The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-04-25

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she sat for the time being, thinking
trying to realize the full meaning OF
his words, just what he was planning
and what she herself must do
And then silently. with certain
stupid bravado, he drew out an old
revolver from the pocket of his coat
and laid ii upon his lap. And now she
saw, or thought she saw, with terrify
ing distinctness, what his purpose
was. He was offering no violence to
her-yeti Probably he would not un-
til-until after her visitor arrived.
For very clearly In some way he must
know the other man was coming. She
sat stlll silent, wondering what she
should do, watching him furtively as
he sat beside her.
She was very near to him indeed I:
she could feel the warmth Of his
breath-almost of his great body. She
could see the beating of his pulse In
his thick red neck, and she could see,
always more and more distinctly, that
CLINT in his eye-that CLINT in the eye
Of man who has been drinking. drink
ing all day long for a purposel Her
patience outliyed his
when did you expect him?" he
asked her finally-after several min
utes Of restlessness and growing irri
tation on his part.
Expect whom?" she returned with
calmness she did not feel.
"None of thatl" he said, and took
the corner Of her shoulder in his great
hairy hand. "When?"
II don't know what you are talking
about" she answered with spirit, and
she started to get up. But when she
attempted it, a faint scream came
from her lips. It seemed as II her
shoulder would be crushed.
Her first instinct was TO keep Cd
screaming. but the look In his face
prevented her. It was look, she saw
clearly now, a little different from the
,ooE Of a mere drunken man; 1t was
more the glance of man unbalanced,
by drink perhaps. and by something
else-by hatred, the impression grew
on her-an old, violent hatred. studi-
ously self-inlamed.
And again they sat there waiting. 1t
must be, she thought, like this that
men sit hunting animals by a runway
of woods. She sat now. as still as he,
submissive now TO all appearances;
but her mind was never clearer or
more accurate, or her senses keener.
They were probably, she thought now,
overacute-yielding perhaps TO a
touch of hysteria. to something she
must fight.
For now a still more singular Inn
preston came over her The idea had
come, and was growing on her, that
there was a third person in the room
1t had come first-so far as her ex-
cited mind recalled-at the time when |
this man beside her had hurt her and |
made her scream. 1t had seemed to |
her that at that instant she had seen
a movement, sudden twitching, of
the velvet curtains in the window upon
the other side of the room from where
she had discovered this man beside
her.
Since then she had cast continual
guarded glances at the window--try-
Ing to satisfy her mind whether she
lad been mistaken. Could 1t have been
hat this man whom she had been ex-
lad concealed himself there-possibly
the other man to be In the
'oom-and waited; if so. he was GER
ainly q strangely constituted man to |
ct her sit there under the threats
md cOmpulsion of this drunken brute
-or mailman. whichever he might be
without aiding her And yet on re-
consideration, what else could he do
low but wait his chance-if he was
here. For one thing at least was GER
ain in her mind: appearance now
aust mean certain death to him.
'What are you looking att" de-
handed the sudden voice of the man
eside her.
Looking at" she exclaimed In
dice that seemed even to her to be
peaking from a great distance.
81 believe" he said. starting up. 'he
here already. | believe you've got
i'm hidden away here somewhere
ow." ,
He was certainly not a mere drunk
0 man now. He was certainly not
me. His voice showed It, as did the
ood rising to his face. the little knot
veins upon his temples and the I'M
aturai CLINT which showed now in his !,
eyeballs.
He started TO his feet and she with
i'm. He was staring now at the
ace where her eyes had been-the !
lids Of that high velvet curtain.
"Come out of therer' he cried in
parse voice. From behind that cur
in l see you" he said with /,
outhful of foul epithets
And at that the curtain moved !.
Try slightly. but still visibly. =
mo, no, not" cried the false AIDE :,
ide Rutherford, pushing at him with
her might. She saw now what she
Id done. she had brought this UNI !.
rtunate man-this rescuer and be
lender whose name she did not even =
lOw-in here to be murdered. "Nor :
e cried Historically; and she was !,
Ishing at the unyielding body of the :