The Ely miner., 1927-06-03

enough 10 answer Tor T.
II don't, don't blame 1t on
myself. When 1 should have told him
that terrible night to do right, told
him to do wrong. Pity me Have a
little mercy for me. John. Think OF
the old padre whose picture you kept
here on the wall so long-who has
spent his life forgiving men, helping
them. oh, Til pray that you find that
padre, John. If he were here, he
would ask you for the sake of Christ
and His Mother to pity me tonight.
to let Cliff go. Think of Christie.
John. You love her, she loves you.
Would you spare him If she asked
your I've told her all this. She's in
my room now down the hall. She'll
beg for his life of you this moment
IL you'll let her-she told me she
would. She has forgiven him. Oh,
,, Godi" Her words poured out in a
torrent-low, fearless. She sank be-
thing for you you could ask of a
woman. John. I'll pray for you every
day and night of my life. Have pity
on mel Spare him to me for one
more-just one more chancev"
She had caught his bandaged hand,
In her thin, knotted fingers and COW
cred 1T with her forehead. He stood
irresolute, wanting to pull 1t away
and ashamed to-uneasily listening
and thinking. A long time he stood
Then, suddenly, his face darkened.
He jerked himself angrily up.
'What do you want me to do" He
threw the words at her with rude
savageness that would have fright
ened another. But Margaret knew
what his words meant. She scram-
bled to her feet and caught his hand
again In her hands, and broke into
flood of tears. "Oh, I don't know.
/ don't know" she sobbed; then she
lifted her streaming face with the ten
der confidence of child. "You will
know, John"
"Sit down." he snapped. Sho
shrank away. From her chair she
only looked her hope and her graft
tude and watched anxiously the play
of his features. Selwood with a va
can't expression, took up from the
table Scott's cigarette, put it between
his lips, and slowly felt for match.
I'm doing something I don't ap-
prove Of" he said sulkily Nobody
else will approve of it, that's a cinch.
This buck has tried his blamedest to
kill me-and done worse'n that. No
body outside lunatic asylum would
turn hand to help him. If wasn't
blamed fool, wouldn't"
She bowed her head ASK Bob
Scott" he went on, "to bring McAlpin
in here-McAlpin is waiting for me-
downstairs. But If you want to save
your man, don't let Pardaloe come
In. When Scott and McAlpin come
In here, stay outside the door till I
send for you.
Boys" he said to McAlpin and
Scott the moment the door of his
room closed behind them, Meg, out
there, Is the wife of this hound Star
buck. You didn't know it; I didn't
nobody around here knew 1t. / can't
tell you everything she told me to-
night-if / stopped to, they'd have
Starbuck hanged before got down
there And I can't tell you why I've
promised her his life-but I've been
just blamed fool enough to do it
that's all. And"-he spoke low and
with stubborn intoning-"when l
make a promise, I don't allow any
man to interfere. To begin with,
Starbuck is my own personal prison
er 1 want to get him away without
hurting some. peoples feelings-you
can understand that. Will you help?
"Well," he continued, as he listened
to their protests Of loyalty with an
ungrudging assent, st thought maybe
you would. Now call in Meg"
Scott opened the door. and Margar-
ct Hyde, looking questioningly from
one to the other, as If to read her
fate in their eyes, stepped inside, and
the door was closed behind her. Sell
wood spoke again. "Starbuck and
Big Haynes" he said to her, "are tied
up and locked In the harness-room at
the barn. Lefever's men are guard
ing them. I'll go down with you all
and take care of Lefever. He'll call
off his men and leave me to look
after my prisoner. Bob, you cut Star
buck loose. McAlpin, you have horses
saddled at the back door Of the barn,
and Bob will ride with Meg and-him
to the east end Of town. Nobody" he
spoke now to Margaret Hyde, twill
bother you beyond that. Keep out Of
the way of travel and of our men, but
get east as fast as you can. If you
can get to Medicine Bend, you'll be
all right-nobody there to bother. But
between here and there you'll have
to look out. Any Of our boys or the
yigilantes will shoot him on sight
Leave the horses at Medicine Bend
in our barn-Well, guess that's ALL"
.
Under one pretext or another, Lee
fever, amenable to Selwood's plea for
Meg Hyde, who, for Lefever, had
never refused to take care Of a sick
teamster, got rid Of the guards. 1t
was more trouble for Lefever to dis
nose of the remainder of his fighting
men. but on the strength Of burning
rumors. In the invention Of which the
wagon boss easily excelled, the men
were sent on various but pressing
wild goose chases, and Selwood's way
was cleared.
(To BE coNTINUED.)
u