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Show he felt it w as so. And lie '.is to die ' f,ir the mm wlir hd.l ruined his life. I Me latit;lied nioud. The dvaig he had S fell In be nothing in iiseif hut, O merciful merci-ful God' the manner. Just then the no dismounted squad gathered around him. and announced their intention. "Is there one among you who will take a note to Miss.McG.iim." asked Mr '...Iden, as he glanced from one to the ottier of these dark threatening laces. "Anv of them may," the leader answered, with a brutal laugh, but you'll , never ead the answer." "Perhaps you will;answered the doom ed man cooly; and taking a note-book from hi pocket he pencilled these wntds without being able to ace the point ol the pencil: Miss. Nora:. Our good-bye waeelemai. 1 shall be dad wh.n this reac hes you huag tor staaluig your fsther hor-ia Pleate get some woman to properly proper-ly prepare nty body for buna! Man (Malv) KuiaN. In the dark, a lendjr youth stepped forward and Mark Klden seized his hand "I will.forgive all those men lor what they ate about to do, but if vuu fail to put that piece of paper in the hand of Miss. McC-hnn befote suiiiiip. then, may the curae ol the dead Ml upiin voii." A giertt gust of wind wailtid through the 3aiknes. Thore was a hurried fampling, a dreadful hush, and then a gang cjr armed inen .rode away, and what had once been a 'living soul was only a lump of liieleosclay The vigilants had dune their work well. The dav was dimming toward twilight, and a half-moon began to spread silver light o- er the earth. Within the McGlinn abode a girl stood with tear-swollen eyes before a tiny cabinet. It was open and the key Ma.k iilden had given Nor i was in the lock, while d.splayed upon a bed of amber satin w as a necklace of pearlsMark Elden's parting gift to Nora McGlinn. In her hand wan .the Ittter he had sp iken of, and as she reread re-read it, choking sobs and blinding tears paid tribute to hersorrow. It read thi-s: nlJKAR N-wa: I was educated in a convent, and when my course was finished knew as litll. ol the world as many children ol iWe years. I became, to pleale my parents, a wits witliia a few weeks allei-my allei-my deliverance from the pm-m they called a si honl, without any strong objection!, on my part, aad without with-out bavin experienced one throb ol the "grand pas-tions'' pas-tions'' we are all doomed to psss through sootier or later, i wo children called 111. "Mother.'' In that word is the bitterness ol death. This man you Lnow by the nsm. of "M ain Jasper" came to reside near ut. A distant relationship placed him on a tutting no other man could possibly have occupied ia my housa. He won my love and sunned tae. 1 lied from all tawe who loved me from the husband I bad dishonored, dishon-ored, the children 1 was no looter worthy to serve from the tempi, of pear.c I had thrown down in ruins. I assumed this di-guisc to esrap. friend and foe. 1 had money in my own riuht that has been sufficient ! ior all my necessities through the long, cold years that intervene between this time and that. 1 cannot btealhc the same atmosphere with this man. so 1 go. Believe me: notrue happiness wasever founded in dishonor. dis-honor. 1 have written this to wain you, for J love you. Now beware! Mahv Ii.ukn. When she had finished reading the letter, Nora held the candle under it and burned it to ashes. Then she pas ed into the next room where a bodv covered by a w hite sheet lay ready foi burid, and knelt beside it. To be ( oninned. Lynch Law's Last Victim- By Ellen Jakeman. From the Western Galaxy. (continued,) "For God's sake.hu rry! " said the Ma.i or "They will be alter me before I get clear of the valley. This nag of vours don't look like there was much go in her," and he eyed the big brown he had been compelled to relinguish, regret-lully. regret-lully. "She is a sound and wiry animal and will carry yo safely many a day if you are good to her,"Maik Klden said aloud while in his heart he said, "Good-bye my beauty. I never dreamed you would serve go ignoble a cause " "Don't tell them I've been here, or which way I have gone, "besought tbe Major." Ma-jor." as he tightened Ihesaddlcgirthand rode out ol tbe yard. "No," said d trk Klden, " will not tell any one lieore to morrow, and not then unless I find It necessary when I relurn this horse. And now get out of my sight, and 1 trust tnat we shall nevel ineel ..gain." The Alajor waited for no secoud invitation invi-tation but rode away with many a coveit V lance behind linn, Mank Klden stood look ng after the evil genius of his lite till the dusky snad-owa snad-owa interposing their thin veils one by one between them, shut tlie "Major" from view, and said iu a view of Sell Con tempt,. "iVe uioitaN: sell t.ur souls for a bauble, that in a.leiv bnel years we cm utlorly f iigel. And so we have met.and partud Hi; oni, and he did not know me. Tbe moon went down and the air grew heaviei; its gloomy shadows seemed seem-ed to be t o thick to bieaihe, they piess ed about il'.is lonely man and 1 - lied t.p mi Inm Theie were a vhuj.uii li jilted sentences uh.soeied in bis ear Me chiilsd, and tliisbe If with fever Ilea' ny turns, tie weut into the lioiise and tried to lead, bin tin; faces cd ch Id ren ianc-d between him and tbe p i)e. It might iotvc been one In ill and it miht nave breu ten when Ins attention xai attracted - by tne heavy tread of buses rapidly appitMhing. The ne.t moment tlieie was a lo.nl "Halloo!" In answf r to the call, Murk Elden went oui 11. to tiie sh.idow y night. A dozen d.tik nimuled loiuis wele gaiheied about the aie ' Go. d evening, cnilt-mt cnilt-mt n," he s-i.d: lia.'s up?" "You h ueit't set-11 a man ridin' ,Mc G inn's bin brown ih-.s way, have you? lie's been si- le and wi're out to ca'ch tiie thief an 1 .le to -iciii'd tn c Jil of rope ,0 Ins saddle horn Siyniiiraiii Ii . " tVliom d j y iu susea?" added Mi. Eldeii evai.Velv. Well, no one in particjlar, Every one seems to be about. Some reileu f-in' thioiuh and goi uied of walkin,'" said the spokesman. Alaik Elden breathed more fieely. Evidently, the t flicers either unawaie t'.l h-.s 1 rvence? m the vallry; or loo iuie ol their prey, had not disclosed Hie obji-ct of their visit and the A.ajor had not been missed. i c tailed." went 011 the man, "to borrow your boise. We'll send him back from Goudlv's ranch ten mile? down, for we'll all get a fiesn mount there, and my home has got so lame that it's impi s-iible I jr me to keep up with thegaug." "It cannot be,"said Mt. Elden, turning a ay, "my horse would haiuiy cairy a man of your weight that distance.a. id besides, be-sides, I expect to leave hear at daybreak in the moining and mv hoise must be fresh." You are a mean-spiriled rur!" said the spei.ker ir an angry tone. In mv opinion, the man that won't lend his hoise to help catch a horse thief is next thing to one himself." Mark Elden was silent. "I shan't forget this soon," said the throughly angry man gathering up his reins, and applying anyihing but compliments com-pliments to the still s.lent man before him. Just then a great brown horse came around the corner of the flower garden led by one of the party who, prompted perhaps by the fiend himsell, had gone to the stable, to see what kind of a horse this man kept, auvhow. He to k ol his hat as he neared the group. "Our -ieiich,is at an end. 'ne said and this ttie only one in the stable,"and he made a pr .found bow. A hoarse roar came from 1 he groupe, indications ol suiprise, incredulity and rage. Mr. Elden realized in a moment all that it meant for him. He stepped outside out-side into the m dst of the group: Gentlemen, Gen-tlemen, I knew that horse was in my stable My own horse, you will find is gone. I know how it came there, but I am under solemn promise not to tell till iheiitake to me Mr. McGlinn, and swear to yon J will dear this up to his entire satisfaction." He w is g ,ing to leive at daylight in the morning, and miKt have a fiesh horse'said a ied-headed, bruken-nosed man in the ce ntre of the group, in a sarcastic sar-castic tone. "1 d jn't think he wanted daylight," said a not ier. "Why the horses feet are muffled," commented a third, "so he could slip past the ranches without being detected." detect-ed." "We have McGliim's orders," said the original spokesman, "to bang any man found with his Imrse on him, to the nearest tree. Now Uy-jii have a slorv to tell spi it out." "It s stiange that I h ive livtd am ng you lot two V'ai tnd y ai Imvc never known anv evil ! in-, and to v. hi an- ietiiv-t-i btl eve tins , toe -I 'lii eviifiice. I do'i'i i.i;i;k I Co. II'.,' anvil-'- 11 -C t'l .1 . 1 I, iv- ,K" ..l;ltv'l aei.int Mi h v i ! ,( 1 ire en.i 1 nr . in youi gl o.t cs ;iu , u.ile-N j mi 1. (0,1 commit a muidr-i, 1 wan, v u (o take me to i r. McGin n " Two of ihe v-iyilaiites, f ,1 such they we. e, Covered him w in ibe t pi-;,s, wiule ui-i le n unJ r ,!r w A C.r a pulley. pul-ley. Maik Eldeii leaned agains, the very iree that had sheltered Nora a lew-hours lew-hours before. His lluughts wandered far back on a desolate Hack of years, where almost twice a day he had prayed to die. Now death had come to him |