Show abb i NIL he TT I 1 rey w 0 fa V hearts V JL A novelized no version venlon of the tha motion picture of the th sam siaa i nania name produced by tho the universal fuu filin co vr by LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE AU A 1 I 1 tin 7 fam th alm 0 fh alth floss the th picture cop lilt by as joseph V 3 SYNOPSIS the I 1 ot of marts Is in the death sign aln employed by seneca trine in an aged and crip alil loyed ad monomaniac banlao in the private war of van vengeance gnoe which he wages ag against aigist alan law ton son ot of the ron roan now dead who wax wan innocently responsible tor for the accident which ran rood ared tred trina a helpless invalid tar life iko alan at MI Ws in love lova with rose grin daughter an nd his h love Is IB returned return eil jadw judith i boio ro as twin anil and douso do ulla but ft a woman of violent passions Blons and erratic temper promises tier hr father to compass A alan tr we ger deatel but under dramatic dr amatto clr cir curn stances lances alan aim saves ova her life and so BO un willingly wins her bar love judith then lumi allut bar father and ess fullY opposes hla his efforts to cause alan to be a as atod by ht his aided and mercenaries after many adventures adventure ji alan rose hose judith andna roua alao best beat friend escape to the mountain country of southern aou thern california and there thare leave trine helpless help leea and through causing the death in self elf defenza of hla his two first lieutenants CHAPTER lt LI t u the now new judith from sloop as from drugged stupor judith udith trine awakened awal ened struggling back to consciousness like some borne ox 0 X bausted divor from the black depths to the atar atas smitten surface ot of a night uund pool tf at first she he could by no means recognize her surroundings this rude chamber of rough plank walls walla and primitive furnishings this wide bard conch sho she snared with her still slumbering sister bister rose nose the view revealed by an open window at the bedside a fair perspective of 0 tree clad moun f idas through which 0 wido bosomed S can canyon yon rolled down to en an emerald plain conned noth ingato tier her intelligence li Il gence A formless forra fess sense of some epochal change changa in M aho habits and mantal proc eases of a young lifetime added to iii her confusion what indeed had become of the wild thing judith trino of yesterday a burely sicely she had bad little enough in common comman with this judith of at today in whose heart was no more room tor for envy hatred malice or any fi sibilene bleness iss so BO full was ft of love which though it waa van focused upon the person f lir ot of ona man none the tha loss lea embraced r all the world even her sister bister and A successful rival in that one mans inan 13 at af this change had not tome upon her f without warning sho sha had been almost insensibly aware of its ita advent AA through the gradwohl softening of that k old judiths hard bard and vengeful in the course of tho the last few days but now that the revolution was ic accomplished complis hed she bho hardly know knew herself she he hardly knew the world indeed no BO differently did sho she regard it not without something of the wide eyed wonderment of a child to find all things so new and strange and beautt tul ful and this athla was the work of lovel love now the chain of memories was quite complete no link lacking in its continuity she bho recalled clearly every incident that had marked tha slow alow ff growth ot of this great lovo love she had for U alan law from that first day not yet jf a mouth month old all when he had escaped the very cery deathtrap she eho had set tor for him and repaid her only by risking hla his ufa life anew to save her from destruction down to tills this very morning when the stream from a hydraulic nozzle had swept over the brink of a three hundred foot precipice a crimson racing automobile containing two desperate men bent upon compassing the death of her beloved dy by that act of sheer scalf defense 1 tho the world dav richer for the loss of iwo blackguards black guards and alan law might now be considered safe from further persecution since there now remained not one soul loyal enough to seneca trine to prosecute 1 his bis private war of vengeance alan and though that aged monomaniac asa means whereby he might purchase pur chasa other scoundrels and cor bupt rupt them to hla him hideous purposes ies judith wait waa determined that he should never again have bave any opportunity so BO todo to do alan she knew would never lift Ws uis hand to hinder binder her ta a freedom of action she judith meant to take such inch steps tie as his perse cation ailed tor for if there were any justice in tho the land it there were any ny Uen tats capable of discriminating le be tween brines trines apparent sanity and lifs his deep rooted mania then surely not s many dayn more should pass into history without witnessing his consignment to an institution for tho the crimi ual insano insane she bho judith would see to that and then the woman sighed once more then rose roae aud alan would marry and live happily ever after but whit w it of judith she made a small gesture of resignation to her destiny what t ame of her no longer mattered so that alan were wera mede happy in such happiness as he coveted arid and A rid now nov the thought stirred her sharply that what was to be done must knust be done quickly if at all and the almost level rays raya of at the declining sun un striking in through the open window counseled hasta it judith were vere to accomplish her intention of lp leaving this place and finding her lather again before nightfall with the utmost care cara she rose from the be bed crept to the door at 0 the room ottov EOW as f um bews of the tha foreman of tho the hydraulic mining outfit and out into the room adjoining and there putting pulling the door to gently behind her sho she paused and for many minutes stood in bontem illation of tho the man sho she loved alan law asleep in a chair beside a table his head pillowed billowed pill owed on en his folded arms this was leave taking between them and he would never know far bettor so BO judith felt she could not trust herself to say aay farewell to him without breaking down and confessing tho the utter wretchedness that threatened to overwhelm her each time she forced herself to face the thought that this parting must be final like a thief she stole across the creaking floor to side hesitated bent her head to his and touched her lips to his cheeka checks cheek check a s caress so light that ha ba slept on in ignorance of it then as sho she lifted her lieb and stood orect erect bosom con convulsed vulsiA with silent sobs she eha looked squarely equa rely into the faco face df 0 t rose nose CHAPTER LII the old adam long minute minu to elapsed before either bowan wowan moved or spoke transfixed beside chair steadying readying herself with a hand upon its back judith stared nt at the figure in the doorway in a temper at once discomfited ed and defiant with this she suffered buffered a phase of incredulity was able to persuade herself that this was truly rose who confronted her ber roue rose whose sweet and gentle nature had ever served no as the butt of judiths contempt and ruthless ridi ridicule culo here was waa revolution with a vengeance when rose hose threatened and judith shrank it was as it if the women had exchanged natures while they slept tho the countenance that rose showed her slater sister war wan a thundercloud tent rent by the lurid lightning of her angry anar V ryes eyes ter her pose was tense and alert like ilka tho the pose of an animal set to spring in her hand hung a revolver the same judiths hand sought the holster at her hip and found it empty that her sister bad worn and forgotten to remove bieu w eu she dropped halt half dead with fatigue upon the bed and slowly toward the end of that long muto mute minute the girla grasp tightened upon the grip of the weapon ind and its muzzle lifted remarking this a flash dash of her onetime temper quickened judith of a udden sudden with a atari she crossed the floor in FL single noiseless stride and threw herself before her sister well felir she demanded hotly what wha t are you waiting tor for Nob odys stopping you why dont you shoot the upward movement of th the hand was checked the weapon hung level to judiths breast tie aa level and unequivocal as the glance that probed her eyes and tho the tone of at roses rosea voice as nho demanded what were you doing there it if you must know from me ma what you already know on the evidence of your eyes I 1 was bidding goodby good by to tho the man I 1 love kissing him without his linow knowledge ledge or consent before leaving him to you for good and alli what do you mean that im going away that I 1 cant this situation any longer marro phat and jimmy aro are dead my fathers hol helpless pless and I 1 mean to see that he remains so BO nothing then stands in tho way of 0 your marrying alan but roa me and such being the case and because hes as dear to me as ho he Is to you im going to take myself ott off and keep out of the way for tear fear lest he find out that you love him judiths lip curled do you think him so BO witless he know that 2 already and so you leave him to me out of your charl tyl Is I 1 that it any way you like dut but it if its so intolerable to you to think that I 1 daro dare love him and confess it to you it if you begrudge me the humiliation of stooping to kiss a man mail who bant want my kisses it you are so afraid of him while I 1 live and love him very well theril then with a passionate gesture judith tore open the bosom of her waist offering her flesh to the muzzle of the revolver A cry broke from the lips lip of rose pose that was like the cry of a forlorn hild punished with cruelty that passes its understanding she fell back against the wall the revolver swept up through the air but its mark was her own head bead rather than judiths bosom but before her finger found strength to pull the trigger the man PA ft the table startled from his sleep by the sound of angry voices loped leaped from his chair with a violence that sent it clattering to the flour floor and hurled himself headlong across the room imprisoning prison ing the wrist ot of his betrothed with one hand while the other wrested the weapon away and passed it to judith rose ho he cried thickly what does this mean are you mad judith dragging the bosom of her waist together judith thrust U weapon into its roister bolster and turned away co be kind hind 6 0 o her alan she said bald in an uncertain voice she understand ailis abid and I 1 goaded her beyond endurance im afraid forgive me but bo be kind to her alway al somehow blindly bho stumbled out of 0 the cabin into the open possessed by a thought whose temptation was stronger than her powers of 0 resistance what ross rose had bad failed to accomplish com might now serve berve to resolve judiths Jud ltha problem none she he told herself bitterly would seek to binder her dut but she meant so to arrange the matter that none should see or BUS aus hect and be moved to interfere fore round the shoulder of the mountain on the road along the edge edga of the cliff she was waa sure of freedom from observation and yet such euch la is the inconsistency of the human animal the instinct for self preservation was stronger than her purpose when a touring car swung round tho the mountain and shot toward her sho she checked herself hastily and jumped aside in ample time to escape being run down the next instant the machino roach lne was lurching to a halt and the sonorous accents of seneca trine were saluting her judith Judi I 1 you herel beret what the devill wherever Who revo reve ye been where are marro phat and jimmy digging the nails of her fingers painfully into her she eho breathed deep fighting down hysteria reasserting her self control in so BO short abort a space of time that her father failed to appreciate preci ate that there was anything uncommon in the mind of the girl where he demanded angrily as she approached tho the car where I 1 want to know are Marro phat and jimmy Tl avent you seen been or heard anything of at them they left me at six this morning to go arter deada the girl interrupted sententious tent ious eyeing him strangely 1 I dont believe the old man screal screamed ned aghast 1 I wont believe it youre lying to me you jadel youre lying 1 I am not she broke in coldly 1 I am telling you the plain truth they followed us all ail morning in that red racer flying firing at us all the while finally they caught up tip with us here about noon came up this road shoot ing over the windshield it was our lives ves or theirs their we turned the hydras lie lic stream on them and washed the att ctt ct OV over er the cliff it if you dont believe me get somebody to show you their faces she indicated with a gesture two forms that lay at a little dic distance tance back from the roadside motionless beneath a sheet of canvas the bodies of brines trines creatures recovered by the in mining ining gang and brought up for a christian burial the last bitter drop that brimmed nib his cup of misery was added when alan law himself appeared leaving the miners bin in company with his betrothed rose now soothed and comforted smiling through tho the traces of her recent tears as she ehe clung to tier her lover nestling in the hollow of his arm to alan on the other hand this reu rencontre contre seemed to afford nothing but the p pleasant eat surprise imaginable well dvells VV ellS he ha cried releasing rose and running down to the car Il heres leres luckl luck and at the very moment when I 1 was calling my lucky star hard namest names how can I 1 ever reward your thoughtfulness mr trine it beats me how you do keep track of me this wa way y happening along like this every time I 1 need a car the worst way in the world drive on trine screamed to the chauffeur drive on do you heart I 1 out but judith had stepped up on the running board and was eyeing the driver coldly with one hand significantly resting on the butt of tho weapon at her side the car remained at a standstill sulphurous profanity followed a pungent stream of 0 vituperation that wit was a checked only by dij J interruption wove weve had lu LQ sag you once before you know it if you want another taste of that keep on nn dut but wheres Ilir darcus cus judith demanded when after helping rose into the car and running oft off to thank their hosts alan returned alone to the car goodness only knows the young man answered cheerfully lie ho would insist on rambling oft off down the canyon in search of an alleged town where we could hire a motor car somewhere town down there I 1 tried to make him understand that we had plenty of 0 time but bitt he was mullah as he generally is when he gets a foolish notion into his head so I 1 daresay well meet h na on his way back bach or elso else asleep lome somewhere where by the road sidel taking the seat next to the chant four beur tie be gave the tha word to drive on and they slipped away frow from the loca iota tion of the mining camp saluted by cheers from the miners halt half an hour passed without a word spoken by any member of 0 the party each was deep in his or her own especial preoccupation alan turning over plans plana for an early wedding rosa roas hugging the conten contentment contenta tm elit regained through her lovers protestations judith lost to in profoundest melancholy trine trice nursing hla his rage working himself up into a silent fury whose consequences were to bo be more far reaching than even he dreamed in his bis wildest moments its first development for or all that was desperate enough tho the aged monomaniac occupied the tha right hand liand corner of at the rear seat thus his bla one able hand was waa next to judith in close juxtaposition to the tha revolver in tho the holster on |