| Show CRY la 11 WILLIAM BYRON MOWERY SERVICE Continued X 17 11 leem seem seem-Seem seem hopeful Northup admitted cani cann can can- rm i not banking very on and Sam either bad bed a hour four start Bg g wind this morning I shut hut before Sam and andave andave ave followed very far r got at an idea of Lupes Lupe's tins Uon and there they're foli fol fol- i country in hopes hope of They've got only UK ce cc of doing doln that I are you counting on 1 up closed the door We mustn't muster t let any any- and m me together ember member that To an an- sUon stion Tm rm counting on onI I you can trap Lovett ting lag In around all aU after- after ening how bow to free way way way- jere's jeres Just one It L lIe He was the persed per per- sed ed Craig Cral erson who'll have to eed red days days NO No dont don't obe ob- ob 5 we dont don't dare hurry pla la days das you ask Lov Lov- ur cabin Some ex ex- an that thaL When he J there unseen You bout Craig Cral Let Lov Lov- oure roure worried Give Bg g to spring his bar bar- barI I Hell He'll be waiting for jg g. g Hen Hell finally tell teU free Craig If you do dohe dohe dohe he says that the ills ts 11 he has any caner conr con can er with this kidnap- kidnap nto to the picture and andI I dead to rights evenings later that er to Patricia's Patricia cab- cab br r 1 dusk d 1 you wished to see ee arren I Ive I-I've Ive I've got gota II a Wont Won't you have haveth th Ih me Ion long Ive I've got comet some come t on for this eve eve- j soured Doured the tho teLe tea teL e something hat at you 1011 wanted toU to tonit tot nit t U Warren asked ear ar in his hIJ tea out ut tit Craig Im I'm wor wor- Terribly worried worded I lID tU or something r inquired pe's pes es e's gone Warren o a he udd suddenly dJs dis- dat cInt tell ten anybody anybody- ral al Northup or me me- me 1 goin going away n a remarked Quite Ink of it it I haven't Ii d I here for several leveral yoU suppose he herve Ive I've asked every every- knows know You were to talk with him right after he hePer hei Per pers i to the radium op you au an any hint e B might be beT her poker- poker P isn't in the habit personal business to even a suggestion outs But why are about a little three three- ow that something to hun him Pa Pa- ITOU You think hes he's had bad I Warren asked Qt nt t to her misery those Chi Chi- tone gone too Warren at t the same lame time nt any f s r Craig Lupe has I the winter to kill I those me metis meth now aVent went the faintest Jour our men Surely I they are Warren Insisted commit himself I way v y on little trips If me I presume I e fishing ee somes some some- e s finished his tea No No no noto more ye ve to go now P I Listen Usten to me mel His His Hi stoniness Youve got to Its It's l a question ution of Those r him himM prisoner r Will kill him un un- ere ne Im I-I'm r the s him M fail because of al aU U M this on Craig Crall to save laVe him Be Be- get killed ID I'D do donot away Ill IU to go back not to lee see Ever Every time that I s Q a you Warren I I youve you've let me down Dont Don't let me down th this time Warren looked at her through the smoke of his bis cigarette You Ia say you'll do anything Just how much of that do you really mean meanT Patricia went taut quivering She had broken down Warrens Warren's Indifference ence encel She had drawn him one step tow toward rd the trapI trap I mean all aU of It If U I leave Lupe wont won't have any cause to kill Craig Ill I'll start for Smith tomorrow morning morning morn morn- ing Ini Ill I'll get back home a as fast fad as asa a plane can take me me U If you'll only send lend word to Lupe Warren toyed with a spoon poon cautiously cautiously cau cau- choosing every word of his reply You may be right dear In thinkIng thinking think think- ing trig that the abducted Tarlton and are holding him a prisoner pris prin oner somewhere I dont don't know You are surely right In thinking that Lupe hates him because of you Therefore I 1 should II say that the thing for you to do If it you ou really want to save Tarlton's Tarlton life Ufe It is to convince Lupe absolutely that youve you've given Tarlton up How can I convince him Tell TeU mel met Shall ShaU I advise you dear Yes yes Patricia begged She knew that under cover of that word advise Warren was going to deliver de de- liver his terms I I believe he said laid with a wariness wariness wari wart ness that was maddening to her that Lupe would not be convinced by any mere promises especially now that Rosalie Is dead and Tarlton Tarl Tar ton is free to marry you I believe he would demand some absolute guarantee of your sincerity Your willingness to return to Chicago IsaU Is all aU right as far as it goes loes but Inthis In Inthis Inthis this situation it hardly goes goel far enough In my opinion he opinion he dropped his cigarette Into his tea dregs dregs- there is only one earthly way for you to convince Lupe Its It's drastic but then then What Is s It ItT PU In do It IU Warren said slowly Your friend Northup is a magistrate He can issue a marriage license and perform perform perform per per- form the ceremony If U you and I should be married here at the Ba Bay at once and then you should hould go iO goback goback back to Chicago o as al Patricia Patricia Patricia Pa Pa- tricia Lovett I rather believe that Lupe would be entirely satisfied Nothing short of that would do Patricia drew back shocked and incredulous She had never Imagined Imag Imar- ined med that Warren would drive to so 0 merciless a bargain Or so 10 preposterous preposterous pre pre- preposterous a bargain Didn't he realIze realize real real- ize ire that she would never live Uve with him That she he would divorce him the instant she could But then she looked deeper into his ultimatum and saw law that instead of being preposterous his bargain was a shrewd seeing far-seeing play based on the blunt realities of the months ahead His ros marriage to her however however however how how- ever It might be would give Ive him a heavy advantage in his battle against Russell Parkes After that v l r T t J Warren WarreD Came Over to Patricia Patricia's Cabin a Little LUU After Alter Dusk when he had her in Chicago had the firm in his grasp again had bad control control control con con- of the Wellington Interests and her family's family fortune fortune he he could Just about dictate his terms term I to her Warren saw law bow how she recoiled from the thought of marrying him You dont don't seem leem to like my advice ad vice he snapped napped Formerly he would have argued patiently but bul now be was sharp and hard ALright All AL Allright right dont don't take it iU lie He got fot up to go Patricia caught his arm She was waa I panicky with defeat Warren I please please please-I I haven't haven refused I I will take lake it ill IU I 1 prom promise lie here now now now-If If I you'll only send end word to Lupe Wont Won't I you do that Promise me you'll send end word to Lupe I dont don't promise anything He Be shook hook Patricia's Patricia hand from his hi armand arm armand armend and end started for the door If U and when youve you've followed m my advice I might help you but not before U If i you rou haven't changed your mind b by I tomorrow morning about going back to Chicago Chicalo with me If It youre you're still lun willing to be married as al I X suggested suggest ed you might come over to my cabin and let me know Moments Moment afterward D Den Dennis e a n D I 1 s Northup stepped from behind hind a portiere por por- tier in the corner where Patricia hung her clothes dethe Damn all all an he be remarked glumly glum glum- 17 ly that man is II a shrewd devil lie actually delivered his ultimatum to you ou without incriminating himself him him- self b by one single word Patricia did not answer She had bad slumped down on the cot and was sobbing lobbing at her abject failure to save ave Craig Dont Don give up p par partner a r t tn a e r Northup attempted encouragement Well tr try Lovett again Well We'll get iet him the next time Ume CHAPTER A while later Patricia roused herself herself her her- self and wandered out into the cool night air Her lIer cheeks burned with fever she Ibe felt sick lick and a little giddy rid gid gid- gid dy In the cabin she had cried her heart out over the wreckage of all aU her plans all aU her happy happ castles and a numb hopelessness had settled set tied upon her Wandering aimlessly in the darkness dark ness nell she found a pine tree leaned weakly against it and plucked at atIta Its Ita rough bark with her fingers finger oblivious oblivious ob ob- livious to everything except the numbing anguish in her heart In a dazed way she realized that she and Craig had lost their long bitter fight the men had lost this mining field and Craigs Craig's splendid ambition for the years ears ahead was wa now only a dead dream Out of the wreckage there was wu but one thing which might possibly be salvaged sal lal- and that was wu Craigs Craig's very verr life She doubted whether she could save live even that She was no match for Warren Corporal Northup for all aU his experience with crime was wa entirely outclassed Except for her surrender lurrender to Warrens Warren's ultimatum she had no power left Idt of any sort Even if she did give in to that unthinkable unthinkable un un- thinkable bargain Warren would Ukel likely her She put no faith in any promise from him He hated Craig with a primitive Jealous jealous jealous Jeal jeal- ous hatred Through her numbed thoughts ran Warrens Warren's sentence of two weeks ago The guilt will lie with you youl Dy By a mere word then she could have saved all aU this disaster And she he had refused The guilt did lie with her She should have taken Warrens Warren's offer and gone gone back to Chicago If U Craig should be murdered mur mw dered because of her refusal It was wu a horrible thought Over at the community house 30 yards away the windows and doors door had been flung open For some lome reason rea rea- reason son Ion tho the usual droning hum of conversation conversation con con- venation was stilled Inside a person person per per- son Ion was talking Ills His voice was raised a little as a. though he was making some sort lort of speech to the men Occasionally as he be paused Patricia Pa tricia heard a low rumble from the listeners a muffled outburst of surprise sur ur prise or anger or both but the noise always died down quickly as the man took up his speech again The Tha voice sounded to her like Uke Warrens Warren's She stopped topped plucking at atthe atthe atthe the bark and listened The voice was Warrens Warren Unable to make out what he was saying she left the pine and stumbled stumbled stumbled bled nearer the community house A few distinguishable words came drifting out to her then Tarlton radium lake lake lake disappearance disappearance arance- arance In spite of her faintness she knew that Warren was waa putting across some bold stroke with those pros pros- He lIe must have gone straight from her cabin to the Den This must be the something important which he had mentioned with elation elation elation ela ela- tion In his tones The tense quiet of the prospectors sounded ominous to her but even more ominous were those rumbling outbursts whenever Warren paused She bad had heard that same ame ugly ground swell once before before on on the March night when Phil Kessler betrayed betrayed be be- frayed the men and skipped their wrath In alarm she started around toward toward to to- ward the main door to find out what Warrens Warren's move was and to i fight it itIn I In the entrance way entrance way she ahe stopped and looked across the main room A strange scene cene confronted her At Atthe Atthe Atthe the far side Ide of the Den over next the kitchen Warren was standing on an ended up-ended drum of kerosene talking to the prospectors The They had crowded up close to him and were listening intently In his hand band he held a sheaf of papers documents documents documents docu docu- ments of some lome kind lie He had evidently been talking to the group a considerable time for forbe he be was Wal bringing his hi speech to an end when she came in Over the heads beads of the miners Patricia Patricia Pa Pa- tricia could hear his hll sharp words warda distinctly lie He spoke in a curt emotionless emotionless emo emo- emotionless way that was Wal more devastating dev dev- than any bombast o 0 rant rant- Ing tag L For almost a year ne ere said ala Tarlton has bu kept you nen men here without money or clothes r r anything any anything thing except pt empty promises He persuaded you ou au if not indeed browbeat browbeat browbeat brow- brow beat vou you into not selling me your fOur I claims claim Now what has haa he be himself done Youve You've heard that be he discovered dis dl discovered covered a pitchblende lake That Thatis Is I. is true He Ue did Youve You've heard that he be 10 sold old it for a sized good fortune That also Is II true He lie did sell leU it t. t But to whom Why to me met mel He Ue sold lold that radium deposit to Welling ton Park Parkes li Lovett whom he supposedly sup has haa been fighting all aU along What's that you that you want proof I t have the proof here Here lIere are the claim papers Look at them for yourself Then go up to the government govern ment meat land office and examine the official transfer record lie He kept you rou men from selling your our claims to a me but when his chance comes cornel he ie sneaks across the river and secretly se se- secretly sells seUs me his The huge red-headed red miner seized seised the claim papers papera and thumbed them hastily bawled to the My M God Godl he out others ethers These Thes is L Tarlton papers to that lake I Lovetts Lovett's telling tellin us u. the truth Tarlton did sell leU to the company com com- company like Uke Lovett pany pan says Did Tarlton tell teU you Warren asked that he sold lold the lake to tome tome me meT No one answered The men looked around at one another openmouthed openmouthed open open- mouthed blank of face They were stunned Tarlton had bad sold lold to the 17 w y r rJ J Where Is De He Now company and had told them nothing about the de dealt all It was unbelievable of Tarlton But they had to believe It There were the incriminating papers the proof positive eNow e Now Im I'm not denying that Tarl Tan Tarlton ton has done you men some good turns and that hes he's had some ome big schemes in his hb head about welding you all aU together into a prospectors' prospectors syndicate or something of that sort lort But Dut when it comes to handing across a quarter of a million of his hll own mone money his fancy Ideas Ideal couldn't quite stand the strain Let me ask you something else Where else Where is II benow he be now now Again that blank open-mouthed open si si II lence Well Warren answered his own question I suppose ril TU have to tell teU you where he is II Three evenings evenings evenings eve eve- ago he came over to my cabin and we signed these papers Fifteen Fifteen teen minutes later he dropped out of sight No one not even Miss Patricia has heard of him since lie He skipped I Exactly as Kessler did That quarter million went to his head He took his money and skipped and left you men here holding hold ing tag the bag Across the way entrance a girls girl's voice rang out Liar Kidnaper You Craig Youre You're holdIng hold hold- Ing tog him prisoner You framed him and now youre you're framing these men The prospectors whirled around and stared at the girl who was screaming the lie at Warren Lovett As Patricia left the entrance way like lire an embodiment of passionate fury Warren called sharply Men MenI Pay no attention to her wild charges Tarlton has haa taken her in too even worse than he ha took you She actually It still ill believes in the fellow 1 You mustn't blame her for anything she says or does Poor girl she's he beside herself herselt Patricia cut her ber way through the crowd |
