The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-17

sprang to her feet eluding him. but he caught her before she reached the wind low. She struck at him with her fists, but he tore the letter away from her and hurled her toward the bed over which she fell breathless. There was no use trying to fight this man. There was a cruelty in his touch which spoke of nam eless things. And so she lay mo- tionless, nursing her injured wrists, trying desperately to think what she must do.
 Meanwhile, watching her keenly from the tail of his eye, Hawk Ken nedy was reading the heiotrope letter, spelling out the English word by word. Fascinated. Beth saw the frown of curiosity deepen to interest and then to puzzled absorption.
 'Interestin'-very," she heard him nutter at last, as he glanced toward the bed. ''Holy Russia. H.! Whats this mean, girl? Who is Peter Nichols? Answer me-
 IT don't know" she said.
 "Yes. ye do. Where did ye get this letter?"
 He left it at-at my house last night"
 "Oh! Your house! Where?"
 "In the village"
 "I see. An this scrawl on the en- veIope-you wrote it--'
 Beth couldn't reply. He was drag ging her through the very depths of humiliation.
 queen that-with her purple paper an all. And ye don't know who she is? Or who Pete is? Answer meI'' "I-I don't know" she whispered. IT don't, really.''
 "H-m We'll. he ain't what he's seemed to be, that's sure. He ain'r what he's seemed to be to you and he ain't what he's seemed to be to me. But whoever he is he can't put any thing over On me. We'll see about this.''
 Beth straightened and sat up, watching him pace the floor in deep thought. There might be a chance that she could escape by the window. But when she started up he ordered her back roughly and she soon saw this was imp possiIble.
 At last he stopped walking up auu down and stared at her. his eyes mar rowed to mere s1its, his brows drawn ominously together. It seemed that he had reached a decision.
 You behave yourself an do what
 
 growled.
 "WJh-what are you goin' to do?" she gasped.
 "Nothdn' much. Ye're just goin' with me-that's a1I.-'
 ''W-where?"
 That's my business. Oh, ye needn't be scared of any love maxim. I'm not on that - this trip"
 He wetn to the drawer of Peters bureau and took out some handker- chiefs.
 But ye'd better be scared if ye don't do what I tell ye. Here. Stand up!"
 Beth shrank away from him, but he caught her by the. wrists and held her.
 We're not to make a noise, dye hear? I can't take the chance.''
 And while she still struggled des- perately. he fastened her wrists to- gether behind her. Then he thrust one of Peters handkerchiefs in her mouth and securely gagged her. He even in her terror she found herself thanking God that it was only ab- duction that he planned.
 Hawk Kennedy went to the win dow and peered out up the path. then he opened the door and 1ookeS around. After a moment he came in quickly.
 Come" he muttered. Its time we were off,
 He caught her by the arm and helped her to her rect, pushing her out of the door and into the under brush at the corner of the cabin. Her feet Jagged. her knees were weak. but the grasp on her shoulder warn ed her of cruelties she had not dream ed of and so she stumbled on-on into the depths of the forest, Hawk Kennedy's hard hand urging her on to greater speed.