Show GUHm LOCK RANCH CHAPTER XI continued 17 not going out 1 I im M staying in town Stay ln in town stammered bull vastly surprised drive me to the hotel jane said said wearily 1 I II 11 take a room there you drive home and come back for me tomorrow afternoon I 1 it was ten 0 clock assigned to a room jane freshened herself after the long dusty car ride bathed h her er face and temples again and again in cold water and tried to collect her throbbing thoughts it all seemed like a hideous dream surely it could be shaken off oft surely men could not be so fiendish as to plot fire and so horrible a death as would follow to sleeping men her father she shuddered this thought was vms most horrible of all in credible and yet of one thing she felt certain it if it were true she coul I 1 no longer live un 1111 ler der the same roof with I 1 tin and the terrifying duty of learning the revolt ing truth from his own lips confronted her and her lover bill blinded B I 1 11 what now of him could she ever face him again 11 hat would he say what would he do ile knew the truth no doubt re in her mind on that point no need now to ask why he seemed wor tied ried and changed was he only wait ing trying to decide how bow to tell her he could not riot marry her that her father bad had blinded him that they must part she threw open her window and kneeling before it looked out upon the silent far desert with its myriad of heavenly he aveni lights the cool air cleared I 1 er head but what could loosen the deadly grief and shame that clutched at her po anding heart when dr carpy walked into his office from the dining room after breakfast next morning he saw jane van cambel standing before the win now dow looking out why jane he exclaimed what brings you here so early she looked around at him in silence the doctor walked over to her and laid his hands on her shoulders jane he asked what has happened girl the grief in hei sunken eyes was too apparent oh doctor I 1 the exclamation came like a burst of suffering long pent 1 I I know everything he saw the fat was flatly in the fire indeed he had long had only a faint hope of keeping the facts from jane his real hope had been that she might not hear the truth till he could save denison a eyes and thus cushion the horrid shock that the facts must bring to an innocent sufferer she had thrown her arms on the table in front of her her head sank between them dr carpy rose walked around to her side lifted her head and stand standing ing beside her supported it in his arms jane he said slowly looking down into her pitiful eyes from what you tell me I 1 see that you have heard beard loose stories floasin floating around ton you too have heard beard them doctor why oh why dlan didn t you tell me jane janet exclaimed the doctor driven from his last stronghold of reserve by the poignancy of her grief how the bell could I 1 tell you a story involving those it did in such an affair ac dually nobody knows just what the facts are now we must get started right first you tell me all you heard then III tell you all I 1 ive ve heard beard is that fair brokenly and pausing at intervals to control her voice jane gave him the train story carpy had bowed his head well he commented as she looked soberly up that s not far from what I 1 ive ve been told myself but jane I 1 im in not a bit sure we have the facts in these stories they all depend on the word ot of one of the worst characters in this country barney t hesitate at anything low down in the whole range of crime anybody in town will tell you that he s not only an ex convict but the biggest liar in this whole country doctor I 1 she said solemnly does bill know all that you and I 1 know jane he answered in like B 11 knows all till that you and I 1 know I 1 oh I 1 knew it I 1 knew it to think that poor I 1 should have brought this horror into his llafet jane that s not so this might all have happened it if you never had seen this country 1 I want you to do one last favor for me doctor will you asked jane what Is it jane 1 I want you to say to bill that I 1 freely release him from his promise of marriage that I 1 beg him to forgive me all I 1 have innocently caused him to suffer and that I 1 will leave here forever janel exclaimed her listener she raised her hand I 1 ive ve not fin dished yet go on he snapped bluntly my aly father has made me his heir to gunlock ranch he has no other heir this morning I 1 will make my will and bequeath whatever I 1 inherit from my father to william denison to atone as far as I 1 can for the brongs toy my father has done him well remar kec carpy coldly 0 that Is all and that la Is what vou want me to tell bill that doctor Is what 1 want bill by frank 11 ile spearman copyright prank frank H spearman service to know oh it if I 1 had another to do it for me dear doctor I 1 wouldn t put it on you carpy rose to his feet jane you re send ng me on a fool s errand but seeing I 1 im in nothing but an old tool fool I 1 expect I 1 in just the man for the job I 1 can tell you nov what hell say as well us s if I 1 id d seen him and given him your message but I 1 know of course that t satisfy you so go and go now isow now promise he repeated in part ing you will ill stay right here in this office till I 1 get back she promised but she was aas lit 1 prepared tor for what she saw when the office door was opened half an hour later and doctor carpy pushed denison ahead of him into the office bill 3 eyes were ban caged he ile groped a little with his bands while the doctor guided him to a chair heie he Is jane announced carpy bluntly he ile can speak for himself she had not an instant to wait no sooner did denison feel feet himself seated in a chair than be held out his iem B 11 II 1 I thought you ought at least to have a arms and said ap apparently ardently not with deep feeling not with pained emotion but in the most commonplace every day matter of fact manner where s my girl come here I 1 the old doctor watched jane run timidly to Deni Dent sons side bill I 1 she exclaimed brokenly here I 1 ami am I 1 what s all this talk I 1 hear about your quitting me jane he asked un steadily bill I 1 thought you ought at least to have a well I 1 ive ve had my chance haven t I 1 11 i and this Is my ans anaw er till death us do part I 1 nothing less nothing else goes I 1 Is that plain girlie I 1 gave you a chance the other day to quit me what was your answer CHAPTER XII jane did not go home that after noon she sent bull and the buck board back with instructions not to come in for her until she sent word she wrote a brief note to her father merely saying that she had attended to his business and would be home in a few days van cambel in an ampa tient rage sent bull back with an or der to jane to come home at once or not to come home at all the harsh message made less tin pres slon on his daughter than he had intended but it did bring back the answer that she would be out soon when the buckboard next day drew up at the ranch house door jane alighted with a fast beating 7 heart fortunately when she got home her father was vias out in the bills hills her wel come came from quong it sort of broke the ice tee of the home coming but she went ment to her room got out her two old suitcases dusted them oft off laid them on her bed and stripping the hooks of her closet and opening the drawers of her dresser began almost furiously to pack while she was at this she heard beard the heavy uneven steps of her father in the living room and the next minute his huge bulk darkened the open door way of her bedroom hello he snapped she turned hello father she re spondee simply what are you doing packing what fr preparing to go into town what you goin in town agin t f r I 1 ve got a job in town and I 1 in going there to work at it what kind of a job he snorted I 1 im in going to study nursing at the hospital what the hell you goin to do that tr because things have been done from here that make this place hateful to me we I 1 couldn coulden t stand it here any long er what things you about she looked at him steadily 1 I im m talking about burning bill Deni sons ranch house what s that got to do with your quitting home everything everybody 9 talking about that fire barney penstock Peb stock has told that you paid him for setting fire to a neighbors ranch house with men sleeping fu fn it why that fellows the worst liar in sleepy cat nobody believes anything he says I 1 can tell you everybody believes it she said trembling do you believe it father I 1 am forced to unless you can convince me you had gotling nott ing to do with it this wretch has had pocketful of money van cambel regarded her with per feet poise why I 1 did give him a lit tie tle money I 1 it say I 1 ive e been sorry for him I 1 know he hates bill denison a good many folks in this country s got no we u for that stop cried jane don dont t say any thing bill denison lie ile saved my ilfe life 1 that damned dirty ornery rus tier her and thief jane s ei es blazed she stamped her foot don t 3 ou on dare she cried what ahat boure oure saying about him I 1 Is what everyone in this this country says says about you yes there s some damned mean people in tl is country thundered her father just look out yourself my lady I 1 don t know any more about that fire than you do if barney reb stock wanted to get even with dent son that s his business not mine yo yoi i shut your trap that s not all mole lies eh mccrossen has told in town that you once tried to get him to set the house on fire he refused tn to do it I 1 he lies I 1 lie ile did do it I 1 I 1 gave him five hundred dollars to do it he ile agreed to do it and took the money t do it if he hired barney to start the fire that s his 1001 out I 1 I 1 left you here to watch things ind Ble mccrossen Crossen has been running off my steers ever since I 1 went to the hospi tal lie ile knows I 1 know it he ile I 1 nois im going to get after him and I 1 will he shouted with a frightful oath now look here I 1 tell you where you get off you re not go ng a step to town I 1 I 1 know your scheme you re going to live lle with that man dent son father I 1 fes yes I 1 know you dnn don t leave this house loading every sentence with rage and oaths van cambel seized a silt case from the bed dashel I 1 it to the floor stamped on it now you go to town if you dare he roared and f you leave this house today never come back it lf you ua do I 1 I 1 kick you ou out get out of my s before I 1 choke you I 1 she hurried from the room and from the house IN hat should slit do escape was first in her though s as she hurried up the hill trail when she could par collect her distracted senses she had ad wandered well into the hills she threw herself on the ground and tried to think she never knew how long she was chere there but shadows were length lengthening enin when she rose she was inas hungry there was nas nothing to do but go down and get something to eat thin thi n if she could keep out of sight of her father to start for town she walked to the house in fear but she reached the kitchen without seeing her father quong give gave her d he ile told er her father had gone to the reservation afraid that her father would return before she could get away jane started tor for the corral bull page was fastening the gate when jane walked up to him I 1 must go to town bull I 1 want a horse it s again orders MISS jane to let a horse out for you gus Is a birin mad tor for some cause I 1 know bull he hes s angry at me I 1 can cant t help it bull scratched his head his ills or ders are de id agin lettin a horse go out no matter bull never mind she started to walk away what you yo u gln to do assy jane she turned with a sorry smile guess have to walk good bye hold on he called hobbling after her hold on I 1 ton you ain aln t goin to walk I 1 bull I 1 don t want to make trouble for you III walk trouble be damned I 1 lve ve seen gus mad before he be 11 get over it I 1 in go in to saddle a horse jane but dragged out as she was by excitement and worry she doubted wather she could make town on foot she surrendered and climbed onto the horse he had sad died bull she said why do you take all this trouble for me why I 1 id d do anything in the world for you missy jane you re the one person on gunlock that treats old bull like a man an not I 1 ke a dog why if I 1 up n just died tor for you it wouldn t be too much goodbye good bye bull so long missy jane A dispute wilh the agent on the res erv atlon over a cattle delivery held van cambel at flambeau until late bull page unsaddled and put vaa van cambels s horse into the corral where a jane s pony van demanded why I 1 guess hes lies out with II 11 gus suggested bull I 1 van cambel flared up dian didn t give you and everybody else orders not to let her take a horse till I 1 gave permission TO BE CONTINUED |