Show Winds of Chance By Re Rex Beach CHAPTER Continued stock Hock laughed heartily let Colonel Cavendish Ca hear you he I cautioned Seriously now hed he'd let Pierce go If he could he told me so He Hell He'll 11 undoubtedly allow him the freedom of the barracks bam so neli I really be on parole until his trial Trial You try him ag agm n 1 I The woodsman could make little or of o othe orthe the affair If you try him two tam tarn dose crook is mak of Pierce for sure One trial is plenty plent I spose I better kill dem deco feller fel- fel fel feller ler lel off an settle dla ting Dont talk like that Rock told him Im lm not saying they dont don't need killing i t nobody t-nobody gets away with that stuff nowadays No was interested and anda a trifle defiant For Far why You never neer catch me 1 Nobody Nobody- Is Isable isable isable able for dolt dat good trav trav- eler Rock eyed the stalwart speaker meditatively Id hate hato to take your trail that's a fact but Id I'd have to todo todo todo do it However that would be a poor way to help Pierce If Ie hes he's really Innocent Courteau will have ha havea havela a hard Job to convict him I suggest suggest suggest sug sug- I la gest that you let matters rest as they are for tOr a day or so Well We'll treat the kid all rightOn right On the way to her room Rouletta met the Countess Courteau and in ina Ina ina a few words made known the facts of oC Pierces Pierce's arrest The elder woI woman woman wo wo- wo- wo I man listened in astonishment nt I 1 I Arrested For theft Absurd Who made the charge Count Courteau Courteau Where did he get a thousand dollars The speakers face was bet set in an expression of oC utter incredulity I dont don't know Its It's all too wretched too terrible terrible- Rouletta's voice broke she hid her face tace in her hands bands For a moment there was silence then the elder eider woman exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed harshly peremptorily Tell me everything Quick Theres There's a reason why I must know all about It I Drawing Rouletta Into her room room I she forced her into a chair then I stood over her while the latter re repeated repeated repeated re- re the story in greater detail So That's Itt the Countess cried at last The McCaske's backed ed him up Of Ot course And he referred to Sheep Camp Camp to to me Hes He's the sort to do a thing like that God What a dog After a a time I I she went on Im sorry Pierce I struck him hell he'll never get et over that and it will male make it harder harder- much harder I You think it an be straightened out Rouletta's face was strained I her ter eyes searched the former Cormer speakers speaker's speakers speaker's speak speak- ers er's face eagerly Speak I Its got to be straightened out It would be monstrous to allow allow- The Countess shook her head then II I with a mirthless smile exclaimed I But what a situation Henri HenrJ of oC all persons I Its It's pleasant for me me isn't i it Well somebody planted that of the poke probably poke probably one I keys leys They'd like to railroad the boy J Joe is as vindictive as an Indian Indian In In- dian dlan and he blames Pierce and In I me I for his brothers brother's death In desperation Rouletta cried cried- Ill IH pay pay the Count back his money money Ill Ill I'll double It it His money moner sneered the woman He hasn't a tent cent except what I give him That was was' McCaskey's dust She stared at the apprehensive sIve figure crouched upon the edge of the char chair and slowly her expression lion sion softened In a gentler tone she said I see you didn't didn't- take my ad advice adI advice ad- ad I vice you didn't heed my warning Who Vho ever heeds a warning like I yours ours Does Pierce know that you you feel feel this way about him Rouletta sighed wearily I didn't I m myself self although I more than half suspected I didn't permit myself to think ink it made me so unhappy sIt JIt It ought to satisfy me somewhat to learn that he he-doesn't he care for you jou qu but somehow but somehow it doesn't He didn't care for me either But nut I cared aired for him I love him n now w Just Justas as you love lo him him better better probably Oh why conceal It Ive I've spent a good many black hours thinking about it and trying to fight tight it Mind you It wasn't his fault It was Just fate There are some fellows wio wac go smiling and singing along through life lIfe clean clean decent fellows too too attending attending to their own affairs in a perfectly proper manner but leaving a trail in havoc behind them It isn't so true of women women- they're usually flirts their flirts their smiles dont don't last and the echo of oC their songs die out Hes He's perfectly impossible Impossible Impossible Im Im- possible for Cor me J I wouldn't marr marry him if It I 1 were free and if It he asked me But that has nothing whatever to do with the case case Hilda laid down her book She turned to face her accuser Why should I make a scene she asked Ive had nothing to flo tIo with Phillips Phillips Phillips Phil Phil- lips since we p parted company at White Horse Ive I've scarcely spoken to him and you rou know It You dont don't deny there was something something some some- thing between you The woman shrugged noncommittally non noncom her lips parted in a faint cheerless smile I deny nothing I admit nothing Although Courteau's brain was fogged he experienced a growing surprise at the self possession with which his wife had taken this blow which he had aimed as much at ather ather ather her as at Pierce Phillips he studied studied stud- stud led her Intently a mingling of suspicion suspicion suspicion sus sus- of ot anger and of oC admiration in his uncertain gaze He saw for one thing that his effort to reach her had failed and that she remained completely the mistress of ot herself She reclined at ease in her comfortable chair quite e unstirred unstirred unstirred un un- un- un stirred by his derision his tion He became aware also of ot the fact that she presented present d an extremely extremely extremely ex ex- picture for the soft white fur of the loose robe she wore exposed an alluring glimpse of snowy throat and bosom one wide sleeve had fallen back showing show show- ing a smoothly rounded arm her silken ankles lifted to the cozy warmth of the stove were small and trim her feet were shod in neat high-heeled high slippers The Count admired d neatly shod ladies ladles Youre a very smart looking woman woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man man he cried with some tance Youre beautiful Hilda Ililda I dont don't blame the young oung fool for fall- fall Ing But you are too old too wise wise- wise Hilda nodded Youve said it it ih Too old and too wise If It Id I'd been as young and as silly as when I Imet Imet Imet met you you who who knows Hes He's a handsome boy Again the husbands husband's anger blaed blazed blaz- blaz ed up But Im I'm not young young- and cilly his wife Interrupted Just the same you play played d me me a rotten trick the Count exploded And AndI I dont don't forget As for Cor him him him- he swore savagely savagely hell hell learn that its it's not safe to humiliate te me to rob me of any woman woman wife wife o or mistress Youve You've never told me the half Ive I've had to guess But Im I'm Impatient I j patient I know how to walt wait and to use my eyes and my ears Then I to strike me me Perdition Ill I'll j follow this through never fear How did you get a thousand dollars Henri the wife inquired curiously Courteau's gaze shifted What difference I won It on a turn at atthe atthe atthe the North Star it was given to tome tome tome me I found it Anyhow I had It it It was a good night for me yes a very good night I had my re revenge revenge revenge re- re and I 1 showed my y friends friend that Im I'm a man to be reckoned with In a tone unexpectedly unexpected fumble umble the woman said I had no idea you cared very much what I did didor didor didor or how I carried on After all aU it was your our own fault Mine The Count laughed in derision and astonishment Exactly If you had taken the trouble to show me that you yOU cared well well things might have been different However The C Countess Coun Countess Coun- Coun un- un tess rose and with another change of voice and manner said Come along Lets Let's do something for tor your eye eye S The Count stared stared at her In be bewilderment bewilderment be- be wilderment then he turned away way crying Bah I want no help At the door he paused to jeer once more mOle Pierce Phillips A common common common com com- mon thief a despicable creature who ho robs the ver very man he had most deeply injured Ive I've exposed him to the law and to public scorn Sleep Sleep p on that my dear Clear Dream on it With a chuckle he traced an uncertain course to the stalls stairs mounted to his room room and I slammed his door behind him He had undressed and flung himself Into bed but he had not yet et fallen asleep when the door reopened and his wife entered bearing in her hel hand a ste steaming pitcher of ot 1 hot of water This she deposited into into it she dipped a folded towel Im sorry youre you're disfigured Henri Hen Hen- ri she told him quietly Despite his surl surly protests she bathed and soothed his swollen I features until he dropped asleep after which she stole out and down downto to her ro room m on the floor loor below There however she paused staring back hack up the empty stairway p il a look lof of deepest loathing upon her ter face Slowly carefully sh she wiped h her r hands as if Ie they were unclean un lean her lips curled Into a mirthless mirthless' smile then she passed into her chamber and turned the key be behind behind behind be- be hind her t 0 Rock nock had spoken truly In assuring assuring assur assur- ing Tolson that Pierce Phillips Phillips' lot would be made as easy for him as possible That I Is what happened No o one at the Barracks appeared to take much stock in Courteau's charge harge and even Colonel Cavendish Cavendish Caven Caven- dish the commandant took the trouble to send for him early the next morning and to ask for the whole story In d detail tail When hen Pierce had given It the officer nodded It looks very much like dike a spite case I couldn't imagine your our doing such sucha a thing my Iny- bo boy It is a spite rase rase ras nothing else Courteau Is Js a and your affair alfair with his wife wire explains his animosity To be continued |