South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-10-04

or her troubled the trooper
Trouble for Cunch means sorrow
for YOU he said. 81 don't want YOU
to be UNHAPPY. I bear CInch no iL
Will For this reason I ask him and
I ask you too 20 stand clear OF this
affair
Hal smith Is wanted. I'm here
% take him."
"A she said nothing he looked
down a. the Footprint in the sphag
mum. Then his eyes moved 10 the
next imprint: 20 the next. Then he
moved slowly along the waters edge.
tracking the course OF the man he
was following
The girl watched him In silence
Unit. the plain trail led him 10 the
spruce thicket
Don't 60 in there" she said
SHARPLY with an odd tremor in her
voice
He turned and looked q. her then
/ stepped calmly into the thicket. And
/ the next instant she was among the
spruces too, confronting him with
I her rifle
Get out Of theee woods" she
said
He looked in.o the girls deathly
white face
Eve, he said. eft viii 90 hare
with you if YOU XIII me. I don.
want YOU TO live out your life in
prison"
4 can't help 1t. II you send my
I father TO prison he'll die. I'd rather
die myself Let us alone, tell you.
The man you're after IS nothing to
US. We didn't know he had stuck
up anybody"
If he's nothing TO YOU, why do
YOU point that rifle at me?"
L tell you ne is nothing TO US.
But my father wouldn't betray 4
/ cog. And I won't Tha's ALL Now
get out Of these woods and come
/ back tomorrow. NObOdy'n interfere
/ with you then
/ Stormont smiled: Eve" he said.
I do you really think me as yellow
as that"
Her blue eyes flushed a terrible
/ ne had caught her rifle twisting II
cut of her grasp as il exploded
The defamation dazed her; then, as
/ lie flung the rifle into the water, she
/ caught him by neck and bell and
flung him bodily into the spruces.
! But she fell with him: he held
\ her twisting and struggling with all
/ ner superb and supple strength;
staggered TO his feet, still mastering
her; and, as she struggled sobbng,
/ locked no. and painting In his arms.
ne snapped a pair Of handouts on
/ her wrists and fUng her aside.
She fell on both knees. got up.
/ shoulder deep in spruce, blood run
ming from her lip over her chin.
The trooper took her by the arm.
She was trembling all over. He
tcok thin steel chain and paddock
from his pocket, passed the links
around her steel-bound wrists, and
fastened her to a young birch tree.
Then, drawing his pistol from its
| holster, he went swiftly forward
| through the spruces.
When he saw the cleft IN the
rocky flank Of Star Peak, he walked
straight TO the black hoe which con-
sronted him.
Come out Of there" he said dis
timely.
After a few seconds Smith came
cut.
Good God" said stormont in a
! low voice. What are you doing
here, Darragh? ."
Darragh came close and rested
{ one hand on Stormont's shoulder:
Don't crab my game, Stormont.
I T never dreamed YOU We're in the
/ Constabuiary or I'd have let you
/ know"
Are you Hal Smith?"
It sure am Where's hat grip
"Handcuffed out yonder."
Then for Gods sake so back and
( act as if you hadn't found me. Tell
/ Mayor Chandler that I'm after big
I ger game than he is"
"CIinch ."
"Stormont, I'm here to protect
( Mike ClnCh. Tell the Mayor not TO
touch him. The men I'm after are
going 20 try 10 rob him. I don't
want them to because-weu I'm
going to rob him myself"
Stormont stared.
You must stand by me" said
/ Darragh. $50 must the Mayor. He
/ knows me through and through.
Tell him 10 forget that hold-up.
stopped that man Sard. I frisked
him Tell the Mayor. I'll keep in
/ touch with him"
"Of course" said Stormort, that
| settles It,"
Thanks, old chap. Now go back
TO that girl and let her believe thar
YOU never found me-"
a slight smile touched their eyes
Both instinctively saluted. Then
they shook hands; Darragh alias
| Hal Smith. went back into the hem
] lock-shaded hole In the rocks,
Trooper Stormont walked slowly
( down through the spruces.
/ When Eve saw him returning
empty handed. something flashed in
/ her pallid face like sunlight across
/ snow.
( Stormon. passed her, went 10 the
/ waters edge. soaked a spicy handful
/ az sphagnum moss in The Icy water.
came back and wiped the blood from
/ her face.
/ The girl seemed astounied; her
/ face surged in vivid color as he un-
/ locked the handouts from the breast
or his tunic and laid Il against her
mouth.
Hold n there" he said.
Mechanically she raised her hand
| 10 support he compress. Stormont
| went back 10 the shore. recovered
/ her rifle from the shallow water
and returned with .t
As she made no motion 20 take IT,
/ be stood IL against he 'ree 10 which