Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

"A ulAA AiAAoAAJ
gray form against graz
BACKGROUND, his gaunt attention
c.rtered uron a log cabin in the vale.
below. -, a..
It lured him, that cabin, with tn
smoke curling along the slab-boardet
roof from the slanting tin chimney
and dissolving In the whippings OF thu
wind at the caves. 1t held his tlree
ewes, over which shaking hane
brushed in frequent haphazard move
ments as if to free them from visions
that would not be dispelled. 1t tuggee
at hin-as though it were human
this would be the last time Jed Law
renee would ever see that CABIN, th'
last chance he would ever have to loon
into the face of the girl who lived there
to hear her voice.
After q long moment OF lndeclslon
he strove to press onward, forcing ms
tired limbs against the pull OF the grace
as the ridge began to rise toward the
filmy heights of the Continental DIVIDE
glowering from its wells OF white against
the leaden curtain Of the sky.
Dazedly he shook himself, a physical
reaction against a mental burden. and
again he looked longingly toward the
little structure in the valley.
Wouldn't have time, anyway, ne
nnunbled. i've got to beat the snow.
He stared about him at the country
that Law beyond, the bare, twisted trees
writhing in the agonies OF the timber
line struggle to live, the blush eXpanses
of the rockslide, where they rose,
fiuted with white toward the higher
stretches; the hummocks Of timber-llne
spruce and juniper, crouched, as though
in humility, before the somber majesty
of the region that lowered beyond A
place aloof. ominous. brooding, with
its sporadic bursts of snow swelling
from its vicious peaks, its FIELDS OF
dirty white where the glaciers creaKeo
on, year after year and age upon age
its ferocity and yet its friendllness-,
for there lay safety from pursuit, and
Jed Lawrence was hunted man.
Again he wavered, even as the faint
light of hope came into his deadened
ewes. He glanced once more below, and,
his reserve suddenly breaking, covered
his face with his hands.
cit might as well be me that tells
her" he moaned. she's bound to know.
A hundred yards from the cabin he
rripped himself as if for an ordeal.
A greeting had come from the doorway,
where stood a young woman, Laughing
a welcome. Jed Lawrence went forward.
your paw amt here?" he asked
huskily. The girls smile vanished:
mo. he's down at the mine" Then
quickly: What's the matter Jed
you're so pale!"
Jed Lawrence came closer, and, with
trembling hand, braced himself against
the door.
"I've killed a mani" he gasped.
She took it as one would take
blow; a hand raised to lips that had
suddenly become white, her brown eyes
widened with horror and revulsion.
But only for an instant. For suddenly
she was gripping convulsively at MS
shoulders.
never did any such thing-you never,
you never!"
Eyes, did" he answered. in mono
tone. That's why I asked you first
If your paw was here He'd have tried
to hold me-" He paused, then COM
pleted his though: Brad Masters is
dead, down In his pool hall. My knife's
in him-clean UP to the hilt."
THE girls fire vanished with the
statement. She went into the cabin
and sat huddled at the table. Jed
Lawrence followed, hating halfway
across the cabin, as if afraid to ap-
proach nearer. a dazed, slow-thinking
man. unable to cope with the sorrow
his confession had inflicted. This was
a different Mary Preston from the one
he had always known. The laughing
brown eyes had become heavy and life
less: the prettily curved lips were
drawn.
str -. 4l~,,~LA .,~,,,S +ol~n ~ %l,;c
way" he said. The girl looked up.
"What'd you think I'd do, JEDI" she
asked. in innocent accusation.
He shook his head.
IT don't know. I never thought
about it at all. /" He stared out
the open door as a sudden rise of the
wind moaned at the caves. scattering
before 1t the first swirling flakes of the
approaching storm. Il just figured
you'd find out when they came after
me, and somehow you had to
know wanted to be the one to tell
yea"
Why'd you ever do it, jedi"
I'll never know that. Mary. I never
will. Something must've just come
over me-" Jed Lawrence broke off,
caught his breath ierkily. It never
thought I'd ever-ever do anything like
that. I don't even remember anything
about it guess fellow gets that way
when he kills somebody Not till I
picked myself up off the floor and
looked at him and seen my hunting
knife sticking In his side. clean up to
the guard. We'd been fightin'.'
About what. jedi"
The man turned. his head lowered.
"I'd called him liar"
'Why?"
He'd said somethin'-about some
body"
But what did he say, JEDI"
'Oh. Just something"
People don't" she hesitated at the
word. don't kill folks for just saying
something. Who was he talking
about?"
Jed Lawrence turned his gaze again
toward the open door The snow was
flying more swiftly now.
I've got to be gettin' on" he num-
bled. This SHOWS a wet one-it1l pile
fast
But the girl had risen, and moved a
step from the table.
Il want TO know" she demanded
who was Brad Masters talking about
what made you call him liar?"
The man shook his head.
That's my business"
And it's mine, too! Brad was my
friend"
Your friend?" A Slight gasp ac-
companied the words-as If this were
a new blow. added to ones already over
towering. He couldn't've been your
friend, Nary"
so he said something about me,
them" Her eyes narrowed. Was that
it. jedi"
I've said enough" came sullenly
from the doorway
But the girl persisted.
"Or did he say it about Thornton?"
The question turned him suddenly
to stare at her as if she had broken
through wall he believed impregnable
His answer was eVasive.
There amt going to be anybody else
mixed in this but me" he answered
doggedly. Il amt trying to offer nc
excuses"