Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-09-13

onerWln was uu1nO, MS ledQ
bowed in utter despair.
"Oh, if I could only get you out!"
she murmured brokenly, then with
sudden hope. 1--WE thought of way
there used to be shattered win
dow back here" she ran to the
wall, feeling it-"it's here-you're
strong-come!" she whispered.
His heart leaped. Libertyl II
would not give her to him, but free,
he might carve out a destiny, re-
trieve something yet. His hands ac-
tually shook as he followed her guild
ance. In the darkening room he
could just see the fastenings, old
and covered with dust, half papered
| over. 1t resisted and he drew his
table fork-they had not allowed
him a knife-along the crevices.
At last he released the shutter,
turned it softly and looked out. He
faced an open slope and the light
from another window streamed
across it. Sherwin drew back with
grim smile.
They've beaten us, janet"
A man was sitting there, with his
rifle across his knees. The sheriff,
having caught jail-breaker, was
| taking no chances.
Jane was crying bitterly now, but
Sherwin tried to comfort her.
cat best, I'd have been only 4
hunted fugitive, dear girl; we must
| part" He could not go on. Her
sobs shook him with an even deep
er emotion.
| There came a soft knock at the
door and old Macs voice, a bit
husky. times up, Jane, an the
docs here; he says Stenhart's dyin'
they want you'll"
God keep you'll" Sherwin said
hoarsely; all other words failed.
The girl, blind with tears, stum-
bled out, old Mac holding her up.
They're calm for you, Jane," the
old man explained. 81 had to come
all fired quick. Jim's got tn sheriff
an two others, two that come with
tn posse. Teresa's sayin' prayers
with two candles in tn kitchen an
All Ling's outside, chatterin' some
thing awful in Chinee.'
AS he spoke ne guided the falter-
| ing girl on to the veranda and opened
the door. A flood of light streamed
| out. Jim was sitting supinely at
his desk, sagged in his chair. Be-
! side him lowered the big sheriff, and
a deputy was writing something on
paper at the table. Jane. coming
in, half dazzled and blind with weep
ing, felt Fanny's arms 60 around
her
Hes dead, Jane; it's over-Jim,
tell her!"
Jim, speeches., made sign to
Cutler. You do it,"
But the big sheriff had lost his
! nerve; he only made motions with
his lips like chewing. 1t was Fanny
who drew Jane down beside her on
bench by the door.
He told us before he died, Jane"
she said, land the deposition was
taken-he confessed to the murder
of his uncle. 1t was done in the gar
den; the man who swore that Max
was with him at the time was a
perjurer, paid by Max. His uncle
quarreled with him and told him
that he was going to change his
will and leave every cent he had to
Sherwin. Max broke out, they quar-
relied violently, and the old man
struck him with his cane, as he
would little boy. Infatuated, Max
snatched the pruning knife and
struck back without thinking. He
killed him He ran out and hid, saw
Sherwin come, and the scheme to
save himself and get the money
swore to a lie to save himself; he
framed it all up-Sherwin was utter
ly Innocent"
For moment Jane neither
moved nor spoke. She hid her face
in her hands.
"Oh, Fanny, think of all those
years!" she gasped at last.
Fanny nodded. 81 knowl Max
used to tell us in his delirium;
Teresa heard it, too. I thought it
was the worry of the trial-delirium,
fever dreams-but old Teresa al
ways believed it,"
Jim, who had not spoken at all,
rose suddenly and went out. With
him went the sheriff and his depu-
ties. The two girls were alone.
Fanny, trying to still James broken
sobs, put her arms about her again.
Hes suffered so much!" Jane
said, land he gave up his chance
to escape today to save Maxi Think
of it, to save the man who had
ruined him!"
Fanny touched her softly on the
shoulder. Look up, janet"
The girl lifted her head. The door
stood open and on the threshold,
erect and radiant, stood Sherwin.