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Show ERSKINE Continned From Our r.ast issue "I know more of your career than you think. Grey. You have been a spy as well a a traitor. And now you are crowning your infamy by weaving weav-ing some spoil over my couflln. I ran hardly hope that you appreciate the honor I am doing you " The black boy ran down the steps and presently Bphrmim was In tbo shadow of the thicket Give one to Mr. Orey, Ephralm anel the other to me." Ephralm.'' warned Eraklne, 'take this pistol You may need it, to protect yourself." Indeed, yes " returned Grey, "and kindly Instruct him not to use It to protect you " Kor answer Erskln-sprnng Erskln-sprnng from tho shadow discardlnx formal courtesies ' En garde'" he called sternly The tWO shining blades clashed lightly and quivered against each other in the moonlight. Orev was cautious at first. trying out his opponent's Increase in skill ' You have made marked improvement improve-ment " "Thank you." smiled Braklnfl "Your wrist Is much stronger." "Naturally." Grey leaped backward back-ward and parried jut in timo to avoid n vicious thrust that was like a dart of lightning. "Ah! A Frenchman taught you that." "A Frenchman taught me all the little I know." "I wonder If he taught you how to meet this.' "Ho did" answered Eisklne parrying par-rying eaally and with an unswerlng thrust that turned Grey suddonl'-anxlouM. suddonl'-anxlouM. Gfrey began to breath heavily. heav-ily. "I think, too ' said Ersklno. 'that my wind Is better than yours would you like a short resting spell''" From tho shadow Ephialm chuck-.led. chuck-.led. and Grey Snapped ' Mako that black devil " ' Keep quiet, Ephralm' ' broke In Ersklne sternly. Grey was getting angiy now and vsas beginning t6 pant. "Your wind Is short." said Erskln'-with Erskln'-with mock compassion. "I will gle ou a little breathing Bpell presently" present-ly" Grey wns not w.nstlng his precious breath now and he made no answer "NoWl said Ersklne sharply, and Grey's blade flow from his hand and lay like a streak of silver on the dewy grass. Grey rushed for It. "Damn you!" he raged, and wheeled furiously patlenco, humor, and caution quite gone and the fought now In deadly silence. There was the sound of voices, andi It was evident that the game had endp,i in a quarrel and tho players were coming up the rler bank toward to-ward them Erskine heard, but If I Grey did ho at first gave no sign I he wim too much concerned with the dpath that faced hint. Suddenly Ersklne Er-sklne knew that f?rey had heard, for the fear in his face gave way to a (diabolic grin of triumph nnd ho 'lashed suddenly Into defense- If he could protect himself only a little longer' Ersklno had delayed the finishing stroke too long and he must imnke it now. I Grey gave way step by step parrying par-rying only. The blades flashed like itlny bits of lightning. Ersklne'a face, (grim and inexorable, brought the j sick fear back into Grey's, and Er-:slino Er-:slino saw his enemy's lips open. He lunged then, his blade went truo, pank to the hilt, and Grey's Warped soul started on Its way with a craven cry for help. Ersklno sprang hack into the shadows nnd I snatched his pistol from Ephralm's hand Get out of the way now. Tell them l did it " Once ho looked hack He mw Barbara Bar-bara at the hall door with' old Mam-ttlj Mam-ttlj behind her With a running leap he vaulted the hedge, and. hidden in tho bushes, Ephralm heard Firefly" hoofe beating ever more faintly the sandy road. XXIII. Yorktown broke tht- British harr and tlcneral Dale went home to Ked Oftks He had pieced out tho full story of Barbara and Ersklno and I Dane (irey. and wisely ho told hor I first of Grey s dark treachery, and the 'girl listened with horrified .silence. 'I havo never understood abou' myself and. and that man." she said, "and I never will." i "I do," said tho general gently, and I understanel you through my sister who was so like you. Ersklne'a father was as Indignant as Harry is now. and I am trying to net toward . you as my father did toward her." The girl pressed her lips to one of his hands. "I think I'd better tell you tho whole story now," said (ieneral Dale, and he told of Ersklne'a father, his , wlldness and his wanderings: his marriage, mar-riage, and the capture of tils wife , and the little son bj t he Indians, all ; of which she 1 knew, and the girl Iwondered why ho should.be- tellfns ; her again The general paused "You know Ernkine's mother was not killed. He found her ' Tho girl j looked up amazed and Incredulous. n "Yes." he went on. tbo white wo-ji man whom ho found In the Indian village was his moth'-r "Father! She lifted her head quickly, loaned back with hands , caught tlorht In front of her looked l lip into his face her own crimson- i Ing and paling as she took In tho full meaning of It all. Her eyes , dropped. ( "Then ' she said slowly, "that In- ' I I Minn girl Early Morn Is his half-jsistor half-jsistor h. oh: ' A eroat pity flooded her heart and ey es. Why didn't Ersklne Er-sklne take them nway from tho In-diana?'1 In-diana?'1 His mother wouldn't le.ive them." And Barbara understood. "Poor thing poor thing" I think Ersklno Is going to try now." Did you tell him to bring them here?" The general put his hand on hor head I hoped you would say that. 1 did but ho shook his head " "Poor ErMklnc!" she whispered, anl hor tears came. Her father leaned back and for a moment closed jhls eyes. "There Is more." he said finally. "Erskln-. m father was the eldest brother and Ked Oaks " Tho girl sprang to her feet, agonized, ago-nized, shamed Belongs to Ersklne," she finished with her faco In her I hands. "God pity me." she whispered whis-pered "I drove him from his own home " "NO," said tho old general with a j gentle amlle. He was drilng the barb deep, but sooner or later it had to be done "Look here'" Ho pulled an old 'pieco of paper from his pocket and i handed It to her Her wide eyes fell upon a rude boyish scrawl and a 'nido drawing of a buffalo pierced by n n arrow: "It make me laugh. I hao no use. I I give hole dam plantashun Bar-Ibara." Bar-Ibara." "Oh!" gasped tho girl and then i "where Is he?" "Waiting at Williamsburg to get his discharge ' She rushed BWlftly down the stopR, caning; ' Ephralm' Ephraim " And ten minutes later the hippy, grinning Ephraim mounted on the He Pound linrhura at His .Mother's Bedside thoroughbred, was speeding ahead of a whirlwind of dust with a little scented note In his battered slouch hat. "You said you would come whenever when-ever I wanted you. I want you to como now, BARBARA'.'' The girl would not go to bed, and ttye old general from his window saw her like some white spirit of the night motionless on the porch And I there through the long hours she sat. The dawn came and with It Ephraim The girl waited where she was. Ephralm took off his bat-1 tered hat. ' Marsc Erklne done gOne, Miss Barbary." he said brokenly. "He done gone two da s ' The girl said nothing, nnd there tho old concral found her still motionless mo-tionless -the torn bits of her note and the torn bits of Emkine'm scrawling scrawl-ing deed scattered about her feet. XXIV. On the summit of Cumberland Gap Ersklno Dale faced Firefly east and looked his last on tho forests that swept unbroken back to the river James. That winter ho made his clearing on tho land that La e Yandell had picked out for him, and In the center of It threw up a rude big hut in which to house his mother, for his I remembrance of her made him believe be-lieve that she would prefer to live ilone. Ersklne, not knowing that Barbara iva.s on her way to find him started on a hunting-trip. In a few days Barbara arrived and found his mother unable to leave her bed, and Lydla Xoc sitting beside her, Barbara wak dmmayed by Er-sklne's Er-sklne's absence ind his mother's look of suffering and extreme weakness, weak-ness, and the touch of her cold finders. fin-ders. There was no way of reaching her on, she said he did not know of ucr Illness. Barbara told hor of fcJrsklnos giving her his Inheritance, ind that she had come to return It. Meanwhile Erskine. haunted by nls mother's iad face had turned liomewar.l To his bewilderment, ho 'oiind Barbara at his mother's bed-ude bed-ude A glance at their faces told llm that death was near till mother held out her hand to ilm while still holding Barbara's a In a dream, ho bent over to kiss ier. and with n last effort she Jolrvfd heir hands, clasping both A Rr-at pesc transformed her face is she slowly looked at Barbara and hen up at Erskine With a algh her id sank lower, and her lovely dim-rung dim-rung eyea passed into tho final dark. T wo days later they were married In the sllenco that fell, Erskine ipoke of tho life lefore them, of Ita lardshlps and dangers, und then of he safety and comfort of Virginia. 3arbara smiled: "You choose the wilderness, and 'our choice is mine We will leave he same choice . . " She flushed luddenlv and bent her head. To those who come after us." Inlshed Erskmo THE EXD. oo |