The Holbrook news., 1922-09-01

Forget it.' Durand brushed the plea away with motion of the hand Its your cell pal I've come to take a look at-the one who's goin' to the chair.'
 With one 1.-the movement Clay swung down to the floor. He sauntered for ward to the grating, his level gaze on the ward boss.
 shiny, this fellows rotten," he said evenly and impersonally. Hes not only a crook, but he's crooked crook He'd throw down his own brother if it paid him."
 Durand's cruel lips laughed. Your pals little worried this mornin', Shiny. He ain't slept much. You see the bulls got him right It's the death chair for him and no lifebOat in sight.
 Clay leaned against the bars negli- gently. He spoke with a touch of lazy scorn. "See those scars on his face, Shiny-the one on the cheek bone and the other above the eye. Ask him where he got 'em and howY
 Jerry cursed. He broke into storm of threats, anger sweeping over him in furious gusts. He had come to make sport of his victim and Lindsay somehow took the upper hand at once He had this fellow where he wanted him at last. Yet the mans soft voice still carried the note of easy contempt If the Arizonan was afraid, he gave no least sign of it.
 You'll sing another tune before I'm through with you," the prize-fighter prophesied savagely.
 The westerner turned away and swung back to his upper berth. He knew, what he had before suspected, that Durand was going to frame" him if he could. That information gained, the man no longer interested him.
 Sullenly Jerry left. There was no profit in jeering at Lindsay. He was too entirely master of every situation that confronted him.
 Within the hour Clay was wakened from sleep by another guard with word that he was wanted at the office of the warden. He found waiting him there Beatrice and her father. The girl bloomed in that dingy room like cac- tus in the desert.
 She came toward him with hands ex- tended, in her eyes gifts of friendship and faith.
 "Oh, Clayl" she cried.
 Much obliged. little pardner." Her voice went to his heart like water to the thirsty roots of pricllly pears. A warm glow beat through his veins. The doubts that had weighed on him dur ing the night were gone. Beatrice be- lieved in him. All was well with the world.
 He shook hands with Whitford. "Blamed good of you to come, sir"
 "Why wouldn't we come?" demanded the mining man bluntly. We're here to do what we can for you."
 Little wells of tears brimmed over Beatrice's lids. I've been so worried" |" Don't you. It'll be all right" Strangely enough he felt now that it would. Her coming had brought rip bling sunshine into a drab world.
 ''I won't now. I'm going to get evi- dence for you. Tell us all about it.''
 "Why, there isn't much to tell that you haven't read in the papers prob ably. He came a-shOotin' and was hit by chaif.'
 "Was it you that hit him?"
 Wouldn't I be justifed?" he asked gently.
 But did you?"
 For a moment he hesitated, then made up his mind swiftly. "Yes," he told her gravely.
 She winced. You couldn't help it. How did you come to be there?"
 T just dropped in.''
 "Alone?"
 "YeS."
 He had burned the bridges behind him and was lying glibly. Why bring Bromfield into it? She was going to marry him in few days. If her fiance was man enough to come forward and tell the truth he would do so anyhow It was up to him. Clay was not going to betray him to Beatrice.
 "The paper says there was some one with you"
 'Sho! Reporters sure enough have lively imaginations."