The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1922-12-07

49, tWNfN - AfNNA 0NNf mere
faint tinee of crimson. The wan GLOW
accented the loneliness. ana for tas
moment left him depressed. Nolhini
appeared within range of vision q
break the drear monotony of array sea
and SKY Neither fel; any desire {,
speak; thoy could only stare ont 81
ieuuy scross the ',lcspatlon II uaicrs
feeling their heiplessncss aud peril
Her head sank forward into hei
hands, ns though She would thus shut
out tao whole weird picture. aud West
aroused by the slight movement
glanced quickly aside His hand
sought her own, where IL grlpned foi
support ana coscd over Il warmly.
III cannot ho as bad as IL seems
he Insisted irving % say Tie word.
chcerfully u know these waters. and
they are never long deserted Inck
VIII change, surely. perhaps within
the hour we shalt ne picked up. ana
can laugh az all ulls experience
she linoi her head. and ther eyes
met frankly
~ am nor afraid" She protested
no, physically. AZ least Truly have
not felt fear since you Joined me.
Captain West"
'l'ut ynu are very tircif
"rerhaps SOVIET hive not thought
about that There are other things
you % NOT believe in me"
"Nhy say thatf he asked In aston.
ishmcnf ~fhcre Is no question u the
Mud between us now
"rruly. is there notY What was It
you believed of mc-thnt-that I was
part ~ this conspiracy
Il Do not know What I believed. n
actually believed ANYTHING. Miss
Natalie" he explained rather lamely.
Il cannot make the situation alto
geiher clear even 90 myself Under
the circumstances. you cannot con-
denn me justly"
Condemn do not. How could ~
Yon must have kept faith 10 me, never
theless. or you would never be here
now. That is what seems marvellous 10
me-ihat you actually cared enough
TO believe"
Il realize now that have" he said
Eraycly Through q an have kept a
very large measure % faith IA you" /
"Why should that faith have sur
vivedf she questioned perslstenily, as
though doubt would not wholly leave
her mind. "Surely there was never a
madder story told than the one told
you. md l couldn't have proven an
Item OF a."
yet II has shown itself true he
interrupted.
you actually believe. then. thu;
there IS another woman-a counter.
felt Of myselff-
1T IS the only theory feasible: you
have convinced me OF that WIN you
believe what sayT
"ImplIcitly."
Perhaps II sounds like q fairy tale"
he spoke frankly. his eyes seeking her
own. an their surroundings forgotten
in the eagerncss o. the moment. hut
viii tell yon the exact truth Before
this misunderstanding occurred you
had conhded IN me. trusted me. al
though I was a stranger and I be-
Ieved Absolutely In your story. had
that basis to rest on. Then ! got hold
OF various odds and ends Of evidence 1,
which convinced me that something
was wrong-that you were actually
being c0nspired against. I even gained
a suspicion that Perciyai Coolidge was
the actual leader Of the conspiracy.
You could never have been made pris-
oner in that cottage without his con
nivance: he must have lured you there
for that particular purpose. 30 that
tits other girl could take your place
pitlf1f danger o. discovery. Tie rea-
son Tor Pereival,s participation is or.
~ a guess. but my theory Is the fel-
low lad - ingzlcd your fortune, aod
the time fer haai accounting was 80
near. he had 10 take q desperate
chance II order 70 save himself.