, 1925-01-14

ne does. But you know how generous
he is. He v says anything, or
avoids the subject of his cousin in any
way" She added, after an instant:
Ned knows that l don't love
him-that Is. in one way. He says he
is ready to wait till that comes"
Ned Kilmeny is a man out of a mil
lion. Wait. Give yourself and him a
chance. In a few days we'll be start
ed home"
That's what I've been telling my
self. Everything here reminds me
of-him. 1t will be different then,
try to think. But-dowa in my heart
don't think 1t will"
And ! know 1t will" the matron
told her promptly. Thine, my dear.
heals all our woes. Youth has great
~recuperative powers. In a year you
will wonder how he ever cast such a
spell over you"
Moya heard the last belated ~reveIer
pass down the corridor to his room
before she fell asleep. When she
awoke 1t was to see a long shaft Of
early sunshine across the bed.
h rose, toe her bath. and dressed
for walking. Her desire drew the
steps of the young woi,an away from
the busy street toward the suburb.
She walked, as always. with the elias
tic residence of unfettered youth. But
the weight that had been at her heart
for two days-since she had learned
from Jack Kilmeny's lips that he was
a highgrader-was still tied there too
Enpura1y RI ha choEnn ouor hy thA
wonder of the glorious newborn day.
Returning to the hotel. she met a
man on the porch whose face stirred
instantly a fugitive memory. He came
to her at once. a big lea~ther-skinned
msp with the weatherbeaten look of
the West.
AREN'T o the Miss Dwight I've
heard Jack Kilmeny mention?"
Eyes. This Is Mr.. Golfer. isn't 1T"
He nodded. watching her with hard
narrowed eyes. Something's wrong.
a you tell me what 1t is7 Jacks
mules-two of them. anyhow-came
back to the barn during the night with
bits Of broken harness still attached
to them. Looks like there had been
a runaway and the wagon had come
to grief. The keeper of the livery
stable says Bell tool the wagon
around to Jacks place and left II with
him. He was seen driving out of
town soon after. He has not beer seen
since"
Her heart flew TO alarm. you
. you think he has been
hurt?"
Don't know. He's not in town.
That's n cinch. I've raked Goldbanks
with a toothcomb. Where is he?"
Couldn't he be Mt his mine?"
81 sent a boy out there. He's not
at the Jack Pot"
"Whnt is II that you think? Tell
me-" she cried softly.
You're his friend. aren't your"
"Yes."
There's some talk around town that
he was held up by Bleyer. | came up
here to see him or verinder. Foul
play of some kind. that's my guess"
"But-you surely don't think that
Mr.. Bleyer or Mr.. Verinder would
hurt him?"
The loo of logged resolution on
the mans granite face did not soften.
They'll have to show me-and by
Cd! II they did
Her mind flew with CONSERVATION to
the attack upon Kilmeny that had
beer made by Bleyer. But verinder
had told her nobody had been hurt.
Could they have taken the h%ighgrader
p%risonerf Were they holding him for
some purpose?
"Afr Vnrtndnr nnfQ nm nhnnt thta
time usually" she said.
I'm waiting for him. He said he
would be down at once"
xviii you tell me anything you find
out. please? III be on the veranda
upstairs"
Golfer Joined her a quarter Of an
hour Inter. II saw both Bleyer and
verinder. They've got something up
their sleeve. but I don't thlnk they
know where Jack Is or what has be-
come OF him. They pretended to think
I was trying to put n owe on them"
"what will you do nowi"
"Ill go out to the Jack Pot myself.
I've reason to believe he Intended to
go there"
"If you find out anything"
"Yes. I'll LET you know"
Moya went directly from Golfer tn
Bleyer. The superintendent entered =
curt denial to her implied charge.
"Mlss Dwight. ! don't know what
you do or do not know. see some
one has been blabblng. But I'll Just
sny this. when I last saw Jack XII.
meny he was as sound us ! am this
minute. haven't the least idea where
he Is. You don't reed to worry about
him at all. When he wants to turn
up he'll be on deck right side up
Don't ask me what his play Is. for
don't know. II may be to get me and
verlnder In bad with the miners. Just
be sure OF one thing: he's grand.
standing"