Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-07-12
CHAPTER IL

question was on her lips, but door
opened suddenly and the trained
nurse came down the long corridor
toward them.
Jane turned quickly. Anything
wrong, Fanny"
The nurse shook her head. Hes
gaining all the time"
'Fine!" Jane turned in an ex-
planatory way to the stranger: "a
friend of my brothers., Mr.. Stem
hart, was taken suddenly ill with
pneumonia here; we couldn't let him
be moved and he's been having
hard time. Miss Sewell, this is the
friend in need who helped old Mac.
Mr." she looked around. "Actu-
ally, 1 don't know your name!"
John" he began, and stopped,
momentarily confused.
But there's more to it than that!"
she laughed.
His face burned; he was trying
to remember what name he had CIV
en- old Mcdowell; unaccountably it
seemed to evade him, and again he
hated to lie to this girl.
"Hazlett," he said at last.
Her eyes met his for an instant
and he thought there was a ques-
tioning look in them, but she wrote
his name down mechanically on q
slip of paper on the desk.
"John Hazlett"
It had a bizarre effect; he knew
that it would be hard to get used to
1t. He stared at it oddly himself,
then suddenly aware that his look
might be a sef-betrayal, he avert
ed his eyes, conscious that he had
lost the thread of the talk between
Jane Keller and the nurse; but Jane
was sorting the mail for her.
Here are yours, Fanny, and
some for Max" She held them out,
and the nurse, gathering them all
up, departed hastily toward the sick
room.
John Hazlett,'" she repeated
quietly; then lifting her honest eyes
to his, she added: that's not your
name"
Her look threw him a challenge
even mora forceful than her words.
Again he felt the hot blood rush
to his face, but he Strengthened him.
self. Her eyes seemed to reach to
something deep down in his con-
seriousness.
you're right" he admitted
harshly, cts not my name"
She stood a moment silent, the
wind from the open window beside
them stirring her dark soft hair,
then she bent down and Lit a small
lamp on the desk.
isn't that an unusual thing for
a stranger to admit so easily?" she
asked. II scarcely know what I
ought to do about it-but," she hest
tated, II don't believe you've come
here with any thought of harming
US, and-well, it's this way, Jim and
have often talked it over, so many
men come west to get a new start,
to retrieve mistakes-if they canl
We've felt they ought to have fair
chance, that man must have
chance to come backl l." she gave
him a frank smile-"you won't fail
me, will you, if ask no questions but
give you fairly your chance here
to make good?"
She saw his gray eyes darken and
there were hard lines about his lips;
he seemed suddenly older than she
had thought him. Then he pulled
himself together and met her look
squarely.
You may trust me SO far-I
came here with no thought of harm
to you or your brother, I can affirm
that on my SOUL" he declared
hoarsely.
She nodded. I'm sure of it. and.
because I'm sure of it, I'm going to
give you your fair chance. I'm not
even asking your true name, but"
she smiled again and held out her
hand-"I ask you to make good"
He had confused consciousness
of the touch of her soft, cool fingers
and an overbalancing impulse to
speak out, to tell her all, swept him.
He paled under his tan and their
eyes held each other. 1t seemed as
if he must speak, then there was
flash In the night outside the win
dow, sharp report and something
ripped through his sleeve and spat
on the wall behind them.
Jane gave a startled cry, but be-
AoAS DIG Sou1u HlOtS, duIlOSL UelOTe
she could think. the man beside her
had put out the lights; he seemed
to do 1t with one sweep Of his arm.
Then she felt herself lifted and put
back beyond the window.
Keep still-Tn get him!"
His voice was in her ear. She had
felt his strong arms as he swept
her out Of danger, and she made out
his hgure as he leaped through the
window.
There was another sharp report
and than the sound Of a struggle out
side. The girl fed lightly to the
Kitchen 70 give the alarm; she must
rouse ths men. whs she knew were