Show HILLTOPS OPS CLEAR CL wk AU AV AV by EMILIE WRING LORING ser viDe abt by the tha penn phinn ir co SYNOPSIS prudence schuyler comes to prosperity farm to make a new life for her belf elf and ana her brother david his big health broken by tragedy the second day on her bar farm prue falls alls from the b barn rn ord loft left into the arms of 0 rodney gera gerard rich young roan man a neighbor there thera Is t once a mutual attraction but prudence a 0 ce suspect men since her sister el stera b husband u osband ran away with her brothers brother wife ten lien galloway calloway tries to buy timber but she contracts with rod to dispose of 0 the trees david comes to the farm prue accompanies rod and jean rods roda thirteen year old niece to dl circus chicot an old clown is a accidentally ci killed he was the grandfather of 0 mally gooch on one 7 ot of the circus riders rod became friendly z with hilly when the she lived on 0 n prosperity farm calloway intimidates laborers so that they cannot be hired to cut the timber tor for rodney gerard mally gooch broke her anga engagement gement to calloway he believes rod was the cause and has inco inca been his enemy after ChI checots chicots cots death rod calls on to see tt if he can be ot of any help prue sees in a newspaper a flashlight picture of him with idilla rodney goes to new york tork for timber cutters taking david with him film to help select men from among amon the rescue mission hangers on rod send word of 0 his coming with a crew of laborers to keep the knowledge of the workers arrival from calloway prudence enters her timber tract with him on the pretense of bargaining on the lumbering lie he confines her bar in a cabin CHAPTER IX continued 13 nold bold ont on why the rush youve been tooling fooling me you been trying to make me believe that I 1 was to cut your timber while all the time you had your tongue in ID your cheek the game I 1 was ready to play fair ive no quarrel with you im a just man nut but youve tricked me vow kow pay for it ill keep beep you here bere till you sign a contract for me to cut for you his cool restrained ferocity stopped heart for an instant she seated herself in the one chair carefully her skirts to the blaze and looked up at him you tou think you will keep beep me here you mean wake up you are in the twentieth century ceu tury you have forgotten that three persons already know with whom I 1 came into the woods ill tell you my game as you call it IL rodney gerard Is bringing in a crew I 1 preferred that you see them arrive and you easy it ile he seized her shoulders with all her ber strength she shook off his hands and retreated to the fireplace dont touch me again I 1 dont dare the words shivered into a whisper the ley icy cold of the brook was stealing through her bones calloway folded lils bis arms and scowled lie be Is a little mad she thought as she ehe had thought once before dare I 1 a joke who can stop me your foxy partner Is busy with his bis gang be I 1 take off my bat to you you put your fake icess across I 1 believed you I 1 asked you to marry me youve been laughing at me now its my turn youre here bere and here you stay you shiver you are safe enough im no bum im not a lady snatcher like mod gerard im a just man I 1 im entitled to be boss of this county and no ones going to block me get that thal I 1 wont stand for interference prudence regarded calloway incredulously the man was molding his bis life to an obsession why are you staring at me dont you understand spend the night here and then I 1 guess say alssen I 1 youve got another guess comin cuddy buddy A man swayed in the entrance ills hunted eyes set in dark rings glared from ills his cadaverous face as vicious a face as ever scowled behind bars from claw like fingers a revolver dan bled prudence pressed her hand hard against her lips to keep back a cry the convict perhaps he had taken the emerald and diamonds last night bight perhaps she had been horribly unjust to walter gerard calloway sprang tor for him ile he leveled the gun it clicked blands cupl dpi lay off get me tt if either you or the jane yip ill put a bullet through each of you an I 1 stop to choose which first either I 1 aint like you you big noise I 1 am a bum lie he watched galloways Gallo Callo ways retreat through half closed lids the glint between them was murderous prudence said as flippantly as if her heart were not shaking her body with its clamor this Is getting to be one of those parties itta it say youre a cool one sister I 1 guess you can have the cabin atter after all buddy therell be folks here after this skirt you 1 I kid keep your mouth shutt shut sit down I 1 calloway sat with it a suddenness which rocked the chair the man in III possession posses glon of the revolver scowled at al Prude prudence rim liere here you I 1 scatter that ire I 1 quick think I 1 want the whole finali after you yoi ine that hat smoke do drop the stick I 1 stand up by the chimney neyl gemme those pearls one instant of paralyzing fright and then an inner strength sprang to rescue pearls earls I ifer her laugh was a masterpiece of its kind Peari sl I 1 realize that my wax beads could fool anybody the man edged nearer his revolver covered calloway whose eyes looked like those of a trapped fox wax wai beads oh ob yeah think I 1 I 1 dont know the real t thing aln g when I 1 see it what do you spose I 1 was doln a stretch get going sister Talc Tal eem teem 0 off IT quick or ill do it an I 1 wont be too easy neither lissen get a move on I 1 was this nightmare prudence wondered as her unsteady hand fumbled with the diamond and platinum clasp it at the back of her neck it must be what had seemed an amusing plan to divert len calloway develop into a possible tragedy could it the man grabbed the pearls from her fingers weighed wel glied them in his left hand ills leer was horrible wax beads I 1 oh ob yeah yea I 1 guess get me three squares a day tor for a year y car of two was that a faint call prudence caught her throat to stifle an exclamation cla mation the man with the revolver stiffened tie he thrust the pearls into his dirty shirt ills e acs cs went dead lissen alssen you two So coming im gettin out ill keep this gat trained on you it if either of you tip em oft off ive been here ill shoot you on the trail ill know tie be backed to the door with a quick swoop prudence flung brush on the coals smoke would give a clue to the rescuers it caught fire and roared up chimney why you dazed by her daring the fugitive hesitated in a that instant calloway sprang and caught him about e lit hands U up I 1 both of boulo you the shoulders the revolver clattered to the floor prue seized it dont waste your strength calloway why she keep her voice steady ive got him covered im not a crack shot but 1 think I 1 can drop him at this distance calloway turned and took a step forward stay slay where you arel lands hands up both of you if you move the next s seene scene in this screen thriller will be cut by the censor gun in one hand one hand clutch ing the back of the chair prudence covered the two men she disciplined a wild impulse to shout with laughter Callo ways face ills 1113 mouth hung open as it if surprise had permanently dislocated his jaw the other she shivered nener had she seen such eyes trapped desperate murderous she had not known that anything human could look like that david had knevin though dave where was he be if only the cabin door opening slowly 1 soundlessly I 1 something sinister in its caution had bad the escaped convict a pal tier her brood chilled who had come give me that gun rodney hodney gerard had the revolver in his hand before prudence realized who had dashed into the cabin with a re lieven sigh calloway dropped his bis hands put iut em up again dont be a darn fool gerard I 1 put lem cm up I 1 theres blood on your forehead prue who hurt you brain felt curiously light tier her voice seemed to trickle from a great empty space behind her eyes hurt me no one believe it ft or not I 1 was as about to add a colorful fact to the state of maine war against crime when you crashed in an intriguing pair arent they read tog from left to right you have clr arst st a pearl thier thief then a just man such a just man I 1 steady prue dont shiver like that ill get your pearls while youre soure getting those you might 1211 ht make that man return the jewels be stole from my safe last night lissan what does the jane mean jewels do you think if I 1 had anything I 1 could turn into money id be hanela round here say ashes crazy was the man inan acting amazement or lie taken the emerald crazy or not come coine along with us get going gerard gave the revolver a suggestive hitch follow him galloway calloway keep your hands up both of you prue come on she nodded len LCD calloway looked as it if he were burning up his face had a purplish tinge lie ile spoke between clenched teeth ill get going all right but watch out gerard im not through with you miss lers all for you she have you told her that youve been pal ing milly gorchs bills have you ill HI there you ue ile lunged for or the man in front caught him about the waist fum bling for holds the two strained and panted the fugitive was smaller but fear of a return to prison gave him superhuman strength rie be twisted and twined about galloways Gallo Callo ways legs until both went down with it a crash with the agility of a cat and the cry of an en raged animal the victor was on his feet whirled and grabbed the gun from gerards Gc hand crouching he be backed toward the fireplace ills eyes were flames lie ile aimed the revolver steadily peal beat it you two guys and beat it quick I 1 ill keep beep the pearls and the girl prudence retreated to the wood pile she had bad thought her mind geared to surprises but this quick turn stopped her heart she back away further the wood pile was like a wall behind tier her david said that nine times out of ten when one was backed against an insurmountable wall a gate would open behind if you put up tip the light of your life perhaps there was a gate in this wall perhaps A gate cautiously breathlessly she groped behind her the convicts claw like fingers tightened on the revolver tie ile scowled hid bously at gerard iley you youl cut out that cig beat it or ill fire and with all her force prudence brought the dull side of the ax down on his arm sentence shattered into profanity ills gun clattered to the floor gerard seized it thrust it against his back as he whirled on prue hey cut that out beat it or ill fire gerards words it if not his voice were a perfect amita tion as he prodded the cursing shambling man toward the door calloway thundered youre not letting ting him get away rod dont you know hes the escaped prisoner hunting ue be wont make his getaway get away with you at his heels its your job to tie de liver him to the sheriff after youve frisked miss lers pearls olt off him get busy len how could rodney be so cool so smiling prudence wondered frantically he dont need get busy here they are the captive pu pull edthe lIedthe lovely lustrous string from under his ragged dirty shirt prudence snatched it from the floor and clutched it tight against her breast come across with those jewels gerard poked a reminder alssen dont get fresh with the gat pre coughed up the pearl aint I 1 an I 1 dont know about no jewels let him bin go I 1 let him go I 1 I 1 dont care about the jewels please let him go the break in voice road mad bened her the muscles of gerards jaw tightened on your way ile he held out the revolver take it len dont let this bird stop till you have him safe behind bars calloway gripped the gun ile ie said through clenched teeth youre taking chances low how do you knowl wont shoot you rodney kodney gerard regarded him film through narrowed lids and smiled Il because lecause youre such a just man len drop that ax prue you wont need it again oct get going galloways Gallo CalO ways fury was partially expended in the jab he gave the man at the other end of the revolver the door swung on its hinges through the opening came the crack ling of 0 twigs under stumbling heavy feet rough voices the sounds dwindled into forest silence Is it s safe to go now with unsteady fingers prue tried to clasp the pearls about her throat in just a minute let me do that bend your head the husk in fit gerards gerarda voice his fingers against the back of her neck set prue irue shivering again the matter ue be looked down at her skirt your clothes are bohli soaked ed your lips are blue how did you get so wet a mean bruise what happened lost my way fell into the b brook ile he pulled oft off his coat put your arms in dont argue do as youre told its not a perfect thirty six but it will help keep you warm now did you know where I 1 nasr was jean got anxious about you turned back and met us that child liaa has a brain she knew you have gone with calloway why why did you do it jim wished he could be out of the way when the g gang arrived I 1 tried to help and now yol c crab im not crabbing dont you know that I 1 almost lost my mind when hen jean told me where here i gone dont you know that I 1 went through h 1 getting to you dont you know that its tor ture for me to see bee you shiver and have my hands tied by that internal infernal promise I 1 made if I 1 were to touch you the caressing break in his voice the faint tremor of his lips sent the blood burning to hair oh come on I 1 lets get out of herel here I 1 ile he pulled a flashlight from his coat pocket lets hurry I 1 flurry aurryl I 1 im frozen I 1 go on tie ile followed as she entered the trail every swish of tier her wet skirts about her knees sent a million little ley icy shivers coasting along her velas veins gerard faced tier down the trail the hand that touched her was like fee ce contrition tion swept her youre freez freezing 1 take your coat I 1 dont need it rr r eally I 1 dont stop talking go on I 1 it if you dont I 1 will carry you and you are not a fairy girl ue ile was cold but of course he acknowledge it had he heard what calloway had said about milly and money ooch how cold her legs and feet were like sticks ot of icel ice there I 1 she had put the right one forward now the left right left right had rodney paid the circus girls bills left right keep keel on feet left right t ma march ach time the words were like a merry go round she stop them the clearing at last copper red light on the trees A fire no the sunset I 1 A sky of 0 rainbow splendor the color warmed her all except her feet right kight left they had frozen someone caught tier her as she stumbled someone picked her up tit in his arms ilow how warm how heavenly left right please ilease please p lease jim jim stop those words going round and round roond someone smothered something between his teeth someone pulled palled off the coat bundled her into something woolly and soft something that smelled of tobacco lifted her into a car she was warmer those horrid words had bad stopped whirling why should she have thought for an instant that she was with jim armstrong she 1001 looked ed at the man at the wheel thank thada goodness you have put on your coat it would be you the man of the moment she said unsteadily ile he looked straight down into her eyes straight and deep cut but all the time you thought I 1 was jim prudence closed her lids tight that pesky left P right started la III her head again she had better keep them open rodney gerard growl at her suppose she were to remind him of milly gooch and lucky she had found that out in time I 1 gerard drew the robe closer about her warmer gorgeous TO BE CONTINUED |