Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1924-07-10
somethIng bad gone wrong.

my nau0 ali TIE tiint
"But-howY' gasped India.
Moya. white to the lips. said moth
ing. A premonition Of the truth
clutched icily at her heart.
"a masked man stopped me just as
I swung round a bend about three
miles from Gunnison. He ordered me
to throw out the satchel with the
money. did as ! was told"
did you-recognize him?" Moya's
throat was dry, so that her question
came almost In whisper.
The captains eyes met hers stead
fly. He stayed In the bushes. SO that
I didn't see his body well. He was
masked"
bat you know who 1t was. Tell
me-"
IT couldn't take oath TO the man."
"It was your cousin" Moya was
pale to the lips.
The officer hesitated. I'm not pre-
pared to say who the man was"
The pulse In her throat beat fast.
You know better. II was Jack
Kilmeny." she charged.
81 could tell you only my opinion"
he insisted.
And know all about It." Noya
came to time with her confession
promptly, In the fearless fashion char
acteristic Of her. ut was that sent
him to you. II was ] that betrayed
you to him."
India set her lips to soundless
whistle. Her brother could not keep
out Of his brown face the amazement
he felt.
81 don't wonder you look like that"
Moya nodded. gulping down her dis
tress. you can't think any worse Of
me than I do of myself"
NONSENSE II you told him you
had a reason. What was itf India
asked. a little sharply.
mo reason that justihes me. He
took me by surprise. He had come
to get the stolen money and told
him we were returning 1t to the Fair
most at once he left. I saw him take
the canyon road for Gunnison."
"You weren't TO blame at ALL" the
captain assured her, adding with a
rueful smile: HE didn't take you any
more by surprise than he did me.
hadn't time to reach for the rife"
Moya, too. kept silence. Her heart
was seethIng with scorn for this hand
some scamp who had put this outrage
upon them all. II was bad enough 10
be thief, but TO this he had added
deception, falsehood and gross ingrati-
tude. Nor did the girls contempt
spare herself. Neither warning nor
advice-and Lady Jim had been prodi-
gal of both-had availed to open her
eyes about the westerner. She had
been as foolish over him as school
girl In the matter Of matinee idol
That she would have to lash herself
for her folly through many sleepless
hours of the night was certainty.
A ride had been arranged for next
morning to the Devils slide, a great
slab OF rock some miles away. The
young people we're to have an early
breakfast and get started before the
sun was hot.
But though Moya reached her room
before midnight, It was not until day
was beginning to break that she fell
into troubled sleep. She tossed
through the long hours and lived over
every scene that had passed between
her and Jack Kilmeny. II was at an
end. She would never see him again
She would ride with the others to the
Devils slide and he would come tc
the appointment he had made TO find
her not there. He would go away
and next day she would leave with the
rest Of her party for the Big Bend
mining country. where yerinder and
Lord FarQuhar were heavily interested
In some large gold producers. THAI
chapter of her life would be closed
She told herself that II was best so
Her love for man OF this stamI
could bring no happiness to her. More
over. she had taken an irretrievabl,
step In betrothing herself TO Captain
Kilmeny.
When Fisher Weakened her to dres,
in time for the early breakfast Moys
felt very reluctant to Join the others
She would have TO laugh and talk anC
make merry, and all the time sh,
would be miserably unhappy. Il
would be impossible for her TO stanS
verinder today without screaming. A
sheer physical lassitude weighted hel
limbs. In the end she went back 3,
bed and sent for India.
'I'm not feeling ft. dear. wonlC
you mind IL I beg ofrr' she asked with
an smile.
Tier friend took In keenly the bl.
deep-pupiled eyes ringed with weari
ness. Il don't believe you've slept /.
wink. Moya. OF course you neednr
go. Shall I stay with your dom
really care about going"
But Nova would not hear OF this
She protested so much that India saw
Il would be greater kindness I,
leave her alone.
"You must try to sleep again. dear
Yes, I will. I'm all right. 20,
know"
Left to herself. Moya tried to sleep