The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1922-10-23

QUINTANA. and stolen from Quintana by
Quintana has returned to gain possession
Of the jewel which Clinch passionately
holds as the means of making q lady
OF his beautiful stepdaughter.
EVE STRAYER.
JAMES DARRAGH. under the name Of
HAL SMITH. is al Clinch's camp seeking
70 gain possession OF the gem ana restore
it to the beggared countess
Eve is captured by Quintans. savssely
treated. but escapes to the hunting camp at
STATE TROOPER STORMoNT. she awaits
tie return for Clinch and his men who
have one out to clean up ouintsnas
Ciiach discovers that one OF his men.
EARL LEVERETT. has gone over to gum Jun
tana- Leyerett escapes In q hail OF pul-
let's from Clinch's rife
CHAPTER III
For its size there is no fiercer ami
mai than a rat.
Rat-like rage possessed Leverett.
In his headI0ng flight through the
dusk, fear. instead Of quenching,
added to his rage; and he ran on and
on, crashing through the underground
made wilder by the pain Of vicious
blows from branches which few back
and struck him in the dark.
Thorns bled him; unseen logs
tripped him; he heard Clinch's bull
lets whining around him; and he ran
on, beginning to sob and curse IN
frenzy of fury, fear and shame.
Shots from Clinch's rife ceased; the
fugitive dropped into a heavy. shut
fling walk. slavering, gasping, gestic-
uIating with his weaponless fists in
the darkness.
Col ram We, I'll Ak ye," he kept
stammering in his snarling, jangEns
voice, broken by sobs. ''I'l learn ye,
yeh poor DANCED thing gol ram ye-"
To his own shack on Sinking Lake
he dared not go. He tried to believe
that II was fear Of Clinch that made
him shy Of the home shanty; but, in
his covering soul, he knew ii was fear
OF another kind-the deep, supersu-
tious horror Of Jake KlOOn's empty
bunk-the repugnant sight Of Kloon's
snare clothing hanging from its peg
the dead mans shoes
All at once ne thought Of Clinch's
stepdaughter. The thought instantly
scared him. Yet-what a revenge!-tO
strike CIinch through the only crea-
ture he cared for in all the world.
q
ed for Drowned Valley. Eve Strayer
was alone at the Dump. . Another
thought flashed like lightning across
his turbid mind-the packet.
Bribed by Quintana, Jake Kloon,
lurking at CIinch's door. had heard
him direct Eve TO take a packet TO
Owl marsh. and had notified Quintana-
Willingly or unwittinly. the girl had
taken a packet Of sugar-milk choco-
late instead OF the priceless parcel ex-
pected.
Again. carried in. exhausted. by a
state Trooper. Jake Kloon had been
Cooled; and it was the packet of sugar
milk chocolate that Jake had pur-
Icined from the veranda where CHnch
kicked il. For two cakes of chocolate
FLloon had died. For two cakes Of
chocolate he, Earl Leverett. had be-
come a man-siayer. a homeless fugi-
i've in peril OF his life.
Somewhere in CInch's Dump was
lie packet that would make him rich.
Here was MS opportunity. He
had only to dare; and pain and pow
erty and fear-above all else fear
would end forever, e"
When, at last. he came out TO the
edge of CIinch's clearing, the dark
October heavens were but a vast will
derness Of stars.
The light burned steadily from Ewes
window.
CHAPTER "
From his hiding place among frost
bIackened rag weeds. the trap robber
could see only the plastered ceiling
OF the bed chamber.
But the kerosene lamp cast two
shadows on that-tal shadows OF hu-
man shapes that stirred at times.
The shadows on the ceiling were
cast By Eve Strayer and her State
trooper.
Eve sat on her beds edge, swathed
in a lilac kimonO-dehcate relic Of
school days. Her bandaged feet.
crossed. dangled above the rag rug
on the floor: her slim. tanned fingers
were interlaced over the book on
her lap.
Near the door stood State Trooper
Stormont. spurred. booted. trig and
trim, an undecided and flushed
young man, fumbling irresOlutely
with the purple cord on his cam
paign hat.
She looked up at him again, visit
fully. Perhaps he was restless, bored.
sitting there beside her half the day.
and. already, half the night. Men Of
that kind-active, nervous young men
accustomed to the open-can't stand
caging.
Il want you to go out and get some
fresh air." she said. It's a wonder
full night. Go and walk a while. And
if you feel Ike-coming back to
me-
VIII you sleep?"
NO. I'll wait for you"
Her words were natural and direct,
but in their simplicity there seemed
a delicate sweetness that stirred him.
IN come back to you" he said.
Then, In his response, the girl In
ner turn became aware Of something
beside the simple words-a vague
charm about them that family haunt
ed her after he had gone away down
the stairs.
After q while she placed both band
aged feet on the rug. 1t hurt her,
but she stood up, walked to the open
window. She wanted to look at him
Just a moment
BY chance he looked up at that in
slant, and saw her pale face, like a
flower in the starlight.
Why, We" he said, you ought
not to be on your feet"