The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-17
Chapter 80
The Dread Truth

40c Ofeau 1Euln
IITELL, why don't you say some
w thing?" her father glared at
her. 81 suppose that's what you're
waiting forl Get your father killed
off, so you can have the ranch and
marry Hal Taylor. That crazy
prospector will never have enough
money Of his own to marry you'll I
see your schemel"
His voice was growing louder
and louder, and he gesticulated
with nervous jerks toward the
cabin. get rid of the old man! Get
the sheriff after himI Get"
dad, Dadl" Marion pleaded,
finding her voice at last. please
come in and lie down, and let me
get you sonef coffee! You don't
know what you're saying"
Q sfOhg III dom, don'tiIg" A cunning
look squinted up his eyes. Il can
see through that, all righti Get the
old man to lie down! Get him
asleep, ahdtl1en hand him over to
thaSheriMfi soYin iedl
9dPleaSe, Dad, forget what said
about the sheriff." Marion soothed.
THAT had nothing to do with us!
We don't have to be afraid Of the
sheriff"
"Oh, don't we, thought" There
was no mistaking the insane glare
in his eyes as he pushed her back
anG faced her. Don't have to be
afraid of the sheriff, eh?" He scorn-
fully mimicked her voice. well,
that shows all you know about It'll
] bet the sheriff would pay you
money for mel'' He bent nearer,
his eyes screwed into cunning Sits.
Never thought of that, did you?
Thirty pieces of silverl That's
what. You try himl He'll give you
80 pieces of silver for mel'
With growing and helpless hor-
ror, Marion waited for his frenzy
70 subSide. Anything she said only
seemed to make it worse. There
was nothing to do but watch for
the moment when exhaustion
claimed him. That was the way it
had been before, but this attack
was worse than any Of the others.
Chris Howell Strengthened up
suddenly, and gave a triumphant
sweep of his hand.
"Let 'em comet" he declared
grandly. Let all the sheriffs comel
II was worth i'll They didn't hear
It cracklel They didn't see the
flames shoot up the trunks, and
wrap around the branches! They
didn't see the sparks going upl
They were like an army, those
sparksl''
He grabbed Marion's arm as she
shrank away with a stified cry of
terror at this confirmation of her
worst fears. San army of fiendsl"
he went on in hoarse whisper.
Whole companies jumped from
one tree top to anotherl Whole
regimentsl 1t was a crown fire,
tell you'll"
He swayed unSteadily, and Ma
rion caught him in her arms. He
became suddenly relaxed and un-
resisting, as she guided him to the
door and got him over to the bunk
that Ted had so lately occupied.
Marion stretched him out. and
covered him. He kept nurmuring
all the time, "A crown fire. / tell
you'll A crown firel SparksI Mil
lions Of 'em!"
Her First Duty
I EAVING him quiet at last Ma
~ rion CROPPED her way through
binding tAars So Aen own little
room. threw herself on the bunk
and gave way toggFaat Wrenchinr
sobs that shook her whole body.
There was no longer any posi-
bility of closing her mind to her
dread suspicious. Her father was
the firebug the whole county was
on the lookout fort
II only Hal were herel Or TedI"
Marion moaned. But Hal, off in the
mountains. was an inaccessible as
Ted was in Jail.
Tedl What would happen to
hlml The discovery she had made
about Kay flashed into her tor
tured mind. In fairness to Ted she
ought 20 see Kay and explain that
she was engaged TO Hal and that
what Kay had thought was all a
mistake.
But how could she leave her
father? A deep snore from the
other room pulled her back to the
dread reality of the present.
Not for one instant must she
leave himl She must nurse him
back to sanity and never. never
must anyone know the terrible
truth. Until he was completely re-
covered. she must never leave him
alone 20 carry out his wild frenzy
Of destruction.
Marion sat up and pressed her
hand to her head. her ewes closed.
as she fought for her own control
She mustn't think ~ - f.s'.s~s.
a q a