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Show Molly McDonald J A TALE Of THE FRONTIER KlL IDAitlkRRisn ,4n) jdoroT "Keith oTOc mL Doubt7 My Lady or the 9stiKkm South v cc.cc. " u I slc M&Wl cnpwam'mt by a.c.mt.iuro tvea. "Afraid! Are you certain of that?" "Yes. I cannot toll you how I know; perhaps It Is nil womanly Instinct, but I do know that he Is terrorized; that ho daro not oppoBo her wish. I havo read tho truth In his eyes, and I am sure ho Is harsh to mo only because The Two Started Esck at His Rather Abrupt Entrance. he Is driven by sonio threat. What can It be 1" "You havo never spoken to him of your suspicions? Asked him?" "Yes and no. I tried once, and shall never forget tho expression of his fnco. Then ho turned on me In a perfect paroxysm of anger. I never even dared hint at tho matter again." Tho Sergeant stared out Into tho ltroet, not knowing what to say, or how to advise. Almost unconscious of tho action hla hand stole along tho rail until It touched hers. "If tho woman has not ensnared him by her usual methods," ho said sober, ly, "and I think myself you are right about that, for I watched them togeth- I or In tho dance hall I did not compro-nond compro-nond what It meant then, but It Boomed to mo ho actually disliked being In her company then she lias uncovered tomethtng In his past of which 1'" i afraid, something unknown to you, I which he does not desire ycu ever to know." "Yes," softly, "that must bo true." "No; It may not be truo; It may all . bo a He, concocted for a purpose. A ! clover woman might bo manlpulato clr- j cumstances as to convince htm she held his fnto in her hands. Wo must find that out In this caso." "But how, Sergeant Hcmlln? Ho will not tell mo." I "Perhaps oho will toll mo If I can , i roach her alono," ho said grimly, "or elso that husband of here Dupont. i I Uo'll know tho whole, story. It would I give mo pleasure to choko It out of ' him re5l pleasure. Then there's Connors, Just tho sort of sneaking rat 1 It he can bo caught with tho goods; , only It Is not likely 'ho knows much. I slinll havo to think It all out, Miss . Molly," ho smiled at her confidently, "You soo, I am a bit Blow figuring puzzles, puz-zles, but I generally get them In tlmo. I You'vo told me all jou know?" ! "Everything. It almost seems Billy when I try to explain what I feel to I another." I "Not to mo. I know enough boforo to understand. Hut, perhaps, you hud better go hush, eoqo one la entering I tho parlor." j Sho get to her foot In cplto of hla I restraining hand, startled and un-I un-I nerved. "Oh, I must rot bo Been hero. Is ' thcro no othor way?" "No; be still for a moment; stop back there, in tho shadow, and lot mo go In alone." i Ho stepped forward, his grasp nl-i nl-i rendy on tho curtain, vlion a woman's ; voice epoko within: ; "Yes, that was what I meant; ho ; does not know you yet. But you ; must keop away." :i ; CHAPTER XXI. Molly Disappears. .' Tho speaker was Mrs. Dupont, but Hamlin's ono thought was to provont any discovery of Miss McDonald. Without an Instant's hesitation ho drew aBldo tho curtain, and stepped Into In-to tho room. "Pardon mo," ho said qulotly, as tho two started back at his rather abrupt ontranco, "but I did not caro to overhear over-hear your conversation. No doubt It was Intended to be private" I Tho woman stopped bomowhat in advanco of her companion, as though to shluld him from observation, Instantly In-stantly mastering her surprise "Nothing ut nil serious, Mr. Sor-goant Sor-goant Hamlin," sho rotortod scornfully. scornful-ly. "Don't bo melodramatic, please; It gots on tho nerves. If you must know, I was merely giving our ranch foro-man foro-man a fow final Instructions, no ho leaves tomorrow. Havo you objections objec-tions ?" "Assurodly not your ranch for - mail, you Bay? Met him .boforo, I Chlint. "iou ore tho follow I ordered out of this room, nren't you?" The man growled something unintelligible, unintel-ligible, but Mrs. Dupont prevented nny direct reply. "That's all right, John," oho broke In Impatiently. "You understand what I want now, and need not remain any longer. I havo a word to say myself to this man." Sho wnlted nn Instant while ho left tho room; then her eyes defiantly mot Hamlin's. "I was told you had driven every one out of hero," sho Bald coldly. "What was the game?" "This room was reserved " "Plshl keop that explanation for somo ono else. You wanted the room for somo purpose. Who have you got out thero?" she pointed at the window. "Whother there be any one or not," ho answered, leaning against tho window win-dow frame, and thus barring the passage, pass-age, "I fall to seo wherein you aro concerned." "Which remark Is equivalent to w confession. Dave," suddenly changing, "why should wo quarrel, and misjudge each other? You cannot suppose I havo forgotten tho past, or am indifferent. indiffer-ent. Cannot you forgive tho mistake of a thoughtless girl? Is there any reason why wo should not be, at least, friendly?" Thero was an appeal in her voice, but tho man's faco did not respond. "I cannot say thnt I feel nny bitterness bitter-ness over tho past," ho answered lightly. light-ly. "I am willing enough to blot that out. What I am Interested In Is tho prcBont. I should like to Understand your purpose hero at Dodge." "Surely that Is sufficiently clear. I am merely an exllo from home, on nc-count nc-count of Indian depredations. What more natural than that I should take refuge In my unclo'B house." "You mean Major Mcponald?" "Certainly he was my mother's only brother." "I think I havo henrd Bomowhero that tho Major's only Bister married u man named Counts." Sho drew in her breath sharply. "Yes, of courso her first husband." "You wore a daughter then of her first marrlago?" "Of courso." "Hut assumed tho name of Carson whon sho married again?" "That was when you mot mo." "Tho change was natural enough," ho wont on. "Hut why did you nlso be-como be-como Vera In placo of Sarah?" "Oh, is that it? Well, nover attempt to account for tho vagaries of a girl," bIio returned lightly, as though dis. missing tho subject. "I presumo 1 took a fancy tc tho prettier namo. Dut how did you know?" "Garrison rumor picks up nearly everything, and It Is not very kind to you, Mrs. Dupont. I hopo I am doing you a favor In saying this. Your rather rath-er open flirtation with Lieutenant Gas-kins Gas-kins is common talk, oven among en-Muted en-Muted men, and 1 have heard that your clatlons with Major McDonald aro po- ullnr." "Indeed!" with n rising Inflection of tho voice. "How kind of you, and so delicately expressed." She laughed. "And poor Major McDonaldt Really. that Is ridiculous. Could you Imagine my flirting with him?" "I havo no recollection of using that term In this connection. But yowhava I strango Intluenco over him. For some renson tho man is apparently afraid ol you." "Afraid of mo? Oh, no! Somo ona has been fooling you, Davo. I am merely Major McDonald's gucBt. I i wonder who told you that? Shall I I gUCS8?" Beforo ho could rcallzo her purpose ' tho woniun took hasty stop forward, i and Bwopt nsldo tho curtain, thrusting her bead past to whero sho could gain n vlow outnldo. Hamlin pressed her back with ono hand, planting himself equaroly beforo tho window. Sho met his eyes spitefully. "I was mistaken this time," sho ac knowledged drawing away, "but I'd llko to know why you were so anxious to provont my looking out. Do you know whom I thought you had there?" "As you pleaBo," rejoicing that tha girl had escaped notice. "That llttlo snip of n Molly. You mado a hit with her all right, and shu certainly don't llko mo. Well, delightful delight-ful as It is to moot you acsln, I must be going," She turned away, and then paused to add ovor her shoulder: "Don't you think It would be Jiwt as safe for you to attend to your own buolncss, Sergeant Hamlin?" "And lot you nlono?" "Exactly; and let mo alono. I am hardly tho sort of woman It is cafe, to play with. It will ho worth your whtlo to romembor that." Ho waited, motionless, until assured that sho had passed down tho hall us far as tho door of tho dining-room. Tho sound of shuffling chairs evidenced evi-denced tho breaking up of tho party, In preparation to return to tho ballroom. ball-room. It Mls'j McDonald's absence woro to e3cnpo observation, sho would havo to slli out now and rejoin tho otUocfl a.8 tuuylorttUgUcuu.Jlr-2C4l3 turned uown tho light and held back tho curtain. "tho way Is clear now, Miss Molly." There was no response, no move, mont. Ho stepped outaldo, thinking the girl must have failed to hear him. Tho porch was empty. Ho Btcppcd from one end to tho other, making .Buro she was not crouching In tho darkness, scarcely able to grasp tho fact of her actual disappearance This, then, was why Mrs. Dupont had failed to see any ono whon eho glanced out. Dut whero could tho girl havo gono? How gotten nwny? Ho had heard no sound behind him; not oven tho rjotlo cf a skirt to betray movemiint. It was not far to tho ground, flvo or six foot, perhaps; it would ho perfectly safe for ono to lower tho body over the rail and drop. Tho matted pralrlo grass under foot would render tho net noiseless. No doubt that was exactly tho way tho escapo had been accomplished. accom-plished. Alarmed by tho presence of thoso others, suspecting that tho woman wom-an within would InsUt on learning whom Hamlin waB nttomptlng to con-coal, con-coal, possibly overhearing enough of their conversation to becomo frightened fright-ened nt the final outcome, Miss McDonald, Mc-Donald, In Buddcn desperation, had surmounted tho roll, and dropped to the ground. Tho rest would bo easy to hasten around tho sldo of tho house, and, slip in through tho front door. Assured that this must bo tho full explanation, tho Sergoant's cheerfulness cheerful-ness returned. Tho company of officers offi-cers and guests had already filed out through tho hall; ho could hear voices laughing and talking In tho street, nnd the band tuning up their Instruments across In tho dance hall. Ho would go over nnd maka certain of her pres- ....MA fl.nn lit.. .ti,1 mm .1,1 ln ... . Ho passed out through tho desort hallway, and glanced in at tho dining-room, whore a number of men wore gathering up the dishes. Beyond this tho bar-room was crowded, a riffraff lined up beforo the sloppy bar, among these a number In uniform unattached unat-tached officers who had loltored behind be-hind to quench their thirst. Hamlin drank llttlo, hut lingered a moment Just Inside the doorway, to observe who was present Unconsciously ho wns searching for Dupont, half inclined in-clined to pick a qunrrel deliberately with tho fellow or with Connors, determined deter-mined If he found tho little rat alono to frighten whatever knowledgo ho possessed out of him. But neither worthy appeared. Having assured himself him-self of their nbsenco, Hamlin turned to depart, but found himself fnclng a llttlo man with long hair, roughly dressed, who occupied the doorway. Tho hooked nose, and bright oyes peering forth from-n maBS of un-trimmed un-trimmed gray whiskers, were familiar. "You keep tho Junk shop down by tho express office, don't you?" "Yep," briskly, scenting business in tho quostlon. "I'm Kaplan; vot could I do for ou hey?" "Answer a question If you will, friend. Do you recall selling a haversack haver-sack to a traveler on tho last stago out for Santa Fo in Juno?" "Vol, I do no; vus ho a big fellow? May bo do von vat vus killed hoy?" "Yes: hU namo was Moylan. Dost- sutler nt Fort Murcy." "Mnybo dot vos It. Why you vnnt to know hey?" "No harm to you, Knplan," tho Sergeant Ser-geant explained. "Only I picked it up out thero after Moylan was killed, nnd dlscoerod by somo writing on tho flap that It originally belonged to n friend of mlno. I was curious to learn how It got into your hnnds." Tho trader shrugged his shoulders. "Vud It bo worth a drink?" ho usked cannlly. "Of courso. Frank, gtvo Kaplan whntover he wants. Now, llro away." "Vel," and tho fellow filled his glass deliberately, "It aa sold mo six months beforo by n fellow vat had a ' black beard " "Dupont?" "Dat vos do namo ov do foliar, yes. Now I know It. I snw him hero again Boon. You know hlra?" "By sight only; ho Is not tho original orig-inal owner, nor tho man I am trying to trace. You know nothing of whero hu got tho bag, I presume?" "I know Dotting moro ns I toll you alrcatty," rather disconsolately, ns ho realized that ono drink was all ho was going to receive Hamlin elbowed his way out to tho street. Ho had learned something, but hot much that was of any value Undoubtedly Un-doubtedly thu Imversack had como Into In-to Dupout'3 possession through Ills wife, but this knowledgo yielded no Information In-formation au to tho present whero-nbouis whero-nbouis of Lo Fovre. Whon tho latter had separated from tho woman, tho old army bag was loft behind, and, needing motsoy, Duroht had disposed of It, along with othor truck, seemingly seeming-ly of llttlo value. (To bo continued) |