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Show iftCllC&t FRANK H. 1 SPEARMAN I COPYRIGHT FRANK H. SPEARMAN W.N.U. SERVICe 1 CHAPTER VI 1 1 Continued 10 "That's part ot what he's done to me. He's stole my cattle besides. be-sides. McCrossen Is the only man that stayed by me through thick and thin. McCrossen's the right man for you. You can get married mar-ried tomorrow If you want to." "I haven't the slightest Idea of getting married tomorrow, father. And if Mr. McCrossen were the only man left, I certainly should never marry. There's not a straight hair In his head." "Sounds like that skunk Denl-son's Denl-son's been fllliug your ears for you." "Bill Denlson's barely ever mentioned men-tioned McCrossen's name to me." "Well, keep away from Denison for good, don't forget that," Jane flinched Inwardly but spoke low and clearly: "I can't promise that, father." "Why not?" "I don't think it's right" "Ain't I your father?" "Yes." "Ain't a parent -go!n' to be obeyed?" "If he Is reasonable. I'm not a child, father." "He grew furious. "I don't give a damn what you are, you're not goln' to take up with any enemy of mine, 'n' you might Just as well know It now and I'll see that you don't" Van Tambel. quitting the house, rode with McCrossen, over the hills burned the day before, to determine deter-mine what further measures should be taken to Insure safety for the ranch buildings. The two men halted halt-ed at the foot of Gunlock Knob. "A lot of good timber gone in that blaze, Van," muttered McCrossen. Van Tambel was silent for a moment. mo-ment. "The ranch ain't worth as much as it was yesterday, that's sure," he said at last. Then after another pause: "I wouldn't mind the timber If the damned Are had held on till It cleaned out Denison." Both were looking down on the neighbor's ranch. "I wish I was rid of that fellow." Van Tambel's words fairly grated out of his harsh throat. "Why couldn't that blamed fire have cleaned out his buildings yesterday?" yester-day?" "It was a close scratch. If the - wind had shifted" "Always blows the wrong way for me. I don't mind losing the timber. If It had caught him, I'd" He checked himself suddenly. "Look here," he Jerked, why can't we help the wind along next night there's a blow Just give things a start down there?" "What d'you mean? Burn him out?" "Why not?" McCrossen took the cigarette from his mouth but said nothing. "Well?" sputtered Van Tambel. "Why don't you talk?" "I don't fancy that kind of a Job." McCrossen shifted moodily In his saddle. "Bill Denison and I have got our differences plenty of 'em. Some day I expect to Iron 'em out with him. But It'll be done In daylight." day-light." Van Tambel sneered. "Look out he don't get you and the girl both." "Well" the words came reluctantly reluctant-ly "I'll talk to Barney Rebstock. You'll have to pay him welL" After Van Tambel came back from the hospital, he reopened his office In Sleepy Cat "I thought you said the old devil couldn't get well," complained Par-daloe Par-daloe to Dr. Carpy. Carpy was laconic. "He can't Some day he'll crack up sudden." But Van Tambel kept Jane so closely under his eye that she had no chance to see Denison. One day her father took her In town on business. The volunteer fire fighters were clamoring for their pay, and Jane, knowing the details of the agreement with Par-daloe Par-daloe as to how much beer and "grub" should be provided, plus their pay, rode with her father, to town, to settle with Pardaloe. "Bill," she said to Pardaloe, when the accounts had been straightened out "I want to ask a question and I want the truth." Pardaloe looked at her with shrewd benevolence. "Fire away, lrl !" "Why docs my father hate Bill Denison so?" Ptirdaloe shifted uneasily. "You won't like the truth, Miss Jane." "Whether I like it or not I want you to tell me, Bill," she said. "Well, your dad wants the Spring ranch started a fight for it at the Medicine Bend land office. Bill beat him there, so he goes up to Washington, Wash-ington, and Bill has to sell off his cows to get money to fight and pay lawyers. 'Fore he got through, the boy had to sell everything to keep his end up." "It was tough," assented Jane grimly. Her eyes were half closed and her lips compressed, as If to shut out unpleasant details. Pardaloe warmed to his story. "If It wa'n't you, Miss Jane, an' your own dad. I'd call a man that'd act that way well, wonder to me Is, Bill never plugged him. Now don't cry; I told you you wouldn't like it." Jane shook her head and brushed the tears from her eyes with a gesture of defiance. "Don't mind a little shower, Bill. You've told me what I asked for the truth. Now I want to tell you something. But please keep my secret will you, Bill?" "Shoot," was all he said. Swiftly she told him of her first meeting with Denison, and of their rides together. She described how he had saved her life and how afterward her father had ridden over to the Denison ranch with Dave McCrossen, created a scene and forbade her ever again to see Denison. "I'm watched now like a two-year-old child," she concluded, "and I'm rebellious !" Pardaloe looked at her apprals-Ingly. apprals-Ingly. He observed the animation of her manner and the flash of her eye; he listened to the rapid flow of her words and the spirited way in which he spoke them. The old frontiersman looked at her as an artist might look on a flower; he could see, but couldn't quite understand, un-derstand, all Uiat was hidden within with-in It. "I wish," said Jane, musing, almost al-most as much to herself as to Pardloe, "I knew Just what to do." "Do nothin'," suggested Pardaloe. Jane bridled. "Do nothing I That Isn't very pleasant to think about." "You've got to realize your circumstances," cir-cumstances," he returned. "In the mess you're In all around out there, it's best for you to sit tight 'n' do nothin'. You don't know it, but you're settln' on a box of dynamite." dyna-mite." "Do you expect me to act as peacemaker, Bill?" "I didn't say that 'twouldn't be no sort of use. There'll be peace there when bobcats go back on Jack rabbits." "Well," sighed Jane, reluctant, "you know best, Mr. Pardaloe " "Bill." "You know best, Bill. I may want to talk to you again." "Any time, honey." Elding home with her father, who rode slowly, she had plenty of time to think. And her thoughts were sober-hued. McCrossen was a thorn In her side. To meet him every day and be halfway pleasant was a dally strain. He tried to make up to her. "I got off on the wrong foot with you, Jane," he said one day. The two were standing near the ranch-house ranch-house door, in the sunshine. "I know that, all right All I can say Is, if there's anythln' I can do to square myself, I'm ready to do it whenever you say the word. Ie that fair?" Jane was looking up at the mountains. moun-tains. She answered without rancor; ran-cor; a mild manner must be her cue now. A week passed. Van Tambel lay In bed. He had to send Jane to Medicine Bend to attend to some bank business there. To keep her under surveillance. Van Tambel ordered or-dered McCrossen to ride to Sleepy Cat with her. When Jane heard of the arrangements she flatly refused to go. "What's a-matter with you, you damned cantankerous thing!" demanded de-manded her father huskily.. "Ain't my foreman good enough for you to ride with?" Jane's features set "I won't ride with him," she declared crisply. "Why not?" thundered her father, fa-ther, rising In bed. Jane drew herself up the least bit Her father's wdeness stiffened stiff-ened her attitude. "If you want to know the real reason, I don't want him trying to kiss me on the way home after he's had too many drinks in the Red Front saloon. I won't ride with him. If he goes, I don't" Finally Bull Page was assigned to escort the wayward Jane, and the two set off for town. Jane was most Interested to get some news from Bull Page about Denison; but : Bull had neither seen nor heard of ! him since the Gunlock Knob fire. In Medicine Bend, Jane extended a note, drew some money, paid the i hospital bills, and waited for the afternoon train home. When she got to Sleepy Cat It was ten o'clock at night, and no rig was- at the station from the ranch. She was compelled to spend the night at the hotel. It was a long time afterward after-ward before she realized that the whole trip had been planned by her father and McCrossen for a purpose. pur-pose. She rose early, breakfasted alone, and started out to pay the few remaining re-maining fire bills. She went first to Spott's place to pay for the beer. Spotts was out. "Ought to be back pretty soon," said Oscar. "He's got to be here pretty soon to let the bartender out for breakfast." "I've an order to leave at Rubl-do's," Rubl-do's," said Jane. "I'll be back." She walked over to the general store, left her provision order for the wagon to pick up, and returned to Spott's barber shop. Jake, his crutches at his side, was sitting Id his barber chair. "Hello there, Miss! Weill How's things out at Gunlock?" "About as usual, Jake. I've come to pay for the beer." "No more fires botherln'?" "Not at present. How much was the beer?" "No hurry about that" "Yes, but I want to clean it up." "Thank you, ma'am," said the saloon sa-loon keeper and barber as Jane counted out and handed him the money. "If I could only call my old side partner back out of it," Spotts shook his head. "None of us will ever forget Panama, Pan-ama, Jnke." "The damnedest, meanest, orneri-est orneri-est fires that ever swept them hills," said Spotts, counting over the money ' perfunctorily. "Done "Some Day I Expect to Iron 'Em Out With Him." more damage to the range not to speak of losln' the best man we had in Sleepy Cat and crlppiin' up the best man we had in the hills." "Who was that, Jake?" "Why, Bill Denison." Jane started visibly. "Bill Denison?" Den-ison?" she echoed in consternation. "What do you mean?" 'Well, you know he's In the hospital." hos-pital." "I know nothing of the kind," exclaimed ex-claimed Jane sharply. She stood white as a sheet. "What has happened? hap-pened? Tell me!" "Why, didn't you know his eyes is gone to hell?" "What do you mean? What has happened? Tell me!" Spotts started violently out of his torpor as he saw with amazement amaze-ment the effect of his news on his visitor. "Why, Doc. Carpy says that his eyes got burned some gettln' through that Gunlock Knob fire. Then some son " Jake checked himself. "Somebody set his ranch house afire last night and nearly burned him up. Ask Carpy; he'll tell you." She hurried to the hotel. The doctor was out on a call. Jane hurried to McAlpin's barn, where she had left her pony, and rode straight up the hill to the hospital. CHAPTER IX "TlfBERE Is he, Sister?" VV "His room Is on the second sec-ond floor 218. Shall I show you the way?" "If you please, Sister. I learned only a moment ago that he was here. I've heard of this dreadful ranch-house fire only this minute. Did he tell you how It happened, Sister?" "He has hardly spoken since they brought him In. But Mr. Scott said It was getting out of the burning ranch house." "Do you think there is any chance to save his sight? Oh, Sister, can rnn Imflirinfi how T feel?" "Dear heart, I do know how you feel. Of course I don't know a thing about the case, except that Dr. Carpy has given very strict orders about his care." She was too considerate con-siderate to tell how worried she knew Carpy to be. "Of course his room is dark. And his eyes are bandaged. We like Mr. Denison so much he's always been so kind to us with nice gifts. This Is his room." The nurse laid her hand on the knob of the door. "Shall I go in with you?" "Do, Sister," snid Jane. Sister opened the door ,(!,nr morning, Mr. Denison." "Good morning, Sister. Jane, walking in on tiptoe benlnd her guide, heard his answer. "Who's that with you, Sister?" Jane had stepped as lightly as possible; pos-sible; but his ears had detected her footsteps. "I've brought you a visitor. I hope you're not cross." she added, banteringly. "Who Is visiting me?" he asked. Jane had been gradually drawing closer to him. "Bill?" He started violently. For an Instant In-stant he was silent as if listening for more. Then he responded, Inw and strangely, "Jane?" "Yes, Bill." In the dark, her hand touched his arm. He caught both her hands, crushing them with his own, and drew one and the other hungrily to his lips. "Sister,", he said, composed, com-posed, yet eager, "can yon find a chair, in the dark, for Miss Van Tambel ?" With the nurse gliding out of the room, Jane's hands crept over his shoulders, around his neck, and as his arms enfolded her, their lips met. "I didn't want you to hear that I was in trouble till we knew more about It. How did you find out I was here, Jane?" "Jake Spotts, Bill. I never dreamed of such a thing," she said tremulously. "He told me the ranch house was burned last night. Oh, Bill !" "I think maybe my eyes will be all right In a couple of days. Ben Page has been working for me for a while. He got hold of Bob Scott to bring me In to see Doc Carpy and the doctor sent me here." He felt her warm tears against his cheek. He kissed them r.way from her eyes. "Don't cry! There's nothing noth-ing to cry over. I'll be all right when my eyes get better. Doctor says that won't be long. I wish you hadn't heard of It." "I wish you'd never heard of me, Bill. To think of it, that I should have been the cause of starting all this trouble. Oh, why couldn't I have stayed home that dreadful day instead of riding into danger? I'll never, never forgive myself. And I'm ashamed to say It, Bill, but the real reason I rode up there was because be-cause I was Just hungry for a sight of you." Denison only laughed. "Don't think you're the only one that was hungry for a sight If I hadn't been scouting around the Knob trail where I knew you liked so much to ride, I'd never have caught sight of you. What then? Why, Jane, if yon were burning in a Are, why shouldn't I Jump In after you? What would be left for me?" "Do your eyes hurt terribly, Bill?" "Not when you're here, Jane." "Oh, I know better. I know they do. And I can do nothing to help!" He made light of her worry. There were more furtive tears, more earnest prayers, more submission sub-mission from Jane. More happy laughs, more ardent embraces, more carefree cheer from Denison. "Why, Bill," she protested at length, "one would think there was nothing the matter with you. And I am frightened to death." "I was frightened to death myself my-self till you came. It's not much fun sitting alone here in the dark. What frightens me most is the thought that if the worst should come, I'd lose you." "You can never lose me, Bill. Remember Re-member that" "Yes, but a blind man !" he exclaimed ex-claimed desperately. "Jane, I never could ask you to marry me blind " "There's only one way to keep me from marrying that good-for-nothing Bill Denison that's to kill me and make me Into dust even then, I'd tremble under his feet I would Just to annoy him." Her tongue was light and happy when she said good-by, but her heart was dread with fear. She rode straight to Carpy's office; luckily luck-ily she found him In. "Doctor! I'm so worried about Mr. Denison " "So am L" "You know what happened?" "Said he got trapped in the ranch-house ranch-house fire." "Yes, but it was trying to save my life when his eyes first got hurt" "Never said a blamed word about that" "I was up on Gunlock Knob, and he rode up to get me through the fire. "Doctor," she asked, unsteadily, "can't you save his eyes?" "Jane, my girl, give me another two weeks. If I thought anybody, anywhere, would do anything more than I'm doing, I'd put him on the cars tonight. It's time, Jane, time." If Jane expected to get much information in-formation about the Denison fire at home, she was disappointed. When she reported It to her father, he was silent professing still to feel outraged out-raged at her insubordination. McCrossen Mc-Crossen was more communicative, even sympathetic; but he knew little lit-tle about the fire. (TO BE COXTiyUED) |