The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-08-23
The Lady of The Night Wind

Il intend to stay on-yes; and to
defy him also up to a certain point.
And this, Lady Kate, brings me 10
the crux of this interview. | shall
not leave inquest before it is my
pleasure to do so, no matter what
happens-not ever if / have to COM
NIT a murder in order to stay on.
Oh, don't be shocked, pray. l would
not do it myself; / would have it
done for me. / said Just now that 1
would defy him up to a certain point.
| will. But when that point is reached,
if it is reached"-he bent forward and
touched her shoulder while he went
on with slow emphesis-"you must
have made ready for me, at inquest,
a place of concealment where that
man cannot find me, but where I may,
nevertheless, see you daily. There is
such a place, doubtless, and if there
is not n now, you must make one"
The Return of CArruthers.
They drove on in silence for a
time.
Katherine was thoughtful, and so
was Belknap. Presently, when she
stole a covert glance at him, she saw
that he was staring at the roadway
ahead, and that his somewhat thin
lips were set IN a straight line. Kath-
crime was psychologist enough to
know that he was thinking upon the
subject that he had just mentioned to
her-the true identity of Carruthers,
and the reason for his appearance at
inquest.
She could read, also, that he was
counting the risks he would take in
remaining and Darlington a time at
least-to brave the presence of a
secret service operative; that he was
figuring up the chances he would
take; his chances of success in what
ever it could be that he had determ-
ined to do, and getting away with it,
And she realized, likewise, that there
was not a shade of fear or hesitancy
In his expression.
He would not be foiled in his pur-
pose, or permit himself to deviate
from the direct course of its accom-
plishment-and while she hated and
despised the man, she could not de-
ny to him a modicum of admiration
for his courage and daring.
AluAOoS DC-
fore she thought how it would SOUND
she gave voice to the thought that
was uppermost in her mind at that
moment.
what a pity it is that you are not
a good man." she said, speaking hel
thought.
"Why do you say that?" he de.
maOdad turDirC bir hood or7ioII1r 70
ward her.
Because you have it in you to ac
cOmplish great things if only your
aim was right, and your target hap
pened to be good instead of evil"
EYES," he replied in the same ton'
that she had used, "you are right
Mrs. Harvard. I have it in me
have always had it in me-"
He was hooking straight at her, bu-
seemingly through and beyond hel
into the distances of the past, and fol
, the moment during that RETROSPECT
his face was transformed. She coulC
!, scarcely realize that he was ConraC
Belknap, the cheat, the blackmaileT
the self-confessed crook. He wen
ons
:. 81 was born under a cloud. My lif
was begotten in felony. 1 was bathe'
, in the blood of an awful crime whei
l was less than a year old. My boy
hood and youth were years of assC
citation with criminals. My yOun.
: manhood was still worse" He LITE
his head and laughed aloud, harshly
j and the Belknap that she knew an
hated and despised was predominant
again. go" he went on, Il grey
up to be just a human tiger, of tn
e ~man-eating variety. l dominated a
t my associates because the blood c
many gentle generations on bot
sides flowed in my veins-because
had inherited brains, and knew ho-
to use them-because | was alway
Geld, implacable, relentless, and b'
cause l have never known physic;
fear" He laughed again, softly, an
added:
$50, lou see, what you said Wa
true; if my aim happened to be RICH
d and my target happened to be goo
there is nothing that l could not a
complish."
"Is it too late to try, even now
st katheriao ASKED acrrtIy.
TOO late? Dear lady, it was tx
is late for that before 1 was born.
to have said that / am a sort of hum;
to tiger. Would you bring a tiger fro
Ig the Jungle, half starve it until it a
tanned maturity, and then turn
ut loose among a lot Of children and e
l. pect it to fawn upon them and Ii
their hands? Too late? 1t was Z
lie WAYS too late. I will confess O.
1 thing to you, Katherine. This:
have never, from my own choice, COZ
RS Lifted but one honorable act since
have been a man. | mean by tn
that never. but once have l chosen t
honorable course in preference to t
dixkoncrable one-and / have ]
GREETED it ten million times. It W
my one and only attempt to aim
m good, as you expressed it, and
do -
~