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Show THE GRANTSVILLE NEWS, GRANT8VILLE, UTAH, Not If he likes me." She spoke with an ominous distinctness, but under her breath. He caught her words and laughed again. Pshaw, I didnt think you'd get Jealous over a little thing like that. Nan. When theres a In town, everybodys friendly with everybody else. If you lay a little thing like that np against me, where would the rest of the men get cele-hrntlon- By Frank it Spearman Arihor of 'Whisperuvg Smith. oopywwp awmtf tauamw sat NAN MORGAN AND DE SPAIN DISCOVER THEMSELVES TO BE IN DESPERATE STRAITS WITH REGARD TO THE GAP GANG-T- GIRL HE FINDS HERSELF IN GRAVE DANGER Henry de Spalnr general manager of the stagecoach line running' from Thief River to Sleepy Cat, a railroad division point in the Rocky mountains, Is lighting a band of cattle thieves and gunmen living in Morgan gap, a fertile valley twenty miles from 'Sleepy Cat and near, Calabasas, where the coach horses are changed. De Spain has killed' two of the gang and has been seriously wounded. Pretty Nan Morgan, Ulece of the gang lender, and De Spain are secretly In love. When her uncle find this out he takes steps to marry her to Gale Mnrgnn, a cousin, who Is a bnd man In every way. CHAPTER XIX Continued. 13 De Spain "It's not fair. And some day, Duke, youll be the first to say so. You wont shake hands with me now, 1 know, so Til go. But the day will come when, you will." He covered his revolver with his left hand, and replaced It under his coat The fat man who had been leaning pa"No," retorted good-naturedl- tiently against a barbers chair ten feet from the disputants, stepped forward again lightly as a cat . llenry," he exclaimed, In a low but urgent tone, his hand extended, "just a minute. There's a telephone call on the wire for you." He pointed to the office door. Take the first booth, Henry. Hello, Duke, he added, greets lng Morgan with an extended hand, as Ubw are you De Spain walked back. making It, old man?" Duke Morgan'grunted. "Sorry to Interrupt your talk," continued Lcfcver. "But the barns at Calabasas . are burning telephone wires from there cut, too they had to pick up the Thief River trunk line to get a message through. Makes It bad, doesnt It?" Lefever pulled n wry face. Duke, there's somebody yet around Culnbnsas that needs hanging, Isnt there? Yes." - long-distan- -- ' CHAPTER XX. Gale Persists. When within an hour De Spain joined Nan, tense with suspense and anxiety, at the hospital, she tried hard to read his news In his face. Have you seen him? she asked "Whut eagerly. Do Spain nodded. does he say? Nothing very reasonable. Her face fell. I knew he wouldnt Tell me all nbout it, Henry everything," She listened keenly to each word. De Spain gave her a pretty accurate recital of the Interview, and Nans apprehension grew with her hearing of it "I knew it she repented with conI know him better than you viction. know him. What slmll we do?" De Spnln took both her hands. He held them against his breast and stood looking into her eyes. When he regarded her in such a way her doubts and fears seemed mean and trivial. He spoke only one word, but there was a world of confidence In his tone: "Stick." She arched her brows ns she re-, turned his gaze, and with a little troubled laugh drew closer. "Stick, Non, It will come out all he repeated. right" She paused a moment. How can you know? 1 know because Its got to. I talked all it over with my best friend In Medicine Bend, the other day. "Who, Henry?" Whispering Smith. He laughed at your uncles opposing us. He said If your uncle only knew It It's the best thing that could happen for him. And he said If all the marriages opposed by old folks Lad been stopped, there wouldnt be young folks enough left to milk the cows." Henry, whnt Is this report about the Calabasas barns burning? The old Number One barn is gone and some of the old stages. We didn't lose any horses, and the other bnms are all right Some of our Calabasas or gap friends, probably. No matter, we'll get them all rounded up after a while, Nan. Then, some fine day, we're going to get married." ' De Spain rode that night to Cnln-hnto look into the story of the fire. McAipio, swathed in bandages, made no bones about accusing the common enemy. No witnesses could be found to throw any more light on the Inquiry than the barn boss himself. And De Spalu made only a pretense of a formal If he bnd had any Investigation. m doubts about the origin of the fire they would huve been resolved by an uuony-mou- s scrawl, sent through the mall, promising more If he didn't get out of the country. But Instead of getting out of the country, De Spain continued as a matter of energetic policy to get into it He rode the deserts stripped, so to soy, for action and walked the streets of Sleepy Cat welcoming every chance to meet men from Music mountain or the sinks. It was on Nan that the rcnl hardships of the situation fell, and Nan who had to bear them alone and almost unaided. Duke came home a day or two later without a word for Nan concerning Ills encounter with De Spain. He was shorter In the grain than ever, crustier to everyone than Bhe had ever known him and toward Nan herself fiercely resentful.' Sussoon was In his company a great deal, and Nan knew of old that Sassoon wus a bad symptom. Gale, too, came often, and the three were much together. In some way, Nan felt thnt she herself wns in part the subject of their talks, but no Information concerning them could she'ever ' i get. One morning she sat on the porch sewing when Gale rode up. He asked for Jier uncle. Bonita told him Duke had gone to Calabasas. Gale announced he was bound for Calabasas himself, and dismounted near Nun. professedly to cinch his saddle. He fussed with the straps for a minute, trying to engage Nan in the Interval, without success, in conversation. Look here, Nan, he said at length, studiously amiable, dont you think youre pretty hard on me, lately? "No, I dont, she answered. "If Uncle Duke didn't make me, Id never look at you, or spou k to you or live la the same mountains with you. I dont think when .a fellow cares for you us much ns I do, and gets oat of patience once in a while, just because he loves a girl the way a man can't help loving her, she ought to hold It against him forever. Think she ought to. Non?" he demanded after a pause.. She wns sewing 'and kept silence. I think, she responded, showing her aversion In every syllable, before d n man begins to talk rot, he ought to find out whether the girl cares for him, or Just loathes the sight of him." He regarded her fixedly. Paying no attention to him, but bending In the sunshine over her sewing, her hand flying with the needle, her masses of brown hair sweeping back around her pink ears and curling In stray ringlets that the wind danced with while she worked, she Inflamed her brawny cousred-blood- . red-bloo- in's ardor afresh. You used to care for me, Nan. You cant deny that" Her silence was irritating. Can you? he demanded. Come, put up your work and talk It out. I didnt use to have to coax you for a word and a smile. What's come over you? Nothing has come over me. Gale. I did use to like you when I first came back from school. You seemed so big and fine then, and were so nice to me. I did like you. Why didnt you keep on liking me? Nan mude no answer. Her cousin persisted. "You used to talk about thinking the world of me, she said at last; then I saw you one Frontier day, riding around Sleepy Cat with a cat: ringe full of women. Gale burst Into a huge laugh. Nans face flushed. She bent over her work. Oh, thats what's the matter with you. Is It?" he demanded Joculurly, You never mentioned that before." That Isn't the only thing," she continued after a pause. Why, that was just some Frontier day fun. Nan. A mans got to be a little bit of a sport once in a while, hasnt her Medicine off? Your strawberry-face- d Bend friend is celebrating iu town most of the time. What n Her face turned white. falsehood ! she exclaimed hotly. I .coking at her, satisfied, he laughed wholeheartedly again. She rose, furious. Its a falsehood," she repeated, and I know It." I suppose," retorted Gale, regarding her Jocosely, you asked him about It." He had never seen her so (mgry. She stamped her foot "How dare you say such a thing I One of those women was at the hospital she Is there yet, and site Is going to die there. She told Uncle Dukes nurse the men they knew, and whom they didnt know, nt that place. And Henry de Spnln, when lie heard this miserable creature had been taken to the hospital, and 'Doctor Torpy said she could never get well, told the sister to take care of her and send the bills to him, because he knew her father nnd mother in Medicine Bend and went to school with her there when she wns a decent girl. Go nnd hear what she has to say about Henry de Spain, you contemptible falsifier." Thats Gale laughed snrdonlcaUy. to her stick a see to like I girl right. friends. De Spain ought to take enre of her. Good story. And she has other good stories, too, you ought to hear, continued Nan unMost of them about yon dismayed. and your fine friends iu town. Site told the nurse Its you who ought to bo paying her bills till she dies. Gale made a disclaiming face and a No, no, Nan-- let deprecating gesture. De Spain take care of his own. He a sport yourself, girlie, right ubw. He stepped nearer her. Nan retioatcrt. Kiss nnd make up," he cxclaimr d with a lnngli. But she knew he wns angry, and knew whnt to guard against. Still laughing, he sprang toward- hur and tried to catch her arm. "Don't touch me! she cried, Jumping away with her blind in her blouse. "You little vixen," he exclnliuc I with nn oath, whnt have you got there?" But he halted nt her gesture, ami Xnn, panting, stood her ground. Keep away 1" she cried. Where did you get thnt knife?" thundered Gale. From oue who showed me how to use it on n coward ! He affected amusement and tried to But pass 'the Incident off ns a Jok ills dissimulation wns more dangerous, she knew, than his brutality, and be left her the prey to more than one nlnrm and the renewed resolve never to be taken off her guard. That nlglit ho came back. He told her uncle, glancing admiringly nt Nan as he recounted the story, how she had stood her grouud against him In thu morning. Nor did Nan like the way her uncle acted while he listened and afterward. He talked a good deal about Gale and the way she wns treating her cousin. When Xnn declared she never would huve nuylliing to do with him, her uncle told her with disconcerting bluutuess to gut all that ut of her head, for she was going to marry him. When she protested she never would, Duke told her, with many harsh oaths', thnt she should never marry De Spain even If he hnd to kill him or get killed to stop It, and that If she liad nuy sense she would get ready to mnrry her cousin pencenbly, adding, that if she didnt have sense, he would see himself It was provided for her. Uls threats left Xnu aghast. For two days she thought them all over. Then she dressed to go to town. On her wny to the barn her uncle Intercepted her. Where you going? "To Sleepy Cat," returned Nan, regarding him collectedly. he announced No, youre not, bluntly. Nan looked at him In silence. I ijput wnnt you running to town any more to meet De Spain, added Duke, without any attempt to soften his In- but resolute, went on to the barn and asked Pardaloe to saddle her pony. Purdaloe shuffled around In an obliging way, but at the end of some evasion admitted 'he hud orders nut to do It Nan flamed at the Information. She disliked Pardaloe anyway, not for any reason she could assign beyond the fact that he had once been a chum of Gales. But she was too to dispute with him, and returned to the house pluk with iudiguatlou. Going straight to her uncle, she protested against such tyranny. Duke wus Insensible alike to her picas and her threats. But next morning Nan was up at three o'clock. She made her way into the barn before a soul wns stirring, and at daybreak was well on her way to Sleepy Cat. She telephoned to De Spains ofliec from the hospital and went to breakfast. De Spain joined her before site had finished, hnd when they left the diulng room she explained why'shc lmd disappointed him the day before. He heard the story with mishigh-spirit- givings. "I'll tell you how it looks to me, he subl when she had doue. are like a person that's being tighter every day by Invisible You don't see them because you are' fearless. You are too fearless, Nan, he added, with apprehension reflected In the expression of Ills face. I'll tell you what I wish youd do, nnd Xnn," "You hound cords. I say it knowing you won't do It, he concluded. , She made light of his fears, twisting his right hand till It was helpless in her two hands nnd laughing nt him. IIow do you know I won't do It? Because I've asked you before. This is It : Marry me, now, here, today, and dont take any more chances out there. "But, llenry," protested Nan, I can't marry you now and just run nway from poor Uncle Duke. If you will just be patient, I'll bring him around to our side." Never, Nan. Dont be so sure. I know him better than you do, nnd when he comes for anybody, he comes all at once. Why, It's funny Henry. Now that Im picking up courage, you're losing it!" I don't like He shook Ills hend. the way things are going. "Dearie, she. urged, should I ho any safer at homo If I were your wife, limn I am as your sweetheart. I don't want to start n horrible family war by runy ning away, nnd that is just whnt I should do. De Spain was unconvinced. But apIn young prehension is short-live- d hearts. The sun shone, the sky spread a spccklesiilue over desert and luoun-- : tain, the day went to their castles und dreams. In a retired corner of the cool dining room nt Hie Mountain house, they lingered together over a d dinner. The guests by asides Indicated their presence to others. They described them us tlie liardy couple who bnd firs t met In n stiff Frontier day rillo match, which the girl liad won. Her defeated rival the man now most regarded ami feared In the mnuntnru country was the man with tlie reticent moiilli. mild eyes, curious birthmark, nnd wllli tlie two IlLtle, perplexed wrinkles vii!i!e most nt the time Just between his dark eyebrows, the man listening intently to every syllable that fell from tlie lips of the trimly bloused, active girl opposite him, loanin'; forward in her eagerness to tell him tilings. Iler jacket hung over the back of her clialr, anil she herself was referred to by the more fanciful ns queen of the outlaw camp nt Music mouutaln. The two were seen together that dny about town by many, for the story of their courtship was still veiled in mystery nnd afforded ground for the widest speculation, while that of their difficulties, nnd such particulars ns De Spain's fruitless efforts to conciliate Duke Morgan nnd Dukes open threats against De Spain's life were widely All these details made the known. movement and the fute of the young couple the object of keenly curious To get away from the bare boss, !) Spain took refuge In riding. The season was drawing on toward winter, and rain clouds drifting at Intervale down from the mountains nude the saddle a less dependable escape from the monotony of Culabasns. Several days passed with no sight of Naa and no word from her. De Spain, as the hours and days went by, scanned the horizon with increasing solicitude. When lie woke on the sixth morning, he was resolved to send a scout Into the gup to learn what he could of the situation. The long silence, De Spnia knew, portended nothing good. He sent to tlie stable fur Bull rage. The shambling bnrnnmn, summoned gruffly by McAlpln, hesitated ns he appeared nt the office door nnd seemed to regard the situation with suspicion, lie looked at De Spain tentatively, as If ready either for the discharge with which lie was daily threatened or for a renewal of his earlier, friendly relations with the man who bad been queer enough to make a place for liim. De Spain set Bull dowu before bins iu the stuffy little office. he began with apparent Bull, frankness, "I want to know how yot like your job. Wiping his mouth guardedly with his hand to play for time and ns ax Introduction to a carefully worded re"Mr. de Spain, I ply, Bull pnrrlcd. want to nsk you just one question." "Go ahead. Bull." Bull plunged promptly Into the suspicion uppermost In his mind. Tins that sneak of a Scotchman been slat-eye- d, flat-heade- d, sun-sapp- complnin- - cor-tninl- long-drawu-o- ut better-informe- He Looked at De Cpain Tentatively. lug of my work? That, Mr. de Spain," emphasized Bull, loaning forward, "Is what I want to know lirsl Is It a fair question? relumed Do Spain with "Bifll," eorrespon.liig nnd ceremonial emphabetween limit sis, it a a fair ij'i.'-nioand man. I admit It; It Is a fair tjuea-tiuiAnd I nr.wer, no, Bull. MeAl pin has liad nothing on tin; face of the desert to do wiili my pending for 1 know you. And 1 add this bcVnii.-she lie 11: to want says bear you couldnt complain of your wuik, because you never do any." "That man," persisted Bull, reenforced by the hearty tone and not clearly catching the drift of the very last words, drinks more liquor than I do." . "lie innst be some tank. Bull." Ami I dont hide It, Mr. de Spain. Youd have to crawl under Music monniain to do that. What I want to know Is, do you like your Job?" On this point It wns Impossible to get nn expression from Bull, no felt convinced that Ie Spain wns pressing for nn answer only ns n prelimiNo matter," nary to his discharge. Interposed the latter, cutting Bulls rumblings short, drop It, Bull. I want you to do something for ine, and Ill pny for It" Bull, with a palsied smile nnd s deep, qunverlng note of gratitude, put up Ids slinky baud. Say what. That's all. I've been paid. You know youre n sot. Bull." I know It. Bull nodded. "A disgrace to the Maker whose Image you were made in." Bull started, but seemed, on reflection, to consider this a rInt on which he need not commit himself. Still, I believe theres a man In you yet. Something, at any rate, you couldnt completely kill with whisky. Bull whnt?" 1 i. comment In the lute afternoon the two rode almost the whole length of Main street together on their way to the river bridge. Everyone knew the horseilesh they bestrode none cleaner-limbehardier or fuster In the high country. junction. But Ive got to go to town once In Those that watched them amble slowa while, whether I meet Henry de ly past, laughing, and talking, intent only on each other, erect, poised nnd Spnln or not, Uncle Duke. What do you have to go for? motionless, as if molded to tlielr sadWhy, for mall, supplies every- dles, often spoke of having seen Nan and her lover thnt day. It was a long thing." time before they were seen riding Tnrdaloe can attend to all that" Nan shook her head. "Whether he down Main street together again. can or notrlm not going to be cut off CHAPTER XXI. from going to Sleepy Cat, Uncle Duke nor from seeing Henry de Spain. De 8pain Worries. "Meaning to say you wont obey, eh? They parted that evening under the When Fm going to marry a man It shadow of Music mountain, agreed to De Spain, learning that Nan meet in Calabasas just as soon as Nan needa him deeperately, decides isnt right to forbid me seeing him. Youre not going to marry him; could get away. She hoped, she 'told to take some big chancea to save news. to and to Do the Gale, her. Theres a big development good him, marry bring going Spain youre of the story in the next installquicker you make up your mind to It arranged his business to wait at Calament. basas for her, nnd was there, after the better. You might better tell me I am going two days, doing little but waiting and to marry Bull Page I would marry listening to McAlplns stories about (TO BE CONTINUED.) him first I will never marry Gale the fire and surmises as to strange 8neer at Matrimony. Morgan in the living world, and Ive men that lurked In and about the told you so more than once. place. But De Spain, knowing Jeffries Many a husband thinks If he should; He regarded his niece a moment was making an Independent Investi- die his wife would never get another wrathfnlly and, without replying, gation Into the affair, gave no heed to like him. And many a wife hopes su. walked back to the house. Nan, upset McAlpln's suspicions. Exchunge. d, |