The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-07-29

dusty paper whirled against the radi-
atOr.
He leaned down and whispered in
her ear: "Sandy-you'll be all
right-you're all right now" !,
Then he carried her up steps,
the steps Of Hal Hume's flat
The steps of his own agonizing
Gcthsemane-
Chapter IS.
She lay heavily in his arms, her
pale, cold face and the bright hair
falling back against his shoulder.
He steadied himself along the wall,
half muttering and sobbing-- stunned
by this appalling misfortune. Sandy,
inert and death-like in his arms;
Ramon's lifcless body; blood on the
| floor
In a few stark hours all their lives
| altered
What pitiless fate had driven her
to this?
/, A few hours ago she stood before
!, him, her white face radiant with
! love. She had come up and put
those dear. appealing hands in his
needing him-wanting him-wor-
Shipping him. Touching all his veins
| with tenderness and fire SO that he
! longed with young. flaming passion
to go out and fight for her; protect
her; carry her off; make her bound
f, lessly glad
| He staggered. He said to Hal
Hume's astonished query: SANDY
! HAHN taking her away-look at
her first"
4
\, They laid her on the bed. Her
(! lated pupils that, slowly responded
! when their forms bent over her.
/ Now and then her hand made a
quick, spasmodic gesture-she w'hini-
pcred: NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
Y The bullet pierced the chest wall
driving out through the back in q
direct line with the point Of en-
trance. Powder marked her skin.
Douglas, seeing the blood stains
turned his head. He followed Hume
caught his arm, gulped: "Nct going
to die, Hail."
= Hume. his face pale as Sandy's:
II hope not. don't think she'll die
Doug. Hut you can't drive her any
where tonight"
I 1--WE got to. thought you'd lei
me have the hunting shack"
you cant move her tonight
perhaps not for q week"
"They may trace her here? She't
!, rather die than have that? | can
! let that happen to her. Hal-yol
can see. Can't you see?" His lip
/ moved hopelessly-hc snapped hi'
' teeth against them. "l'll not risl
that!'
"It's riskcd already. Someone mus
have seen you carrying her out. The.
: may have seen her go into the offic'
' and you arriving later. Tomorrow
the body will be found. These thing
get out. should report this-Iv
got to report it. If any one SAY
~ Sandy go there and then you, an
! now they find him dead"
!, Douglas put out his hands. douh
ling the fists against the wall. II
4. do it for you. Hal. No one saw ms
y No ono saw US! It was late. Not
soul. He's just come back tror
China-not q soul who'll ever cor
meet Sandy with this IS
/ you, Hal"
"You'rc making an awful mistak
;. we're making an awful mistake
: Then Hal Hume turned abruptly.
= flood Of scarlet on his fine. ope
II face. "In the morning You bette
nurse her."
Douglas sat at her bed, one han
covering his face. Five o'clock
the morning-the hour they had plal
ned to start. God. what . thing
happen!
few more hours and the janitt
would probably be opening the 9
flee door-come upon Ramon
body.
A picture Of the lean. brown f..
with q line of agony about. its hal
open mouth came to his mind. j
rene mbered kicking the pistol lit
when he knelt to feel Ramon's pulls
hut burned. in his mind was Il
-nd stain Of blood-the little pool !
blood in the corner. A sudde
ssckening terror swept over him.
They would sec that pool Of blot
clear across the room from kamo
The blood had not come from hi
He remembered distinctly there WI
no blood visible on Ranion's shil
They would know someone 81
had been in that room. And 1t som
one had seen Sandy going in ther'
He was chilled and nauseatsd wi
horror.
why hadn't he wiped up tn
blood? Why hadn't he straighten'
! chsir that was pushed hslf sesin
the wall? ~
Mechanically he looked 1t his wstt
Suppose he went, down there nov
He had an insane desire to ru
: back there, scrub the foor--ma
, sure That no drops OF blood Won
chow where she had crept.
he told himself desperatel
"Theystl never trace her. who
know it was she-who'd connect n
with him :"
Al, Wy had she gone! What Il
rible and futile pity had driven he
He had threatened? He hsa col
hounding her1 s
n lsaned down and stared 1t
pillow. Her face half turned.
. touched her hair, smoothed 1t frt
her forehead.
!. She smiled up At him. She said
quiet way that frightened hi
II feel nothing. ! have no pain
1 She now recalled with fast be-
ing excitement the encounter Of
nieAt. DlAnched. imulorjnG. desp
(. atien q Ramon's Lace: mnSzIe Of
pistol spros1ed u62inSt her che
! i down on her.
And she remembered her own 70
: moaning - shs crspt along the flo