The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-07-12

| night SEEMS SO SLlli, anu SO empty, anu
so cold :"
Jean sat down upon low blanketed
settee that stood between the stove and
the corner wall, and Kentucky came
and sat beside her. There were circles
under Jean Ragland's eyes; she was
beginning at last to show the effects
| 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 and
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 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 If she had lied.
"The facts are beginning to add up a
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
in danger, that Bill McCord had tried
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 a 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 up?" he re-
peated. "You, JEAN"
"I?" she said sharply.
/ "Don't you Think" he said, shat
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"
She 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-"
His keen gray eyes fixed her un-
waveringly. "I'm not going to let you
evade me any MORE" he said.
Suddenly some resistance within Jean
Ragland seemed to break. She swayed
against him. and turning, hid her face
against his shoulder. She was breath
ing in long Quavering drags; not sob
bling, but as If very close to sobs.
For a moment Kentucky Jones sat
motionless. Then he took the girl into
his arms, gently, as If she were a
weary child.
Her hands chung to him as he drew
her into his arms. She said in a small
voice, "Hold me tight, Kentucky. The
night Is so still, so cold. keep think
ing Of how Jim Humphreys is lying to-
night down en- the Pan" Presently she
turned her face upward to him with
closed eyes and he kissed her.
They sat there for some time, there
in the corner beyond the stove, in
silence except for the soft cracking Of
the embers of the fire. AS he sat with
the girl in his arms the GOODNESS and
the bleak sense Of disaster seemed to
go out Of the night, and the quiet lost
its hostility. That brief hour in which
he felt against his body the faint beat
ing Of her heart seemed illimitably
precious; as If he were here serving
| do a utility LUZ q uItl0 White Ill ucS-
tiny immeasurably beyond and above
his own.
| Yet he had no illusions concerning
the part he was playing here. He be-
lieved, as definitely as he had ever be-
lieved anything in his life, that she had
put herself in his arms as last resort
-silencing his questions Ia this way
when she could not longer otherwise
evade him. But some grim factor with
In him humbly bowed its head, waiting
for a different day.
Jean stirred at last, and freed her
self lazily from his arms. She smiled
at him family, her eyes dreamy, misty
with sleepiness. "Tm dead for Sleep"
she told him; II think can sleep now
better than have been, these
nights"
He let her go, and when she was
gone he smoked In a curiously mixed
mood. half softened, half grimly ironic
Presently he went to lack Sanders
bunk. and lying down without taking
Off his clothes, was almost immedi-
| ately asleep.