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Show A TALE Or CIVIL STRIFE tt r RANDALL PARPISn 'T fcLUSTPATION$ &-C.D. RHODES I copyvcnr 1 (J q A.C.ftrCLtfiC UCO-1 ! ; did, yet my eyes must have wan- ! lered an instant, tor Nichols had the ivrist of iny pistol hand id his grip, ind the revolver went spinning across the floor. There was a mompnt ot 3erce, breathless struggle. The fellow possessed no skill, but the wiry strength of a tiger. I found his eyes with my fist, and dazed, his hands released re-leased their grip, and I broke loose, my throat livid from his finger marks. The flap of a gray skirt touched my face, and a blow fell the man went limp under me, his head upheld by the angle of the wall. I struggled to my knees, still staring at him, uncertain as to what had actually occurred, struggling for breath. The girl stood over me. white-faced, her eyes wide open with horror, the remnant of the teapot in her hand. Suddenly her hands covered her eyes, the fragment of crockery falling noisily to the floor. "I I struck him," she sobbed, unnerved. un-nerved. "I I have killed him!" "No such good luck," I answered, recovering myself, and grasping her hands, so that I could look Into her eyes. "The man Is not dead only stunned by the blow. He will be conscious con-scious in a minute. Do not become frightened; you did right, and we have no time to lose. You have a horse somewhere ?" She hesitated, her hands still held in mine unconsciously. "You you mean I am to ride for Lewisburg and and you?" "Oh, I must do the best I can on foot. We'll keep together as long as possible. Go, and hurry. Get a wrap, and your revolver." She slipped out of the room, and up the stairs, her light steps making no sound on the soft carpet. I bent over Nichols, and as I touched him be stirred, and opened his eyes, staring up into my face "Don't hit me!" he whined. "I'm no friend of Anse Cowan." "So you've had enough! Then take orders from me." I gathered in the picture cord the girl had dropped on the floor. His wrists were big and knotted, and 1 drew the cord tight enough to make the fellow wince, despite his groans and pretense at severe suffering. "Go up the stairs," I commanded Bternly, "and keep close to the wall. Oh, you can walk all right, my friend, and I advise you to do as I say you see this gun?" The scowl on his face was malignant, and his eyes glowed like coals, but he moved on ahead of me across the hall, and up the carpeted steps. The lamp held high above my head in one hand, sent a stream of light through the black shadows, and revealed his every movement. At the head of the stairs the girl suddenly appeared, her face showing white in the glow of the lamp. A brown cape, fastened closely at the throat, enveloped her figure, and a cap was drawn down over .her hair- "What is it?" she questioned swiftly, j "Is there any room up here window-less, window-less, and with a door that can be locked?" She glanced about, uncertain. "Why oh, yes! there is a large closet off my room." "Turn to the right, Nichols; Into that room, where the light is burning. Oh, yes, you will! Kindly open the closet door, Miss Harwood. Don't stand growling there. Get in, I say!" (TO BE CONTINUED.) Now answer me who told you ol I Major Harwood's death?" i "I have said already; the message was brought to Lewisburg by one of i Ned Cowan's men." i "Yes, so you did; but you never re- I ceived it at Lewisburg. Oh, yes. I ; know something myself. The fact is i you never came here tonight from Lewisburg. Now are you ready to talk to me? Oh! you are! Very well, who sent you Cowan?" I ran my gun muzzle hard into his ribs, and he nodded sullenly, his lips drawn back in a snarl. All the soft palaver had vanished, and he had become be-come a cowed brute. "I thought so; you belong yourself to the Cowan gang?" "Not not in their deeds of blood and violence," he protested. "The calls of my church compel me to minister min-ister to my scattered flock " "Never mind that kind of palaver, Nichols. Now what did he send you for?" I waited, my eyes on his. I could not see the girl, and dare not avert my gaze for so much as an instant. The man wet his lips, as if they were parched, and I could perceive the nervous nerv-ous movement of his throat. "I I don't know." "Don't know what? this is my last call!" "I don't know whether he is coming, or not," he blurted out reluctantly. "He was hurt in the fight." "And if he cannot come himself he means to send others. What for? What does he want of the girl?" My hammer clicked, and the man cringing back, read the stern meaning mean-ing of my face. A terrible suspicion surged over me, and I was ready to kill. He knew his life hung by a hair. "To to marry her," the words barely bare-ly audible. "Not old Ned his son, Anse." I heard the startled exclamation of the girl behind me. "Anse Cowan!" Bhe cried, her voice full of undisguised horror. "Marry me to that low brute. Did he ever imagine I would consent, ever even look at him?" I touched her with my hand In restraint, re-straint, the revolver still at the preacher's preach-er's heart. The whole foul plot , lay exposed in my mind. "There was no intention of asking your consent, Miss Harwood," I said, satisfied that she should know all, and face the truth. "There is a reason for this desperate act which I do not wholly fathom, but it has to do with the property here, and the feud between be-tween Cowan and your father. If Major Harwood be dead, as this man reports, you are the sole heir, and old Ned has conceived the idea of marrying marry-ing you by force to his son. He has The Muzzle of My Revolver Touched His Chest. t learned you are here alone, and unpro-r unpro-r tected, and in this creature of his this canting preacher he has found a fit tool ready at hand to do his dirty t work. Is that it, Nichols?" He muttered something inaudible, j "Answer, you black-hearted cur; you have confessed too much to hide any-I any-I thing now. How many are coming s with Anse Cowan?" ,. "Maybe a half dozen of the boys. I don't know; they were talking about i It when I left, and thought it was go- ing to be a great lark." Ij "Well, it is; you are finding that out e already. When were they to be here?" I shook him to loosen his lagging tongue. 1 "They were to ride out an hour after I did." e I threw the wretch back into the d chair before the Are, but held him still tg cowering before the point of my re-e re-e volver. The dog had told us all he s knew, and there was a snarl to his r thin lips, drawn back and exposing his n yellow teeth, showing that his only r. thought now was revenge. Any mo-r mo-r ment that gang of ruffians might appear, ap-pear, and I was helpless there alone to j contend against them. 1 dared not s move, dared not avert my gaze from the preacher; there was hatred and treachery in the depths of his eyes. "Is there a lock on the parlor door leading into the hall?" I asked. "A bolt yes." o "Please close and bolt it, and then it come back here." n I heard her turn and cross the room; 1- caught the sound as she shot the bolt e and her light step again on the floor. ;r "Now, something to tie this mar with. We must be quick the table ti- cloth will do! Sweep that clutter o o- dishes on to the floor. Good! Now le cut me the cord from that picture." lr I had no thought of glancing about; e. I can scarcely conceive even now tha SYNOPSIS. 6 Confederate SprKeant Wyatt of the Staunton artillery Is sent as a spy to his native county on the CJreen Briar by General Gen-eral Jackson. Wyatt meets a mountaineer named Jem Taylor. They ride together to a limine beyond Hot Springs. In the house Wyatt and Taylor meet Major Harwood. father of Noreen anil an old neighbor of Wyatt, who is sent to bed while the two other men talk. Wyatt becomes suspicious, suspi-cious, and llnds that Taylor has murdered Harwood and escaped. Wyatt changes to the U. S. cavalry uniform he has with him. and rlrli-M away In the night, running Into a detachment of Federal cavalry, to whom he Identities himself as Lieutenant Kaymond, Third U. S. cavalry, by means of papers with which he has been provided. pro-vided. Captain Fox finds Harwood's body and follows Taylor's trail. Fox and Wyatt believe Taylor to be old Ned Cowan. The detachment Is ambushed. Wyatt escapes to the Green Briar country and goes to Harwood's apparently deserted home where he finds Noreen Harwood alone. She does not recognize him, and he Introduces In-troduces himself as Lieutenant Raymond. CHAPTER VII Continued. My lips were dry, but I nodded, half fearful I might be slipping into some trap, although her words and manner wer-4 surely innocent enough. "We ' were acquaintances, not friends," I replied, hoping the retort mlgh". cause her to change the subject. "Mist of the boys seemed to like him. He was very pleasant to me, and I had a splendid time. I met one cadet named Raymond; he had dark hair aad eyes." "Oh. yes," I managed to answer, now desperately alert. "There was anothe r in the class James R., I believe." be-lieve." "1 u',3 not learn his first name, but when ' heard that a Lieutenant Raymond Ray-mond was coming here, I hoped it might ie he. That was why I was so deeply interested. It is not such a common name, you know." I made some answer, and she sat there silently, her face turned now toward to-ward the fire in the grate. The profile held me in fascination, as I wondered what these seemingly innocent questions ques-tions could signify. Anyhow, let the truth be what it may, there was no other course left for me, but to keep on with the deception. I was in the heart of the enemy's country, in disguise, dis-guise, my life forfeit in case of dlscov- ery, and the time had not come when i could ontrust her with so dangerous a secret. The wind rattled the blinds, and the rain beat heavily against the side of the house. The thought of venturing out into the storm, not knowing where I could seek shelter, was not an alluring allur-ing one. Nor had I any excuse to urge for Immediate departure; Indeed as a gentleman and soldier my duty called me to remain for her protection. She could not be left alone in this desolate deso-late house. It was my steady gaze that roused the lady from whatever dream the flames of the grate had given her. She turned her head to meet my eyes then sat suddenly erect, the expression of her face instantly in-stantly changing, as she stared beyond be-yond me at the open door. I wheeled about to look, startled at the move ment. A man stood in the doorway, water streaming from his clothes on tc the floor. I was on my feet instantly, & hand gripping my revolver, but be - fore I could whip it from the leather sheave, the girl had taken the single step forward, and grasped my sleeve. "Do not fira!" she exclaimed. "He ds not a fighting man." The fellow lifted one arm, and stepped forward full into the light. He was a man o' years, unarmed, a tall ungainly figire, a scraggly beard al his chin, and a face like parchment His eyes wore two deep wells, solemr and unwinking. "Peace to you both!" he said grave ly. '1 ask naught save fire and shel ter." "To these you are welcome," the gir onswered, still clinging to my arm "You travel alone?" "Even as my master in rags and pov erty, having no place wherein to laj my head. The foxes have holes, th( birds of the air have nests you knov, me. young woman?" "Yes; you are Parson Nichols." "An unworthy soldier of the cross, address the daughter of Major Har wood and this young man?" "Lieutenant Raymond of the Federa army," she explained simply. "He scught refuge here from the storm." The man's eyes searched my face but without cordiality, without expres sion of any kind. Saying nothing b crossed to the fireplace, and held ou his hands to the warmth of the blaze The girl's eyes met mine almost ques tioningly. Then she stepped forward "We were just completing our meal, she said softly. "There is not muct but we will gladly share what w have." "The flesh needeth nothing." he at swered. not even looking around, "au the spirit liveth on the bread of life, seek only converse with you. Th young man is an officer?" "Yes on recruiting service." "You know him well? You trus him?" I i have not known him long." sh replied hesitatingly, and glancing bac At me. "Yet 1 have confidence in him The man did not answer, or mov -and, after a moment of silence, sh aBke-d : "Have you ridden far?" "From Lewisburg." "Lewisburg!" in surprise. "Then you knew I was here? You came seeking seek-ing me?" He turned on his stool, his eyes searching her face gravely. "On a mission of ministry," he replied re-plied solemnly, "although whether it prove of joy, or sorrow, 1 am unable to say. I am but an instrument." The man's reluctance to speak freely free-ly was apparent, and I stepped forward. for-ward. "If you prefer conversing with Miss Harwood alone," I said quietly, "I will retire." "The words I would speak are indeed in-deed ot a confidential nature " "No, no!" she broke in impulsively, her eyes of appeal turned toward me. "Do not leave us, lieutenant. This man has nothing to say I am afraid to have you hear. He has not come here as a friend; there is some evil purpose in all this, which I cannot fathom." She faced him now, her slender body poised, her eyes on his. "Tell me what it is this mysterious mission? Ay! and who sent you to find me? I will not believe it was my father." The minister rose to his feet, a tall, ungainly figure, his solemn face as expressionless ex-pressionless as before, but a smoldering smolder-ing resentment was in his deep-set eyes. He possessed the look of a fanatkt, one who would hesitate at nothing to gain his end. To me he was even repulsive in his narrow bigotry. "No, it was not your father," he said almost coarsely, "but it is a part of my mission to bring to you, young woman, the news of your father's death." "Death? My father dead?" she stepped back from him, her hands pressed against her eyes. Obeying the first instinct of protection, I stepped to support her as Bhe seemed about to fall. "That cannot be! You lie! I know you lie! You were never his friend. You come here to tell me that to frighten me; to compel me to do something wrong." The man exhibited no trace of emotion, emo-tion, no evidence of regret, his voice the same hard, metallic sound. "I expected this outburst," he continued con-tinued unmoved. "Indeed, it is no more than natural. But I harbor no resentment, and in this hour freely forgive for-give all. 'He that taketh the sword, shall perish by the sword,' and my words are true." "But I saw him four days ago." "On his way east to Hot Springs with an escort of soldiers. It was there he was killed, together with his servant. A messenger brought the news." "A soldier? One of Captain Fox'f men?" , A sardonic smile flickered an in stant on the preacher's thin lips. "No, but equally reliable; one o . Ned Cowan's mountaineers. Captaii i Fox is a prisoner, wounded, and hii . men mostly dead." , A moment she rested unknowingly i against my arm, her face covered witl , her hands. There was that in th . man's words and manner which con vinced her that he spoke the truth i The face she finally lifted was whit and drawn. The girl had changed tt . a woman. She stood erect, alone, ont hand grasping the back of a chair. I "You say my father is dead killed,' , she said, in steady, clear voice. "Bu be that one or the other, you neve: ; came here tonight, through this storm to bring me such a message alone , Who sent you, Parson Nichols? Wha deviltry is on foot?" "My dear young lady," he begai . smoothly, spreading his hands depre catingly. "Be charitable, and just. 1 realize that in the first shock of thu. suddenly learning of your father's de mise. you naturally speak harshly . With me the past is forgotten, blottei r out, covered with the mantle of Chris tian charity. I felt it my duty to breal , to you this sad news in all possibl tenderness." "And you had no other object?" I "Certainly not; what other could -. possibly have had?" The man lied, and I knew it; til I suave, soft tones of his voice irritate e me. The girl stood motionless, silen her breath coming in sobs. Then sh ,t turned her head slightly, and her eye ,! met mine. The piteous appeal in thei e depths was all I needed. With a grii t feeling of delight, I took a step fo: ward, and the muzzle of my revolve i- touched his breast. 1. "Now, Mister Preacherman," I sai " shortly, "we'll have done with thi i, play-acting. Not a move!" e CHAPTER VIII. d The Jaws of the Trap. I If eyes alone possessed the power t e kill, his would have done the deed, bt the face with which I confronted hii was sufficiently grim to make him rea it ize the danger of a movement. H gave back a step, but my revolve e pressed his side. k "Don't try anything with me. Nic ." ols." I said sternly, "you are either g e ing to talk, or die. I'll give you or le chance, and one only. I despise yoi iind, and will kill you with pleasur |