The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-08-09

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Il think | know what you mean. You
have me completely in your power
you have planned 1t all out"
That's the ticket. Now there ain'i
no use your getting mad. / like you
Ike you awfully well. and I'm going
TO be mighty square with you. But
there wasn't any other way for me to
get you-was there?'
"No," she said frankly, there was
no other course possible"
which means you don't like me
at all?"
1T means all Of that, and more, Bob
Meager. l do not believe | ever de-
spised anyone so mUcn In my lie as
| do You. i disliked you before l ever
saw you now ! hate the very ground
you walk on. Have you any use for
me after that?"
you just bet / have" he grinned.
you're sure a wildcat, but I'll tame
you. On 1t! like it in you you're
not the wishy-washy kind. One of us
has got 10 be boss | saw that from.
the very first, and that's what this
means now I'm going to be the one"
I'm what way do you mean?'
Haven't you got the idea YETI I'm
going TO marry you-see? / 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 ii. Now Pm ready to talk
business. How is II, my lady? Going
TO be nice about it?"
She e~ndeavored to rally her cour-
age, even attempting a laugh.
Marry you? Not in this world. ]
know you are a scoundrel, but | neye
thought you were a fool before"
mo, 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.. l been
down in Nogales today, an among
other things got a marriage license.
It's right here in my pocket. an the
names written In II are Robert Mea-
e 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 I'm tell
Ing you oil 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.
II 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 |
send for you, o 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, defi-
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 DELHI
erately, In cold blood, and he had the
will, and, perhaps, the power, to carry
II out.
AT first she was In a white flame of
Indignation she ever 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 a hundred deaths than have
him even touch her. He was a foul.
brutal cur! let 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, merclless. II 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.
Fiendish as II was, he had acted de.
Hberately and In cold blood. That
made 1t all the more dangerous, for
he would likely drink now and be-
come an inter fend. Within an hour
he would be raging drunk, capable OF
any indignlty. any wild act. A brute
sober, he became a demon drunk. And
she must face it-alonel 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 her
there, completely confident that she
could not escape. There was no spot
Of safety to which she could iy, no
friend to whom she could appeal.
She gazed hopelessIy out into the
black void; not a Hight 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 ot~hers-known to
Indian or outlaw--but this path was
the only n she ever had travelled.
And II never could be traversed alone
on foot.
Yet. was there any other hope OF
escape-of postponement even? To
appeal TO Bob Meager would accom-
plish nothing. She knew the base
heart Of the man now II she never had
before; he would only laugh, whether
she came TO him with reproaches or
tears And there was no n else
not a single white man left ON the
aefafa IN hor trNwyca~o