tcniicus, eyeing him strangely.
"I don't bcllevo It!" the old man
ccrcamed, aghast. "I won't believe It.
You're lying to me. you jade! You're
lying?"
"I am not, "the. broke In coldly. "I
am telling yon tho plain truth ...
They followed ua all morning In that
red racer, flrlng at us all tho -while.
Finally they caught up with ua here,
?bout noon ? came up this road ?hoot
ing over tbo windshield, it was our
Uvea or theirs. We turned tho hydrau
lic stream on them and washed the car
over ths cliff. If you don't botlove
me, get somebody to show you their
faces."
She Indicated with a gesture two
ronns that lay at a little distance
back from the roadside, motionless
beneath a sheet of canvas? the bodies
of Xrlne's creatures, recovered by tho
-mining gn-ng and brought up tor a
Christian burlap : ?
But Trine required no more confirm
ation of Judith's word. The fight
flickered and died In hla evil old eyes;
his stricken countonanco assumed ?
hue of p&llor even more Intense than
was normal with It; a broken curse,
lssuod from hla tumbling. thin, old
lips; and his chin sagged to his cheat,
heavy-weighted with despair that fol
lowed realisation of the fact that be
no longer owned even one friend or
creature upon whose conscienceless
loyalty be might depend.
The laat bitter drop that brimmed
hla cup of mlrery was added when
Alan Law himself appeared, leaving
the miners' cabin In company with
hit betrothed ? Roae now soothed and
comforted, smiling through the traces
of her recent tears as she dune to
her lover, nestling In the hollow of
his arm.
, To Alan, on the other hand, this
rencontre seemed to afford nothing
but the pleasantest surprise Imagin
able.
"Well!" be cried, releasing Rose
and, running down to the car. "Hne'i
luck! And at the very moment when
I was catling . my "acky star bsrd
names! Jlqw can I ever reward your
tf tt ughtfulness, Mr. Trine? It beats
mo how you do toeptrack of ma this,
Lightning Kill* Trln. and IWkM Down AUn end Rota. .
* ? * ' '"'I'sM'
way? happening alone Hire this ererj
time I nccA^a car the worst war la
tho frofktld!
"DtIto oo !" Trine acream*d to the
chanffcur. "Drive on, do you hearT'
But Judith bad atepped up on the
running, board and >w?a eyeing the
drt?er coldly, with on* band algnlS
cantly rotting on the butt, of the
V eapcrn at ber aide. The car remained
at ? standstill.
Belpburou* profanity followed, a
pungent itream of vituperation' that
wa* cheeked only by Judith'* Inter
ruption: "We're bad to gag yon one*
before, you know. If you wast- naofte
tAslfi of that ? keep on!"
*?ot where'* Parent !" JudUh do
manded when, after helping Rom Into
the car and running off to thank Chair.
,
through her love.'s protestations!
Judith lost In profoundoat melancholy;
Trine- nursing his rage, working him
self up Into a client fury whoa* conae
luences vvtro to be more far-reaching
than oven be dreacjed Is tali wildest
momenta.
Ita first development, for all that
-was desperate enough.
Tbo u?od monomaniac occupied the
right-hand corner of the rear aeat.
Tbus hla one able ban'it waa nest to
Judith, In cloae Juxtaposition to the
revolver In tbo holster on her 'hip.
Without the least warning bis lett
hand closed upon the 'weapon, with
drew It and leveled It at the back df
Alafi's head.
As he pulled the trigger Ju^ltb flung
herself bodily upon the' arm.
Even so, the bullet found .? goal,
though In another than the Intended
victim. The muscular forearm of the
? chauffeur received it.
With a shriek of pain the man r?
leascd the wbeel nnd grasped bis
arm. - ? \ ? l
Before Alan could move to prevent
tbo disaster the car, running without
a guiding hand, caromed off a low
embankment to the left and shot full
tilt Into a shallow ditch on the right,
shelling Ita passengers like peas from
a broken pod.
Alan catapulted a good twenty feet
through the air and alighted with
ouch force that he lay stunned for
several moments.
When he c^mo to, he found Barcus
L helping him to hla foet; a heavy sev
en-passenger Touring car halted In Jhu_
roadway Indicated tbo manner In which
his- friend had arrived on the scene
ot the accldep*. '
When damages were assessed l|t
wan found that none of the party had
Buffered serlojuly but the chauffeur
and Seneca Trine himself The former
had only hi* wound to show however,
while Trlntf lay still and senseless St
a very considerable dlstanco from the
wrecked automobile.
Nothing but a barely perceptible
reaplratlon and Intermittently flutter
ing pulse persuaded them that the
flame of life waa not extinct In that
poor, old, pain-racked body.
CHAPTER LI ML
The Last Trump.
Toward the evening of tho third
day following the motor spill, Judith
sat In the deeply recessed window of
a beOchamber on the second floor of
a hotel situated In the heart of Cali
fornia's orange-growing lands.
Behind her Beneca Trine sat. ap
parently asleep, In a wheeled Invalid
chair.
There was do occupant Of the room.
.Though he had lain nearly two
days In coma, her father's subsequent
progress toward recovery of Ms Mr.
c-.al Blato had been rapid. ' Now, ?e
cordlng to a council of surgeons and
physicians who bad bo?n summoned
to deliberate on his case, bo was In
? fair way to round out the average
spaa of a soling man's lifetime. lie
bad apparently Buffered nobbing In
consequence of bla accldcnt tndfj
eorloun than prolorj^J uncoruploiSe
nes*. For tbo last "twenty-four "hours
he had been in fall possession of bis
faculties and (for tome reason IbJKiC
sltdo to Judith to fathom) "mtbt+
monly ch<*rfaL v~ ,
Trom this circumstance ? she drew?
a certain ooiAe of Destined anxiety.
Twice In the Bourse of the morning
she had caught his eye following har
with a gleam 'of sardonic cxultlncy*
as though be nurse* some secret of
ettnordUOT poMMUitiee. ^
And yet (she argued) It was quite
lmpoiflble thit be shcaM bare some
.fresh scheme brewing for the assaMln
nt ion of Alaa. Not a soul had had any
son of comaanMallni wito' Mm since
his recovery but tbe attending sur.
fceon, a man of unimpeachable char
acter. a meek- mannered trained nurse,
and UcrseW. Judith Dnder such dr.;
ctmetsncee he simply could not liave
irtit a new conspiracy afoot. 3$ '1
yet . . . She was oppress od
dressed Don and women, tit* gueetfli
Invited to the *cddlna of Rom Trias
?nd Alan Law.
Within, another i?tp minutes the
Man Judith lo?cd with all bar body
and soul would be the ijusbaad of bar
?later. .. ... ;*? ?
She had told herself ahe >u ro
signed; but she was not, and ah*
would never be. llqr heart waa break
Ing In her bosom u *hs sat there,
watchluf, walling, 'listening to the
ever b.nvler detonations of .the otf
proachlug thunderstorm and to the
Jubilant peaJInc of a Krcut organ down
below. . .
The had told herself that, though
resigned, aho could not bear to wlt?
neu tbe coremony. Now aa the mo-,
meat drew near when the marriage'
would bo a tMiig finished, fixed.
Irretrievably, sbe found herself un
able to endure tin (train alone. , ,
slowly, against hrr'wlil. she rose
and atole across the door to hrfr fa
ther's chair.
Hlo breathing was plow and regu
lar; beyond doubt he slept; unques
tionably there was 110 reason why ahe
should not leave him for ton nflnutes;
even though he waked It could not
harm him to await her return at the
end, of that scant period.
Like a guilty thing, on feet as noise
less as any sneak thief's, she crept
;rom the room, closed the door si
lently, ran down the hall and ' de
scended by a back way, s little-used
staircase, <10 tbs loner ball, approach
lng'lbe scene of the marriage.
Constructed In imitation of an old
Spanish- mleeic& it
009 of the finest organs In the worlffT
at this cIom rang?, Its deep-throated
tones vied with the warnings of the
storm. ' .'uoltb. lurking U js. passage
way whose epen .door revealed the
steps and. chancel, was shaken
to the very marrow of her -being by
the majestic reverberations of the
music.
3lnce they had regained contact
with civilization In a section. of the
country where the Law estate had
vAt holdings of land, the chapel .was
thronged with men and women who
had known Alan's father and wished
to honor his con.
Above stairs, In the room Judith
had quitted. Senrca Trine oftpned
both eyea wide and.langhed a atlent
laugh of savage triumph wben the
door closed behind h(s daughter. ;
At last he was left tj his- own do
vices ? and at a time the most fitting
Imaginable for what he had In mlad.
.With a grin, Eentca Trlns raised
both inn and stretched 'than wide
apart.
Then, grasping the arms of his
chair, he lifted blnnielf from it and
stood trembling upcrt his own feet for
the first time In almost twenty years.
Orast'og the back of the wheeled
chair, he used It ft s crutch to giflde
V-. fc:Ve and c:rjttsia -racrtmcnts*
Hut these beeMno: momentarily
stronger and more eonfideut
Th!?( then, m the iacfeatb# had
hugged to his eaibltteffod' bosom, n
secret unsuspected even %y tho at'
tending surgeon: (hat through tha
motor accident tbrco day* ago he had
regained tbo use or tlmba that had
booh stricken motionless ? strangely
enough, by a motor ?>? nearly two
decides slcce.
Slowly Abut surrly moving to the
bureau IT tha roo7i, ho opened ona
of Its idrawefs uil took out some
thing bo hod. without tor knowledge,
?m Judith put away tbero whllo tha
thought ho slept.
Then, with thin bidden In tbs
pocket or hit drabiiux gcr.n ho
steered a straight It vary 'flellbcrata
OOBrae to the dcof; Jtt hlmselt out.
andJlV.c n isatertallted llpneter of tfie
man he once 1 ?* li n . navigated 'tho
Opfrtdnr in the hekd.ot the broad
central staircase aud 'step by slap,
clinging with both 'hands, n?<;otla(ed
tho descent.
Tho lobby ot tboTiptcl was deserted.
As tha ceremony approached Ita end
?vary guest and servant lj? tho fioaao
was crowding tho doorway to /tha
chapel. Hone opjlcsod tbo pro
rtr 'Ala ghastly vU(o#.-..<n ? dre,
?jwn and slippered root, chuclf
;.lf? sanely to himself as h? ? toll
through tbo empir hills and u>r
dors, finding an almost supernatural
strength to sustain him till ho toand
hlmseir face to face with his chosen
enemy and lictliu.
The first that blocVed bis jrigy leto
tfa chapel, a bellboy or the hotel,
?eked round at tUo A??t touch of tha
dm^Kka hand npoii Ma shgjilder and
ehjnoi back with ft err or terror ? *
cry tha( *** echoed ? from hair *
?V?lt?qt from the world beyond tlja
| y*ve^tlte<Sbai priced hacfc'.wid
looked upv toward tha
Alan standing "
" ftOtf
bat
pistol In tbe hand of Senses Trine,
discharging tl|Q weapon o?un as It
struck blot dead. i
: At be fell lb* bolt svrsrvsd and
(truck two other* down? Alan 1AW
3 iid the' woman wlio h*A )uat been
made his wife. ???'. ;& ' ?
CHAPTKB LIV.
' ' T.i? WW*.
Again three days elapsed; and Jo
dUb. returning frpn tue double fn
naral of bur fathar and sl?l?r,
J\rr mourning for a gown leu somber
01, '1 more suited to tfc* atmosphere of
,? slckrobm, tlien relieved th<4.nuyw
Jn charge of Alan. . t"jr
lie remained as he bad been
tine* tho falling of tbe thunde
In absolute coma. ,JBP^
Itut he lived, and ? or tbe physicians
lltd? rouuj soon regain .consciousness.
Kne;ttn<r beside his bodaUa Judith
prayed Ion* and earnestly. f \ '
When she arose it was tp answer
a top upon the door She '.admitted
Tom Uarcus and so Here a blm to lesft
bcr Into the recess of tbe window,
w)it<re they \ conversed In purded
tones In spite of tbe fact that the
subject of their coiamunlcattoos could
'.not possibly have beard them. < "
"I'To- come to tell you something,"
Btircua- pmnouneed with characteristic
awkwardness, 'Tta know* It for
three days? ever since tha.' wedding.
In fact? and''^a||t'-lt to myself, not
knowing Vbether 1 ought to tell yon
jet or not."
He paused, .eyeing her uncertainly,
unhappily.
? P" rTHrrd," Judltji assured
him calmly. '. T-Jf- ~ ? '
"You're nothlPf of tbe sort," be
countered. argumentative. . "Yo?
couldn't be. It's -.the - moat 'Imailng
thing linagjpable. See lien . .
"Weim- ?.?: M, ' *
"You understand,' don't you, that
Alan nyjst never know that Rose was
hilled by thai llghlnlpg stroWe?"
"What do you meant"
"I mean," the ?<m HounBercd mis
erably. "you sea. to lored her so-rl
Ihouibt-Yl'm sure ft would be best ?
If can brlag yourself to It? to let
111 in go on' believing It wasn't Rom
who was killed bat Judith And that'a
c tinting so close' to thr' truth' that It
makes no dlRerence: the Judith Alan
knew and the Judith 1 Jch^w "In tbe
SSI ?.l,a,WV5??y!US
killed-*"
After a long pause.- the gift .asked
him quietly: "I understand. But Is
It possible you ^arferrfana, that.
If I ?tfc'tft/'
Hon, lend mys ? .
I must maintain ..
i to cdmt? Alan we_.
???*- ' F,
?Well, but? you aoe? yon ?? are his
wife: Ob, don't think' VmofT my
tat. T-n t'erirg <>i? "lain nnvsr
M I sh t ' truth. TM ere Alan's wife.
. . No. Uaten Wtnw Tou ren??a
Jbet- I hat 'York' when y'od
mbatltuted tor Rose. wbei> Al.m tried
to elope with her, and you went with
him to Jersey City, and stood tip to to
married by a preachcr-gity named
Wright? and Marrophat broke In Juat
at tbe critical moment and busted up
the partyr .V'-, . '
Bkin/? In th? room; but for ih6 i
PfJfent o* hta conch. iMifp
MSIowtr, ?lmo?t' fcurfully, ?h )
to hi. bcrfkldo ?nd itood looking
fata the Uco of her huibnn*;:
And vhllo'?h? looked /&WI:
fluttered, hit rc.plratlon qulckcn
f*lat color crept rtilo hi* jtjStf'rt
? *nd Kla ajrw oponed wtto
Aa I For Tim Mr*. Vk
cetf Wm Unble U AtUad to
" Pleasant Hill, N./C.-"I suffered toe
SA? turn men," write* Mrs. Writer'
Vfac^nt, ot this town, "tad the third and
la*t time, wai ray %oret.
v. I faad^keadful. nervous befcl^ches and
prostratlje, tnd "was scarcely able to
wrik4boMC'' Could not do any of my
housework.
I alto m dreadful painf in my back
aad side* and when one Jt those weak,
aiatdag ipeOa would pome on ma, I
would have to gf*a op and lie down,
until it wore off.
t waa certainly in a dreadful state of
health, jrtea 1 finally decided to try
? - t :? '**>A
? V? ^ '
I would have died U I hadn't
it & \ .'-Jl'-;.'
After I began taking Cardui, I was
greatly helped, and all three bottles re
lieved me entirely.
I Urtrwrt up, and grew so much
sbtmfef In 'three, months, I tell like an
Cardui is- purely vegetable and gentle -
acting. Its ingredient have a mild, tonic
eHect, on the womanly t
tor Im inmsil strength,
improves the appetite, toaee upttie ner
vous system, and helps to pale,
ullow cheeks, fresh sad rosy.
Cardui baa helped mote than a million
weak women, during the past 90 years.
It wflTspnlr do jtor you. what it has
done Mr ttem. Try Cardui today.
pgfl
rtructiont ?
1 W
I ? m7 mai HI
'located in Bricks, ~ "*?
jUAtir " S,?re a( Warehouse) ~
^SL?21business
'We'carrv : ' 1
Remember "?d *?"" ^
"" JpwwJTjp ut^?_k'w ? ' <*"?< Stti.
, * ~
p,eWe in sS expert ?eat carve, will i
J. Loyd Horton
Attorney- At-Law jj
Uoca-.p 3? Si. H0r'0" *BullJ!n? >.
Pn?ctitc? whcrcicr tcr
\ icc* arc Oalrbd. ?
Farmvllle, N. Carolina.
PARMVILLk lodgS ^
t. 0. 0. F. No. 373.
.
. Meets every Monday night in
K. of P. hall in the Horton Build
j^ AUvi*^ Brother."^
PARMVILLE
Meets Every Tuesday Nitht is
their Hal. In Hortoo BHg.
VttHStaKBrothersW^come
JS IN
VITED ^
to the quality, variety; and prices
BEST GROCERIES JN TOWN
Coffees, Teas, Flour, fruits, etc
Trade-winning prices. We're
tagging the goods, showing the
brands, and selling in rapid-tran
sit time. Don't delay? buy our
GROCERIES TO-DAY. You'll
need 'em all tomorrow.
J. A. MIZZELL & CO
^:-|5 Fmnvitto. M-<& vj|^|
| For Life and Fire