Show U p- p The Th Y I 1 I The Oo SIer Bobbs-SIer- Publish e. e a Ian tS en dJ II- II By HALLIE HALLI I I EAL I L Mr lz Post RIVES Wheeler Ea I 01 of a V inia L be I shuddered She Sho will c never ire ire- rD H she ehe aid said brokenly II Oh Ob I It t she would not h have havo B spoken She old ld suffer anything for my happi happi- I B But Thit t I wouldn't has hare her er bear bearby by I 1 more for m my ako His anger auger faded suddenly and when j looked at her again tears were in his eyes FJ Shirley I he said Its my heart o oj that you ou are binding on tho the wheel lore loTe you J I want nothing but you your youl rd rat rather er be beg m my bread from door to toor toor or with your yourt hand in mine than sit i-a i a throne o without you voul What can cnn pre re be in life ife for me me unless you rou ou oure Ire re it Think of our love lovel Think Ithe the fate that brought me mo here to tod bd id d you OU in Virginia Think of our irden where where I thought we would v e re and work and dream till wo we were lid d d. d and gray together gray together darling I ont throw our love lo away like this thiat His Hi entreaties left her only whiter ut it unmoved crt Sho shook her head izing at him through h great clear tears at over and rolled roBed down her r can cant can't t fight she he said aid I HI have havea a strength left Sho She put out her herand herand and as she spoke and dropped it with little limp gesture that bad had in it it I ired red dt despair pair finality and hopelessness t cau caught ht at his b heart art more etron strongly l than an any words He felt a warm of X ity and nd tenderness T Ho took her ber hand band gently without peaking and pressed it hard bard a against his 15 lips It seemed to him ver very small ind nd cold h. h They passed together through the theet ket et et bracken his bis' strong arm guiding guidinger her er over oer the uneven une path and came to tobe the be open in l silence Dont come with me she said eaid then and without a back backward ard glance lance tent rapidly from him down the shimmering shim shim- meting mering ring road Jf 1 CHARTER t The Evening g of an Old Score tat Rat Major Bristow's Bristow- ivory headed camphor wood stick on the great reat door of Damory urt The sound ha had a Ii tan tang of ira imp aU for he had bail used the knocker nore than once onee without result Now ic e strode to th the end of the porch and his voice in hi a stentorian yellow vellow hat bat brou brought bl Undo Uncle Jefferson Jeffer on shuffling kro the tho path from the kitchens wit with ill til the whites white of his hiR eyes showing do gone dog la lazy rascal thun thun- It Ier d th tho major II do you mean ah ab b by keeping a gentleman cooling Ij lis mis lie hf ls lEl on the doorstep p like a tax Where Where's s 's your our master I IFo UFo Fo do de m major jor Ah Alt ain am seen stars stars' John dis out if tab break en he nevah showed show L tp ip er in et ct all Yo de sub he be added anxiously in I on 11 he lie Jak Ink prey on aind rund Don seem seeni er bit bit heso hese f i II m lt t The major maior maor looked J. J ho he Wc well Jt No Nouh Am Ain et no rio morn marn uh er ul ui min buhrl lese dese las las' few days s Jes II lone lonesome lak Don lau laugh lauch h hI I 10 mo don fon lint in no DO mo 11 me Ain Am pla play I. I I 10 sence do de flay da- aftab do lo hal ball hafl fe re c- c cen en ly pestered bout limo irn P said aid the major jor II Touch f. f Spring prini fever T I reckon Aunt ee eeds him too well Give him less leIs fried hi hick hicken ken en and more and ani butter- butter Make 1 him sonic some juleps The rhe old ne negro ro shook his bis b head ati neah m use UP un all ilat dat minta mint- mint Kid d a Ah foun be he fl said paid irl hI hilt but it ain airi do don n rood Malali Ah Aim Abs Ab's s sho ho J g happen 1 1 e the time major maior sniffed fool idea ideas idea's s 's pot ot under tinder your our wool ow w 1 Been Beem senior Mad fad Anthony Anthom a again 11 11 bet ht a n dollar Uncle Incle Jefferson on s swallowed once or ornic wice n-ic e with seeming difficulty and aDd i the thc gravel ernel with ith his bis toe Dats r o he be said II Ah Ah done one see e old man do day a bout hout et ct nty he know He to see ee trouble er- er r r- en trouble t er r Tat flat same sam de Ie bo ho hoss s drop dron offen dp tie stable o 0 en di diR diRc c ey er cr done donev Lv 1 v int inter r- r tie ne e. e 03 Das Das' cr bad had q orloo T fr l bad hoodoo Of t said tirl irl the maior mawr Youre a as Ri loony as old Anthony with your infernal infernal in fernal r 1 signs If your Mars Mars' ars' ars Johns John's b been cn out all aU day dar I reckon hell he'll turn up before long Ill I'll wait for him a while Ho to started in but paused on the tho threshold say that ah ah that mint was all gone one Un Unc Jefferson J I f Uncle Jeffersons Jefferson's lips liP relaxed re in jn a a. wide wido grin rin Ah reck n dahs dah's er few stray stray- sprigs lef sub suh Stop Step in on en mek et home Ef Mars Mars' 1 John see lice you ho bo be hoped up Ah mi mix yo d dat t julep in two shakes l H o e disappeared around the tho corn corner or of the porch and the major strode into the hall haH threw his gray slouch hat oil ou tho the table and sat at down It was quiet and peaceful that ancient ancient an an- ban ball He lie fell to thinking of tho the many times of old when be had sat f there The house was tho the amo samo again now It had bad waked from a thirty thirty- years' years slumber to a 3 renewed prime prim Only ho had lived Jived on meanwhile meaD and now not was old He Ho sighed How gay the thA place had bad been the night of or of the ball with the li lights and androse roses rose and music Ho He remembered what the doctor had said paid about Valiant and Shirley it Shirley it had lain ever r since in his mind a painful speculation The Time recollection roused another thou thought ht from which he shrank He lie stirred uneasily un un- easily What on earth kept that old darky dark co so long over o that julep A Eli flight ht noise made him liim turn his ma his head But nothing moved Only a creak of the woodwork he thought and settled back a again in in his chair It was as in fact a stealthy footfall he be had heard It came camo from the library where a shabby 1 figure crouched liet listening listen listen- n in ing in the corner behind the tapes tried screen screen screen-a a man e clad with a scarred K It had been boen with no good purpose that Greef Kin King had dogged the major manor these last dR days s. s Ho lie hugged a a. hot hot- hatred ha ba tred grown own t to white hite heat in six BIX years I of prison labor within bleak walls at atthe at the tho clicking shoe shoo machine or with the tho i chain gang on blazing or frost frosty turn pikes He lie h had d slunk behind him that afternoon creeping up the dri drive c under undercover undercover undercover cover of the bushes and while white the theother theother theother other talked with Un Uncle le Jefferson bad skirted the house and entered from the tho farther side lIide through h an open French window Now ow as he ne peered from be be- bind hind the tho screen a poker snatched from the fireplace was in his hand His furtive fur fur- ti tive e gaze gazo fell letl upon a morocco co covered case on a commode by his side eido He lifted its lid Jid and his eyes narrowed a ahe aa as ashe he 10 saw aw that it held a a. pistol He set act down down- tho poker noiselessly and took tho the I weapon He tilted i it It-it It it lt was rusted but jut there thero were loads in the tho chambers chambors le lie crouched lower with a whispered curse the major was as comin coming into the library but not alone alone the tho old was with him Uncle Jefferson bore a tra tray with a rested hosted A goblet blet over over whose whoso rim rini peeped green Areen leaves a and d winch which spread abroad an ambrosial odor which the major sniffer approvingly I as the the theother set sot the tho burden on the desk at his elbow II said the tho latter solemnly you vou ou ro Mars Mars' ars' ars J John en on Miss SirIe- SirIe II Good GOOlt lord said the tho major wheel wheel- ing ng to the time small ormolu clock on the tho desk Its most 4 I o'clock Ha Haven't ent you ou an any idea where whore he's hes gone onel No I No sub bub bes hes look o ah dem dern walnut trees What Aha Mars Mars' John Johnen gwine ter say say yO yo en Miss Miss Miss- Walnut tr trees s Is he be going goin to sell sen them hem Tree I Tree man come fora forn up Norf Korf fome ter see et Yes Yas suh sub Yo Mars Mars' r rs' rs John Jonn Johnen en 0 Nice pot of mone money tied up up- in that timber imber He saw it ri Tight ht off oft Youre You're a lucky old rascal to have him for a mas mae tot ter ter 1 hUh a agreed Uncle J Jef Jef- ef- ef ferson tereon on Dam n toot Coot cr er hear heap dan li ivin er ol l' l stage ter de fer en Ji rod gh tin rod agents Ah Ab sho lio do 10 pray do Good Man ter tar mek meR Mars Mars' John happy he be added soberly Ie but but Abs Ab's mou in m mah h mind mind mou mind The hidden watcher waited motion motion- les less From where bo ho f stood tood he hl could look He waited till tit 1 through h the rear window be he saw a the n negros negro's os o's bent bont figure ear disappear into the kit kitchens Then he be noiselessly lifted himself him him- self upright and r resting resting- stin the pistol on tho the screen top took deliberate aim aim and pulled the tho trigger c r The hammer clicked sharply on t the e worthless year thirty cartridge and the major sprang around with mth an exclamation ex ex- a as with an oath tho the other dashed time the screen aside asid and again p pulled the trigger You infernal murderer crier cried tho the major It was all aU ho said for for as he ho swu swung his bis chair up tho the one time buH bully of Hells Hell's Half Aero rushed in and struck him a single sledge e hammer blow with the clubbed pistol It fell full on the majors major's temple and the heavy iron crashed through Greef King Kine stood an instant breathing breath breath- ill lug ing hard then without withdrawing his eyes from tho the prostrate form his hand groped for the tho cold goblet and lifting it to his lips drained it to its ts dregs drogs There Theral he said eaid Theres Theros my mv my six sir y years years' debt paid in lull full ye lil lily livered fancy Take that from the ma mayor or of the Dome Domel There was a R mans man's step on the gravel gfa and tho the sudden bark of a dog Tho pistol fell foil from his hand Ho life on tiptoe along the corridor and leaped through the Preach French window As lie ne he dashed across the la lawn wn a a. startled cry crYn came from th the tho house behind him No human buman eye eyo had seen him im but he be I had been boen observed for nil all that Run Hun i your jour best now now Greef King Double and turn bow how you Jou will there is a swifter pursuing It is only a dog and not a a. b big one at th that t b but t tit it is is' of a faithful breed brood that knows neither fear nor quarter Like lAke white li lightning without a bark or growl grow Chum launched hilD himself on tho the flee fleeing ng quarry guarry and in tho the shadow of the trees his teeth met mot in the ragged trousers leg Jeg Sicking beating with his bands hands at atthe atthe atthe the dra dragging weight the man dashed on Not till they had reached the hemlocks was that fierce fice grip ip broken and then it was with a tearing of flesh and sinew Panting snarling with ra rage e tho the a a. fallen branch and stood at t bay striking out with mth sweeping bows blows But But- the bulldog the h hair ir bristling up on his thi thick k neck his hiB r rod red d rimmed ores eyes fiery circled beyond rea reach h of tn fh the flail crouching f for or r another spring Again he launched himself and the theman theman man dodging dodgin blundered full fall face into a thorn bush The sharp spines spine slashed his forehead and the starting blood blinded him so l that he ran without sense seme of direction direction strai straight direction straight ht upon the i of Lovers Lovers' declivity Leap He was toppling on its edge before he could stop and then threw himself backward clutching desperately at the slippery fern covered rock feeling his feet d dangling o over cr nothing He du dug his fingers into the yielding soil an and with knee and elbow strove e frenziedly to crawl to the path But the white bulldog was upon uron hir bir The clamping t teeth eth met mot in the striving fingers and with mth a t i scream of pain Kings King's hold bold let go and dog and man went down to together ether CHAPTER The Major Breaks Silence Ten minutes later lator a motor was hurlin hurling hurl hurl- in big ing itself along the Red Bed Road Hoad to the village e. e The doctor was in his office and no time was lost Jost in the return En route they passed Judge Chalmers driving driving ing jag and seeing tho the flying haste he turned his sweating pair and and- lashed them after the car So that when the tho major finally opened bi his eyes from the big leather couch he looked on the faces of two of his oldest friends Recollection and understanding seemed to come at once II Well Wen Wel-Southall Southall Tho doctors doctor's hand closed over the white one on the tho settee He Ho d did d not answer but his hia chin was quivering and he was waa winking fast How long asked the major after a R Jen lengthy hy minute Maybe c maybe Maybe-maybe maybe an hour Bri Bristow stow Maybe not be major winced and shut his eves eyes but hut when whon the doctor reaching for or a phial on tho table turned a again ain it was to find that look once more on him now im in iQ yearning yearn yearn- ing appeal It Southall he sai said II send send for Judith I I-I I I must see her Theres There's time The judge started up Ill brin bring her ber he fib eaid eald and his voice had bad a a. all the tenderness of a womans C Mj My I Mr carriage is 18 at the door and with ith those horses she ought to be here bere in twenty minutes H Ho leaned over the couch Bristow he said would you you you- would YOU you like me to send for tho the rector lector The fhe major smiled a little wistfully and shook hook his bis heart head Ho Ire la lay shout f for r awhile after the jud judge e had gone gODe out out out- h hI ho seemed scorned housing his strength while strength while the ormolu clock on the desk esk ti ticked ominously on and tho the doctor busied himself with tho the glasses lasses beside him bim Presently he said hu huskily kil You Youve ye e had a bad fall Bristow Bitow You were were diu dizzy I reckon Dizzy echoed the tho major with feeble asperity cc It It was Greef King If Greet King t Good God I He Ho was waa as hiding behind the screen He struck me mo with mth something H He at his trial he hed he'd tI swore get et inc me I was wasa I. a a fool not Dot to have bave remembered his time was out A look and ond grim had sprung into tho the doctors doctor's face His eyes ces searched time the room and ho he crossed the floor and picked licked up something from the ru rug He Be looked at it a a. moment then t trust rust it hastily into his hi breast broast p pocket I I remember 1 now Ita pistol i He Ho snapped it twice but it missed fire c He He cant can't hide where well we'll not find him biml The doctor spoke with low but terrible energy t Not that I l care care myself myself said sald the tho major difficultly c But But I reckon hed he'd better be bB settled with or he hell he'll hell he'll-be be killing someone worth orth while one of these days A bi big tear suddenly loosed itself from the doctors doctor's C eyelid Jid and rolled roBed down his cheek and he turned hastily away Theres no call to feel b bad d said the major gruffly Ir Ive I've 0 sort of been beena a thorn in tho the flesh to you rou Southall We always rowed somehow aud and yet yet yet- The doctor |