The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-01-01
FORBIDDEN VALLEY

64 WlEoAss BqsoN lIloWe,4

mering. he picked out Sonya in lie
Noir's craft.
LeNoir stroked his canoe in front
OF the others and nosed In to the
landing. Sonya rose up, swaying
slightly to the rocking of the water.
Karakhan reached her hand. clasped
it. helped her step up on the logs.
"Sonya!" He greeted her in their
native tongue. you have really
come! ! haven't quite believed it
until now!"
Sonya's clear eyes looked at him
steadily. She did not respond to the
pressure of his hand. "Yes. I've
come" she said. in an even voice.
"rm glad to meet you again"
Karakhan was disappointed-and
puzzled. Her greeting had none Of
the passion of her letter. But per-
haps it was only her natural shy.
ness before LeNoir and the Indians.
you're tired" he said. with .
show of soIicitude. He could not
take his eyes from her-the golden
softness of her hair. the loneliness
Of her face and throat. "Come up
with me to the cabin. I've break.
fast of sorts ready for YOU" He
lowered his voice. though none Of
his listeners knew sentence OF
Russian: "Then we're leaving here.
Immediately. I'll explain. dearest
when we're alone and thousand
versts from this place."
AS they walked up the footpath
to the cabin, he grew more and more
disappointed and mystified by Som
ya's attitude. This meeting with her
was not as he had expected. She
seemed even colder and more dis
tant than In Victoria. when he had
so dismally failed OF a conquest.
INSIDE the cabin he took her fore
l IDLY into his arms and kissed her,
thinking 1t would break down her
shyness. Sonya turned her face
away. and he felt her whole body
stiffen--at the mere contact with
him. 1t seemed.
whats wrong. Sonya?" he de-
handed. You don't appear at all
glad" He was impatient with her
GOODNESS and utter lack of response.
Sonya freed herself. without an
swering. She stepped over to the
rough block table and behind Il, so
that 1t stood between her and Kara
khan. With glance about the room
and a glance at the Indians out
side. she confronted him.
"It's been a long trail from Vic
torla here" she said. dropping the
last pretense of friendliness. "And
1t was a long hunt before that. to
get my first trace OF where you'd
gone. When l look back. It seems as
though I've had one continuous
miracle OF luck In finding you. But
that's past. I'm here"
Karakhan stared wide-eyed st her.
with all his ardor forsaking him.
He saw. at last. that her GOODNESS
was no girlish make-believe but q
dead earnestness. The expression In
her eyes made him suddenly afraid.
@Your conQuests with women have
always been so easy" she went on.
''that you can't Imagine any woman
not falling In love with you. and so
when you get letter from one that
called you Beloved when she meant
You white BEAST you swallowed the
hook and sent your man to bring
her to you. @1f
"You we're proof against traps and
poison and the professional police
b N Is. but you weren't proof
against that lure! You've had your
way with great number Of women
and you came to regard them as
harmless things. But where mem
all the men eve- sent after you
failed to bring you to account. II was
a woman who trailed you. and
reached here. and's here now!"
Karakhan backe.. up a step and
his Jaw dropped. IL anything Of his
delusion about her remained. the
loathing packed into that epithef.
"You white beast" toppied 1t and
shattered It to bits. A suspicion
volted through him-did she know7
Had she found out? impossible: he
had worked too carefully and anony.
mously. But was anything impos-
sible TO one who had tralled him as
consummately rs she had done7
Her next words left him in no
doubt. There in Victoria. when you
started negotiating with father and
Carl about that lumber importation.
told them that you were dan
gerous man. as dangerous as .
cobra. They didn't take my warn
ing. because 1 had no evidence ex-
cept my intangible judgment Of you.
With those worthless safeconduct
papers that you forged they went
away to Vladlvostok--to close that
big lumber deal for their company.
they thought. And the police got
them when they landed. as you in.
tended. And therein the Lout.
yanka--In that execution chamber
under the hill-father and Carl"
fcopyrloAt. WtIIsan D. M0UerEJ
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