The Winslow mail., 1923-09-28
BY RANDALL PARRISH
Copyright by A. c. McCurs & Co.

ing at the calmness with which she
spoke, and now on her feet facing him.
81 think l know what you mean. You
have me completely in your power; !;
you have planned it all out"
THAT'S the ticket. Now there amt
no use your getting mad. like you;
like you awfully well, and Pm going
to be mighty square with you. But
there wasn't any other way for me to
get you-was thereT'
mo" she said frankly, there was
no other course possible"
(Which means you don't like me
at all?'
ait means all of that, and more, Bob
| Meager. I do not believe I ever de-
| spised anyone so much In my life as
1 do you. disliked you before 1 ever
saw you; now l hate the very ground
you walk on. Have you any use for
me after that3"
= "You just bet I have" he grinned.
! you're sure a wildcat, but I'll tame
you. D-n it like 1t in you; you're
not the wishy-washy kind. One Of us
has got to be boss; saw that from
the very first, and that's what this
means now; I'm going to be the one."
"In what way do you meanT"
Haven't you got the idea yet? I'm
| going te marry you-see? l took the
notion the first time saw you
you're exactly my style. But
know'd then there wasn't but one
way to do it. Now I'm ready to talk
business. How is it, my lady? Going
to be nice 9bout it?''
She endeavored to rally her cour-
age, even attempting a laugh.
Marry you? Not in this world. l
know you are a scoundrel, but never
| thought you were a fool before"
"No and you never will again." his
voice hardening. Because you will
| have no chance. 1t is nothing to me
whether you say yes or no. I been
down in Nogales today, an among
other things l got marriage license.
It's right here in my pocket, an the
names written in it are Robert Mea
ger and Deborah Meredith And that
amt all; sometime between now and
ten o'clock a justice of the peace is
| going to drive in here to do up the
business for US. That's why rm tell
ing you all this-sO you can sorter
brace up and get ready"
She made no attempt to move or to
speak; she seemed paralyzed, staring
at him through the gathering dark
ness.
81 amt going to touch you now," he
went on sullenly, angered by her 81
lence. But you just think it over,
and go on back to the house. When l
send for you, you better come; that's
ALL"
He turned, and walked back to his
horse, and she stood there, trembling
in every limb, as he vanished amid
the shadows.
She understood now, clearly, def
nitely, just what she was called upon
to face Bob Meager had not minced
his words, or left anything to imagi-
nation. He had planned this delib-
erate1y, in cold blood, and he had the
will, and, perhaps, the power, to carry
1t out
At first she was In white flame of
indignatiOn she even laughed hyster-
ically at the fellows threat. 1t
seemed preposterous absurd a dream
Of delirium. Marry him! Marry that
degenerate brute! Why, she would
rather die hundred deaths than have
him even touch her. He was a foul,
brutal cur! Yet even as she realized
this, shrinking in terror from any pos
sible contact with him, there arose in
her mind a sense of fear, a grim, per-
sistent fear she could not conquer.
He was ruthless, merciless. If he
truly desired her, nothing would be
permitted to stand in his way. He
had not been drinking when he talked
With her; he had spoken soberly and
with full knowledge of what he said
Flendish as it was, he had acted de-
liberately and in cold blood. That
made it all the more dangerous, for
he would likely drink now and be-
come an utter fend. Within an hour
he would be raging drunk, capable of
any indignity. any wild act. A brute
sober, he became a demon drunk. And
she must face it-alone This was
the conviction that slowly took full
possession of her mind His threat
was not an idle one. He could turn
contemptuously away and leave heI
there, completely confident that she
could not escape. There was no spot
Of safety to which she could fly, nc
friend to whom she could appeal.
She gazed hopelessly out into the
black void; not a light cleaned any.
where except from those distant stars
overhead. There was but one way
leading across that expanse, the single
trail connecting with the pass through
the mountain canyon beyond. There
might, of course, be others-known tc
Indian or outlaw-but this path was
the only one she ever had travelled
And it never could be traversed alone