The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-14
CHAPTER xxx. (ContinuedL

line man--Im sure he understands.
You've undergone dreadful ordeal,
butts nearly over. He's sending
for Laurie now. She can tell good
yical. it she Will"
About the THEFT. yes. But what
about the-murdcr? Joe McCaskey
did it. There's no doubt about that.
Henri weakened, after l gave hin,
his chance. He got to drinking. !
hear. and evidently lie conceived tho
action of telling those men. He may
have gone to warn them, to appeal
to them. | don't know. Then they
must have quarrclcd. It's all clear
enough when you understand the
inside facts. Without knowing
them, it was natural to suspect
Pierce. sol did what had to do
doubt ii Laurc knows anything
about this part OF the affair.
The two women we're still talking
when Laurie entered. in company
with the Mounted Police officer who
mad been sent TO fetch her. At sight
II them she halted; :, sudden pallor
anne into her checks: SHE cast a
glance Of alarm about her as ii seek
n1 retreat; but Colonel Cavcndish
erimv invited her to follow him,
md stepped into his private Office.
The newcomer falt.rcd; then with
defiant LOSS Of her head and with
fps CURED i'll disdain she obcycd;
he d.tr closed behind her.
l.iouletta and the Countess Cour-
eau fell silent now. The found
nothing to talk about, and i'll spite
Of themselves they strained t'iclr
ears for some sound from the other
room. Even Miss CaycndiS} seemed
vaguely to feel tho suspense. for she
finally took her stand beside frost
rimed window and engaged her
self III tracing patterns thereon with
he tip OF her finger. An occasional
end. ,..,,,n,u. ~ voices, deanencd
~ the thick log partition, indicated
liat ia,lrc and her inqnisitor were
,ol getting on we'll together.
Suddenly tho girl at the window.
started: her apathy vanished; her
expression OF boredom gave place
.o.onc OF such lively anticipation as
% draw the attention OF the two
otlicr women. A magic change came
oyer her: she became suddenly ami
mated, alive. atinglc III every nerve;
Ter eyes sparkled and 4 new color
ioodcd her checks. The alteration
Interested her Observers; they were
nvstihed as to its cause until quick
step sounded in the entry and the
door opened to admit Pierce Phillips.
1t was natural that he should first
sec Miss Cavendisn. and tia: s.c
should greet her before recognizing
;he other occupants Of the room. It
VAS natural, too, that he should be
/ trifle nonplussed at finding Hilda
acre: nevertheless. he managed to
owe his lack of case. Not so, how
ever, when, a moment later, the door
70 Colonel Cavcndish's Office opened
and Laurie. Of all persons. appeared
therein. Quickly Pierce inferred the
reason for his summons, but. hap
PLY for him, he was spared further
embarrassment. Cavendish called to
him, took him BY the hand III the
iriendliest manner, and again disap-
reared into his retreat, drawing the
Young man with him.
Brief as had been the interrupt
ton. both Hilda and Rouletta had
gathered much from it; their infer
c1lce was borne out when Laurie
paused before them and i'll a voice
subdued by the very force of her
agitation exclaimed:
We'll. l hope you're satisfied! ]
got it. and got it good" Her face
was livid. her dark eyes were blazing
wrat!,fully. She ou.thrust shaking
hand and uMlenchcd her fingers. dis
PLAYING therein crumpled sheet Of
pink paper, printed official form,
the telltalc tint of which indicated
its fateful character. Both Of her
hearers were familiar with the So
called pink tickets" Of the Mounted
Police: every one in the Northwest
Territory. in fact, knew what they
Mere--deportation orders. But in a
tone ioarsc. and suppressed Laure
read. "--leave by tire first safe con-
vcvancev That's khat it says--thc
First safe conveyance. 1 suppose
you'd like it better If it were blue
ticket and ! had to leave m twenty
four bours. You put it over, but ]
won't forget. tn get'eycn Will, you.'
1--WE had nothing to .do with that
tue Countess. declared. quietly. TIN
sorry you take it SO hard, butt
serves you right"
"Who wouldn't take itfl,ard? To
he expelled, fred out like thief, q
-" The girls voice broke; then she
pulled ~ilerself together ard uttered a
quavering. artificial laugh. She
tossed her head again, with an Oh
vious attempt at defiance. ooh; It
takes more than 4 pink ticket TO
down me! Anyhow, I'm sick of this
place. sick Of the people. ! hate
them" With vicious fling of her
shoulders she swcnt on to a seat rs
far from them as possible and sank
into it. 20
SO the girl had confessed. Hilda
reflected. She was glad, for Pierce's
sake, that this miserable complication
was in process of clearing up and
that he would be finally and COM
pletely exonerated; she was glad,
too, that her efforts in his behalf, 1ier
humiliation, had borne fruit. He
would never know how high he had
made her pay, but that was all right
She felt very gently toward him at
this moment, and experienced a GER
tain wistful desiSe that he might I'M
derstand how ur selfish had been her
part. It might make difference;
probably it would. Things now were
not as they had been. She was a
free woman. This thought obtridcd
itself insistently into the midst of her
meditations. Yes, Courteau was
gone; there was no reason now why
sheCould not look any man honestly
in the eye. OF course, there was
INsTALMENT! FIFTY-oNE /