San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-30

q. tnlI1gS l. utH cbt hSi
eyes and looked at her father.
A little way apart John Harmon
stood looking at The Comet-and
she did not know him. Another John
Harmon it was-a tense. poised man
with his hand upon his gun, with
nostrils that shook in and out, and
with hard dark eyes that shone and
glittered with excitement!
"Dad!" she. breathed, but he did
not hear her.
Instead he was thinking fast,
while strange uncertainty sat
upon him. He moved at last, "a il
to take saddle aeain-then stopped.
threw up his head with motion Val
had never seen in him and came
back to himself with a jerk.
"Well," he said collcctcdly, "let's
go into Hunnewell's."
Inside, the men playing at the
tables had heard the stir of arrival.
but arrivals were common at Hun
newell's. Therefore they paid it no
attention.
None save Velantrie. Though he
placed his money and went on with
the game, he yet heard and knew
that two people were coming up the
steps to the open porch-but he did
not know that of all people in the
world they were to him the most i'm
portant. He moved the cards in his
hand, shifted the cigaret in his lips,
frowned through the smoke-an1
glanced at the door,
In the next second there was the
sound of q falling chang a catlikc
leap, and Velantrie of the Border
was in the middle of the floor, his
gun in his hand and his blue eyes
narrowed TO cold points-for John
lannon's face was in the doorway.
Two shots sounded as onc-and
velantrie whirled. fired again. wildly,
and recovered-but lannon's gun
was on him, the hard dark eyes
menacing him with instant death.
WELL, said the cattleman evenly,
whats this?'
"Thc cnd." said velantric sharp as
a shot. "for one of u.s."
He put out a hand and caught a
table near.
"Shoot me-" he said again in that
rapid wa. "aS .cu did M father
you damned murderer. TAKE The
Comet rs you tool" But John
lannon's finer irr.:cd before the
word y'Gs Gorc and Once again the
big Cun sro';c--2noir with tac IN.
tent Of death and si,cnce 70" that
rrshing tc""uc. Tut fate and jus
tice seemed to favor HunnHwall's.
far on that instant Val from behind
caught her fathers riGuiIo-. tut a.
he had caGght the blond BOYS. and
swung him cut OF line. Her face
stood vhcrc his had been second
before and filed NclantriH's vision
with is likeness TO that other.
Feature To- feature and linz for
lire il was the same. Ncman-soft
where the o:hcr wa ca-'n-kcan. it,
long eyes >m.liny where those were
hard IS fl;nt-it vs. Ito same yrt
not tn" same, IN that frs, strained
look Nelan'rie knew VIE Val Han
nous face had puzzled him 50 long.
In awe and tragic wonder they
gtcOd TO- a s"oGad. staring tnnecly.
these two vino loved each other TO
The foundations Of their souls. Then
Vclcntr:c. his face like the death she
had a-ain nvcrtcG. CROPPED blindly
for n firmcr hold on the table and
swaycd upon his feet. His blue eyes
were nitcous. his lips drawn with the
monstrcu; knowicl"c that was his.
Then that great GOODNESS which
was in his heart. which Vel had dim
" felt, and which mad" him friends
among tho children and the docs,
rose out OF lis depths of sin and bit
tcrness and Glorified him, all I'M
knowingly.
II beg your-pardon. he said MS
if from a great distance. gentlemen