The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-17
Il, FORBIDDEN VALLEY
49, ~ uJ;lGa.~ BY,on (Qovss4
/ mering, he picked out Sonya In L..
| Noir's craft.

/ mering, he picked out Sonya in L.
Noir's craft.
LeNoir stroked his canoe In front
Of the others and nosed In to tho
landing. Sonya rose up. swaying
slightly to the rocking Of tho water.
Karakhan reached her hand. clasped,
It, helped her step up on the logs.
"Sonya!" He greeted her In theiF
native tongue. "You have really
come! I haven't quite believed ii
until now!"
Sonya's clear eyes looked at him
steadily. She did not respond to the
pressure Of his hand. Eyes, rye
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 1t was only her natural shy.
ness before LeNoir and the Indians.
"You're tired" he said, with =
show Of solicitude. 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 a break
fast of sorts ready for YOU" He
lowered his voice. though none Of
his listeners knew q sentence Of
Russian: "Then we're leaving here.
Immediately. I'll explain. dearest,
when we're alone and q thousand
versts from this place"
Az they walked up the footpath
to the cabin, he grew more and more
disappointed and mystifled BY Son.
yas 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 q conquest.
INSIDE the cabin he took her fore
1 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
stinen-at the mere contact with
him. It seemed.
"What's wrong. Sonyai" he de-
manded. You don't appear at al
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 II, 90
that 1t stood between her and Kara
khan. With q glance about the room
and . glance at the Indians out
side, she confronted him.
''It's been . long trail from Vic
tor,a here" she said. dropping the
last pretense Of friendliness. sAnd
It was . long hunt before that, to
get my nrst trace Of where you'd
gone. When I look back, It seems %
though I've had ono continuous
miracle Of luck In finding you. But
that's past I'm here"
Karakhan stared wide-eyed &C her.
with Ill his ardor forsaking him
He saw. at last, that her coldnesg
was no girlish make-believe but =
dead earnestness. The expression In
her eyes made him suddenly afraid.
"Your conquests with women have
always been 50 easy" she went on,
"that you can't imagine any woman
not falling in love with you. and 90
when you get q 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.
"You were proof against traps and
poison and the professional polics
hounds. but you weren't proof
against that lure! You've had your
way with . great number Of womeu
and You came to regard them .
harmless things. But where mem
Ill the men ever sent after you
failed to bring You to account, It was
. woman who trailed you, and
reached here. and's here now!s
Karakhan backe.. up step and
his Jaw dropped. II anything Of his
dslusion about her remained. the
loathing packed into that epithet
you white beast" toppled It and
shattered Il to bits. 4 suspicion
volted through him-did she knows
Had shs found out3 Impossible: he
had worked too carefully and anony.
mously. But was anything impoG.
sibls 70 one who had trailsd him .
ooQsummately - she had dons1
Her next words left him IN no
doubt: 'Thers IN Victoria. when ron
started negotiating with father and
Carl about that lumber importation,
I told them that you were . dan.
gerous man. - dangerous @ q
cobra. They didn't take my warn.
Ing. because I had no evidence ex-
cspt my Intangible judgment Of you.
With those worthless safe-conduct
papers that you forged they went
away to Vladivostok-to close that
big lumber deal for their COMPANY.
they thought. And the police rot
them when they landed. a you in
tended. And therein the Louf-
yanka-in that execution chamber
under the hill-father and Carl"
copyright. William B. NowsrvI
eonya.. tomorrow, comes % the