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Show hi n i iii ii r .mill! niii in 1 1 1 1 1 mi in i ir-' ii ---.a-,-, ti , 9U...rt fc -1 .Mff:X C'LU Papism , to&ty "1 ' , I ' VAHl.iX'UL Aut-wOi Mr LADvOf Tut ."South' vV iJ'.t JjXU"'' i -V"V TN 'W(MWnfiMt6WsKin& Ixln W e VTS -N. . . ,,y. Imwwiiws 8. DimmwHftvm'.Q '" .- ' ' I ICoprlhl. A. C. Mc.lui Co. Bill ' SYNOPSIS. I .Ii. a K.nl n Vl.einl.in n.- . I" . I . I" lele.. ..! t. K..-.,.. I U ill il. I .. i r I.i I "I .ii.iw. a II.- in .'I.. HI' In- .1 i .1,-1 in-- ,,i,. Hi. i, i I- l-i, nil. i. I.. .1 t., i , , ,, in. .ii I,n ! .11 . I"ii I l.y i... it ..i. - . When l in, -'t-, i!",'-". " ,!. i-i.'i'-i" " N.'- ll. n'l- i I i,l i-r...i, mi .1 ..,-.. I in i-. H'.i. K I! .ii ' ip"L ... C i.'. i' i 'i I, IliV 'Ii. ,..-!,! ,f . a II I.. 1,1, I I , A " I' I ' III ' I- ll ,- X II- 1.1-.. " II" . ''- I- V I- I 'I' i' I I ''I' f.in.lK I. II. Vlmlnl.i V Ii - i- "t II,.- n,i,,..i. , ii,. i, u .I-.I I. Hi'.l-v. II Ih- r ii. nil. ill.- f-.i 'II,- .l t,. ,1,1.1 X-. ... .,i- !l -II tin II. ,iii-l I H- I II,- ti... lli,i.s I.-. . II,-'I II,-'I In II. .1 il.n-rl. CHAPTER VIII. The Wilderneia Cabin. , 1'lit- Ili-lit was cnhshli-iably further ! away than liny lui, I nt llr-t niipiaincd. j Mill an llii-v ill mi n I steadily Inward I It, Ihe nature (if Ihe Krniiihl rapidly ' changed, bceonilim Irregular, and III I loreU with Inw growing nhrtihi. In Ihe darkness ttu-y stumbled over mil I riopplnga of rock, mill after a fall nr two, were compelled to move forward , with extreme caution. I tut l hi' hi terloun yellow glow riHitlniinlly beckoned, beck-oned, hihI with tii'W hope milninlliiK tha hcnriH (if holh nii'ii. they staggered j on. nerving thi-maclvcn in the iITn. , anil following rlnnrly along lti bunk Of till ntrcatll. At iMit they irrlinl where they could perceive illtuly nomcihlug of the nntura of thla unexpected doner! oanln Thn IlKllt nhone fin t h. piercing the nlKht. through tlii tmruriulticd window nf n Inn rulilli. whlrh untllil oltirrwlNO tmv hi-i'ii nitnpli'tfily riinr(iiili,, (rum vli-w by n nrnui uf Inw Mr'ltiK cot-tonwuiMlH. cot-tonwuiMlH. I'ltU will nil tho blurk. fn-nhrnuilltiK fn-nhrnuilltiK nlRht revfnli'd. anil ivfn thl wu inrri'ly mailv apimrpnt by thn ' yi'llnw llliiniliiKlliin of the window. The ratlin atooil upon an Inland, a atrip of iiand, partially mvpre.1 by wa-It. wa-It. 'pnratliiK It from Ilia north alinra nn which thi-y atonl. ThiT waa no alKn nf life about thn hut. olhor than tlir hiiriilnn lamp, but that alone waa ufflrlent rvhli'iico of ncr-upaiiry. In aplto of hunner, anil umenl n-nl. Knllh hpHltati-d, uncertain aa In what they mlxht he rnlli'd upon to fan. Who roulil lm 1 1 v I n k In thia oul-of the-way apot. In th heart of thin InlioHpltuhle di-arrt? It would he no i-Mttle out-poHl out-poHl nurely, fur then whh no Htirrniiiiil-Ihk Htirrniiiiil-Ihk itrnKliiK hind, while Hiin-ly no pro fi-alnnnl IiiiiiIit would rhnimu vm-li a tuirri-n npot for iM-iidipiiirtiTM. Klihi-r a lu-rnilt, niixloiiH to i-Hritpc all luler-rourHe luler-rourHe with huniiiiilty, or muni' ouiluw hlilliiK from arrent, wnuld be likely to i-li-t ao Uolnled a plure In whlrh to live. To them It woitlil be Mi-nl. Away from all trnlta. where not even whlely rovltiK eHtlli-men would peni-triite. In tulilM of a di-Herl avnhled by linllana bectiiiHo of lack of K'iuie--a iniiii uilnlit hide hem year arier year without tlnnKcr of dlHeovery. Vet aueh a one woulil not tie likely to welcome their roniltiK, and they were without anna. Hut Keith wan not a man to henlluie loni; beraune of pomtlble Uanner. and he ntepped down Into Hie shallow wa ler. "Coma on, Neb.M he commanded, "and we'll Mud out who Uvea here " Tha window farad the went, anil ho rami up the low bunk to where the door flouted the north In liitcime JurkneHa. t'nder the idiuilow of the rot titnwooitrt he could Hen nothlnt;. RropliiK IiIh way, with hniidii exteniled r IIIh fiNit Ktruck a flat atone, and he pluiiKi'd forward, airlkliiK the unlatch ed door an heavily an to hwIiik It open, and h'll partially forwiird Into the room. Ah he ntrilKHlt, to ll Ih klieen, N,i black fine pi elliiK I'il-l Mill lulu the IlKhti'd Interior, he teemed III per reive In one awlft, romprrhfiiMlvo Itliiiice. every revealed iletull. A lamp hiirned on a rudely contmrted 't of ilrawera near tho wlmlow. and a wood lire lillui-,1 redly In a hlone tlreplHie I'Pliiialle, the yellow and re, I HkIiIh hleiiillUH In a pei iillur alow of color I'nder thin rinlluiicH were revealed the roiiKh Iok wallH plaiieied with yellow .-lay. mill Ilium aliout with the nklim of wild anliiialH. a roiiKhly made t.ihie. bare except for a hook lilna um Ii. and a few ordinary apiiearma honea, eil-l.-lilly utlllti'd aa aealii. Uh-IIhT ' with a luirrel cut no an lo miike a com fortiiiile I'hulr In the hack wall wax a dour, partially open, apparently leadinit lino a a ml room. That waa all, except the woiiiiiii Keith lllllHt have perceived all theaa In that Bret hurried ulanie. tor they wero ever alter clonely aiicliiie,l to-(iher to-(iher In bin niln, I. yet at the moment he porno-used no clear tlmiiKlit of any-thlllK any-thlllK exri-lil her. She aloud directly behind the table, wli. ru h nut have apruiiK himillv at the flrat muiid of their appniuih. rim i-lilnc at tha ruda imi II I. lie the llreplnce. ami MllirltlK toward him. her (me while, her breath rouiliiK- In aoba. At lirt he tlioiinht the vltilim a dream, a delirium lairn from hlK loni! airiitKh-; If '""l'l n" ronci-lie the poeaihlllty ol nn h a pre en. e In H I" '"li'-l? Place, and atiiKKer-Ii,t- n I i- fc- I. i:-"'''! wldlj. ilutnl-ly "I IKccapt Any Tarma You Oaalra." - t at tha alender, gray Had figure, the al moat Klrllab face under tha ahaduwlnf dark hair, expertlnK 'he nmrvelloua rlalon to vuulah. Hutely thla could not be real! A woman, and auch a woman aa thla here, and alone, of all place! lie manner-,! from w-ukneaa, almotti terrtir, and Kraaped the table to hold tilumclf erect. The rlalnit wind rntiiA awlrllna In through thn open diatr, rauidha; the (Iru to a nd forth aplrnla o( aiiinke. und he lurn-d. IriiKKliiK the dared ni-aio within, and NtiatiplhK the Intch hehlnd him When In Klanri-d around aitaln he (ully believed be-lieved the vlHlnn confronting htm would have vnnlahed. Hut no' there aha yet remained, tho wideopi-n. frlghlemd brown eye, with Idiik Inih-en Inih-en half hldlnit their deptha. haikuiK dl re-tly Into hla own; only now alio had HllKliII) rhnilKed h-r pOHture. li-illllliK toward him iichimh the tahle. I.Ike a fliodi he coiHiiri-lieiiiled that thla wna reality - llenh and hlMid -aiul, with the nwirt hiHiln. 1 or a Ki-ntlemun, Ii Ih nillliheil, nereliMH OitKera Jerked off hla hai, and he bowed hnreheadi-d he fore her "I'ardon me." ha aald. fludlux hla mini wtlh dltllciilty. "I fell over the an p. hut- but I didn't expect to hint a woiiiiiii here " lie heard her ipilck breathing, marked mark-ed a Hllalit i haiiKi- In the extirt-Hntoii of the dark even, an, I caiiKhl the glllter of the firelight mi a revolver In her loiveied band "What did you expect to Mud'.'" "I hardly knew." he explained lame ly; - we Htumblett nn HiIm hut by accident acci-dent I didn't know iheie waa a rahln In all I tilt vnllev " "Then you are not here for any purpoHi-" lo meet with any one?" "No; we wen IomI, and had gone , Into cauii up aiiove, when we discovered discov-ered your light." "Where do ou come from"" Keith heellaleil Juat an iualailt. yet r.-ilHehiMid wua never cany for him, and he urn no oeiMalon for any deceit now "faraun I'liy." "What hroiiKht yrtu here?" "We aiarn-d lor tliu Mar X' ranch idown In-low. on the I'liiiudliin . gut cailitht In a aund atnl-ni. mi, I llieu Jukt iilrlfte, I do nut knew wllhln twenty mllea of where we are " Hhe drew u deep hicuth of UncoU-caled UncoU-caled relief. "Are you alone" 'The ncaro and I ea; ami you i haven't ihe allahteat reaaoii lo be ' atrnld of ua we re aqoare." She hk-d at hhn a-nr, hlnuly. and anmethlhg In K .11 Ii a clean nil fai-a at-emed to bring reaaaill mice, rolifl li-nce In the man. "I am not afraid," ahe answered, coming Inward him around the abort j table. "Only It la an lonely here, and you atartled me. burntlng In without warning Hut you look ull rlKhl. and I am going to believe your frlnry What la your name?" Keith Jack Keith." "A cowman?" "A little of everything, I rockoi." i touch of returning bltterneaa ll tha tone. "A plalnanian. who haa putrhed rattle, but my laat Job iu goirrn ment grout M "You hink aa though you might lit more than that," abe aald alowly. The man lluahed, hla llpa piraaini IlKhlly liiKelher. "Well, I may have been.1 he run (-Hard unwillingly "I atarled out nil right, hut anuictxiw I reckon I Juat went adrift. II a a hahll In thla ii I try." Ai'parelitly thou- flrat worda of n ment had li ft ln-r iinihluklniii) . for ahe made no lilti-lnit to reply; iii-r-ly ' ntimd llo-ri directly hiring hint, tier dear eyea gating Iriinkly lum ln nwn. He a.-euied lo ui'ttlally He- h-r now (or the tirat time, (nlrly a aiii pie, alender tlMiin. alinpty ilri"n"l-with ilri"n"l-with wonderfully evpreaalve liruan eyea, a rn-i t weiilih of dark h.ilr. i cliur rni.iplexloll Willi alight niUk tinge In It. a Minng. lutelllgi-nt lain mil hirli-tlv bi-atilllul. yet hi riini:'i iitinicitve. tin loreheiid low- and hri-rtilJ Ihe noae tllil-hl, Ihe llpa (nil and .0 cllni-d to an, He. Huddi nly a viikiii- i" membrtllice hrnllght ri-cogtililon. "Whv, I know you now." "hid I!" the altigle word a noli- (,l uiidlagulahi-d nurprlie. '.H. I thl.llghl Mill lookeil I 11 familiar all the time, but rouhlu I ' the Hie ol me riiuuecl up Hniin Chrlalle Maillllre" "Am I"" her even l.ll.-.l with rurl unity. "IK comae you are. You tue-liit he n(riild ( me If ion want Ii ki-ut aecrel, hut I kuriw you Jin-I tne a.-ili.e Saw you at the C.-ilili In h,,i-., deiire. ma.ilie two nuitittia age I witit three lltuea. inoatly on your accniitil Yiiu've gut a great art. and ynu i-.ir alng tiai." She 1.I1.11.I hi alienee, allll Iniikliil llxedly al hlru. h.-r liuanin riaing ,u,d falling, tier ll, a purled aa If In api- ,k Apparently ahe ill, I nnl kunw what i do. how lo ad. and aim llnnkn-l nwlllly. ' Mi Ki-IUi." ahe Mil, I. at hot In ii- rlalnll. "1 mil going lo flak you lo Ii i't Ihut all oui to liiigi-t that you run auapei'l me ( helug I'lulalle Miirlu,!,'. uf the liiilel)." Ul,i. certainly ; hill would you liliiln'.'" "There In little elliili-to explultl It I In aull'i Ii-ih that I am here alone mir, you. Wh.thi r I wlah to or not. I i. in nimpt-lhil In Irual lnai-lf lo your pr" lei-tlnn You may cull me rhnaiia Muclalre. or aiiMlitug elau you pleaai-; ynu iiiny even think me unworthy re api-ct. lull vou pnaaean the (uce of gem li-inan. mid aa auch I am gotng tn Irual ynu - I muat truat ynu. Will you accept my cnnfl.li uce on theae Ki-lth did not aitille, nur inov.-. . Weak from huniter and fallgtie, he leuned wiurlly agulubt tha wall Nevi-rtheli aa that almple, wouiatily n pi.ul awoke all that wna nlrong al l I aaciindng vllhln him. althuugh ti li . . ,',.,! fr , fc' " , I t.i r.-.i.i.-e their I he m. in. litem l I . . , ,. It 11 1. II will ; . . , , , . ' ' I . i . i , . , i t, tne. nr !',,, I t I , ... white. 'l-l I. ,- I! , 1,1 1 . I .1 ,1k i-l.-a -It BII.I- V- ..I .. r , . .t ,.,wi, I .e.,-l.t Ii-. i, i 1-. nr I,.. . 'II . -re l''ii l-t I, ,. I ,, null u J-' y.,,i ., ii , t, , - CtlAI'T LR IX. "nr C.-tl f Ihe Cabin, II- ." N. I, ,-.. -li'Uli l-'li'le tin-Ull'l'it tin-Ull'l'it 1,1, 1, li,l I lirl ll, 111,.- a I Or-1 , i , r n I ,,l- , i .. .1 hi r lake tin i i l""l'. "I ii 'I r 11"" the ol bet ! , n.,iu ., in-;, . !,.i , in, i'. ully out ,,l Hi I:' . r. ii. ii. ,1 .l.nii. i: nn,,, I) I I, Hi Ihe Utile r HMII 1llHTl.lt I , bf the ll.iii.i - null I, .ill ciimpi.-hetnlliig ; l-l lhi-ll II in -linn In-Ill hla ilea rTUlle alnn-'e nllh the etc lit a oierciiine all ri-Milutliin. und he drop PM hla lii .i.l lurwiild nil the llihle. nil, I I kl r,,el,,l.tieaa Her tllllld llot blf ahnul li-r iiriniai-il him. martini m ito miketiilneaa. yet he arimely real lia.l the alliuilli.n . "I hate phi, cd haul (nr the In gn I beihle I, lin." i-l,i- a.ll-l iptletly. and t"t like llrat lime Ki Mb detnle.l Ihe anil blur in l,..r h "Ynu at- (turn the HoulbV he H tUlin.-.l. aa tin, imh ll una a dlncovcry "Yea and your "Mi hnihiH"! h.-oiin In Virginia -the iiegio wua an old time Hlave II ur family. " Hhe Kliuice.l acioaa at the tillirk low allium up mid eating viuacliiiialy "I thought he had lime been II Uir, one can raally tell that I dm tit aak him to nit here li.-eniiae. II jcu do not object, we will e.it hen kgether I have alno lew n almoni long wlthiiut fund It waa no lone i here, and - and I hurdly umleratooil ' i altnatlun-and I almply could nol force mynclf to eat," He dlatlngiilaned her worda cli-nrl) enough, although ahe naike low, aa II atle preferred what wan mild belweec I hem rhould not reach the corn of tin negro, yet aomehow, for the moment they made no adequate linprenalon on him. I.Ike a famlahed wolf he began nu the roarae fare, and for leu in In uten hardly lifted bin held. Then hla yen rhnucid tu meet hera acroaa the narrow tahle. and Instantly the gn tlenian reawnke to life. IT" 11 K -ONTINI'l:ti I |
