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Show The White Desert 1 BY COURTNEY RILEY COOPER. i (Copyright, 1922, Little, Brown & Co.) j "Both?" They stared at him. Thayer nodded, still looking at the I floor, his tongue Ticking suddenly dry Hps. ' Voh, both of em. Onn brought on the other. Mrs. Henaud and John I Corbln they called him Tom Hans-don Hans-don back east." CHAPTER XXI It trBM staggering In lis unexpoetod-ness unexpoetod-ness A gasp came from the lips or Barry Houston. He whirled excitedly and grasped the nearest onlooker "Go get Medalnc Roblnette! Hurry! Tell her that 1'have found tbo proof. She'll uderstand." Then, struggling to rensure hlm-;f If. he turned again to tho prisoner. Two hours later. In tho last rjint of day, the door opened, and u woman cam' to his nlde, where he was finishing the last of many closely written sheets of paper. He loked up at her, boyishly, boy-ishly, happily. Without waiting for and then, as though eager for her to hear, he turned to tho worn-faci 6 man, now slumped dejectedly in his chair. "You understand, Thayer, that this la your written confaalon?" The man nodi' d ' 'And you aro willing to sign It7' "I'd Want to know what 1 was slgn-! slgn-! lng." Certainly. 1 Intend to read It to you so that all witnesses may hear It. It. is the to be filed with the district attorney." A pause At last. ' My numc la Frod Thayer. Until a year ago I had been employed by the Emplro Lake Mill and Lumber BCOtnpany as superintendent, beginning with It when It was first started by Mr. Houston of Boston. " 'I tried two or three time0 to get him to sell out to mo. but we couldn't get together on the terms. He nlwnvM wanted cash, and I couldn't furnish it About this time a nephew of his, named Thomas Langiion, came out I here, under the name of John Corbin. II,. ) i i 1 been a black sheep and was now wandering aiiout the country. " 'Then a woman came out here, an Agnes Jicrdon. n stenographer on h' r vacation. I met her and learned that she was from Boston." ' A slight pressure exerted itself on Houston s arm He glanced dow n, to see Mr -dalne Roblnettc's hand, claspod tight. ' She spent nearly the whole sumno r here, and I made love to her. I asked her to marry me. and she told mc that he would. I wanted to use her to get her In Houston's office. I wanted want-ed to find out what was Koing on. so that I would know In advance At the end of her vacation stv wet back to Boston and got a Job with Houston as office clerk. Almost the lirsi tnina that sho wrote me was that the old man was thinking about selling out to seme concern back east. " It made me desperate. Then 1 thought of Ba'tlste Renaud." " 'Ah The word was accompanied b a .sharp intake of breath as the big I 'ri nch -Canadian moved closer to h ar again the story of a murder. But the sheriff motioned him back. The emotions of the old trapper were not to be trusted The recital went on; " 'Everybody around this country had always talked about how rich he v. a - Then- was a saying that ho didn't believe in banks and that b- kept more than a hundred thousand dollars dol-lars In his little cabin. At this time, both he and his son were away at war, and I thought I could steal this money, mon-ey, place It in other hands and then work things so that If I did get hold of the mill, people around here would merely think 1 had borrowed the money mon-ey and bought the mill with It By this time, a cousin of pilsj Jiordon'a a fellow named Jenkins, had gotten a Job with Houston and was working with her and of course. I was hearing everything that went on. It looked like the dead wa.H going through, and it forced mc to action. One night I watched Mrs. Renaud And saw her leave the house. I thought she was going to town. Instead, after I'd gotten got-ten into the cabin, she came back, sur prising me. I killed her. with a revolver.' re-volver.' " "Dlable!" 'Easy. Batiste. That's the way you gave it to me. isn't it. Thayer?" "Yes.' Again the door of the tiny lobby opened and closed, and a form edged forward Blackburn, summoned from his mill. j " "When I found the ded box, there j was only ten thousand dollars In It In-l In-l Stead of the fortune that 1 had supposed sup-posed was there. I was about to take It out and stuff it into my pocket when 1 heard a noise outside the window. win-dow. I pushed the box under my coat and ran out of tho back door. Thu next day, Corbln or Hangdon came to me and demanded his share of what I had stolen Ho said that he had seen me at the deed box-after I had i killed the woman He threateed me again and then, suddenly, one day. Ulapp" are, I I learned that he- I. ,ul I left fur Boston. I knew what he was up I thon, he was KOlng back to tell Old I .Man Houston and try to step Into my ' shoos when I was arrested. But I beut j him there by going over the range in Ian automobile and tuking an earlier I train for Boston. I picked him up I when he arrived and traileel him to Houston's office. After that I saw them go into B cafe, and from there to a prize fight. I had my gun With me 1 had made up my mind to kill them both. I thought Lavngdon had told. After the fight, they started out. myself in the rear Young Houston i I had gotten a mullet from the time- J keeper. Then they got In a QUarreL and my chance came. Houston ran. 1 When he was well out of sight I Crept up behind I-angdon and clubbed my revolver, hitting him on tho head with It. He fell dead and I know I u. safe, that Houston would lye accused " Barry looked earnestly at the DU& before him. That's all true. Isn't It. Thayer ." "I haven't made any objection to it. have I?" came surlily "I merely wanted to bo sure out I to go on. "Then I thought of u way to get what 1 wanted from Miss Jlcr-; don Anyway, it ended with hei testifying tes-tifying at the trial In a sort of negu-tive negu-tive way. 1 didn't care about that It was something elso I wanted I vunted her to sw itch some papers on young Mr. Houston for mo. and sho bucked against It Then I told her that she hud done worse things, tint In h id perjured herself yhe got hot-cousin hot-cousin to help her In the transfer of the puiiers; It was a lease and stump-age stump-age contract. The thing was lllogit-liu lllogit-liu ite, of course. Shortly after that, young Houston came out here again, and I got hor to come. too. " 'I had dodged marrying her. promising that I would do it when the mill was mine. In tho meantime, I had mooked up with this man Blackburn Black-burn and ho had etartcd u mill for me. " T guess Miss Jlerdon had gotten to thinking a little of Houston, after all, because when I forced her to the final thing of telling some lies about lilm to a young woman, she did It. but went away, mad at mo and threaten- ! ing never to see me again. Our relations rela-tions while she had been at Houston's, camp hadn't been exactly what they1 diould havu been Mlas Jierdo is dead i she had stayed In a little cabin In I tho woods. 1 had lived with her there. J About tn days ago the baby db-d , while I was laid up with a' sprained 1H hip. Today 1 went there to find her gafl dead, and while I was there. Renaud I and young Houston lauRht me. This is CH all I know. I make this statement of I my ow n free will, without coercion. snd I swear If to t.e the truth, the i whole truth and nothing but the truth iM s help me, God ' The little lobby milled and buzscd. H dorwnlhg the scratching of the pn a H a trembling man signed the confession. "Certainly. I Intend to read It to you so that all witnesses may hear it." page bj pags. Then came the clink of handcuffs Houston straightened, to i; uM find a short, bulky rorm tieslde him. Henry Blackburn. "Well?" questioned that person. "I guess It s up to me. 1 I haven't got much chance against that." "W hat do you mean?" ! "Simply this.' and the bulky Black- ! burn drew a nervous, sweating hand across his brow 1 I ain't above dealing deal-ing with crooks. I'll acmlt that But I kind of draw the line at murder. I'm In your hands, Houston. I've got a mill up there and It ain't worth in-- powder to blow It up to me, anyway. But with you. it's different If you want to make mo a fair offer, say tho word, and I'll go more than halfwaj N hat say ?" "Is tomorrow time enough?" iifiH "Tomorrow or the next day. Suits Mm me. Thon he went on, leaving only three figures in the lobby, the bent, silent form of Ba'tlste Renaud grae. but rewarded at last In his faithful search, the radiant-eyed Houston, free with a freedom that he hardly bellevea could exist; and a girl who walked to tho window and stood looking out n moment before she turned to him Then Impetuously she faced him, hc-r eyes searching his, her hands tight- ! clasped, her whole being one of supplt- ' cation "I'm sorry," she begged. "Can you "uB will you forgive me?" Vfisal Boyishly Barry Houston reached ji CajB forward and drew away a atrand of nfl hair that had strayed from place, a RH spirit of venture In his manner, a Seafl buoyant tone in his voice. IH "Say It again. I like it." "But I am don't you believe me'1 IH 'Uf course. But then I I " "hen afsBBal j he caught her hands. Will you go Ml wdth me while I telegraph?" he asked MM In sudden earnestness. "I want to lfl wire to the papers back In Boston LH and tell them that I've been vlndl- Crn cated. Will you ?" BH They went out tho door together. HjB Houston beaming happily downward, HI the girl clone beside him, hor arm in HJ his. And It was then that the fea- HjJ tures of Ha'tlste Renaud lost their uH gravity, and sorrow. He looked aft- IH er them, his eyes soft and contented. Haal I Thn his big hands parted slowly His M I lips broke Into a smile of radiant hap- HJ pi ness HH THE ENT) j |