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Show IwYBr FRANK H. SPEARMAN W.N.UL SERWCE lit nl.-l, , U was fen 'clo si t n r U"d n Tls w9 a the station from the ranch. She wis van 1 w WM a 'ng tlme aer- trP'1 been planned by her anU McCrossen for a pllr. nnd'!;trC?,ea,'ly' b-sted alone, and started out to pay the few re "-'"ins : nre bis. 'sL Wfi set to Spott's p,ce tn pay fof the beer P'etty soon," Sald Oscar. "He's got haw U!re Pretty soon t0 the bartender out for breakfast." . nn or"er t0 'enve at Rubl-('0 Rubl-('0 9. said Jane. 'Til be back." bhe walked over to the general ore, left her provision order for he wagon to pick up, and returned to Spotts barber shop. Jake his crutches at his side, was sitting in hTs barber chair. "Hello there, Miss! Weill How's things out at Gunlock?" "About as usual, Jake. I've come to pay for the beer." "No more fires botherin'?' "Not at present. How much was the beer?" "No hurry about that." "Yes, but I want to clean it up." 'Thank you, ma'am," said the saloon sa-loon keeper and barber as Jane counted out and handed him the money, "if i could only ca my old side partner back out of it," Spotts shook bis head. "None of us will ever forget Panama, Pan-ama, Jake." "The damnedest, meanest, ornerl-est ornerl-est fires that ever swept them hills," said Spotts, counting over the money perfunctorily. "Done Jane, talking In on tiptoe behind her guide, heard bis answer. "Who's that with you, Sister?" Jane had stepped as lightly as possible; pos-sible; but his ears had detected her footsteps. "I've brought you a visitor. I hope you're not cross," she added, banteringiy. "Who is visiting me?" he asked. Jane had been gradually drawing closer to him. "Bill?" He started violently. For an Instant In-stant he was silent as if listening for more. Then he responded, low and strangely, "Jane?" "Yes, Bill." In the dark, her hand touched his arm. He caught both her hands, crushing them with his own, and drew one and the other hungrily to his lips. "Sister," he said, composed, com-posed, yet eager, "can you find a chair, In the dark, for Miss Van Tambel?" With the nurse gliding out of the room, Jane's hands crept over his shoulders, around his neck, and as his arms -enfolded her, their lips met. "I didn't want you to hear that I was in trouble till we' knew more about it. How did you find out I was here, Jane?" "Jake Spotts, Bill. I never dreamed of such a thing," she said tremulously. "He told me the ranch house was burned last night. Oh, Bill !" "I think maybe my eyes will be all right in a couple of days. Ben Page has been working for me for a while. He got hold of Bob Scott to bring me in to see Doc Carpy and the doctor sent me here." He felt her warm tears against his cheek. He kissed them .-.way from her eyes. "Don't cry ! There's nothing noth-ing to cry over. I'll be all right when my eyes get better. Doctor says that won't be long. I wish you hadn't heard of It." "I wish you'd never heard of me, Bill. To think of It, that I should have been the cause of starting all j this trouble. Oh, why couldn't I have stayed home that dreadful day Instead of riding Into danger? I'll ! never, never forgive myself. And I'm ashamed to say It, Bill, but the real reason I rode up there was because be-cause I was just hungry for a sight of you." Denison only laughed. "Don't think you're the only one that was hungry for a sight. If I hadn't been scouting around the Knob trail where I knew yon liked so much to ride, I'd never have caught sight of you. What then? Why, Jane, If yon were burning in a fire, why shouldn't I jump In after you? What would be left for me?" "Do your eyes hurt terribly, Bill?" "Not when you're here, Jane." "Oh, I know better. I know they do. And I can do nothing to help I" He made light of her worry. There were more furtive tears, more earnest prayers, more submission sub-mission from Jane. More happy laughs, more ardent embraces, more carefree cheer from Denison. "Why, Bill," she protested at length, "one would think there was nothing the matter with you. And 1 am frightened to death." "I was frightened to death myself my-self till you came. It's not much fun sitting alone here In the dark. What frightens me most is the thought that if the worst should come, I'd lose you." "You can never lose me, Bill. Remember Re-member that." "Yes, but a blind man!" he exclaimed ex-claimed desperately. "Jane, I never could ask you to marry me blind" "There's only one way to keep me from marrying that good-for-nothing Bill Denison that's to kill me and make me Into dust even then, I'd tremble under his feet. I would just to annoy him." Her tongue was light and happy when she said good-by, but her heart was dread with fear. She rode straight to Carpy's office; luckily luck-ily she found him In. "Doctor! I'm so worried about Mr. Denison" "So am I." "You know what happened?" "Said he got trapped in the ranch-house ranch-house fire." "Yes, but It was trying to save my life when his eyes first got hurt." "Never said a blamed word about that." "I was np on Gunlock Knob, and he rode up to got me through the Cre. "Doctor," she asked, unsteadily, "can't you save his eyes?" "Jane, my girl, give me another two weeks. If I thought anybody, anywhere, would do anything more than I'm doing, I'd put him on the cars tonight. It's time, Jane, time." If Jane expected to get much Information In-formation about the Denison fire at home, she was disappointed. When she reported It to her father, he was silent professing still to feel outraged out-raged at her Insubordination. Mc-Crossen Mc-Crossen was more communicative, even sympathetic; but he knew little lit-tle about the fire. (TO BE COSTIXIED) ;HAPTER Vlil-Contlnued - part ot what he's done ':J"lU's stole my cattle be-.Crossen be-.Crossen is the only man Mrtd by "e through thiols ;hi; McCrossen's the right ''TOll. You can get mar ,v,,or'row If yon want to." .';j(en't the slightest Idea of .', parried tomorrow, father. jir. McCrossen were the left, 1 certainly should tarry- There's not a straight j, his head-" jnci3 like that skunk Deni-, Deni-, nen BlUng your ears for : Denlson's barely ever men- j McCrossen's name to me." fU Seep away from Denison don't forget that." --e flioclied inwardly but spoke sdJ clearly: "I cau't promise father." If not?" .; jon't think It's right," .;3't I your father?" j't a parent a-goln' to be J!" ,i be Is reasonable. I'm not a : father." . ;. ;rew furious. "I don't give a : ivhat you are, you're not is take up with any enemy of , V you might Just as well ; It now and I'll see that you i Tambel. quitting the house, sith UeCrcssen, over the hills A the day before, to deter-.: deter-.: what further measures should ilfo to Insure safety for the i buildings. The two men halt- the foot of Gunlock Knob, s lot of good timber gone in that Van," muttered McCrossen. j Tambel was silent for a mo-"The mo-"The ranch ain't worth as : as it was yesterday, that's ' ' he said at last Then after ' .: panse: "I wouldn't mind I limber if the damned fire had : id till It cleaned out Denison." :a were looking down on the oar's ranch. hl was rid of that fellow." : Tambel's words fairly grated i his harsh throat. "Why J't that blamed fire have -fl out his' buildings yester- Dj-ns a close scratch. If the : tad shifted" '' -rays blows the wrong way for j Hon'tmlnd losing the timber, j, - W caught him, I'd" He ill (i himself suddenly. "Look a he Jerked, why can't we help along next night there's a Must give things a start down rci -I '( JH d'yoo mean? Burn him jj not?' i '-'"ssen took the cigarette i -Ms mouth but said nothing. J sputtered Van Tambel. v don't you talk?" ;,a't fancy that kind of a Job." 0 ;?n shifted moodily In his ' "Bill Denison and I have " differences-plenty of 'em. I expect to Iron 'em out But It'll be done In day- :!mh sneered. "Look out , ,J8et you and the girl both." l7n 0rdscame reluctant-:' reluctant-:' to Barney Rebstock. sj -lire to pay him welL" - 'Tan Tambel came back hospital, he reopened his " s,eepy Cat. til you said the old devil 'f en." complained Par- -,Dr' Carpy. I lav!?8, laconic- "He can't-P can't-P ' vL J, rack "P sudden." 'S.TajnbeI kept jane s 03 r blS eye that sh d Te volunteer S' V JT clng for ;? 2 Jane' lowing the agreement with Par- 1 'Cd Lmuch beer and ' ro 1 ? Prvlded, plus We with Pardaloe. W lald t0 Par'laloe, when S '' if straigntened S?2.V wlth ' I' ire away, frJ 'so? my faier hate Bill tt thi"!'6'1 uneaslly. "You 5 i Uth. Miss Jane." A ;fll1e, Bi1!,0r ot. I want rht for " at the H nfl ,,ice- EI'" beat m l!3 to sell off his cows to ge money to fight nd pay awyers. 'Fore he got through, the ;' imd to sell everything to keep his end ii)." etp "It was tough," assented Jane grimly. ner cyes were mf and her lips compressed, as If to shut out unpleasant details Pardaloe warmed to his story "If It w.i'n't you, Hiss Jane nn. ' own dad. I'd call a man that'd act hat way-well, wonder to me Is 1,111 never Pissed him. NoW don't cry; I told you you wouldn't like Jane shook her head and brushed the tears from her eyes with a gesture of defiance. "Don't mind a little shower. Kill. You've told me what I asked for the truth Xow I want to tell you something But please keep my secret will you, BUI?" "Shoot," was all he said. Swiftly she told him of her first meeting with Denison, and of their rides together. She described how he had saved her life and how afterward her father had ridden over to the Denison ranch with Dave McCrossen, created a scene and forbade her ever again to see Denison. "I'm watched now like a two-year-old child," she concluded, "and I'm rebellious!" Pardaloe looked at her apprals-ingly. apprals-ingly. He observed the animation of her mnnner and the flash of her eye; he listened to the rapid flow of her words and the spirited way in which be spoke them. The old frontiersman looked at her as an artist might look on a flower; he could see, but couldn't quite understand, un-derstand, all that was hidden within with-in It, "I wish," said Jane, musing, almost al-most as much to herself as to Pardloe, "I knew Just what to do." "Do nothin'," suggested Pardaloe. Jane bridled. "Do nothing I That isn't very pleasant to think about." "You've got to realize your circumstances," cir-cumstances," he returned. "In the mess you're In all around out there, It's best for you to sit tight 'n' do nothin". You don't know it, but you're settin' on a box of dynamite." dyna-mite." "Do you expect me to act as peacemaker, Bill?" "I didn't say that 'twouldn't be no sort of use. There'll be peace there when bobcats go back on Jack rabbits." "Well," sighed Jane, reluctant, "you know best, Mr. Pardaloe " "Bill." "You know best. Bill. I may want to talk to you aguln." "Any time, honey." Riding home with her father, who rode slowly, she had plenty of time to think. And her thoughts were sober-hued. McCrossen was a thorn In her side. To meet him every day and be halfway pleasant was a dally strain. He tried to make up to her. "I got off on the wrong foot with yon, Jane," he said one day. The two were standing near the ranch-house ranch-house door, in the sunshine. "1 know that, all right. All I can say ia, if there's anythin- I can do to square myself, I'm ready to do It whenever you say the word. Is that fair?" Jane was looking up at the mountains. moun-tains. She answered without rancor; ran-cor; a mild manner must be her cue now. A week passed. Van Tambel lay in bed. He had to send Jane to Medicine Bend to attend to some bank business there. To keep her under surveillance. Van Tambel ordered or-dered McCrossen to ride to Sleepy Cat with her. When Jane heard of the arrangements she flatly refused to go. "What's a-matter with you; you damned cantankerous thing!" demanded de-manded her father huskily. 'Aint my foreman good enough for you to ride with?" Jane's features set I wont ride with him," she declared crisply. "Why not?" thundered her lather, la-ther, ' rising in bed. Jane drew herself up the least bit. Her father's rudeness stiffened stiff-ened her attitude. yV know the real reason, I don t : want him trying to kiss me on the way home after he's had too man, drinks in the Red Front saloon won't ride with him. If he goes, I '"Sally Bull Pase was assigned to escort the wayward Jane and the two set off for town. Jane was most Interested to get " from Bull Page about bJ Bull had neither seen 7 hearrde ' aim since the Cun lock Knob In Medicine Bend, Jane ex a note, drew some ; nioney paid he hospital bills, and waited "Some Day I Expect to Iron 'Em Out With Him." more damage to the range not to speak of losin' the best man we had in Sleepy Cat and crlpplin' up the best man we had In the hills." "Who was that, JakeJ" "Why, Bill Denison." Jane started visibly. "Bill Denison?" Den-ison?" she echoed In consternation. "What do you mean?" 'Well, you know he's in the hospital." hos-pital." "I know nothing of the kind," exclaimed ex-claimed Jane sharply. She stood white as a sheet "What has happened? hap-pened? Tell mel" "Why, didn't you know his eyes is gone to hell?" "What do you mean? What has happened? Tell mel" Spotts started violently out of his torpor as he saw with amazement amaze-ment the effect of his news on his visitor. "Why, Doc. Carpy says that his eyes got burned some gettin' through that Gunlock Knob fire. Then some son" 'Jake checked himself. "Somebody set his ranch house aflre last night and nearly burned him up. Ask Carpy; he'll tell you." She hurried to the hotel. The doctor was out on a call. Jane hurried to McAlpin's barn, where she had left her pony, and rode straight up the hill to the hospital. CHAPTER IX fclITHERE Is he, Sister?" W "His room Is on the second sec-ond floor-218. Shall I show you the way?" "If you please. Sister. I learned only a moment ago that he was here I've heard of this dreadful ranch-house fire only this minute. Did he tell you how It happened. Sister?" "He has hardly spoken since they brought him n. But Mr. Scott said It was getting out of the burning ranch house." -Do you think there Is any chance t0 save his sight? Oh Sister, can vou imagine how I feel? ' -Dear heart. I do know how yon feel. Of course I don't know a thing about the case, except that Dr. Carry as given very strict orders his care " She was too con-aerate con-aerate to tell how worried she Siueriuc rnure h S KlT fS eS are room is daik A go SSsiysbeensok,(1to U3r.rnu"lMdTherh'ncion ITU of the door. "Shn.II. sTster opened the door (.-1 rooming, Mr. Pennon Good mornms. Siut. |