnibel.
Darling" he said, and he went
swiftly to her. II don't believe a
word of it. It's all lie!"
Tony flung out her hand.
Don't touch me, please dontl" she
mumbled. 81 told her did it, and
1-I-I-did."
She backed away from the. out
stretched arms.
But you couldn't have" groaned
the boy what happened? Oh, God
Won't someone tell me what hap
pened?"
Mother has told you quite plainly,
Philip" gulped Katherine, noticing
with a thrill that Captain MacCauley
had not covered the few steps Tony
her father, and no girl admits such a
thing as that unless it's true. Heav-
ems, there's Cousin John and"
cousin Paul." fell from Mrs. Cur
tbs, who looked as If she had turned to
stone.
Not another word was uttered by
that silent group of people until after
the two doctors entered the library.
For moment everything was con-
fusion. Doctor John forced Mrs. Cur
It's into a chair when she tried to fling
herself into his arms. With every
one but Tony talking at once, neither
he nor his brother could understand
the meaning of the seemingly dead
man on the floor.
"wiR you all keep still. all of your"
shouted Doctor John, in his bombastic
voice. First. Paul. let's see about
this fellow here"
TONY shot him, II you want to
know" Mrs. Curtis dared to fling out.
Doctor Paul gave her such an awful
look that she quailed beneath 1t. &
Hes not dead" he said after a
hnsty examination of Uriah, and one
dry, fearless sob burst from Tony De-
Won.
You might as well own up the
whole thing now, miss" cried Mrs.
Curtis, after the wounded man had
been carried out by the doctors and
Philip. >"Itll be better for you in the
end"
Tony didn't reply, nor did she look
at the speaker. Her mind was follow
Ing her mother along the boulevard.
yes, even down the lonely forest path
to the Dirty Mary. Through her tan
gled thoughts went the question, If
Uriah wasn't her father, who was?