The Winslow mail., 1924-02-22

up in a corner. Sheila, standing be-
on his face, and ran forward with low
cry.
She snatched a towel from a rack,
dipped it into a basin of water that
stood on a packing case, and kneeling
beside him, began wiping away the
blood.
Winton staggered to his feet He
smiled whimsically at Sheila, tried to
reach the door, and collapsed into the
single chair in the room.
"Tm sorry" he whispered II didn't
dream-you lived here. I'll go-in a
minute"
"You can't go" cried the girl in a
frenzied whisper. "You are safe now
You must wait"
"They'll come back and search for
me. They're bound to get me. Miss
Seaton, L"
IF they arrest you they can arrest
me, too. Come here-please do as
say. I'm going to help you as you
helped me-"
She placed her shoulder under his
arm and raised him upon his feet. 1t
was astonishing what strength lay in
her slim body, or what resolution
nerved her. She forced him to cross
the room and pass through a doorway
Beyond was another door, and through
the glass Of the uncovered window
Winton saw the pump in the square
and the angle of the buildings.
And he heard again the shouts of
his pursuers, returning from their fruit
less search. They swarmed into the
square and heavy blows resounded
upon one of the doors, followed by a
mans gruff answer.
They'll be here in moment" Win
ton gasped.
They'll see you il you try to leave
You must lie down here. This is my
fathers room. He's away on the fields.
You must let me cover you and, if they
come, they'll think you're he. Quick!
Oh, please be quick p
Winton took in the stretcher bed
with it's disordered array of blankets.
He knew Sheila had told the truth.
The once chance Of saving her now
was to do as she wished him to do;
and it was one chance in a dozen.
He managed to crawl upon the
stretcher, and the girl pulled the blank
cts over him. She hurried to the back
door and bolted it; then blew out her
light. Hardly were these preparations
made when the crowd came yelling
along the row of houses, banging at
all the doors and smashing the win
dows. The police were far outnum-
bered by their followers, for an l. D. B.
chase arOuses as much enthusiasm and
vindictiveness as the pursuit of horse
thief in the old days of our own West.
1t would have gone hard with Winton
II the mob had discovered him. And
for the first time in his life he was
afraid. He was afraid for Sheila.
He heard her creep into his room in
the darkness and stand behind the
door. The mob was abreast Of the
house.
There was a light here" a man
yelled, and stick smashed the win
dow glass into tinkling fragments. The
thin door yielded under the terrific
blows.
"Open, whoever's hereI' cried one
of the leaders
The bolt was shot back. Sheila ap-
peared to Winton's gaze in the shaft
OF moonlight that fell upon the floor.
She wore long dressing gown, and her
hair hung loose down her back. At
the sight of her the crowd was silent,
and Winton, crouched under the blan-
kets, ready to make his last fight for
the girl, waited, with every muscle taut
and every nerve quivering, for the mo.
ment that never came.
Perhaps in his ignorance of frontier
life he misjudged the rough and ready
nature OF MalOpO's inhabitants. He
had seen the worst side of Malopo only.
The mob hung back, ashamed.
What do you want?' asked Sheila
steadily
There's damned 1. d. B. thief hid
ing somewhere along this block. We
want him." cried the man who had
shouted first.
HE isn't here" said Sheila quietly
There are only myself and my father
here, and he's sick. Won't you please
go away?"
It's Miss Seaton!" cried one Of the
men. "'That goes, boys Her words
as good as the best in town, and she's
the pride of the good old Continental
bunch Hooray!' %
"Come along boys" shouted anOth
er; and the mob began to move away
Winton crawled painfully off the
stretcher and staggered toward the
girl, who was still standing beside the
door The robe which she had flung
over her dress lay at her feet, where
she had thrown 1t. She was cOiling up
her hair in knot behind AS WintOn
came toward her she turned from him
Poo to-