Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-05-09
Iv--Continued

"Who Is the bandit across the
Border who crucifes his double
c~rossers?" cried Sonya like a shot
and gasped at the sound of her own
words. IT seemed as IL another per-
son spoke them, so wholly uninten-
tional had they been.
The mans eyes flashed up to hers,
and once again they we're wild as
any hawks, the black OF the pupils
spreading Owe the blue Of the
irises. Slowly the color drained
from his face, leaving 1t ash white
beneath its bronze. the lips pale as
blue milk.
"Good Cd" he said and was
silent.
The girl was silent, too. and for
the first time she felt a flash of
fear, as If she had set In motion
sinister forces of which she knew
nothing. They stared at each other
for a moment aghast at this thing
which had sprung between them,
stark and terrible. and then Sonya
fiIcked her rein, moved In her sad
die recovering. She knew she had
touched disaster too deep for a
woman's hand, and she drew back
fnstinctively.
"No," she said swiftly. s'don't an
swer. I shouldn't have asked. And
it's no proof, anyway. ! don't want
proof. What's past Is past. I take
your word"
The man wet his stiff lips.
"You dof Do you believe what
I've been trying to tell you ever
since that-day: that I could kill
myself for what | did7 Do you be-
iieve met"
"Yes." said Sonya- mot that 1t
matters. but / do"
He took out a white handkerchief
and wiped his face. which was
sweating In the high cool wind.
"No," he said unsteadily, mot
that il matters-to you. But It does
to me. Why, I don't know. but 1t
does. More than anything has ever
mattered In my whole id life /
beg your p~ardon"
Granted" said the girl. "Serge
swears."
"Sergef"
my brother"
swell. 1t matters, and rye spent
hours alone up here and other
places wondering about 1t and why
1t does. I've known women all my
life, In several countries, and never
a n that stayed In my mind a
week after l left her. Tn a bad
lot, as I told you before. and 1t
don't mean a great deal what I
think, one way or another. only /
amt ever felt SO sorry In all my
days over anything. ] was Just
wondering, when you rode around
tn wal y0nuer.'
Sonya regarded him steadily.
"It doea matter" she said, swhat
anyone thinks and does. No man
lives to himself alone, as the Good
Book says. To every man his place
and a certain amount Of influence.
And to every man his responsibility,
too, for that influence. You've got
influence, somewhere for something.
"And something's changing in
you" the girl went on, there's been
a change In You since-since the
first time / saw you. In your face,
in your speech. You're using more
'g's on the end of your words, for
one thing, and your eyes are diff
ferent."
IF they weren't when / look at
you, I'd be lower than I am, and
that's plenty low"
Granted again." said Sonya
calmly and watched the slow tide
of red that swept up over his pale
cheeks. but the very fact of
change outwardly argues change
inwardly. I'd trust you now a con-
siderable way"
He drew a long breath OF fra
grant smoke and, turning away,
looked out over the spread Of desert
shimmering under the early after
noon sun.
When he turned back to her Son.
va was shocked at the look on his
handsome face, a sunken look. bag
gard, as IL some cruel wise of the
spirit had suddenly been set upon
1t. He smiled. for the first time in
her experience Of him. and some
thing leaped in Sonya's heart like
a captive bird struggling to be free.