The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1947-01-16

feet and faced them, quivering
from head to foot. you're both
my enemies!'' she whispered,
white-lipped, 'but the good God
is my judge!" And she turned,
went quickly into the little in
ner room and shut the door.
Nicky laughed bitterly, mirth-
lessly. "You see, m'sieur! She's
guilty"
"Sit down." O'Hara command
ed sternly, ''you gain nothing by
accusing her. It's an old trick,
Grouse, for a guilty man caught
with the goods to try to fasten
his crime on another. I've been
down over the trail. Why did you
take to the ice in the creek and
then leave tracks in the snow be-
yond? A bad bit of evidence
against you, that!"
The young man stared at him,
his face whitening suddenly.
You're trumping up a charge
against me, O'Hara, and it's false,
false as hell! I did 60 down on
the creek, but l went today, be-
fore snow fell, and l tried to track
the prints there, her footprints!
| was too late to see the dog
team that fetched her here; it was
going back beyond the creek"
O'Hara's involuntarily start
made Grouse turn sharply on him.
"You know there was a team
there, must have been! No one
could cross that wilderness on
foot. 1t took her here the day of
the murder; you find that team
and the man who drove it, and
you'll see!"
The sergeant smiled cruelty.
you shouldn't admit that you
went down that creek, Nicky, and
had a dog team WaitingH'
Young Grouse swore below his
breath. You'll hang me yet to
save her!" he cried bitterly. 1--WE
nothing more to say"
Nor would he speak again; he
flung himself upon a bench in
the farthest corner, hid his face
on his arms and feigned sleep,
though the fury of the wind made
sleep we'll nigh impossible.
O'Hara took what ease he could
In a big chair by the fire. He
had fallen into a revery, his busy
mind threshing over the queer
angles of the case, when he was
startled by the abrupt opening Of
the inner door. It was fairly
flung open and Laure stood a
moment leaning against it. white
and haggard. Then, meeting his
eyes, she came unsteadily for
ward and stretched her shaking
hands out to the fire.
I'm so cold" she whispered to
O'Hara with shaking lips. I'm
I going to-, stay here, m'sieurr' !
The sergeant long ago had ex-
tlnguished the lamp and the
flame light lifted her face out Of
the Semi-gloom and gave it an
almost unearthly beauty.
He rose. isn't there a stove in
there? Let me make you a fire,
and bring in those furs from the
wall" He pointed at some skins
that Gharian must have cured
for the fur trade.
But she recoiled, shuddering.
mo, no! l can't stay in there!"
He said no more, thinking he
understood. He made her sit
down In the chair he Just had
vacated, spread one of the skins
over her knees and made a pillow
OF a smaller one, aware that Nicky
watched them furiousIy from un-
der the arm he flung across his
face. He was waiting eagerly for
a word, a sign, that would show
an understanding between these
two; and O'Hara knew it. 1t
filled him with a cold fury toward
the younger man. He had no
need to fear self-betrayal from
her. She did not speak again. AS
silent as Grouse himself, she sat
there, staring at the fire, and
only once did her tremulous lips
utter something like groan. That
was when a sudden abating of the
wind made O'Hara stir the fire
and the leaping flames reflected
on little faded photograph in
the corner, the likeness of a tiny
child. He glanced at her and saw