, 1924-11-12

down through that grove of pines to
the river when 1 saw him."
II may come back"
Il reckon not. Let's sit down and
talk"
Her first thought had been of his
danger, but she remembered something
else now. mo, l think not, Mr.. Kill
meny."
The deep eyes that met his steadily
had in them the rapier flash. He
smiled.
Because 1 am a miscreant. 1
reckon" he drawled.
"You say it, not l."
Now you're lodging, neighbor. You
think it."
IF so. do I think more than the
truth? Your actions convict you"
$50 you think. Isn't it just possible
you don't understand them?" There
was the faintest hint of derision In
his polite inquiry.
A light flashed in her dusky eyes. a
shining hope newborn in her eager
heart. Are you telling me that you
are %innocentT"
you've been thinking me guilty,
then" he countered swiftly. Y
What else could l thlnk?"
"You might have waited to hear the
defense"
IF you had stayed to make one. but
you ran away"
How do you know I -did?"
you were gone when the officers
reached yOur camp"
His smile was grim and his voice
defiant. There was a man up In the
hills l wanted to see In a hurry"
By the look In her eyes 1t was as II
he had struck her. With fine contempt
her answer came. "Was there another
man up there In the rocks just now
that you had to see until the deputy
left?"
Anyhow. there was a young woman
down by the banks of Sunbeam l
wanted to see after he was gone" the
fugitive claimed boldly.
A faint angry flush glowed delicate
ly beneath the olive of her cheeks.
Notwithstanding but evasions."
She turned away. sick at heart. He
had treated with %fllppancy the chance
she had given him. Would an inno-
cent man have done thatf
Swift as an arrow his hand shot out,
caught her shoulder, and held her firm
ly. The eyes that lifted t. his famed
with proud resentment.
I'm not going to let you 60 like
this. Lon't think it."
"Sir."
You'll do me justice first" His
hand dropped from her shoulder. but
the masterful look of him stayed her
steps. "Youll tell me what evidence
you've got against me-"
Again an lnsurgent hope warmed
her heart. Wild he might be, but
surely NO crirninal-If there was any
truth in faces.
What she had heard against him she
told. 1.-THE robbers were riding horses
like yours. You left the fair grounds
early. When you passed us on the road
you were anxious about something.
You looked back two or three times.
Both you and Mr.. Golfer showed you
were In a hurry. Then you ran away
before the sheriff reached your camp.
Does an innocent man do that?" She
put her question as an accusation. but
in the voice was a little tremble that
asked to be refuted.
sometimes he does. Now listen to
me. The horses ridden by the rob-
bers were Golfers and mine. We GER
tainly were worried about the time
we met you. And we did break camp
In a hurry so as to miss the sheriff.
Does this prove me guilty?"
She brushed away the soft waves Of
head In little escaping tendrils. The
fearless level eyes of the outdoors
west were looking straight Mt her.
II don't know. Does III"
"We1l say this evidence had piled
up against Captain Kilmeny instead
Of against me. Would you have be-
lieved him gullty7"
"No. He couldn't have done IT,"
ION the same evidence you would
acquit him and condemn me. Is that
fairf'
II have known him for years-his
standards. his ways Of thinking. All
his life he has schooled himself to
run a straight course"
"Whereas l." He waited. the snr-
donic frosty smile on his lean strong
face.
Moya knew that the flutter Of her
pulses was telling tales In the pink
of her cheeks. II don't know you"
I'm only a workingmnn. and an
American at that-so II follows that
I must be a criminal" he answered
with a touch Of bitterness.
"No-noi But you're-different.
There's something untamed about you.
! don't quite know how to put it--as
II you had been brought up withou,
restraints. rs II you didn't cnre much
for lnw."