Plentywood herald., 1932-12-01
CHAPTER X-Continued


= viii make ron" he said harshly.
- help me God. Gloria. I will make
yDn II i question of life and death.
Is TO let ron have yonr way were any
thing other than suicide. I'd let you
hare II Eut as things are. I've got
nothing left me but tell you what to
do. and you've cot 10 10 as say
-sET life II niy own. to do with 1t as
please DO not please to- obey your
commands
Her tortured heart surged up In
Wild triumph ~ he turned. 1t sank
sfeklF as h. came hack He had
piaee of rope In his hand.
-you would tie mes~ she gasDed.
-Me--
-&No.- he said ferseIy. AS though
ron we're any other fracffous animal
refusing discipline whe1 refusal means
DEATH m going to ship your
Cd screamed Gloria. -Oh, my
G-dr-
For s=ain he but said simply the
thing which he meant TO do. And she
knew
While i count three said King.
And steadily. though there was q pal
Ior ON his own face, which should
bare told her the terrible relentless
ness OF his intention. he counted
One two. three
She wiiied to move. to obey, at this
fardy second. but something within
her. stronger than herself. held her
back Il WON'T" she screamed The
blow fell swiftly The pain was Inn
mediate. hot and soaring. and Gloria
siarirked-Once onIT-and grew still.
She kfrnrPed her hands and locked at
him. her face as white MS d dead
girls. her eyes nv unfafhomabIe as d
IaAniareA A fash as OF white fire
nared through her brain Something
had been killed within her-or some
thing had been horn A blow Mt 4
mans hand had seemed to cut through
her being 1t had separated body and
spirit
i won't go with you.- she cried.
You may beat me. ron may kin me
Il Jon like. unthinkxbIe brute that you
nre VIII rot follow you now: viii
never follow one step ever
-You win do what tell you to do.-
b. xaid thickiy- 1t Ii the only way.
win make you
Bl1zinE eyes burning I'm 4 death |
white face gave him his only answer.
His own face now was no less white.
Iron bodied ~ he was. he wax trem-
bling Yet h. lifted the rope To
strike the second blow She could |
not restrain = shudder OF her flesh.
BUT xhe meant what she had said. or |
what Some reborn GIoria had said for
Scr. he might kin her, but she would |
not follow him
And then Mark King, Ms he was
about to strike, stayed his hand ut the
zxt moment and hurled the rope far
.rosn him, and whiried about and left
an
Some way he came to the base of
he cliffx- He was conscious OF but
'ne fact In NIL the world, shout II
eaSe turned and spun as
weep the bodies Of the sky about the
zzn- He. Mark King. had struck I
roman He had struck Gloria His
rienfs daughter Ben's daughter. He,
rho had he5d himself 4 man. had
truck woman-a grill A little, de-
ensc3en girl He would have given
N yearx oR the span Of his life to
ave the deed Of one mad moment
vfped clean
What couId he dot She would
exfxh without heip. hence he must
eap her Buf how7 There was but
- poasible answer He must leave
-. eer hack the shortest. quickest
ny t. clvfIfnfinn. md send other
~. trM<wsrthy mem. I'm for her.
ri ws93d menn several days alone
y GIsxfa. ~ wkat else w1s fhere7
Al Asen tint solution depended
- ~ csnmfAGxntion which By now |
- IL enenenfal, aIlesseztial thing;
~ ~ - - ssme smrt ~ pre-