The Jasper news., 1921-02-03

the hurried footsteps 10 the path be-
hind her until they wers very close
vcxed al the intrusion. she started 70
move forward across a small opening
From behind her came a low, vibrant
call: "Amyi"
She stopped. trembling. II was hls
voice-yef 80 different. That deep. ar
dent note i--his voice As he had spo.
ken TO her In the night. Bewildered.
Quiyering with mingled JOY and fear,
she timidly looked about. he stood
before her trnnsfgured. no longer paia
and haggard. but as he had been until
there In the llbrary--erect. ruddy.
checked. and In his eyes that look
Swiftly the girls expression changed
from bewildeFment to perplexlty, from
perplexity to hysterIcal alarm and an
ger.
"Youi what--what do you lneanf"
she screamed.
Before he could realize what she
was about she had darted at him and
piucked frantcally at his mustnche.
"Jovel" he calculated, and he
clapped his hand to his lip.
"ohi oh ohi" she painted, shrinking
away from him, her dllating eyes fixed
In horrified stare upon the few stiff
hairs In her clutched fingers. sits
reali Oht''
my wordi ! should say 1t isl" he
mumbled. pressing hard on his lip.
| "But7-but how then-oh, dear oh
deari Take me in to doctorl ] must
be crazyi You had II; then you didn't
have It; now you do have iti''
"Have itT"
"Your mus--mustache thought
you had shaved. 1t was gone-rm sure
Il was gone-yet nOw-I"
"Gone! WhenT
"In therein the llbrary-not Eve
minutes ngol Oh, deari l must be
rnying crazyi II wasn't there them
you've grown ii again in five min
utes r
! He stirred Mt her wildly, infected
with the terror In her look and voice.
Insane-lnsaneI That face in the mir
ror She, too, had seen It
They gIared ut one another. over
come with dread and horror.
81 say" remarked voice behind
him.
He wheeled about and found him
self looking into the muzale Of an au-
tomato pistol in the hand OF BENIN.
"Caught you mapping, eh7" jeered
the detective. II learned that Kirk
land was tracing in this direction.
did not rush up to the front door.
Quietly slipped in from the rear,
y'know; and-here we are. Quite
clever. I call It. No wonder you look
fiabbergasted." -
In fash Amy fiung herself between
the two. Don't you shoot him Don''
you dare r. she cried.
Hastily he lowered the pistol and
sought to explain: II had no intention
none whntever-oLly In self-defense
Can't you understand II he Is VIC
lent--attempts to resist But II yor
persuade him to submit l am sorrI
to have to use handouts"
"Handcuffs7 Oh. shame shame OF
yeu i--pretending to be his friend al
this tlmel Shame on your
BENIN bit his lip. His bright, shal
| low eyes deepened and darkened will
\ profound emotion. But he stood firm
II made no pretense." he rejoined
'T offered to prove myself his friend
4 I stood ready to save him, even ut tn
cost of my professional honor"
"Your professional honorI" she re
| preached.
| HE is your brother. l thought yol
| would understand. am willing {
give a great deal to clear him, II yo
will-er-accept my"
"But II cannotY"
"Then l shall do my duty. Do 20
take me for fool, to connlve at tn
escape Of an embezzler, unless you ar
/. considerate enough to-"
"Oh. you won't--you can'tl Surel
a you'll not be so meant"
: II can send him TO the penitentiar!
What's more, will. unless"
.. "No-n.nol do noti" cried the ag'
nlzed girl. "Let him go, please let hil
% got / will do what--what you wish
i. "You wIlIf You will marry meT
b. demanded, and he stepped forward
eager elatlon.
y She shrank back with her hand
y over her averted face. The prison'
Re slipped a protective arm about h
is shoulders and quietly remarked
BENIN: Better step aside II you al
q. nervous. You might accidentally di
he charge your pistol There are peop
he coming along the path behind you"
Of Suspicious Of ruse, BENIN edg'
vs. around to the side of the opening al
glanced swiftly over bis shoulder.
r. | g., So o,,,srf fxyo hofa xvara vtalh