Heppner herald., March 20, 1923, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3

T
Tuesday, March 20, 1923
THE HEPPNER HERALD, HEPPNER, OREGON
PAGE THREE
T IS DIFFICULT
to imagine any
thing more fasci
nating than our
new serial story
By
SidRsy Cowing
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I. Disliking the prospect of
month's visit to her austere aunt, Lady
Krythea Lambe, at Jervaulx abbey, and
her cousin, Alexander Lan.be, Aimee, vi
vacious daughter of the Very Reverend
Viscount Scroope, Is In a rebellious mood.
CHAPTER II. She wanders Into the
park, there encountering a strange youth
in trouble with a motorcycle. He laugh
ingly introduces himself as "Billy," Amer
ican. The two cement the acquaintance
by a ride on the motorcycle, the, "Flying
Sphinx," and part. With Georglna Ber
bers, her cousin, Aimee sets out for Jer
vaulx. On the way she decides that Geor
gina shall impersonate her at Jervaulx,
while she goes on a holiday. Georgina's
horrified protest Is unavailing.
CHAPTER III. Happy In her new free
dom, Aimee again meets "Billy." He tells
her his name is Spencer, and she gives
hers as Amy Snooks, at preseat "out of a
Job." Billy offers to take her into part
nership in selling the Sphinx. In a spirit
of madcap adventure, she accepts. The
two proceed to the town of Stanhoe, tak
ing separate lodgings in Ivy cottage.
CHAPTER IV. That night Aimee visits
Georglna and learns that the deception
has not been discovered. By her dominant
personality she compels Georgina to con
tinue the subterfuge.
CHAPTER V.-On a trial spin next day
on the Sphinx, with Billy, Aimee almost
collides with a carriage in which are her
aunt, Georglna and Alexander. The pair
scape unrecognized.
CHAPTER VT. Georglna learns that
lxrd Scroope is coming to visit Lady Ery
thea and, realizing what will happen on
his arrival, is In hopeless bewilderment
CHAPTER Vll.-Whlle Aimee is secretly
visiting Georglna at Jervaulx, the place is
burglarized. Aimee escapes.
CHAPTER VIII.-Georgina learns, with
much relief, that Aimee has got away,
CHAPTER IX. Police Inspector Panke
-decides that the robbery Is the work of
"Jack the Climber" and "Calamity Kate,"
noted thieves, who travel on a motorcy
cle. CHAPTER X.-Bllly, aware of his
'"partner's" nocturnal jaunts, is troubled.
He follows her, on the Sphinx, to Jer
vaulx. He hears the commotion, at once
suspects burglary, and follows two figures
on a motorcycle who are apparently In a
dosperate hurry. Cornering the pair, Billy
knocks out a man who attempts to shoot
him, picking up a package the fellow had
dropped. He discovers the other fugitive
to be a woman. Stopping to aid her, she
strikes him with a stone, rendering him
unconscious, and the pair escape.
CHAPTER XL-Recovering, Billy dis
covers the package he had picked up is a
Jewel case, containing emeralds. Realiz
ing they must be part of the loot from
Jervaulx, he starts for the abbey. On the
way he meets Aimee, with the police in
pursuit. In a secure hiding place, a cave
among the era? pits, Aimee tells him the
whole story. He urges that she make a
frank confession to her father, but on re
flection both realize Aimee's good name
has been compromised by her two nights'
fiULV at Ivv cnttacrw
CHAPTER XII. Assuring Aimee he
has a plan to save her, Billy leaves her In
the cave and, proceeding to Jervaulx, re
stores the emeralds to the astounded
Lady Erythea.
CHAPTER XIII. Rejecting any re
ward, after explaining how the emeralds
came Into his possession, Billy accepts the
position of chauffeur to Lady Erythea,
seeing in the situation a promise of a way
out of the embroglio.
CHAPTER XIV.-Reallzlng what her
father's visit to Jervaulx would mean,
Aimee goes secretly to her home, disables
the family auto, thus preventing his jour
ney, and induces a parlormaid to let her
take her place at Jervaulx.
CHAPTER XV. Alexander recognizes
Aimee as the woman on the motorcycle
which ran Into the Lambe carriage, de
bouncing her as "Calamity Kate." Geor
eina divulges Aimee's identity. Hearing
her story, Alexander consents to keep the
secret.
CHAPTER XVI. Alexander finds him
self very much in love with Georgina.
CHAPTER XVII The approaching vis
it of Alexander's sister, Lady Diana (who,
of course, knows Aimee) brings conster
nation to the two girls.
CHAPTER XVIII. Another visitor to
Jervaulx is the Vlcomte de Jussac, Di
ana's suitor. Diana recognizes Aimee and
threatens to denounce her.
CHAPTER XIX. Interested In the
Umtn collection of armor, De Jussac,
during the night, tries on a suit. Diana,
investigating an alleged ghostly appari
tion, meets him. He declares his love,
and is accepted. Aimee finds them to
gether and binds Diana to secrecy con
cerning her affairs.
CHAPTER XX Alexander and Geor
glna become engaged. Lady Erythea. be
lieving Georgina to be Lord Scroope's
daughter, is delighted.
CHAPTER XXI. Billy and Aimee reach
an understanding as to their mutual love.
CHAPTER XXII. -A Scotland Yard of
ficial arrives and demands to see Billy.
Aimee overhears hirn. Learning Billy's
whereabouts, the officer goes after him.
CHAPTER XXtll
Jack the Climber.
Mr. William Spencer, after arriving
In the fallow-field wliere stooii the
clump of bushes that hid the broken
Indian motorcycle, mode a rapid sur
vey of the situation. He resumed his
task of quartering the ground for
tracks.
This, being unfruitful, occupied but
a little time. He gave It up and went
forward strain, dipping down Into the
crag-pits beyond.
Billy had formed npon the factors
already In his possession a theory
which appealed to him strongly. He
hoped to prove It. But the hope was
very slender.
First Kid "Sure,' Charlie Chap
lin's coin' to heaven when he dies."
s-cnnrl Ditto "Gee! Pretty solf
for 9t. Peter." New York World.
An authority on the fuel situation
rfplarea that we must "learn to eke
out by burning oil. gas, electricity
-haf not " We are glad re men
tioned the whatnot.. Mary, hand us
I
Tie
"If I'd only got wise to this two
days ago," he said gloomily, "I might
have done something. Hut there's no
saying how old the tracks are. And
tl:vs so little rime."
He looked about him thoughtfully.
The urn of the crag-pits covered
some twenty acres ; a wide bottom of
red sund studded here and there '
with tangled bushes. The place was
shut In by low red bluffs of coruline
crag, with a few gups in them through
which winding paths sloped up to the
higher ground.
"The soil tells nie nothing," said
Billy to himself; "too loose and wind
blown to hold a trail more than two
days. But there's five maybe six
caves, most of them too plain and
easy anybody can see 'em. Still, I'll
go over them. My own first. I guess
there's nobody could have found that."
He wound his way through the
bushes to the screen of brambles that
masked the cave where Aimee had
taken refuge on the night of the bur
glary, and after scanning the ground
near its approaches, pushed the briars
aside and entered cautiously. The
cave was empty save for that super-
motorcycle, the Flying Sphinx, which
stood waiting In patient dumbness at
the far end, weeping slow tears of oil
Into a little pool beneath the silencer.
Billy laid a hand upon hla Arab
steed, and sighed. Then his face
brightened amazingly.
"Your time'U come again and
mighty soon!" he said with affection.
He turned, and left the cave. It was
holy ground to him now; for one
night it had been Aimee's refuge.
He passed farther along the pits,
Inspecting a second and much more
obvious cave on his way. He was just
about to emerge from It when some
thing caught Billy's eye, on the far
side of the pits. He shrank back
quickly into the cave's mouth und flat
tened himself against the wall, watch
ing. The object which gave him pause
was very small, and fully four hun
dred yards distant. But It showed
against the sky-line and to the eye of
a frontiersman anything that cuts the
sky-line, and that moves ever bo little,
Is at once apparent. What Billy saw
was the upper part of a head, peering
over the edge of the little cliff on the
opposite side.
A. pair of shoulders followed the
head, and their owner wag obviously
watching the pit with a desire to dis
cover whether the coast was clear.
There was a curious furtlveness about
the figure that presently appeared,
and dropping down the cliff by a steep
path reached the lower ground and
crossed it at a run.
Billy crept from the gloom of the
cave's mouth and, crouching behind
the briar bushes, peered through them
The Running Figure Was a Woman.
eagerly. The running figure was a
woman a small woman clad In a
khaki-colored dust-cloak, carrying a
little red bundle. She ran with a
stooping gait, bending low as she
threaded between the bushes. She
reached a point against the cliff on
Billy's side, three hundred yards fur
ther along, close by a tangle of under
growth. There she halted, and, look
ing round her quickly, disappeared
with extreme suddenness.
"Great Christopher !" said Billy.
He rose to his knees, staring at th
place where she had vanished. His
eyes were bright, his face had lit up.
"I was right," he said In a hushed
tone. "But, geel I never thought ol
this."
He rose, as If to follow, but on sec
ond thoughts subsided again and
waited, lie remained there fully ten
mjnutes, when the figure reappeared,
and hurried along the pit bottom In
his direction.
Billy wormed himself hurriedly un
der the tangled briars at some cost tc
his skin. The woman passed him
wltuln seventy yards, walking rapidly.
She was no longer carrying the bundle
When she had passed, Billy peeped
after her. Though he could not set
her face, he had not the slightest
doubt who she was. She disappeared
round the bend of the pits.
Billy extricated himself cautlouslj
from the bush and waited for aomt
time on his knees, staring In the dl
rectlon the bad taken. There wai
nothing more to be wen of ber. Then
. aprlnglng to his feet he sprinted tf
. the spot where ahe had first vanished
wl'h the bundle.
The bushes partially cloaked th
mouth of one of the many crag caves
the entrance was not difficult to tint
when one was close to It. Billy walke
In without hesitation. He found pre
pi.iv vhst he expected.
BUI
On the floor of the cave, stretched
upon a couch of dry bracken, lay a
man. He was not a spectacle which
in any way gladdened the eye.
He was big and lusty of limb; what
little could be seen of his face through
a week's growth of brown stubble was
haggard. His beak of a nose jutted
between two fierce deep-sunk eyes. One
of his legs was extended, and swathed
from foot to knee in dripping-wet cal
ico bandages that looked as if they
had been ripped from a woman's gar
ment. Billy found himself looking down
the muzzle of u small repeating pistol,
held In a hairy but very steady fist.
"Stop right w here you are," said the
occupant of the cave, reclining on one
elbow. "Don't move a step forward,
nor yet a step .buck, tiet me?"
Billy stopped obediently, lie cal
culated the distance between them to
be a dozen feet; there was no likeli
hood of capturing the pistol before I
the bullet struck him. The eyes of
the man showed that he meant busi
ness. He was In fact, less like a man
than a crippled wolf.
"Jack the Climber," said Billy
blandly, "I am pleased to meet you.
I've been looking for you quite a
while."
"Don't give me that fool name!"
snarled the caveman. '"My name Is
Jake."
"Anything to oblige. Mr. Jake,
there's the little matter of the Jer
vaulx burglary against you, among
others."
"What are you glvin' me!" retorted
Jake.
"The bluff doesn't go," said Billy.
"Your motorcycle's yonder In the
clay pit. All the cards are out."
The man's face twitched.
"Are you the police?"
"No," said Billy.
Jake stared at the tall form In front
of him, and emitted a startled oath.
"I b'lleve you're the guy that
slugged me, last Saturday night," he
said.
"Quite correct."
"You're on your own, eh?" Jake's
head craned forward, his eyes on
Billy's face. "And alone, I guess!"
"Do you take me for a fool?" said
Billy calmly.
The man shivered. The expression
In his eyes was dreadful.
"See here !" he said sullenly.
"You've got me set. I can't move.
I'm up against It. I know they'll pull
me. Well, I'll take my dose. I'll
throw my hand In!"
"Wise of you."
"But," snld Jake with devilish fe
rocity, "I've got you, too." He raised
one knee, and rested his pistol hand
on It. "If I give up to you, there's
somethln' I'm goln' to have you do
first. You'll take my terms an' do
what I ask or I'll drop you, right
there and now."
There was not the faintest doubt
but that he meant what he said. A
glance into his eyes told the listener
that.
"Nothing doing," snld Billy quietly.
"I don't take orders from n malefac
tor. Least of all at the point of a
gun."
"Then," snld Juke thickly, "you're
cold meat. I guess It's the best way.
It gives me n chance yet."
"They don't electrocute In this
country," said Hilly, "they hang. But
they do It very efficiently. You can
shoot me In the back though, if you
want to. I'm going to see about your
exit."
He turned deliberately and walked
to the mouth of the cave. Jake's
finger trembled on the trigger.
"Come back !" he said hoarsely.
There was something so broken and
piteous In the tone, that Billy turned
his head. Jake' flung the pistol
toward him ; it fell on the sand at
Billy's feet, and he picked It up.
"I can't get you with a gun,"
gasped Jake, "but listen to what I got
to say, If you're a man ! For God's
sake, listen I"
And Billy listened.
Some minutes later Billy stepped
out of the cave Into the sunlight. He
was looking unusually grave, his lips
were tight set ; his eyes were posi
tively hurried. lie walked a few
steps, muttering to himself. He
started as a voice called him excited
ly by name, and he was aware of
Monsieur de Jussac running toward
him.
"Spencer!" he cried. "I have been
looking for you everywhere. Where
the devil have you been? The police
have Inquired for you at the abbey,
and I think they are not far behind.
I thought It well to come and warn
you."
"The police?"
Bertrand turned round sharply. He
permitted himself a military expres
sion thut would not pass the censor.
"And here they are!" he said, with
a gesture of despair.
The helmet of Constable Poison ap
peared on the brink of the opposite
cliff, about the same time ag Panke's
peaked cap obtruded Itself over the
one behind them, and the felt hat of
Inspector Arkwrlght hove In sight
among the bramble bushea below. In
a very short time all three men were
In the pit, closing strategically upon
Billy and Bertrand.
"I don't think," murmured Billy,
"that I ever knew polloetrren arrive
0 so what's the word?"
"A propoa." aald the Vlcomte grimly,
twisting bis mustache.
Thanks. That's It."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Thanks again, but I think not.
We'll see how they piny the hand."
"That's him the young one!" ex
claimed Panke, as the three ap
proached. Inspector Arkwrlght walked
up to Billy, and addressed him by
name.
"William Spencer"
"That same bird," replied Billy
pleasantly.
"And an admirable chauffeur," mur
mured de Jussac. "Ue drives like the
Angel of Death."
Arkwrlght's cold gray eye swiveled
upon tiie speaker.
"Who are you, and what are you
doing here';"
"The Vlcomte de Jussac, at your
service. A guest at the abbey. Know
ing Spencer was here, I came to in
form him he was wanted."
"Oh. All l-i-hi, sir. He's certainly
warned." The inspector turned to
Billy, "(.'.mho along, my lad. We are
overdue at Stanhoe police station."
1
l! ;
I mean I'm arrested?"
dor looked at him search-
Th
ingly.
"Hint will depend on circumstances.
Have j 011 any ubjieiiou to accompa
nying Ino';''
"I've no objection to anything. This
Is my al'miioou oif. Uut may I tiike
it you niv looking for the enterprising
fellow who burgled the abbey?"
"1 include that among my activi
ties." said Arkwright sardonically.
"Then this is your lucky day. He's
In the cave there."
"In the cave?" said Arkwrlght,
staring.
"If you'll step this way," said Billy,
"I'll show you."
He turned toward the bushes. Ark
wrlght, after a moment's hesitation,
accompanied him, and motioned to
Inspector Panke to follow. Bertrand
brought up the rear. Billy led them
Into the cave.
Jake, prostrate on his couch of
bracken, greeted them with a sullen
state. Inspector Arkwrlght looked at
him at the bandaged leg, the stubble
covered face, and deep-set eyes. The
handkerchief with the broken food
was no longer visible.
"Tlint's your man," said Billy,
"known to the popular press as Jack
the Climber j but I gather he prefers
to be called Jake I think we ought
to humor him so far. His niotor-
"See If He's Shamming," Said Ark
wrlght. cycle Is In the clay pit up the slope.
His leg Is rather badly hurt."
"See if he's shamming," said Ark
wrlght briefly to Panke,
"Do I look as If I was shamming,
you gazaboo!" growled Jake.
He certainly did not. Inspector
Arkwrlght put a question to him,
which Jake did not answer; nor did
he look at the Inspector his eyes
were fixed on Billy. Not a word of
reply would the captive vouchsafe to
any of Arkwrlght's queries. Billy
took the Vlcomte by the arm, led him
outside, nnd drew a long breath.
"(Jot a cigarette?" he said anx
iously "I gave my list one to Jake."
Bertrand produced his case.
"But what a triumph I" he said with
a dazed air.
"It's not the sort I enjoy," replied
Billy, "but I had to see It through."
The two lnsrectors emerged.
"Panke," said Arkwrlght, "there's a
gate In the field-fence Just up there,
I think. Will you and Poison lift It
off Its hihges and bring it here? We
must get the man out; he can't walk."
He turned abruptly to Billy. "And
now will you explain, Mr. Spencer?"
"Sure," said Billy. "I believe you
know it was I who came across the
thieves on the night of the holdup,
and got knocked out. It seems to
have been taken for granted the pair
of them made a get-away on their ma
chine, nnd likely were half across
England by morning. I wasn't so sure.
The case was Important for me, too,
for It looned as If I was going to be
suspected.
"I happened to come across some
tracks of a cycle tire on the Held
here; they were old und faint, but
they set me thinking. I wish I'd struck
them before. I'm used to following
trails had a lot of experience In It.
Went to the place where the argu
ment happened, up the lane, and made
out thut the motorcycle, after the
scrap, came back along the road yon
der. The tracks are there yet If
you've eyes to see them. I guem the
i machine was half-crippled, and they
, were driving It too hard. I made out
, that It crashed again a bad crash
j thut time. Do you follow nie7"
j "Yes," said the amard Ark right.
"but tow "
"Here's a piece of the machine
found It on the road," said Billy,
handing him the scrap of metal. "The
tracks didn't go on. So what becnme
of the machine? I found the tire
marks passing through u guteway Into
the field.
"What did that say? Thnt they
could wheel the machine, though they
couldn't drive It. Engine dona tip.
What would they do with it? Hide It,
so nobody would know they didn't get
clear away. You'll find the machine,
a twin Indian, over in the old clay pit,
under some brushwood.
"What did the two of them do then?
You can see by the tracks in the field
that one of them was dead lame. So
lame that he had to be carried or
dragged, half of the way. It must
have taken quite a while. They
couldn't be far off, and, to cut It short,
I searched the pits through and found
Jake where he Is. I didn't get wise
to it till now. He's got u leg so badly
sprained that n compound fracture
wouldn't have laid him up much more
thoroughly. And here you are, In
spector, just in the nick of time, as
the story-books say. Of course,"
ndded Billy, "you'd have found it out
yourself as soon us you got to work.
I happened to be on the spot, that's
all. And I shall be obliged if you'll
say nothing about my share in it, at
headquarters. Tlilef-cutching isn't
really In my line I'm u motor-engineer,
and It might do me harm to
have It known I was wasting time on
things that aren't my business."
Inspector Arkwrlght gazed at Billy
dumbly. Arkwrlght was not a nmn.of
ungenerous Instincts.
"I call that u very remarkable
piece of work for an amateur," he
said ungrudgingly.
"I suppose I've set your mind at
rest, that I'd nothing to do with the
burglary myself? You're not aching
to haul me off to the stntlon house
any more? Or are you?"
Inspector Arkwrlght regarded Billy
thoughtfully.
"No," he replied quietly, "but there
are one or two points that have to be
cleared up yet."
Hilly took some papers from a pock
etbook and humled them to Ark
wrlght. "If you wnnt Information as to my
Identity," he said, "you might look
through those."
The Inspector did so. His usunlly
Immobile face gave a twitch of sur
prise. v
"Thank you. I'll keep these for the
present," he snld, with a change of
manner. "I will have a word wdth
you at the abbey, Mr. Spencer, when
this business Is off my hands."
"I'll be there," said Billy, with an
lnwnrd twinge of anxiety.
Panke and the constable arrived,
carrying a gate between them, which
was taken Into the cave. The pros
trate Jake was lifted onto It, and
borne out Into the open.
"Walt! Set him down," said Ark
wrlght suddenly. "He's safe, any
how. We've got to get the other one."
He turned to Billy. "You've seen
nothing of her the woman?"
Billy gave 111 id a stare of undis
guised amazement.
"The woman?" ho exclaimed.
Jake threw away the stub of his
cigarette.
"Yes Calamity Kate!" said Ark
wrlght impatiently. 'Good Lord, man,
enn't you see she must be somewhere
hero, too? She's been bringing him
food nnd wnter, nnd tending his leg
how else could he have lived there six
days when he can't move?"
"Great Chilslopher !" said Billy. "I
suppose you're right."
"The prisoner refuses any Informa
tion. But I'll have the pair of them,"
said Arkwrlght grimly. "I "
"I suggest," broke In Panke, who
was chaling at being thrust Into a sub
ordinate part, "that we get this
man away as soon as possible, and
that two of us wait In the cave. The
woman probably visits It only at night,
and the next time she comes with sup
plies, we shall get her."
"The weak point about that," re
plied Arkwrlght patronizingly, "Is that
It's not certuln she only comes at
night; this Is a lonely place, and It
won't surprise me If she Is close by.
She may have observed us already.
We'll search these pits thoroughly
first. There are half a dozen of these
caves, und we'll go through them all.
Mr. Spencer, I'll trouble you to romnln
by the prisoner. Panke, you and the
constable try that cave opposite, and
I'll take this side."
Inspector Arkwrlght strode forward
with stern determination.
"The bug Is not complete," he said
grimly, "till I've got that woman 1"
CHAPTER XXIV
"8lter Under Their Skins."
Aimee came as near to sheer panic
as she had ever been yet when, after
overhearing from hep coign of van
tage In the second floor window the
questions of the police, she saw them
start for the crag pits.
The only bright feature of the situ
ation, though not dnzzllngly bright,
was that de Jussac wus ulready on
hla way, In the same direction. She
had seen him go, und guessed his
errand, Bertrand, at least, was an
ally.
"I'd rather they got me than Hilly I"
ahe said with a little sob.
The one obvious and reasonable
thing for Aimee to do, wag to remain
where she was. To lie low, like Brer
Rabbit, and take no part In the com
ing crisis. A a natural consequence,
It waa precisely the thing which her
mind refused to entertain. If Billy
was going to rmwt trouble, she deter
mined to be on the spot. There was
no knowing to what lengths he might
go. In hla passion for aelf-sacrlfice.
Ten minutes later Aimee was In the
bushy dip of ground lending Into the
crag pits. The police were well ahead
of her, converging round the far end.
Aimee had taken some trouble to avoid
trolng seen by them. At the moment
ahe could not see them at all, and
took It for grunted they could not see
her either.
Bending low and running between
the bushes, Aimee made for the enJ
trance of the Sphinx's cave. It
seemed to her that must be where
Billy had gone. On arriving at tha
mouth, however, she discovered her
mistake. Through a gap in the brush
wood she caught sight of Billy a con
siderable distance farther along tha
pits. And with him wus de Jussac.
The police arrived ulmost immedi
ately afterward. Aimee, crouching be
hind the bushes, watched the meeting.
Her throat felt dry and hot, her
hands opened and shut nervously.
She hesitated, uncertain what to do.
Would Billy "get away with it?" A
gleam of hope and confidence re
turned. Billy hud a wonderful knack
of getting away with things.
She saw the party disappear Into
the cave nearest then'.; she witnessed
the emergence of Billy, and wus aware
of a certain relief of tension when
the police returned and spoke with
him. Finally, wondering as she
watched, Aimee observed the arrival
of the gate saw the prostrate body
of Jake carried Into the open. Tha
distance was considerable. But tha
significance of that pathetic figure on
the gate came home to her. Ainrea
was not slow of comprehension. She
began to realize the meaning of It all.
The police had what they wunted.
The captive could be no other than
Jack the Climber himself. Billy had
"got away with It" with a vengeance.
Aimee was staring dumbly ut tha
group, when she heard a faint animal
like noise close beside her. She turned
sharply, "to find thut she wus not
alone.
A woman, In a stained and ragged
dust-cloak, was crouching behind the
screen of brambles u few yards away.
She was young, nnd not ill-looking,
save for the deathly pallor of her face
and the disorder of her hnlr. Indeed,
there whs a wild glpsylsh beuuty
about hvr, that survived even tha
hunted expression In her eyes.
She was staring through the bushes
at the distant group.
"They got hhn I" she suld In a
strangled whisper. She huddled her
self together trembling.
"An' they'll get mo, too. Let 'em.
No good my runnln' for It.
"I dunno who you are I" she mut-
f warn rJl
"Are You Qoln' to Gimme, Away?"
tered. "What you doln' here? Are
you goln' to gimme nway?"
Aimee did not move. Her heart
beat fast. But there was no menace,
In the woman's eyes; only un expres
sion ho broken nnd piteous that some
how n lump mine Into Aimee's throut.
She had not the faintest doubt who
this hunted woman was.
"You hiiow who I am," tho woman
said thickly ; "I can see It In your
face." She came a step nearer. "Are
you goln' to cull out?"
Aimee did not answer thnt question.
"Is he much hurt?" she Raid quietly, '
looking towards the distant group
round the man on the gate. '
"Hurt?" said Calamity Kuto. "H
smashed himself days ugo, It was."
She hud subsided on the sand, and 1
embraced her knees with her arms,
staring before her with unseeing eyed.
"I got him down here. Tried to help
him along couldn't wulk. Then I
hail to carry him."
"You!" said Aimee, looking wonder
Ingly at the girl's slight figure.
"Yes, me. It took me hours. Cur
ried li I in on me buck somehow.
When It came daylight, I found the
cave. Got him In. I ripped up me
skirt to bandage him. I stole food for
him, nights. In two or three duyu
more I guess ho'd have been able to
get away. Now they've got him, an'
they'll have me."
She rocked herself gently to and
fro.
"It'll be h I for Juke!" she said
thickly. "To know they've got me I"
She looked at Aimee. "If I could go
with him If they'd put ui both In tha
same Jug I wouldn't care. But they
don't do thut."
She gave a great sob.
"I'd give me life to get him out of
It But he's done, and he'll know
they've got me. It'll ba h I for hlra,
My man!"
An unreasoning flood of tears cama
Into Aimee's eyes. She looked once
more toward! the group. The police
were spreading out acroaa tha pita,
moving In her direction.
"My man !" sobbed Kate.
"You love hlrnT suld Aline halt
ingly. "He's my husband I" said the wom
an. She flung herself face down
wards on the mind, and wept.
( Continued next week)
the ax. Boston. Transcript.