The diamond drill., 1922-02-03

my cousins In Copah before i could
get the deed hack from the record
er's office. They were awfully slow
about IT,"
1T isn't quite ALL" amended. "You
haven't told me how you happened TO
come back with Beasley and his
posse"
THAT was just a coincidence. I
reached Atropia on the early morning
train and met Mr.. Beasley and his
men just as they were starting up the
mountain. Cousin Buddy Fuller had
told me how ne had ieIegraphed 20
Angels for Mr.. Beasley, and was
scared to death. of course, because /
knew what Il meant. So / borrowed
the Haggertys' pony and came along
with the posse"
There was silence for a little time
such silence as the Gathering and
hammering of the carpenters and
steam-ftters permitted. Then / said:
:. "And when you got here. the first
kthing did was to call you Mrs. Bull
lerton'. I don't blame you for not be-
Ing able TO forgive me, JeanIe girl;
honestly, i don't"
'lt was worse than q crime" she
averred solemnly: st was blunder.
What made you do it?"
Partly because l was jealous
fool; but mostly because / was sore
and sorry and disappointed thought
Bullerton had beaten me 10 IT.
NO. she said quite soberIy; 1T
was Miss Randle who beat you 10 t."
gasped. There were tremendous
possibilities In that cool answer OF
hers; prodlgious possibilities.
"But say" / burst out; didn't I
tell you that Lisette had pushed me
overheard long ago?"
II know. She was sensible enough
20 see that you and she couldn't live
on nothing year. But now that you
are rich, or are going to be I'm
sure you are not going TO be less gen
erOus than she was. What III she did
take your ring off In a moment OF dis
couragement, and knowing that you
couldn't buy her hats7 You can be
very sure she put It on again as soon
as your back was turned"
There we were; no sooner over one
hurdle before another and higher
one must jump up. l gtoaned and
thrust my hands into my pockets A
paper rustled and / drew IL out. IL
was the telegram Buddy Fuller had
handed me, still unread. / opened II
kalf absently, holding IL down so that
fhe glow OF the nearest flare fell upon
the writing. Then | gave a little yelp.
swallowed hard two or three times
and nearly choked doing IL, aud read
the thing again. After all of which
said. as calmly as | could
'But. I'm spite of all that / had told
you about Lisette, you asked me once
20 kiss you"
Isis 1t quite nice of you TO re-
mind me of it?" she inquired reproach-
fully
1T wouldn't be-in ordinary cir
cumstances; II would be beastly. But,
listen, Jeanie; haven't you been mad
clear through, sometimes. In reading
story, to have a coincidence rung In
on you when you knew perfectly well
that the thing couldn't possibly have
happened so pat In the nick of timer
II suppose have; yes"
"Well, don't ever let IL disturb you
again. Because the real thing Is lot
more wonderful and unbelievable. you
know. Listen to this It's wire from
my cousin, Percy; the one who sent
me out into the wide, wide world to
look for girl, n horse and dog. and
who Is the only human being outside
of Colorado who knows where 1 am
likely to be reached by telegraph. He
Is in Boston, and this In what he says:
Recalled home when we reached
Honolulu. outbound. LIsette and
were married today. Congratulate
us.'v
! For a minute there was breathless
jsort OF pause. and broke II.
"Jeanie. dear. was Il just common
honcsey-ssst good faith that made you
take all these chances. with the deed.
and with BullertonT
yes, I'm commonly honest" said
the small voice OF my shoulder.
"Bullerton is shrewd, smart fell
low" / went on. "I'ii venture to say
that he never made such bonehead
break as I did the morning you came
back. You must think something OF
him or you wouldn't have asked me
not 70 prosecute him for trying to
murder your father and me-"
She looked down at her pretty feet.
which were crossed.
II think--a little something--of my
SELF" she said, with small breath
catchIngs between the words. II owed
myself that much, don't you thinkf III
I didn't deceive him outright. I'm
afraid I did let him deceive himself.
SO that made me responsible. In a way.
aud couldn't LET you send him to jail.
could IT.
"But what about mef Are you go
Ing TO send me to worse place than
any jailf--for that Is what the whole
wide world Is going to be to me with