The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-30

coming back to the dread question:
would she find him? Or would she
be too late, and have to resign
herself forever to be branded in
his mind as a traitor?
Goaded by this thought, Kay
urged Flicker to his topmost speed.
By the time the sun was over the
horizon, she was once more ascend
ing the fatally familiar trail.
Up and up she went, then
plunged down between the two
divides. only to ascend still higher.
AS she gained the upper reaches,
she was aware of faint, acrid
smell.
Kay's eyes scanned the sky to
the south, and as bend in the trail
gave her momentarily an unob-
structed view, she detected a haze
lying low over the far distant
wooded ridge.
Certain now that she had
smelled smoke, Kay soothed Flick
er'S restiveness, and pushed reSo-
lutely on. AS Shorty had said, the
fire was too far away to worry
about, and with all the forces of
the fire fighters against it, it was
surely under control by now.
As Kay passed the stone monu-
ment, marking the old boundary
between the states, she felt a glow
of satisfaction at the memory of
her success in using that fact.
At last the pass was behind her
and. with beating heart, she
reached the headwaters of the
Bitter Root and Clear Water rivers,
and made for the shack on the
south ridge. Leaving Flicker, Kay
pushed her way through the I'M
derbrush, and came out finally on
the clearing.
Tears And Comfort
THE shack doomed at the end
1 Of the open space, as deserted
looking as ever. Kay ran to the
front door, calling first Ted, then
Marion Howell.
As she pushed open the outer
door. the inner one was pulled
What do you want?"
For moment, Kay was speech
less at the change that had taken
place in Marion. Her delicate
beauty had given way under the
strain, and instead of the attrac-
tive girl Kay had glimpsed before,
she faced a totally different per-
son. Her whole aspect was hag-
gard. and her forehead lined with
desperate anxiety.
Kay put an impulsive, pleading
hand on her arm. please let me
come in! I'm Kay Crandon, and l
must see you! Is Ted Gaynor
here?"
A hard look of dislike flashed
over Marion's face. "Why?" she
demanded. 80 you can give him
up again?"
Il didn't" Kay's agonized denial
had a ring of truth that made
Marion pause moment, as she
tried to free herself from Kay's
OBTAINING hand.
you must believe mel" Kay
went on, holding Marion's arm all
the more firmly. II did see Ted
here. But wild horses wouldn't
have dragged 1t from me. was
racing home and was thrown. Tom
Runyon found me and carried me
back. was delirious then, and for
several days afterward. Whatever
! may have said, il is not fair to
lay it up against me-"
For a long moment Marion gazed
at her. Kay's eyes met hers with
out faltering. a desperate appeal
in their yellow brown depths, that
gradually gave way to a mixture
Of pride and grief.
you love him, tool" Without
knowing what she was saying, Kay
burst forth with this exclamation,
q confession of her inner fear.
''You poor dearI" Marion's hard
look faded, and she drew Kay in
side. "Of course ] don'tl I'm en-
gagged myself. so you need have
no concern over my feeling for
Ted. Nor of his feeling for you.
That time you saw us, he was tell
ing me how much he loved you'll"
In her sudden revulsion of feel
ing Kay found herself weeping her
heart out on Marion's shoulder,
while Marion gently led her to the
bunk and sat down beside her.
murmuring soothing words, until
her paroxysm should have passed.
Where is he?" Kay sobbed at
last xxykar> hnx. ~. - sso,, .fT,..~,. 4 4 -.
thoughts 10 become more coherent
and articulate. Il can't let him 90
away. believing that of mel"
Marion made a despairing. help
less gesture. God knows where he
Isl he turned up last night when I
was on the point of going madl !
don't know what would have hap
pened il he hadn't come"
She Shuddered. and her ewes
uarkened with the tragic anxiety
that her sympathy for Kay had
for the moment blotted out. Hes
gone after my father"
Your fatherl" Kay echoed In
surprise. Why. where is your
father?"
I'm going TO tell you the whole
story" Marion declared impul-
sively. Il know / can trust you. and
| Just have to tell someone. I'm
nearly craxyla
Tell mela II was Kay's turn to
assume the role of comforter.
tCoRsrteAts fs3s. Maris e Nerpc9Sl
TomorFow. Ted witnesses aha end "a