The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-06-27

so cold i. :"
Jean sat down upon a low blanketed
settee that stood between the stove ana
the corner wall, and Kentucky came
and sat beside her. There we're circles
| under Jean Ragland's eyes; she was
| beginning at last to show the ei1ects
| of the strain which the last ten days
had placed upon her. But as she turned
| to look into his face, he learned again
that her blue eyes could be deep ana
unreadable. He wondered what lay
within those eyes which could look SO
| silently, so secretively wise.
JEAN" he said, do you want me TO
find out who killed Mason?"
| She shot him a curious but untrans-
latable glance. He thought that she
was not going to answer him; but
after moment she said, Yes
| For no reason that he could name,
he wondered instantly II she had lied.
1.-The facts are beginning to add up
| little bit now" he said.
"What are you waiting for!' she
said. whats keeping the answer
from your
He hesitated. She looked so pitt
fully tired that he could hardly bring
himself to bear down upon her now.
| Yet he knew that he would be unlikely
to have as good chance again to per-
suade her to tell him what she knew.
| Already he knew that Lee Bishop was
| -, hot hoTprd had trip1
to draw Bishop into fight that would
| almost certainly have ended Bishops
life, and he was sure that Jim Hum
phreys had been killed because he had
posed as boss-and hence was perhaps
taken for Bishop. He had durable
bunch that others were In immediate
danger as an aftermath to the killing
of Mason. And he sincerely believed
that he had no more right to turn away
from the trail than hound dog has The
right to swerve or break ground, once
he has put down his nose.
What Is holding me up7" he re-
peated you. JEAN
~" she said sharply.
HDon't you think, he said, that
It's about time for you to tell me what
you know You didn't take the bullet
at the inquest without having definite
reason, definite theory OF this crime"
SIZE said almost inaudbily, Eyes
that's true. But that blew up when
lack Sanders was found dead. swear
to you Kentucky-my theory Is dead
utterly impossible now"
THAT isn't the point" he insisted.
The point is that you did have a
| theory. That theory was based on
something. Something that you saw
Or maybe something that you heard, or
knew. Now want you to tell me what
that thing was"
She turned toward him, but defend
sively: and as she met his eyes her
own were tormented. .You--I-n
His keen gray eyes fixed her I'M
wayeringly. I'm not going to let you
eyade me any more he said.
Suddenly some resistance within Iear
Ragland seemed to break. She swayet
against him. and turning. hid her face
against his shoulder. She was breath
Ing In long quayering drags; not sob
bing bur as If very close to sobs.
For moment Kentucky Jones sal
motionless Then he took the girl intf
his arms. gently, as II she were {
weary child
Her hands chung to him as he drew
her into his arms. She said In small
voice. Hold me tight Kentucky. Tit
night Is SO still, so cold keep think
ing Of how Jim Humphreys Is lying to
night down en- the Pan" Presently sh,
turned her face upward to him will
closed eyes and he kissed her.
They sat there for some time, Their
In the corner beyond the stove, II
y silence except for the soft cracking 0
y Die embers OF the fire. As he sat witt
I the bleak sense of disaster seemed t
90 out of the night, and the quiet los
its hostility That brief hour In whiel
u he felt against his body the faint beat
ing Of her heart seemed illimitabl
precious; as II he were here seryin
. as utility for little while In des
tiny UNNECESSARILY beyond and aboy
his own
Yet he had no Illusions concernln
u the part he was playing here. lie be
y leyed, as definitely as he had ever be
Y lieved anything In his life, that she ha
- put herself In his arms as last resor
u -sllencing his questions in this wa
y when she could not longer otherWis
% evade him. But some grim factor witt
d In him humbly bowed It's head, waltin
for different day.
80 Jean stirred at last, and freed hel
y self lazily from his arms. She smile
8 at him family her eyes dreamy. mist
with sleepiness. I'm dead for sleep,
J" she told him; Il think can sleep no
| better than have been, thes
et nights
r. He let her 60, and when she wa
gone he smoked In a curlously mike
mood half softened, half grimly lron
Presently he went to Jack Sander
1e bunk, and lying down without fakiIl
to off his clothes, was almost immed
~ ately asleep.
no CIIA DTEp WITT