Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-01-27

d%iscolored, distorted from the agony
in which he had died. the lips drawn
back, disclosing a grinning row of
teeth. The face scarcely appeared
human, and yet was vaguely familiar.
He had seen it once before, revealed
in the glare of a match, and the recol-
lection came back haunting him-the
fellow was Slagin, Hanley's partner.
Then he had come there for no good!
Had come there in the night like a
Sinking cur, knowing of Macklin's alb
sence, to carry out some foul object of
his own.
The ranchman drew in a long
breath, and stood up. The silence and
gloom oppressed him, as his eyes once
more swept about the dismal apart
ment. 1t was surely a fit abode for
murder, but the sight Of those two
dead bodies interlocked on the floor
was more than he could bear. Obey
ing the first impulse he dragged them,
still gripping each other, across the
floor, and thrust them under the bench,
finging over them the folds of a tat
tered blanket.
But what of her-Olga? Surely no
one could have been here since these
two men fought? Otherwise their
bodies would have been found, and
cared for. 1t must be that Macklin
had not yet returned, and that Hanley
knew nothing of Slagin's desperate
venture Then the girl must still be
confined in the house, helpless to es-
cape and guarded by these dead men.
The thought sent the blood surging
into Shelby's throat, and his eager
eyes sought the only door opening
through the side wall. 1t was tightly
closed and secured by a strong bar of
wood. He picked up the revolver
from the floor, and went swiftly for
ward. prepared to face whatever might
be revealed beyond. The bar fitted
snugly, yet he forced it free Of the
clasps. and pushed the door open with
his knee, ~watchfully peering into the
darkness behind. He saw nothing, no
fiHtter Of movement. no evidence that
the place was occupied. In spite of
daylight without, the room, with its
shattered windows. remained black.
His heart almost ceased to beat, yet
he advanced into the room, flinging
The door wide open behind him. This
admitted sufficient light to enable him
to dimly make out his surroundings
a couch. covered with a bearskin, a
rudely made chair, a bucket of water
in n corner, and q family revealed
figure against the further wall.
"Olga!" he exclaimed. Olga!
She moved. leaning forward eagerly.
who are you? Who calls me?"
1T Is you, then?' he sprang forward.
Don't be afraid I Am Shelby!"
"Shelby-you! Tom Shelby! O
God! this is not a dream?"
mo, no! I am just as real as you
are. See; touch me. You thought I
was dead?"
Her hands were in his own; her
eyes, still in%credulous, searching his
face in the dim light.
"Dead-yes! They told me so; an
Indian said he had crushed in your
skull. He boasted of it; and when I
asked that Macklin, he only laughed,
when he said it was So"
Laughed, how?"
Her eyes fell.
"He-he didn't seem to think it
could make much difference to me;
that ! would care"
But do you know who he is? Did
he tell you? Did the fellow explain
his purpose in this outrage?"
II do not know; he had no time. no
opportunity; we were never alone.
What do you mean? Was his all
done for some deliberate pulpose?"
Yes, if was. Olga. His name is not
Macklin at all it is probably Churchill
have you ever heard that name be-
| fore?"
mo-; | am sure lot"
ut was your mothers name. She
came from Virginia. and was heiress
to considerable property. 1t was left
TO her in trust. and her uncle was the
trustee
"My mother?"
Sii iSNci hllt" lillS Wilt Sic
lived. but your father learned some
of the facts after her death. and en-
deavored to verify them. His search
was what started trouble; for your
uncle, the trustee-his name is Cor
nelius Churchill-had made no effort
to locate the heir to the property left
in his care. Instead he had used the
money. believing himself perfectly
safe. When he learned Of your ia
Tiers suspicious, he became fright
ened."
Can this be true?"
ut evidently is true, range as II
seems. Then your father was killed,
perhaps through some row engineered
by Churchill to put him out of the
way, n they made every effort to
find YOU. You alone stood between
them and this ill-gotten wealth. For
tunately You could not Immediately be
located you had been hidden away in
a Catholic school, and, before Church
Ill succeeded in discovering what
school you were at, Calkins took you
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