White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-12-28
CHAPTER III-Continued


her but she failed to lift 2 hand or
move back an inch, and Slade knew
that he faced one whose spirit matched
his own, perhaps the one person with
in hundred miles who did not fear
him. He had tanned men and horses
and women; he raised his arms slow.
~, deliberately, to see If she would
finch away or stand fast and out.
game him. She knew that he was
harmless to her-and he knew it. He
might perpetrate almost any crime on
the calendar and come clear; but In
this land where women were few they
were honored. One whisper from the
Three Bar girl that Slade had raised
his hand against her and, powerful as
he was, the hunt for him would be on,
with every mans hand against him.
His arms had half circled her when
he whirled catlike, every faculty cool
and alert, as a voice sounded from
the door. Both had been too en-
crossed to notice it's noiseless opening.
'I've finished cleaning up round the
shop and corrals," Harris said. as
there any rubbish round the house
you'd like to have throwed out and
piled in dry gulch somewheres out
of sight?"
He stood in the door, half facing
them, his left side quartering toward
Slade. To the girl it appeared that
the strange pose was for the purpose
of enabling him to take quick step
to the right and spring outside If
Slade should make move and she
felt tinge of scorn at his precaution
even though she knew that it would
avail him nothing If SHADES deadly
temper were reused by the insult.
add Harris to his list before he could
move.
SHADES understanding of the quar-
tering position and the odd sling of
Harris gun was entirely different and
as he shifted his feet until he faced
the man in the door, his movements
were slow and deliberate, nothing that
could be misconstrued.
"Who summoned you In here?" he
demanded.
Harris did not reply but stood wait
ing for some word from the girl. She
had q sudden sick dread that Slade
would kill him and was surprised at
the sentiment, for no longer than an
hour before she had wished him dead
She made belated answer to his orig.
tnal question.
mo" she said. "Go on out, please"
He turned his back on Slade and
went out.
'And you," she said to Slade, you'd
best be going too. We've been too
good neighbors to quarrel-unless you
come over again with the same idea
you did today"
At sunset the girl called to Harris
and he repaired to the house and
found her putting d hot meal for two
on the end of the long pine table, the
first time she had deigned to eat with
him.
"There's no use of our going on like
this" she said We've two years OF
It to face; so it's best to get on some
For her own peace of mind she had
tried to smother her dislike of him
and he was very careful to avoid any
topic that would rekindle it. The,
washed the dishes together, and from
that hour their relations, to all out
ward appearance, were friendly or at
least devoid of open hostility. But
he knew that she was merely strug.
Cling to make the best Of matter
that was distasteful, that her opinion
of him was unaltered. Her bitterness
could not be entirely concealed and
she frequently touched on some fresh
point that added to her distrust of his
present motives and confirmed her
belief in his Misunderstanding in the past.
There were so many of these points;
his refusal to accept her offer to
give him his. half-interest II he would
stay off the place; his weak insinua
lions that there was some reason why
he must spend two years on the Three
Bar; his prowling the country for O
year spying on the methods she fol
lowed In running the outfit, half of
which would soon be his; his buying
the school section and filing on quar-
ter of land. the location blocking the
lower end of the Three Bar valley
Whenever she mentioned one of these
he refused to take Issue with her.
And one light she touched on still
another po'tt.
"Wbat Wan the reason for your first