Graham guardian., 1921-02-04

cToucDeu low WDen tne llttie QoOr
opened and Uriah called her name.
Come out here, Tonnibel," he COM
manded roughly, and Tony, with Gus
sic in her arms, crept Into the cabin,
where Reggie was seated on a bunk.
looking pale and sullen.
"Set down on the floor, brat," COM
manded Uriah, and Tonnibel dropped
down. Nov listen to me, Tony"
went on Devon. Ever since you've
been knee high to grasshopper you
been as mean as the devil. You always
got In behind EIDE when she was here,
but now there amt no skirts to shove
me off. You hear7"
Every vestige of blood teft- the wan
young face.
"Where is mummyr' she said, lift.
ing lmploring eyes to his.
Dead" said Devon brutally, "ns
dead as door nail. Here, my lady,
if you holler I'll rap you one on the
COB"
Dead" cried Tonnibei. Pop,
you're lying to mel know you are I"
"Haye 1t your own way, kid" re-
piled Uriah, with an insolent laugh,
''but one things sure-Ede ain't 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. Seer
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 a wide
wave at the limp young man. "And
when | say you've got to mean II"
II 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 a quick step toward her,
with an upralsed 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 II It interested
him but little. At the girls fearful
plea Devon stepped back and glared
at her.
"Will you do what bid you, missT'
he demanded hoarsely. "Pd as soon
kill you as take q wink"
Tonnibel 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
drswled. shut 'er up while and
keep 'er without grub, and she'll come
to time. Give 'er night to think II
over. God but you've walloped her
black and blue as it's"
In answer 10 this Devon picked
Tony up and threw her into the back
cabin. Then lie 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 slngle-handed a
drunken man with a gun was fool.
hardy and would do little Tony no
good.
When he reached the corner Of the
lake he ran his craft ashore and sat
for a long time thinking. Suddenly
he saw through the dusk that the CO.
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 CO. too.
AS he padded carefully along, he
could see the shadows Of two men In
the gllmmer 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 that
light was, alone and suffering. What
had she thought of his allowing him
self to be forced away from her when
she needed him mostf His teeth came
together sharply. He was no coward,
this Philip MacCauley, this captain OF
the Salvation army.
Suddenly he caught sight Of pass
Ing shadow In the cabin. and his heart
leapt up within him. Twas the shad-
ow Of q girl walking up and down.
Grlmly his teeth set into his under lir
and with one deep thrust Of the pad.
die into the water, he sent the canoe
headlong toward the canal boat Then
1t was that girls face came to the
window.
The canoe almost crashed against
the side Of the bigger boat as II came
sidewise Of It, and Philip caught at 1t
desperately. Slowly lifting himself
up he thrust his face close to Tony's.
She was staring at him blankly as II
his ghost had suddenly risen out OF
the storm-tossed lake.
Don't do that, darling" ne whis-
pered as she drew back in terror. I'm
going to take you away"
Then she realized who II was, and
reached out and clutched at him,
breathlessly.
"Climb through" undertoned Philip.
"Quick, climb through, and when ! tell
you TO drop, do It. but not before"
BY holding his body rigidly erect, no
managed to keep the canoe upright.
Then he waited, but not for long, Al
most Immediately girls bare arm