Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1934-10-05
FIFTEENTH INSTALMENT

FIFTEENTH ~INSTALMENT
Paula, don't be frightened!
Don't cream. 1t is Nancy. Eve
come to warn you. Jim is here.
Paula, don't you know me?"
mo, no, Nancy's dead! She's
under the water-I see her all the
time-and it washes over her eyes.
Oh, God!"
She screamed again. The pound
ing horses were at the stop of the
slope, and Barry flung himself off
and raced down, With Gage run
ming heavily after him. A slim
figure was backing away, turning,
but Paula Gage was huddled in a
terrified heap at the foot of a tree.
Barry bent over her and jerked
his head up again. Nancy was just
disappearing. She had looked at
him, for one long, steady hostile
strangers. knowledge crashed and
clamored in his brain. He bent re-
luctantly over the huddled woman,
but Gage was beside him now.
John, Nancy's down there! She
came out of the water! 1 can't go
Pm afraid! l only asked her to
go away! I didn't mean her to
die! And Jim-Jim-"
Overstrained emotions cracked.
Paula tainted.
WED better take her into the
house, said Barry constrainedly.
He wanted to go after Nancy.
Those incredible revelations were
clamoring in his head; they were
accusing him. Now he saw Petry's
long legs fastening toward them.
"Petry, help Mrs. Gage up to the
house. I'll be back as soon as l
can"
His nervous stride quickened to
a run. Gage looked heavily after
him.
Barry ran alonp the edge of the
lake, his eyes darting anxiously.
Toward the back of the house he
swerved and caught sight of a fit
ting figure.
Nancy, wait! just for a
minute!"
She paused in mid sight, looked
back Just once and went on again.
The light figure vanished around
h edge of an outbuildins. Lon.
before he reached it Barry heard
the scurry of hoofs and saw a pie
bald streak flash across an oper
space. Nancy had gone.
He took it standing, but his fac
whitened. Nancy had made it pref
ty plain that she didn't want to Sc
him, just the set of her chin as sh'
had flashed across that patch OIL
light had been enough to tell him
that. He set his jaw and went back
to the house.
Back of him Jim Kennedy edged
cautiously around toward the
smaller corral, where two saddled
horses. left to themselves, had
wandered back to wait patiently.
In the house Barry found that
Paula had regained CONSEQUENCES.
Petry had just edged out, and Gage
was standing a little away from
her.
She's gone said Barry briefly.
was it-really Nancy?" Paula
raised herself on one hand. rs she
alive? l didn't kill her? 49,. l mean
-" She broke off with a fright
ened whimper.
We'll finish this-presently,''
was all the reply he gave her. He
turned a heavy stare on Barry. I'D
like a few words with my wife in
private"
I'm staying. Well finish it
here. It's my business as well as
yours. Nancy is my wife-and you
a keep your spur and your
damned money, but l want to
know what you've all been doing
to her"
Gage glared at him. "And what
have you been doing to her? The
girl | saw out there is Mrs. Cages
sister, who is supposed to have been.
drowned five months ago, and if
she is your wife, why isn't she in
your house, instead of wandering
around in the woods like a dem
ented woman?",
Barry whitened. ''I'm beginning
think that she has had enough to
drive anybody insane. I've done my
own share, and Pm paying for it.
But the jam that we're IN now is
due IN sornethino +h,+ b,,1onaJ