The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-06-10
CHAPTER XV-Continued

she drew away suddenly, slopptu-
and then he saw that she had hum
ing knife In her hand.
Listen to me now, James Rath
way" she said, still speaking in tn
came strained, monotonous tone. "
shall never be yours. Ishall kill my
self first. would have fulfilled m,
compact In the spirit and the letter
had you fulfilled yours. But | didn
trust you. ! suspected that you were
tricklng meas you We're"
'sThat's lie. l didn't trick you
Put down that knife !"
Its not a lie. You trIcked me
twice. The first time you forced me
into marriage with you by the threat
that unless | consented you would be-
tray my father to the police. married
you, and still you betrayed him."
II did not Someone else must have
done So Why should have be-
trayed him? He was my friend"
"You were the only man who knew
his secret. Then the second time,
knowing that / would never live with
you. you sent me a lying message TO
lure me up here, saying that you held
my father In your power. You knew
that nothing else on earth would bring
me up to you. And 1t was lie, be-
cause my father has been dead for
months past"
Railways face blanched. IT don't
believe that story. How do you known"
"He died In his mine. His body lies
at the bottom OF it, where he was
stricken. If you did not know that
he. was dead, at least you were lying
when You said he was In your power"
"He lies--at the bottom-the bottom
Of the miner Railway stammered
IL didn't know" He seemed to
shake Off sort Of stupor. He tried
to take her hand
only because love you. God, think
of the years I've loved you, Joyce
I've given all my life to the hope of
winning you. Isn't woman touched
by the thought of that? All that I've
ever done, since that day when first
saw you in your fathers house, has
been for you. And now I've got you,
and you tell me you will never"
He was pressing toward her, but she
held the dagger pointed at him, and
he stopped. afraid OF the look In her
eyes.
Joyce don't be foolish. Put that
knife away. What do you mean to
dot?
xii you and then myself, If you
lay hand on me again. I've told you
shall never live with you"
by heaven, I'll kill him If you so to
him!"
Il shall not go to him. That is why
sent him away. l shall go away
alone"
Joyce, listen to sense Do you f,
ealize that you are my wife? That / /,
an hold you by force. and there is !
10 law In the dominion to prohibit
ne, and no man who would not ap-
rove? Joyce, be sensible. II you're
till In love with this man, Anderson, ),
m willing to walt till you've forgot :
en- him little. Lord, I've waited :.
ing enough for you'll But FL wait
niger IL | have to.
Don't you see how foolishly you're
citing" he pleaded. Don't you realize
Dw much better off you're going to be a =,
18th husband who Is rich and de- .
'ted to you? Your father never took J
penny out of that mine all these -
.ars. There must be hundred thou
nd dollars worth OF gold dust there ~
perhaps million. Can't you see o.
Q old boy working night after night
g a beaver, to make you and me
'h?"a
And he threw back his head and ut
red his hyena laugh again. But
yce said nothing at all. and he
ded: wi
I suppose you know 1t all belongs 70
me, as your husband, under the law, wa
that II you leave me you don't get til
benny Of it7" he
Well?" ho
Well? / thought you mlghtn't I'M
stand. How far from here Is the clio
lei" do,
don't know" VIII
lie burst into a spasm OF fury. "By
ven, I'm going to make you know the
you think you're going to keep the Lee
ret of my own mine from me? | occ
you l meant to have 1t from the mo
moment that your father began I
piping his hints, the old fool. 1t Lee
, to find out about 1t that l stayed 9th
with him year after year" lati
I've always known that" son
athway stared at her. He was the
,gered by the quiet, Indifferent by
amer Of her speaking. He had tior
believed her before He had been r
confident when he sent for her. SIN,
er the pretext Of having her father nov
lis mercy, that she could solve the YER
ret which he had never been able win
solve himself. the
ct now 1t began to occur to him #
/ probability that Joyce had never mis-
wn the secret. He had taken too the
n for granted. If she had not nice
wn 1t when she went south, as had rifle
ainly been the case. how could she in /,
J learned 1t since? p,
I'D all his plans seemed suddenly of
otnJ