Show Fiction T Telegram l gran H Hostile OS tel 1 V Valley V a II ey Ames Anies bl by y Williams Ben I 1 BEGIN HERE BEnE TODAY Jenny Pierce a young girt o of 20 years had been in lo love e with Will Ferrin since she was 16 He had hadnot hadnot hadnot not returned this love lo however and had left Hostile Valle Valley to work in Augusta Me Mc Then one day she heard icard that he was returning to hostile Valley and the next few days were to her a flood tide of an- an She cleaned his house his dinner and awaited hi- hi lis arrival but when he returned he ic was not alone He had brought a wife with him the beautiful wanon wanton wanton wan wan- ton on Huldy who was beautiful a aa as asa a flame is beautiful with hair black as Ink and black eyes veiled half-veiled yet bright and warm and he her cheek a fine Cine brown from front long acquaintanCe acquaintance acquaintance ac ac- ac- ac with th the the- sun The kind of beauty that people wondered at yet shrank from with an Instinctive ive tive alarm Summer was upon them now am and during the months that followed Jenny saw Will Vill Ferrin not at all an In July Seth Humphreys who was vas from Augusta Me Ie came to Hostile Valley Valle and set up a steam mill mm not far Car below Marm PIerces PIerce's farm arm Seth had known Huldy In Augusta and It was rumored that tha thIs his was his only reason for or coming comingo to o Hostile Valley to Valley to be handy to her And more men came to Bart Bar Careys Carey's to fish tish these days and although although al- al though lough they went down the brook each day they returned without the fame of any ny fish ish Such was Huld Huldy Ferrin One morning in late lale October J Jenny enny saw Will He was running toward oward Seth Humphreys' Humphreys steam mill and was in such a haste oi of passion that even from the distance she he seemed to feel the fury of the I man He had caught Seth eth Humph Humph- p cys reys and his wife together but Seth had lad escaped through a window and Vill ViII was on his way to the thc steam mill to deal with him Seth after he had left Will Vill Ferns Fern's Ferrins Ferrin's Fer Fer- rin's n's ns house stopped at Bart Careys Carey's however and had borrowed borrowed bor- bor rowed owed a revolver fearful of Wills Will's fury ury and In the ensuing fight that took ook place when Seth arrived at athIs athis atis hIs is mill Will ViII Ferrins Ferrin's leg was shattered shattered shat- shat by a bullet from Seth's revolver revolver re- re volver olver while Seth was himself choked to death by Will The men at the mill carried Will Willo to o Marm arm PIerces PIerce's but he was so badly adly wounded that all they could do o was to await the arrival of oC the thed d octor NOW V GO ON WITH THE TILE STORY CHAPTER VII When that which had now to bedone be done was done Jenny was left drained and empty empt her muscles limp her heart sick Throughout she and arid Marm Pierce had helped the doctor the old woman administering administering administering admin admin- chloroform drop by drop under strict direction Jenny holding holding holding hold hold- ing this and that as she was bidden With Vilh the first stroke of knife she was stunned as though by a ahead ahead ahead head blow had thereafter no sense or strict consciousness of what went vent forward here at all This still stIn form on the table ceased to be the theman theman theman man she loved she helped lil like e an automaton her check cheek white as stone her hands precise and strong while flesh lesh and blood and bone of good Will Vill Ferrin were reduced to carrion The overpowering physical physical physical cal experience would leave Its traces on her thereafter In lasting ways yet she was for Cor the moment spared emotion This was as no tempest tempest tem tern pest of the soul which buffeted her Rather she suffered physical blows and and emerged exhausted exhausted ex ex- hausted bruised weary to the heart When at last she was no longer needed she went weakly into the kitchen wash her hands and clean her garments she returned to her own r room om to change into other gear Time had flown lown dusk was purple in the Valley When she returned to the dining room Will VIlI had somehow been moved so that he lay breathing in long gaspIng gasping gasping gasp gasp- ing inhalations on the couch and Jenny found the doctor gone and only Marm Pierce and Luke Hills remaining here The old woman looked at Jenny in the lamn's lamos Dale nale lI light ht and saw the hc the rl's girls girl's exhaustion and nd she cameto came cameto to o say to her softly Jenny theres there's nought to do here for or awhile It will be long enough till ill he ho knows us or knows any any- thing You get you ou out of doors get some air breathe life liCe back into you rou child Yore pale as a gone thing yourself this minute Ill I'll tend all here And Jenny moving with a n curIous curious curi curl ous passivity obeyed the old woman woman wo wo- wo man she was used to obey The night would be cold and she put on a coat over her dress and a shawl about her head and shoulders shoulders shoulders ders and went out into the thickening thickening thicken thicken- ing ng darkness This was a astill still cold night with threat of another frost Crost before beCore dawn The stars prickling overhead stooping stoop stoop- ing ng low peered brightly down like the ho eyes of curious children The girl jirl looked up at them and she heard icard an owls owl's hooting cry far fardown down own the valley and she heard the rumble umble of a distant automobile somewhere toward the steam mill and saw a sweeping ray of light above the trees as though a car were verc turning there its headlights like ike a searchlights searchlight's beam Blames Huld Huldy Not Will ill They would be taking Seth Humphreys' Humphreys bod body away she thought hought and she thought Will had tilled killed him and thought of the law lawand lawand lawand and what the law liv would have to say to this and she thought loyally I that none could blame Will YUl Blame Huldy it might be but not Will And slow anger began to wake in her to supplant the terrible stricken strick strick- en grief because a part of Will was wa gone and the sweet flesh she loved love was wag now reduced to u a noisome thing that must be disposed of ot se secretly secretly se- se and swiftly Anger woke in her at Seth Humphreys for his active active ac ac- ac tive part and at Huldy for her se secret secret se se- cret passive role I Seth was dead beyond reach o of Jennys Jenny's wrath but Huldy lived And Jenny found herself hersel going a along at long strides like a swift avenger toward the brook along the wood path toward Wills Will's farm where farm where Huldy now would be Jenny went in wrath but her deep abiding anger was bound in fetters not easily to be brol broken en for Huldy was Wills Will's wife wiCe and the girl had wit enough deep sense enough sound wisdom enough to understand understand understand under under- stand that this was no seemly hour for or a womans woman's brawl To shame Huldy would be to shame Will anc and with sudden clear perception Jenny knew that this she would not doSo do So by the time she had crossed the brook and climbed the steep traIl trai and come up through the orchard to the house she was steady again bent and bound first and above al all else to protect Will VIll from rom ugly tongues Finds Bart Carey at Huldy's She came through he e barn into the farmyard and through the un un- shaded window of the kitchen she saw Huldy within And sight of Huldy checked the thc girl for Wills Will's wife was dressed in an unaccustomed unaccustomed unaccustomed tomed fashion in a skirt and coat of some dark stuff Also Jenny saw that Bart Carey stood beside her bending down to her speaking ing intently and she saw Huldy's slow mocking smile as she looked Dp up at atthe atthe atthe the man her head tilted backward the smooth line of her throat sweeping sweeping sweep sweep- ing deep into her bosom This much Jenny saw not particularly particularly par par- Intent on Bart but startled startled star star- tied by the fashion of Huldy's dress and she went quickly to knock upon the kitchen door Huldy called Come Como in So Jenny entered The two faced her from beyond the table the lamplight was strong upon them Huldy sat with her head a a. little on one side her dark eyes shadowed her lips curled in that deep smile Bart beside her stood half erect one hand sti still upon the arm of her chair as though he had been bending over her in some stern or ardent urgency And Jenny said slowly Mis lis' Ferrin I r guess you dont don't know it or you'd been there but butWill's butWill's Wills Will's hurt ov over to Grannys Granny's house The doctor doctor cut cut his Ie leg off You'll You have to come on over Bart straightened up his face hot what Ive I've been telling her he said yet not convincingly and Huldy's eyes turned him with a sardonic upward twist of her brow Hell Hc ell be coming to soon Jenny urged When the chloroform wears off And hell he'll want you there Bart insisted Yes tyes Huldy Hell He'll want you ou You'd ought to go along with Jenny Huldy sat at case ease one knee crossed over the other one foot Coot moving slightly in a tight little rhythm Jenny saw that the other womans woman's hat lay layon on tho table b bj by bythe the lamp You were getting ready to come comeZ 1 she hazarded I r guess Bart told you about it IL I thought though you mightn't know Huldy did no not speak at all and Jenny asked Bart How did you know They telephoned from my riy house he reminded her I r was fishing down brook with a man that's been staying at my place Amy told me when I got home awhile ago I come right up here here here- Quick as a tomcat said Huldy Huldi with a n mocking glance at him and he said sald hotly virtuously I It n looked to mo me you'd need some some- one You'd have the chores to todo todo todo do do- do Jenny remembered something forgotten She cried Oh Bart Will Wili says his teams team's up on the ridge road He lost a nut off tho the wagon You'd better go fetch them back baek to the barn Bart hesitated but Huldy said watching him cruelly Go along Bart You can make up to a horse maybe maybel Jenny perceived without understanding understanding under under- standing a baffled anger in Bart she thought he was provoked by Huldy's heartlessness ness and she touched his arm G Go on Bart she urged Go fetch the team back and unhitch them and give them some feed Ill I'll take Huldy over home There was sweat on Barts Bart's brow he looked from Jenny to Huldy and his dark eye fixed on Wills Will's wife You stay here till I come back he muttered I want to talk to you Ive heard all youve you've got ot to say Huldy told him Get away from me and stay away There was no heat in her voice no trace of or anger rather rath rath- er a slow maddening scorn Bart at his hat Ill come comeback comeback comeback back he insisted almost threateningly threaten threaten- in l and then was gone So these two women were left lert alone and Huldy Hul Hut dy looked at the girl with narrowed eyes and she said tonelessly I 1 guess you feel bad about Will assented fly Yes Yes Jenny I do Huldy shifted her position spoke in casual inquiry Is he hurt real bad Jenny watched her remembering that this woman was the source from which cat catastrophe strophe had sprung and Huldy waved a careless hand Will he's hes always one to look for trouble she reflected He came tramping Int into house and flew off oft the handle at nothing and went out again run a ning That's all I know Her lips twitched with amusement You go goon goon goon on and tell me she urged To be be continued tomorrow |