Gunnison news-champion., 1923-02-16
CHAPTER XVII,
pursuh.

Dnvy robe over her niyhedreSa and
IN slippers. went from her fathers
bedroom swiftly down into the study
aenin: what she was going to do there
she did not definitely know. She
heard. as she descended the stairs, the
steward In the hail outside the study
calling up the police stations OF the
neighboring rilinges and giving news
OF what had happened and instruc-
lions TO watch the roads; but N she
reached the foot Of the sfaIrs. q serv-
ant closed the study doors The great.
eurtained room In Its terrifying dis
order was brightly lighted. empty, alb
solnfely still She had given direc-
tons that. except for the removal Of
Biatchford's body. all must be left a.
n was In the room TIL the arrival Of
Ae police. She stood an Instant with
hands pressed against her breast. star.
ting down Mt the spots upon the floor,
Was one of them Eaton's?
Something within her told her that
II wns. and the fierce desire to 60 to
him. to help him. was all she felt just
now. II wns Donald Avery's and her
fathers accusation Of Eaton tina. bad
made her feel like this She had been
feeling. the moment before Donald
had spoken. that Philip Eaton had
played upon her thar evening In max
fnr her take him to his confederate
IN the ravIne In order to pinn and con.
sumn,Hte something here. Above her
grief and horror at the killing Of her
eis 81
Ind risen the anguish of her guilt
with Eaton. the agony Of her BETRAYAL.
But their accusation that Eaton had
killed Wallace Blatchford. seeing him.
knowing HMM the lIght--had swept
all that away; all there ~'as Of her
seemed to have risen In dei III Of that.
Before her eyes. half shut. she saw
again the body OF her cousin Wallace
lying in its blood on the floor. with her
father knceiing beside II. his blind
eyes raised In helplessness to the
light: but she saw now another body
too -Eaton's---po here-iyinx some
where in the bsfe. wlnd-swept woods,
shot down BY those pursuing him.
She looked af the face Of the clock
and then down to the pendulum to 80
whether II had stopped: but the pen
dulum was swinging. The hands stood
at half past one O'Clock; now she -
called that. in her first wild gaze about
the room when she rushed in with
the others. she had seen the hands
showing q minute or 20 short Of
twenty minutes rast one. Not quite
. quarter Of an hour had passed since
The aisrmi The pursuit could not
have moved far away. She rsopened
TIE window through which the pur-
suers had passed and stepped out onte
the dark lawn. A half mile down the
beach she heard shouts and q shot:
she saw dimly through the night In
that direction . boat without lights
moving swiftly ont upon the lake.
Her hands clenched and pressed
asainst her breast; she stood strain
iAg at the sounds Of the man-hunt. II
had turned west. II seemed: II was
coming back her way. but to the west
- the house. She crossed the lawn
toward the Rafage. A light suddenly
shone out there, and she went on
The wide door at the car driveway
was pushed open. and someone was
within working over . car. His back
was toward her. and he was bent over
the engine. but. at the glance. she
knew him and recoiled. gaspIng. It
was Eaton. He turned At the same
instant and saw her.
sOh: It's your he cried to her.
Her heart, which almest had ceased
10 beat, raced her pulses again. At
the sound she had made on the drive
way, he had turned to her a. Q hunted
thing. cornered. desperate. certain that
whoever came must be against him.
HIS cry to her had recognized her a.
the only one who could come and not
be against him: II had hailed her with
relief ~ bringing him help. He could
not have cried out 30 at that instant
at Msht OF her II he had been guilty
Of what they had accused. Now she
saw too. n he faced her. blood now.
ing over his face: blood soaked =
shoulder Of his coat, and his LEFT arm
dangling af his side: but now. - he
threw back his head and straightsned
n hiD relief At finding Il was she who
hAd surprised him, shs saw In him
~ exnltatloa and sxcitsment she had
nover Deen before-eomethfng which
her prtssnce alone could net have
caused. Tonight, ~ sensed vaguely,
eomsthine haa happsnsd 10 him which
had changed III attitude toward her
and syeszthing slsa-
Yes; isss Ils ~ eTled auicAiy apA
sushsd - ~ mn II Itss r. wil0V
~ rsassursd him .You,rs husti.
nhe teuchsd NJ shsuldse. sYoaso
Anrti 1 knsw re- wsrsr
He puahea Mr. haek yitA - ElshE
hand md I'D h9 awny froo h1a
sDid they INIT year nathsry
sHufk Hhthaey ma
MT II. ujatchfsrd
sD6A - 6nq1efu1 l116.
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