Show cr L CE ca copyright by ben ame ames william o 0 q ben ames williams ams w 14 13 SYNOPSIS at a gathering in the village of 0 lib erty 31 ine jim salad ne listens to the history of the neighboring hostile val ley and the mysterious enticing hul dy wife of will ferrin interested he drives to the valley for or a day s fishing and to see the glamorous huldy ferrin old marm P erce and her nineteen year old granddaughter jenny live in the valley S nee childhood jenny has deeply loved young will ferrin older than she and who re gards her as still a child learning that will who ho has been working in another Is coming home jenny exulting sets his long empty house to rights and has dinner ready for or him he ile comes bringing his wite wife huldy the girls girl s world collapses en bering his home unlocked unlooked tor for will find feelingly damning evidence of his wife s unfaithfulness as a man he knows Is seth Il humphreys breaks from the house will overtake him and chokes him to death although hum ilum shatters his leg with a bullet at marm pierce pierces s house the leg is am mutated huldy declares she has no use tor for half a man and leaves him will Is legally exonerated exonerate and with a home made art flefil leg carries on hiring a helper zeke dace months later huldy comes back will accepts her presence as her right two years go by salad ne comes to the valley caught in heavy rain he takes refuge at marm pierce s bart carey a neigh bor arrives carrying huldy whom he had fallen from a ledge and seemingly Is dead while huldy and jen v ar alone the woman with her last breath asserts will killed her horrified jenny decides to tell no one of the accusation she goes to will with him jenny returns to marm pierce s zeke dace cannot be found oa ladine informs sheriff by phone of huldy s death the sheriff comes to marm pierce a farm bart ex plains how he found huldy after her fall dead as he supposed jenny re the fact that huldy had accused will of causing her death CHAPTER IX continued 17 anen jenny faced the sheriff stead ily lly and she said mis ails ferrin looked at me and her mouth twisted into a kind 0 of laugh and she said some thin thing and the girl went on first off I 1 t hear her she was awful weak and I 1 leaned down and I 1 said to her its all right mis ferrin 1 ana she laughed at me I 1 mean her mouth twisted as if she was trying to tol and this time I 1 heard what she said marm alarm pierce exploded in a fierce impat ence get on with it jenny I 1 what did she say and jenny answered she said I 1 could have him now I 1 I 1 guess I 1 kind of moved back at that away from her I 1 it was like she shed d slapped me her cheek was pile and she spoke almost humbly I 1 didn dian t know what to do she con fessel so I 1 just tried to tell her it was all right and I 1 told her will was coming her tones shook then steadied and then she said it she con eluded she said kind of slow and weak will knocked me off and she had to wa t a minute and then she said he hit me I 1 the girl was silent for an instant before she could go on her mouth waa was still kind of laugh ing she fin shed and aul she sort of coughed I 1 guess that was whan wh i sh died dies A deep tremor shook tur her tu r but I 1 ler er voice was firm she laid there looking at me and her mouth grinning at me but I 1 guess she was dead by then anyway she didn dian t say any more she finished and was still waiting and suddenly she was very tired dread ng what was to come vet let for a while no one spoke at all CHAPTER X jennys jenny s disclosure for a moment hushed them all marm alarm pierce was the first to speak whew I 1 she exclaimed 1 I de dare clare its it s hot as love in hay time herel bart opened the door into the shed to admit some air the shed was a gloomy cavern the darkness in it was a black screen behind which anything might hide ahe sheriff crossed his feet and sat in a deep embarrassment his shoes scraped on the floor and marm alarm pierce said I 1 smell a lamp smoking the lamps here were all in order but when she opened the door into the dining dInin groom room where huldy lay a reek of soot and smoke emerged the old woman bustled in there complaining scolding scold the absent joe matthews takes a man to make a mess of things she protested she brought out the lamp its chimney black he ile left it turned up too high she declared ca ared and replaced it with another lamp and they heard her raise the windows a little from the bottom air out a mite she explained talking to herself in the other room then she returned shut the diniro room door again al e ell sha she ejaculated 1 I declare I 1 e I 1 ad about eno agh of the goings on I 1 Is iq I 1 N v iff y aty my dant you tell tt t I 1 I 1 lere ere I 1 ef e I 1 I 1 d t N V 11 and she said f I 1 r T I 1 torild it was 1 iv only I 1 T knowel that even if it was I 1 didn dian t care I 1 how do you mean you didn t care the sheriff asked in a dull per but lut before jenny replied marm alarm pierce spoke in a sort of defiance tell on ou that sheriff she said the thing Is will and jenny had bad got to like each other in gaty well before huldy come back after that time she went aray avay will he hes s fine and sos so s jenny no harm in it I 1 hoped hul hui dy d not come back ever it 1001 ed to me that 11 ill d be better off it if he was rid of her for good and all but when she d d come jenny she didn dian t see him after that till today sl SI e concluded but jenny and will would have marr ed before this if hulda been married to IN will III jenny loves him and he loves her and I 1 in glad of it if it comes to that jennys jenny s fine and wills a man t and then jenny ans answered vered for her self 1 hats right she said bravely I 1 mean I 1 didn dian t care what he d done because I 1 loved him anyway and nobody d blame him for or hit ting huldy birt bart insisted quick to will wills s defense she needed it bad I 1 but he never meant to knock her off the ledge ledgel jenny cried swift ind gnant will never nener touched her bart bartl I 1 I 1 now he didn dian t bart loyally agreed but I 1 im in just saying if he did lie ile didenti t I 1 jenny repeated crisply the sheriff looked up at her how come you to be so sure jenny he ailed ed in sober tones outside of feeling about him the way you do how come you to be so sure it if I 1 want wa n t sure jenny challenged d you think I 1 d ever have told you or anybody whit she saw you wouldn t v u ant to marry a man that d kill his wife would you urged and jennys jenny s eyes met his fairly and hers were misty with deep tenderness he ile d t she insisted steadfastly but I 1 d want to mirry marry m irry will any way it come and no matter what he done I 1 well ivell that aint telling me how you know he d da t do it the sheriff repeated doggedly what made you sure all of a sudden now just coming to my senses jenny decided I 1 was kind of numb for a while but then after I 1 id d been with will for a spell I 1 was sure P 1 the sheriff surprisingly chuckled I 1 d admire to hear you testify like that in court he declared I 1 d like to see what the judge won would I 1 say aji became grave again and looked at la laag at will how about it will be suggested soberly anything you ire got to say will with all their eyes upon him wiped h s hand band across his mouth the man was shaken sore he stood fumbling for words it if it was any one but jenny told me I 1 wouldn t be lieve huldy said it he be declared tain taint t true I 1 guess you 11 say no bo no it ain t true the sheriff frowned how come mis nils ferrin to say a thing like that ther he protested don dont t seem as if a woman would tell a straight out lie ile the minute before she died I 1 she was as out of her head I 1 reckon will offered but jenny said no will she was same as always she knowel me knower every word she said the man insisted almost pleadingly jenny she wouldn t tell a thing like that only if she was crazy or out of her head or something marm alarm pierce had been silent long but now she spoke in sharp and angri tones will fernn ferrin yo yore re a fool I 1 she ex claimed I 1 guess most men are where a woman s concerned but yo re a bigger fool than most you know as well as anyone that huldy was no good I 1 his head lifted as thou though h he boull speak but her voice rose now dont don t try to shut me up will ferrin I 1 she cried for I 1 in going to have mv bayl land knows why huldy married you but eiery everybody body knows she was a bad wife to you she was bad had from her toes up dead as she Is ill say so if it s the last word I 1 do say she d have drove any man thit wa n t a saint or a fool to kill 1111 her long ago but you dlan didn t kill her you always would speak soft to huldy and stand any thing from her and come down hard on anyone that tried to tell you the truth about neri nerl she turned as though on a sudden thought to the sheriff will didn t hit bit her er she insisted he ile wouldn t have the spunk tol to he ile always did treat huldy like a lady no matter how she behaved maybe it if he bed d took a hoop pole to her long agu ago but she checked the word swung to will a again aln will wil I 1 you listen to me she corn com banded him huldy knowel what she was saying all right and she knotted she was dying too but if sl make jenny believe you killed 1 ter er there t ever be any bappel ness between the two of you ani an that s what huldy wanted that s why she said anat she did so s to make it hard for you and bitter hard for my jenny and she said with a sudden basl passi in her tones juat for that I 1 id d put her out of my house this minute dead though she be if it wa want n t tor for you will WIIL As it Is she can stay but yon you better get some sense into your cheadl she was a man chasing lying macid woman and that s the truth of it and I 1 in glad she s dead it you ask me I 1 sh fin beed and stood panting with her own pent rage and looked at NN ill as though tn in challenge as though she dared him to deny her words and jenny crossed to will s side not touch ing him but ready there and loyal then will spoke slowly ila maam am he told oil marm alarm pierce I 1 guess if it comes to that I 1 knowel huldy better than most but I 1 don t want fol folks k S to talk tall about her so sol I 1 there was pleading la in his tones then don t you play the dumb fool to me sald s ild old alarm pierce angrily denying hats as plain as dayl day I 1 she always would make trouble when she could she set zeke on bart two years ago and she d set jenny against you now if she could she looked at bart as though he be would her word but bart was viat watching chIng will the sheriff leaned forward his el bows on his knees but just the same he urged ghe she t think that up about will hitting her and knocking her off the ledge unless someone will or someone else did hit her I 1 he ile looked at marm alarm pierce mis ails pierce he asked in a low tone want wa n t there a place on her face like shed been hit hiti like shed hit a tree or a stone when she fell yes said thi tho old worn wom an grudgingly but no man alive could hit that hard 1 he ile nodded seemed to me I 1 re your saying that he agreed ag reed saying ner face vas mas banged cupl up he ile looked troubled and then he stood up and turned to will will he said gravely my aly job Is just to do the best I 1 know he ile best bated and allence waited on him the law is that if a person is dying and says something you ve got to take it for true less n there s proof to the contrary one thing I 1 then it if II 11 ildy did have a banged place on her face its likely someone did hit her herl and you was down to the ledge look ing for her by your own tell he added in an apologetic tone S spose pose you did find her down there and she started talking about jenny I 1 guess if she got you mad enough you might hit her will same as any man will ansiN answered ered him 1 I didn dian f r sheriff he said was uncomfortable I 1 don t kno knows w s you did will he agreed but I 1 ve got to go on her say so ill tale tal e it as a favor if you v as to come along back to E eist harbor with me jenny felt her spine cold with tear fear but wills will s eyes were firm he ile said at last I 1 can see how yo yore re placed sheriff only not knowing where zeke Is or whether he be 11 come home or not I 1 dhave d have to get someone to do my chores tor for me met I 1 bart cried don t worry about that will I 1 ill tend to things it if the sheriffs so blamed dumb I 1 but jenny coming close to will said if you go NN ill I 1 in going too I 1 I 1 in not ever going to leave you now I 1 then marm alarm pierce spoke in her barill tones still angrily I 1 declare she exclaimed and stamped her foot for fools give me men every time I 1 it you ask roe me huldy s better dead and everybody else Is better off with her dead too no sense in making such buch a fuss about it but will didn dian r kill heri her I 1 then who d dd d ma maam am the sheriff asked reasonably why tell you said the old woman it yore yo re too blind to see I 1 0 CHAPTER XI jim saladine was A as a man of wit and sense ense ani he was quicker than most men at reading the riddles life may mav day by day present but all this day he had been deeply at a loss he was a stranger to these folk and they to him and for any appraisal of their characters and their capacities for good or ovil I 1 e had to depend upon what his eyes could see or upon what this one said of that one huldy he had seen alive beautiful seductive will he bad seen and liked bart he had bad had time to weigh and to appraise and had found that young man bold and headlong yet well enough beke he had glimpsed briefly and held in pity though he had not been blind to the dangerous passion in the man old win haven he knew only by repute yet that repute was ill A cov cowardly ardly old man willing to spite a woman or to affright a woman if he chose willing perhaps to kill one too but saladine ne even while hile he recognized his own limitations rec also that here were forces in play which could not easily be calculated such a woman as hui huldy dy ferrin perrin had emanations chich must affect the lives the very souls of all those about her even jim himself ind he was not a susceptible man I 1 id after leaving her known a vi vigue ue i easiness a nervous sense of beng be ng 1 ed on of being trailed through the olden wood and he recognized that fact that if in those thoe few moments she could dis him so then she must in other men have pet up conflicting currents capable it if once released of any violence she was he thought a sort bf pagan she was vicious beyond doubt yet there were not the marks of vice upon her but rather of abound ng life and deep undisciplined vitality Sal sardine idine could even pity this woman ruled and driven by forces whose nature and depth she herself did not in the least coin comprehend she must have lo 10 loved ved her own body that warm beauty it contained must have served it like an acolyte fetching to it whatever daerl facial offerings were at hand but saladine Salad lne though he might 0 be a mystic was a realist too and here bere had been murder done the woman who by the powerful spell her presence cast had bad wrecked and distorted other lives had worked her own destruction st in 10 the end yet through what human means through will the husband she so bit terly had wronged or through zeke reduced from strong laughing manhood to a weary and tormented ember or through old win haven whom she had bad flouted or through bart carey here who had hated bated her hr for her betrayal of his friend or through some casual passer by saladine Salad lne did not know had no sure conjecture in h his Is mind at all it seemed to him not impossible that some stranger was involved his ills own experience with huldy helped his ac cep tance of this hypothesis aa as a pos sivility lity she had sought to detain him on that hidden ledge above the valley he had escaped by a sort of |