The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-06-12

blot upon the name Of Blythe. Ny
daughter was born there. Her father
was an honest, God-fearing, highly re-
spected man. His name and his men,
ory are untarnished. No man can say
aught against the half of Kenneth that
is Blythe. nor the half of Viola that is
Carter. I should like the daughter of
Owen Carter to go back and live
among his people as the wife of the
son Of Laura Blythe, and to honorably
bear the name that was denied me by
Gwynne."
He looked at her shrewdly for a
moment and then, as the full signif-
canoe of her plan grew upon him.
revealing in a flash the motive behind
1t, he exclaimed:
"Well, by gosh, you certainly have
done an almighty lot of calculating"
And why shouldn't 1? She is my
child Is 1t likely that I would give
myself the worst of everything with
out seeing to 1t that she gets the best
of everything? No, my friend; you
must not underrate my intelligence. I
will speak plainly to you-but in con-
fdence. This is between you and me.
There is no love lost between Ken
meth Gwynne and me. He hates me
and always will, no matter how hard
he may try to overcome 1t. In a DIFF
ferent way hate him. We must not
be where we can see each other.
am sorely afraid that the tender love
he now has for Viola would fail to out
last the hatred he feels toward me.
leave you to imagine what that would
mean to her. He has 1t in his power
to give her a place among his people.
He can force them to honor and re-
spect her. and her children will be
their children. Do you see? Need I
say moreY'
you need say nothing more. 1 un-
derstand what you want, Mrs. Gwyn-
and I must say that you are in
| sense justified. What is to become of
young Gwynne's property here in this
| county?'
II think I can be trusted to look
after it satisfactorily" she said qui-
city; perhaps even better than he
could do for himself I am a farm
woman"
II thought maybe you had some no
ton of buying him out"
HE would not sell to me. His farm
is being properly handled by the pres
ent tenant. His lots here in town
cannot run away. The time will come
when they will be very valuable, or
am no prophecies There is nothing
to keep him here. Andrew, and his in
terests and my daughters will be as
carefully looked after as my own
I'VE will be sorry to lose him as a
citizen
'.If you are ready, we will step over
to the Free Press Office" she said,
without a sign that she had heard his
remark.
They crossed the square and turned
up the first street to the left.
This will be a terrible shock to your
daughter" said the lawyer, breaking a
long silence.
"She will survive It," replied Rachel
Gwyn sententiously.
He laid his hand on her arm will
you accept bit of advice from me?"
They stopped II am not above lis
tening to it," she replied.
| MY advice is to postpone this &C
tion until you are sure of one thing"
| anu WHAT may tndl Dc
! Kenneth Gwynne's safe return
from this foray against the Indians.
He may not come back alive"
He will come back alive" said she,
in cool, matter-of-fact tone. TT IL
SO ordained. I know. Come. we are
wasting time. have much to do be-
tween now and nightfall. Bright and
early tomorrow morning my daughter
and 1 are leaving town"
| Leaving town.? he cried. aston
ished.
II am taking her out in the coun-
try-to the farm. If can prevent it
she shall never put foot in this town
again. You know Phineas Striker?
An honest, loyal man, with a wife as
good as gold. When Kenneth Gwynne
marches back to town again he will
find me here to greet him. 1 will tell
him where to find Viola. Out at
Strikers farm, my friend, she will be
waiting for him to come and claim his
own"
smile he did not understand and
never was to understand played about
her lips as she continued dryly, for
such was the manner of this amazing
woman:
He will even find that her wedding
gown is quite as much to his fancy a.
1t was the day he met her.
1.-THE END.l
|