The Adair County news., 1922-03-21

appearance quite at his ease. Laud
closed the door and the prisoner heard
him secure it with a stout wooden
bar. He stood there mOtionless, en-
deavOring to collect his thoughts,
the smile no longer on his lips, ad-
juSting his eyes to the darkness.
There was window high up. but
seemingly too small for the passage of
his body, yet a slight CLEAN of star
light found its way through the open
ing, which was further barred by two
stout wooden stakes. He stepped ST.
lentIy across and tested them finding
them sOlidly embedded in the logs. He
felt his way cautiously about the room,
which was of small dimensions, con-
tanning only a single stool, and a cot;
the floor was puncheOn and the walls
of log, heavily plastered with mud.
The place offered apparently no Op-
portunity for escape, and Shelby sat
down on the edge of the cot discOur-
aged.
He could distinguish the voices of
the three without plainly enough TO
determine who was speaking. but their
words were indistinguishable. Then
the murmur finally ceased, and he
thought one of the men had left the
house. perhaps both, yet that was
hardly likely. Someone remained GER
tainly. for there was movement. and
The sound of feet, mingled with the
clink of dishes. Pancha was evidently
clearing off the table. His thought
centered on her. Had he made a mis-
take in thus suddenly cOnfiding his
true story to her ears? Yet, so far as
he knew, she had said nothing to in
jure him. and had made no effort 10
reveal his secret. Indeed her actions
had rather expressed fear of Laud
and Il certain sympathy for him; sure
ly that was what he had read in the
deDthS of her eyes. Yet how could
this he accounted for? She must GER
fainly be one with these others; {;
brought up probably from childhood
in the atmosphere of crime, and GER
tainly loyal TO her brother. If nothing
else. What then could possibly inlT.
ence her to show him the slightest
consideration?
He sat with head in his hands. en-
deavOring TO solve the mystery, and.
out from the dark. possible eXplana-
ton flashed into his mind-AIacklin.
Could any relation she might have
with this fellow account for a desire
to wish his escape alive? 1t might;
the fact that he was already the huS-
band of the woman Macklin planned
to marry would quite naturally eX-
plain the entire situation under GER
tain conditions. If that rascal had
made love to her, and now deliberate
ly planned to desert her for another,
the Spanish blood would account for
all the rest. By heaven; that must
be it! He recalled the insistence of
her questioning; the flash of her eyes,
the threatening CLEAN of her white
teeth. UncOnsciOusly he had touched
the secret spring, and UnlOOsed the I'll
ger. Jealousy was the weapOn-a love
turned to hate, the fury of a woman
scOrned. To get Olga out of her path
forever, she would risk anything, dare
anything. Here then, was his one and
only chance.
But could the girl serve him, even if
she desired to do so? He realized
the seriousness of his position; his
helpleSsness without some outside aid.
He had been a blind fool TO venture
into this den alone; and even a blind
er fool to claim friendship with Han
ley. The morning would find him COM
pletely exposed, and he had little
doubt what form vengeance would as
sumo at the hands Of these men. He
was like a condemned man in his cell
waiting helplessly for the certain hour
of execution. Worse than that, even;
for his fate must inevitably seal also
the fate of his wife. Her only chance
of rescue lay in his efforts, and he