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Show feyIto,5a'rWira i r Iff j 'J J?aAToY Jd Iit Woman ' PROLOGUE A QUARTER OF A CENTURY BEFORE. BE-FORE. The Slurm Within. Thr Ktnim .i nnn of the womt Hint had evr bmat from the nioun-tuin nioun-tuin nml rviept ncrnaa the plulna. Th- olnd e.-in,.. in n, burata of trr '"'Milium ' 1 1 r'.ven In thr lullr, which wen .mly ii.iintlv..y urh, 't blew perhap :n n.il, a 11 11 bnnr Tim tleie" b'.ina were i,i,:.,n with line m, ft,, ii drift from a whim .1. ..II of i-nliir N. ,.,,.a f , o rliru IV "r than their pn..ityp..a nf hI -. I e-'l ti e b it" II. .h ol llieMM wl.iitll evil for- 1 lime kent ii lir ii on am h a 11 c'..t, brh r.'i.tt the b o.wl to II. . freezln -ln. Tl.n on.,l:iiiKlit of ti e aere.-iiu- I It' l.'lii'ieat ilmve Ih 11 h ipl. r.itlle ' innil with pnln and terror Tim thick now eompelliMl them to huddle 10-ether 10-ether nt liwt. and ahrlterleaa In auf-(it, auf-(it, freea... and die In th plllleaa bur-rlcuiii bur-rlcuiii Juat wIhtm llm fiaitlillla loan them-irlvea them-irlvea In the prnlrh. lay budilled a little lit-tle town or ramp. Kvery dmir and win low wna hut ami barricaded aaln,.t thi aearchln atorm. In our of the pom-rat and inort mla-rrnble mla-rrnble ahantliM on I he oiilaktrta of the mwn a woman waited alone. A common com-mon kenmenn lamp atninl on a tnble befnrr Hi., window, a. I thet.i aa If In Ixnnl Thr hieinr, a mem ahn.-k which ahiHik and quivered under the tie-uiendiina tie-uiendiina aaaniilta of the alonn, and mlKht have been blown down If It hud not been biitlrraa.il mid protected by neiipa or hiiiiw yet thrratenlnic to over wh.-lm It. roniatned but one room. In the corner farthrat from Ihr dmir atoml a tiimtili.d. rrowjy b-d. A rickety rick-ety cheat of diewvrw, a kitchen table, a ruaty cook alov,., a few uncertain chair of the plalneat and rheapral quality, were ail the reel of the furniture. fur-niture. A few cloilma buna; from peKa driven In the boarded wall. A aartdle In ono corner, a pickax and ahovel, a heavy quirt, and a rifle hangUm from pet beneath a ahelf aufflulently pointed out the avoeatloaa of the ever her outward clrcumatancea, ahowrd no poverty of aplrlt, Hhe raged up and down the room aa a prlaoned tlgnr pacea the narrow con-finea con-finea of hla cage. Bometlmra ahe pauaed and atopped by the window, to real her brad beneath her hand on the eaah and peer ragerly, paaalon-ately, paaalon-ately, out Into the falling anow. Hhn could are nothing, and after having atarrd with tnrreaaed dlaappolutnient and further mutterlnga of angry worda, ahe would reauuie her reat-Iraa reat-Iraa backwnrd and forward march. Hud there bern any apectutor when ahe aaaumed that plcturraque pimltloa at the window, where the Hnhl. however how-ever It lulled to Illuminate the enow, threw her own face and prraun lu hlKh relief, the obaerver would have been aurprlaed at th" conrae and yrt not unattructlve beuuty of her fnre and figure. Hhe waa full lipped and deep boaomed, tall, lithe, atrong Ihr rhrcke wrre full of color, hor hair black and conracly cru-p and curly. Her handa, which abe claaped and unci un-ci aaped nrrvoualy, were large and reddened by toll, but they were ahnpe-ly ahnpe-ly neverthrleaa. Hut there waa nrlth-rr nrlth-rr rrflnement nor goodneaa In her face. There were great poaalhllttlea of evil which riperlenre could have detected. Hera had been a hard life, and It hud made bur a hard woman. Hhe waa purhupa twenty five yeara old, hut looked older For houra the woman hud wallrd In that hut alone It bad been tunning badlv when aim began her vigil, and the violence of the tnmpent had Increased In-creased until ahe feared that no human hu-man aoul could brave It. That ahe very much wanted aome one to attentat at-tentat It. that ahe very keenly, ardent ly, longed for that, waa quite evident. Oreat la the power of love. Even It counterfeit that which paaara for It In the ryea of the Ignorant and In-j In-j experienced may atlr men and worn-j worn-j en to mighty deeda Tbla woman ; waited the arrival of on who fancied , blmaelf a modern Pcraeua about to re-J re-J leave another bound and halplraa Andromeda An-dromeda from a devouring monater. ! Whether th man who fatuoualy ' filled tbut roleor the boy, rather, fur be had not reached ninn'a yeara or rtitat would arrive before her hua-1 hua-1 band, waa the problem that filled the ! woman'e mind. In view nf the bill-! bill-! turd niKliig. ahe might have woudrred . whether, In rnae either of them ; tmiKtil the huuat), they could find It or reach It alive. If ahe hud atopped to 1 eonatder that pbaae of thii pohalblll-Ilea, pohalblll-Ilea, abe would have been profoundly lad hud both ventured and had both wandered on lu tbe ulght until beaten down and mattered by the aplrlt of the atorm, ao that the aearchera, after Ita violence likd abated, might find them froien to death aa many another pour lelhjw waa found froien thereafter, there-after, for while th woman loathtd and bated her drunken brute of a hue-band, hue-band, yet ah bad no affection for the foollah young tenderfoot who had wan derri out weal to apend a lummtt holiday and had line. -red on througi the winter, faaclnnied by her riubctJ ant attractlvntiraa. nml flattered It hrr hold and art 'til puraiilt nf htm I Hhe had thought to amna hi raelf iJ her dreary, wreii-b ,1. aordld 111,, I I hla frrah. frank, open ntltiilriitliin. Thl wnman'a drunk. 11 bilaband had rai. j little at flmt; but lately, under thd Jibe, anrera. and Inntirmlna of h j cnmpanleni. he hnd bsonie fierce" j i-.i-.iua Then In nmedlln fury he h i j li it.lil.len the hoy Die hoiiae. nn.l ha nworu that he wonld kill h'in i.ii a!!lll j Thr woman thereupon anility mnd'i 1111 In r mind to hrenk the thiulilniu n( h.-r iiiuliiinnnlal bond, nt ,1 In th ( yi"iH4 alnii n -r a company nr by I.H rsenejr to l.-mo the country. Kim in illn-r di Hlr. .l nor Int. mini to hn tied 10 thr boy a half dnren yenra! yiMii.R. r than ah. . 1 "tn! In 1-lvlll7.it !i,ti it ,,, , easy to hr.-nk away (nun him, aim spew Then aft. r ahe tm.l no fenr hut with her bi-Hiitr. her wit, nml her rourni;. with her utter unacriipuloiia- t"ea. ah 11 1 it mnkii her way In lb nt which ahe bud nrier a. en. And Ihia wna the ulKht on which Ihry had imrecd In take their departure. Since her hualiand'a wild out break of J.-nlouay, ahe bad r. 11 th.i ,v only once. In thut uriepiniiiuN Interview they hnd concocted their plana Mrr huabniid apent the greater part of the nl:;lith, win never he had any mnney, lu gambling and drinking nt tin- aa-loon. aa-loon. Ily a lucky chance a ahoittlme: before In an all night trial with Fortune For-tune he hud won r.ometblng overt II.O'iO The bulk of It In hard caahj ML, illUJI "Vou Ap Going on Longer Journey Than Vou Plannad," He Panted. still repoard In the chual of drawera. That, with what the hoy could contribute, con-tribute, would provide for the eipenaei of the Journey. Hhe bad got It out and tied It up In a little canvaa bag. It lay on th table near the lamp. Fifteen mllra aouth the Union Pacific Pa-cific railroad ran acroaa th continent It had been her plan lo ride thither and take th flrat train eaatward, lnalng themaelvea In Chicago, and thence by wbataoerer rout plraaid them making their way to New York. Whether her huaband would purau her or not, abe could not tell. H would be without th money, alnce he meant to lake all with her. II would hardly be able to follow her very toon. Hut If he did. Uiat waa a link aba muat take. Kngroraed In the preaent. the boy thought nothing at all about the future. fu-ture. The woman' predicament bulked an lurqn to hla Immature Imagl nntlon that them wu nothing rle on the horizon. There waa no other borl on tbun ahe, In fai l. And hla one dealre wna to get hrr away Lo free her. And now this a'.jrm hade filr to render th whole plan lmpoalble. Mlaunderatandtng hla temper ahr feared fear-ed that th boy would be frightened by th billiard. Yet there waa more In the boy than ah Imaglucd-, for when ah had about mad up ber mind finally that he would not come, the door waa thrown open and hi 'tag- I -rt li t.. II,,. room The women 'mrd hliiiily and atrpped toward ll anna im.-r-d. Iroinrruati-d flgur T'r Joutia man forced the rtnnr ahut. Ined and (u.-rd h.-r Hr t..tr off hia cap and threw It nn tbe floor He eel, hed nut hla ley Baulltlett.-d Km.la toward her To reach thr ruhln hi had been compelled to face the h'ward Ilia face waa while yet bfcrdlng The woman ahrank back Ifm htm. "la thla my welcnm?" he aald In a 1ir maul) rnoimh In apltr of hla futMul aapert "You're au wet and ao cold." raid Iba wumau. "The horaea'"' "They're inn. Id..." returned the ha; iint , ,11,1,,'t think of ventur- In thla bilr.rard? Why, It a llkr l" Itaelf, or would be If ball waa cud1" "I'd Halt anything." aald the woman . fiwi-ely. tn Ret away from him! You Wt fall me now?'- lint, 11, v (o, girl'" anawered the t"T "lh t'n.t iiinptiun of aup. rlnr Willi h an M.tlhlled hla pride, "we 1! ' "a una il!r.i,, ' Wo" p.-ralstnl the wiimnn "See, Hn atniiii iiiu.ia nial,.lit Iiiiiii Ih.-nenii Ih.-nenii 11, ir way la due miiiIIi; we've 1 "illy to In p It at our luu ka " "' Unlit.- t.ild the boy rheirlly. H linn, d and atarrd nut of the win Mini 'in in, Idea how t rrll.lr II I Vl ilo.it care- I 'oi ii n.li. II.. ,i " ' "Tin r. ii.lv " ahe replied e!" "a Int. , 1 in.. M.irl of her dri aa and iiiiiw.-d Ii tin a pair of hora.-m.in a t'.wu mih a pair nf her hiiahnml'a Hon.. r tin kul tightly In them ' It n a toed ihli'g he haa a email nail." ahe an n d Turae hliii'" anld the boy "I'd Ilka to arllle with Mill brfore we go" "You'll acllln Willi llllll 1-lllillKll." mid the woman cynically, "when you take nie away from him." Rhe turnrd and took down from una nf the iega a heavy fur oven oat. Th boy aaalaled bur til put It on. From a holaler bnnglng un the wall aha drew a email ailn-r mounted :? rallln red revoler. "I'm reudy." alio aald again. "Let ua aiart, then," 11 led the boy. al-pp'; forward. Od Hie Inatiint a whtil of wind dla- cloaed to them that the door bad and drnly opened. They turned to fuce a drunken, Infuriated, leering fix. ire. He had on a rhorl. thick fur Jarkrt, which left hla blpa completely uncovered. un-covered. A heavy revolver had dan gled In hla bolater. Ho dragged It out aa h apnke tnd trained It on thr hoy. "You'r going for a longrr Journry than you planned!" h panted thickly, aa h atrov to ateady the weapon and cover Ih other. Th boy waa fumbling at the raaten-Ing raaten-Ing of hla coat Hla own revolver waa not get-at-able Inatantly, aa It ahould have been and would have been had b beet) a native to the wet. "Fumble at 'em, you fool!" rrlid th man. "llrfor you get 'em open, I'll ahoot you dead. I don't do It now, came 1 want you to taate death and hell aa long aa poaalblr before jou go Into "em. You thnugal '"''! " k" a fool out of me, did you. and you. too, you He flung a frightful, mordant word at hla wife whlrh atung not leaa be-cauao be-cauao It waa In largn meaaure undo-aerved, undo-aerved, at leaat ao far aa the boy waa concerned. "I'll aettle with you when I get through with him. Your time, up!" he continued, aa the boy at laat auc-ceeded auc-ceeded In reaching hla weapon. He waa game, that boy, although hla , fac under It blood waa whiter than It had been when hr 1 tiler". I the rubln. while the other mail t, almllnrly anow wounded, waa red with mat; and, though he aa emen d and even a drunken 11 an could aiarreiy lulu a at eurh latik'c, he nevrrthe, a drew hia ! own weapon Hut beinre he could j ralae It there waa a audil.-n movement I back of htm The man In the door way turned aharply. "What!" h cried to hla wir "You. j would, you " 1 At that Inatant the boy wna con artnua of a amlden fla-h nf light and a j abarp detonailnn Thn mom wna I , filled with nnlae, a Itttlr cloud of atnokeblrw down on him Htandlng with hla own platol butt clr-apcd light In hla hard, hr raw the man In thr doorway reel Thr arm that held hla weapon dropped to hla aide With a rnuiul Hlvr iinneiinnt he pulled thr tr gn.r Thr bullet burled Itaelf In the Siair. wittle tie niatl rank down on tila knee. ,.ayei n llintnent. a frlKhtful i.Mik In hla cyea. and then piii h. d for ' vurd on hla face ami lav atlll ilnoil Hod!" whlHpered the boy turning to hla cnmpntilnn. ' mu've ,1ml him'" lie alnr.d at thn woman. bn allll ilanpi d the lillU nlliei miiiiiil. d xeiipnii ahr bid I nllli mi h t.-r rtl.le eltoet. it waa lili lit.-, or tour III., nr tnlnn," waa tin MiMii.t. - ,, It lot villi. kin Mllil IIIU K1, n a lt.nl, j of horror and repuKInn iw. .1,111,,: nv i , Ih" face of her ei 'III pan !i ill "Yea-yra! I know." h r. pllid; but " Tinne, wr miivl ft out nr here Immediately " "Of rourae. uf rourae." whlapered the b,y tiertiuiKly. "wr can't alay here now " "Urag hi in lulu thr room and abut Ihr door!" Ili.i lad healtated "Are you afraid?" aneerrd Ihr womnn. making na If In do an I, era. If. "Certainly not." waa the an..r; but thr toy nevertheleaa waa alrald afraid of death, with more frar than bn had ever fe't for any one living Yet Mimelhlng bad In be done and ut 1. nee. Forcing hlmaelf to thr laak at laat, he aliarped down, aetrrd the man by thr nhoiildera, turnrd him ovrr nn hla fm-r, and dragged Ii I'll farther Into thr room Then he ahut the door. The two atnrud a moment at tbo proatrnte Hkurr. "Ilr'a not ib-ad yet," aald Ihr boy alowiy. "No; hut be aoon will be." Thr woman Hooped over and unbuttoned thr man'a coat and walatcoat "Therrl" ahe aald, pointing to a ghaatly hnlr "I atrurk him fair In the hrraat Would to (lod It'd bern In hla black heart!" ahe added. "Don't you act that we muat gn now and quhkl Come, wr can't drlay any longer." TTaf noliTrnf yon," returned th woman Indifferently; "but we won't b j caught." "Well. then. I'll aave your reputa Hon before I go." continued the ntbei I quixotically. j Thar were a few tattered hooka 00 th ahelf. He took on down, ton out Ih flyleaf, drow a pencil from hi pocket, acrlbblrd on It a few wurda. a.gued II, held It to th woman lo read, laid th leaf down on thr body of th dying man, and then turned tu thu door. He opened It, and I he woman followed him nut Into tin ulKht. 'Ih room waa Trry atlll. Kxcnpt for th long, alow, faint, and taint, t breathing nf th man, there waa nut a round within the hovel. Hi al h hovered over htm the lout night through. The morning found him atlll alive, yet barely breathing Ha waa trembling un the cturnu, veige later In thu day when men am k Ing him buret Into the room. They louud the letter uf ronfeaalon Bill; lying where It bad been placed. The) revived the man aufflrleiitly by mini ulanta In enable him tn apeak a preg nant word or two balore hla lipa i-loaed forever. Tbe ronfeaalon, the bullet Ihnt had killed him. lb empty revolver, and the liiau'a laat worda, auluuiuly utlcal ed by timer preaent, were carefully prraerved by the leader of Ihein all They might be uanlill aome day; who knew? For the reat It waa evident what had happened. The hoy and thr unman were gone from the camp. o anarch waa made for them; none waa poaalble. Tbe bllrtard had apent Itaelf It-aelf by that time; but the prairie waa covered derp with drifted anow. A period of Intenaa cold aupervenrd. Il wua hardly within human poaalblllty that thn two fugltlvea could have gut afely away. They muat be burled omewher to th aouth ward In th vaat drlfta. Hprlng might reveal their fat, It might remain forever a aeeret. Ho lar aa th denltrna of th country ware concerned, th tragedy on of th numberleaa nnea of the frontier waa over. In a day or two It waa for gotten. I (TO UK CONTINUED.) |