The Holly chieftain., 1923-10-18
By Randall Parrish
Ceo.isk ;, A. C MeCluss s C.

"only this; don't you come another
step toward me-"
He burst into gruhf laugh, slapplng
his knee.
'The hi you say! Who do you
think I am. anyhow Some kid afraid
of woman? Say. listen. that's no
way for wife to welcome her hus-
band. got right here. and you bet
I'm going to stay. Got an idea you
can bluff me. / reckon. Well, amt
that kind, an you might as well learn
1t now as later. This is our wedding
night. Here's where I ought to be,
amt It? Say, why don't you say some
thing2 What you going to do?"
II am going to kill you, Bob Mea-
ger" she said coldly, unless you leave
this ROOM"
xiii me! Why. you blame little
fool, ! could crush the life out O. you
with one hand-see. just like that
And by Cd, got the right If you
get too gay. I'm your husband. amt
/? That's what the law says. and I'm
going to be your husband, you can bet
your life on that. Think you'u scare
me, do you?" he burst into an ugly
laugh. mot this time. you won't" He
turned and closed the door; then
crossed the room toward her, reeling
drunkenly, yet quite able to retain
his feet The starlight rendered his
features visible. Her motlonless ST.
lence caused him to pause.
Pretty d-n still, amt you?" he ex-
claimed, peering at her suspiciously; !;
"why don't you talk? When l speak
to woman want her to say some
thing"
There is nothing more for me to
say"
only that you're going to kill me
IL I touch you. heyf All right. then /;
here's your chance"
He took two steps toward her, his
hands reaching out eagerly, his face
thrust forward. Then, he stopped sud-
denly. with startled eyes staring into
the leveled muzzle of the "A, his lips
giving suppressed utterance to a swift
ejaculation.
"Pll be d-d"
"Put your hands up, Bob Meagerw
the words were Icy cold. "Up, l say |!
Don't fool with me now. Turn around
and go out that door. am not play
ing; this means your life or mine Col"
He cringed back. cowardly, yet with
drunken cunning. Desperate as she
was. there was hesitation In the girls
action. Dimly he grasped the truth
that she shrank from the necessity of
shooting; that she would actually pull
the trigger only AZ last resort. He
took the chance.
Sure" he muttered, you got the
drop and cave. So long, honey"
He half turned away, reeling drunk
enly, then suddenly, unexpectedly,
flung his body directly at her, crush
Ing her back against the wall, both
falling together. the weapon undis-
charged beneath her body. { t, sur
prising as the assault was. she had yet
escaped the grip of his hands. and was
on her knees again before he could
move. The revolver was her only
weapon, but in the fall she had lost
grip Of the stock. It lay there glitter
ing in the starlight, and, desperate,
maddened by the danger, obeying the
first wild instinct Of the instant, she
snatched 1t up by the barrel and
struck with all her force at the mans
head. The fellow gave utterance to
no moan. his limbs twitched, and then
he lay motionless. his face against the
floor.
Deborah slowly lifted her body,
shrinking back from the darkly out
lined form, beginning to comprehend
with horror what she had done. She
still held tight to the weapon with
which she had dealt the blow, although
realizing that she no longer required
Its protection. The silence was terri
flying; her nerves tingled painfully,
she found difficulty In breathing. Was
the man dead? Had she actually killed
him with that one hasty blow? She
could scarcely realize the possibility.
and yet she had struck with all her
force. driven to 1t by terror uncontrol-
liable. She shrank now from even
touching him; nurse as she was, hav-
Ing witnessed death In every form of
horror. and ministered to wounds of
every degree. she would not place hand
on this man. whether he lived or died.
He represented to her mind all that
was base and evil; she was glad she
had struck him down.
But what now7 This question over
shadowed all else. The thing she had
been imagining for 30 long had at last
come to pass. He had come to her,
come claiming her with insult and out
rage, and she had actually dealt the
blow of which she had dreamed. Her
courage had not failed her, and he was
lying there now in the darkness at her
feet. sorely wounded, perhaps dead.
1t was her act; she had done it-what
now? She had never faced this situ-
alton before. the aftermath. Whether