The Winslow mail., 1922-12-22

OF her. You promise never to see this
man again, and to marry Monsieur
Boyce. like l wish?"
Il promise nothing-except that I
will kill myself II you do not let him
60"
Stepho hesitated a moment, craft
fighting with anger. Then craft won;
he or Tony would stroll up to the Beth
page plantation and make an end OF
the General and Drace that night.
"All right" he snarled. "He can go.
But let him never come back here
or" He drew the back of his dirk
across his own throat in a significant
gesture. Then with Tony he lifted
Drace into his canoe; and the young
man, still dazed from the blow, feebly
made his way out of the swamp.
When he had passed from sight, Ma
dine dropped her knife and sank to the
ground sobbing. Old Stepho turned
savagely upon her.
"You liar! You she-woIf! I would
kill you, but promise you to the man
BOyce. An now there come something
that l tell you. In you there Is not the
blood of StephO la Vitte. But you
never shall know your name. You She
wolff"
He thrust himself toward her, his
fangs cleaning in his merciless mouth,
but without finching she now laughed
in his face.
ooh, you make me so thankful that
l am not your child. You hang his
father and would murder him But he
will be gone; and if you kill me, it
makes no matter. And you think
will stay here and let the man come to
marry me. / will
He seized her. and Tony ran in to
help. She fought with the dirk, but
they wrenched it from her hand, held
her helpless. dragged her into her
ROOM and she lay for time on the
fiohrs While she heard them fastening
her in her prison. It was now dark.
Size got up, went to the window and
found that heavy bars had been nailed
across it. She lighted her lamp and
with pencil began to write note to
Drace. praying in her heart that she
might find some way to send it to him.
Little she slept and in the dawn she
was at the window, the vines all of
them gone. She heard footsteps near,
and she tried to look out to discover
I.
neither to the right nor the left, so
CLOSELY was she meWed. She spoke,
softly. louder and then there drew the
darkened form Of man, Batoche. an
had employed.
-'T am here to borrow the mushkrat-
spear for the one day, for mine he was
broke but they are still asleep"
"Come closer. good Batoche. and lis
ten to me- Take this note to Monsieur
Drace, at General Bethpage's house
quick, with no one to see you, and I
will give you a diamond when you
come back"
Give me the note, an I be there
soon"
She gave him the note, and he has
tened away. She stood at the door,
wondering why she had not heard her
father stirring about Once she
thought she heard him call Tony. At
ter long time Tony came, and she
heard them together as they went out.
Then all was silent.
Sick in mind and body, Drace made
hiS way back to Bethpage. He made
himself as presentable as possible be-
fore he entered the house fortunately,
too. the attention of Tycie and the
General was at that moment centered
on Colonel Josh, who had stopped off
to pay them a call-and who showed
astonishment when asked to walk out
to dinner though he yielded with as
tonishing alacrity to the pressure of
the Generals hand upon his arm. He
was busy with helping of late mus
tard green's and hogs jowl, when Tycie
inquired:
"And how is dear Lucy"
MADAM" said Josh, II am grleved
to impart to you distressful piece OF
news. She is soon to be married TO
man named Spivan."
ooh I'm so sorry, Colonel Josh"
Madam. it is a calamity. Luke
Spivan. -
'What's the matter with him? the
General inquired isn't broke, is he!'
General, the man has money. But
do you know what his calling isF l
shall enlighten you. sir. This fellow Is
a dealer in oysters, the-the eXcres-
cence of the sea, you might say. And
not only that. but he deals in crawtsh
as we'll back-crawling crawiSh, sir.
7 offered her my heart and my home.
I told her that l would devote my life
TO her. and from week to week she
| nut me off. But when this fellow
Sylvan asked her. | understand she ac-
cepted him at jump, sir. And now
! advise him to keep out of my way.