Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-03-13

| 1t Is strange, the mine being so near
the house," Joyce said. "You know
Mother and 1 were never quite con-
WINGED that there was a mine. We
were never quite sure that my father
hadn't delusion on that subject, and
that Leboeuf, who was devoted to him,
wasn't humoring him.
"Old Leboeuf must have been living
there for long time. He had some
grudge against Railway, you know.
He would have killed him once, If my
father hadn't interviewed"
| She reverted to her fathers death,
and Lee was reluctantly compelled to
give her the particulars.
"He may have suffered a stroke and
have fallen over the cliff" he said.
"At any rate, his death was instan-
| taneous. You may be sure he did not
suffer"
1t was when he spoke of his dis
covery OF her mothers grave that
Joyce showed signs of breaking down.
"She was i'll such long time" she
said. "She was paralyZed, and there
was nothing that could be done for
her When she died my father and
Leboeuf carried her body away into
the forest by night. They would never
tell me where she had been buried,
and / remember used to prowl about
the house, always hoping to discover
her grave. / suppose that was a part
of my fathers madness, in a way. He
tol h0r. IN hn him MI he
was working"
1t was after dinner that Lee opened
the subject nearest to his heart.
Dear, you know what ! want to
ask he said "Will you let me take
you south with me before the SHOWS?
And will you let Father McGrath
marry us before we start?'
"Oh, Lee-when?" she asked.
To-day, dearest"
"Oh. not today, Leei'
Tomorrow, then? And Wen spend
Our honeymoon in the log house, just
for day or two of happiness together
before taking up the trail. l know 1t
will always be your home, Joyce, and
that we shall often come back here,
now that the unhappiness of the past
is over"
swat, Lee!" Joyce was wrinkling her
forehead in that manner that always
distressed him so much. Il want to
ask you something: Have you really
told me everything the time
when l had my fall from the horse
until I awakened in the forest with
you? Or have you-hidden something
from me-out of consideration for
meT'
'sWhy do you ask that, dear?"
Because II feel that you have,
Lee. I don't know why. It's just an
instinct l have. And if there is some
thing more, should like to be told,
because-because have feeling that
it may help me to recover that part of
my life that is still blank to me-"
Lee felt in quandary. 1t was i'm
possible to wish to keep anything from
Joyce; and yet he felt that she ought
never to know the incidents of that
day and night at Siston lake.
eff you don't want to tell me,
dear" Joyce went on.
Lee had to tell her then, and did,
minimizing the affair in all but it's
essentials. He said nothing about his
fight with the Free Traders, but told
her how she had been kidnapped by
the two men and taken to Railways
camp, and how, in the absence of the
band, he had rescued her.
"And you say was unconscious all
that timer" asked Joyce. 81 wish
could understand it, and l wish
could remember It seems so strange
that part of my memory should come
back to me, and not all of 1t. Who
were those men and what did they
want of me? We're they Railways
men? And what did he want?"
II think the explanation is simple,
dear" Lee answered. Railway wants
the secret of your fathers mine. In
some way he must have learned that
you were coming back to the range.
He sent his men to intercept you.
They probably told you that Railway
had your father in his power, and that
is why you proposed to accompany
them, and why you didn't want me-"
"Not want you, Lee? l wanted you
from the first minute l saw you. I'll
tell you a secret, shall 1? Well-I-I
fell in love with you that evening in
the hotel, and I've been in love with
you ever since. Therel
''But why was riding in the ranger
she resumed. what was it on my mind
so terrible that there seems sort of
blackness there? I felt that you could
save me-" She shook her head. mo.
there's more to it than that my dear.
And--I don't know-perhaps shall
never know"
Lee slipped his arm about her.
"Joyce, dear, don't try to think. 1t
doesn't matter. Nothing is going to
matter any more. You are no longer
the unknown girl. travelling alone
through a wilderness, whose disap-