CHAPTER X
SYNOPSIS: Sgt. Michael
O’Hara, of the mounted, on the
trail of the killer of Jean Ghar
ian and Ninon Creuse, is in love
with Laure Gharian, widow of
the slain man, whom he sus
pects of being guilty of both
murders. He is bringing her
back to face justice with the
half breed, Duval, whom she
has been sheltering in her cab
in. Laure has already saved
O’Hara from death at the hands
of Duval, when O’Hara’s death
would have set her free. O’Hara
is puxzled by this. While they
are traveling towards head
quarters with a dog team
O’Hara slips and breaks his
arm on a rocky ledge. When
he recovers consciousness he
sees Duval and Laure speeding
away on the sledge, abandon
ing him to his fate. He re
lapses into unconsciousness
again and wakes up in Ghar
ian’s cabin. Laure Gharian
nurses him with great tender
ness.
Shocked protest was mirrored
in her features. "No, no, m’sieur!
Even if you hated me, even
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though you charged me with
crime, you could not wish to be
left alone thus!”
"You don’t know all!” he cried
abruptly. “Tell me, what day is
it?”
“Friday, m’sieur.”
His tension relaxed — but this
was hopelessness. Inspector Mac
donald knew everything by this
time. Listlessly his craggy face
suddenly seemed years older.
O’Hara turned his face toward
the wall. “I have done it—be
trayed you,” he muttered.
There was a moment of silence;
then her voice still sweet and
modulated, “I know all, m’sieur.
You told me in your fever.”
“You knew the inspector will
send an officer here, now I have
failed to bring you in?” he gasp
ed, in fresh agony of soul, “you
knew?”
“I know, m’sieur.”
“You knew and you stayed?
When you could have gone with
Duval—You stayed to wait on
me?” .
He caught at her hand and
drew her nearer, lifting fevered
eyes to the calm beauty of her
face. “Laure, tell me about this
man, Duval. He’s devoted to you
like a faithful dog-”
She dragged her hand away,
gently. "It’s quite simple about
that, m’sieur. When I came here
a bride, Duval’s young wife
would have died one night but
for my care. I went a few miles
through the snow to help her. He
loves her, m’sieur, and thinks I
saved her life. That is all.”
O’Hara uttered a sharp cry. “I
know now,” he said with a rasp
of threat. “I know! Duval brought
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you here. He found the girl, be
lieved your husband false; and
in revenge he killed them both!”
She fell upon her knees beside
him, catching his fevered hand
and holding it. “No, no. Before
the good God, Duval is innocent!
He never came here while the
girl was here. He never saw her
—even dead!”
“He did! You want to save the
man because he’s been faithful,
or for some other senseless rea
son! Gharian was cruel to you,
they’ve told me. He deserved to
die. I swear it! But you must
be cleared. I’ll have to take Du
val. He’s the guilty one, but I
don’t blame him-”
She dropped his hand and
wrung her own together. Sobs of
terror shook, her. “He’s innocent!
If you accuse him you’re a wick
ed man! Duval saved you; be
grateful and just to him!”
“He didn’t save me; you did!
I know now you’re innocent; I’d
stake my soul on it! It’s the man
who did it. He must pay for it,
not you.
“M’sieur, Duval’s innocent;
there’s no clue which can lead
you to him. You know it!”
“You can’t deceive me now,
Laure! Don’t I remember how
you begged me not to try Creuse
on circumstantial evidence? One
of those two did it, Laure, and one
of them must pay—if not your
half breed, then Nicky Creuse.
He had the motive, he was taken
haunting this house, and there’s
only one link missing. He seems
to have been at Churchill. Well,
he wasn’t, that’s all. We’ve mis
calculated the time. He got there
in time to fulfill his threats. As
soon as I’m up I’ll nail him!”
She drew a long breath, her
eyes shining strangely, but she
did not move. “You’ll do this be
cause of me?” she whispered. "To
save me you’ll send that boy un;
justly to the gallows?”
He did not answer. A startled
light of sanity shot through the
madness of UMteeson hi his eyas,
however, as he stared at her.
“And what if I swear to you
.that both are innocent, Creuse,
and poor Jacques?”
“I know you can’t, Laure. \—
I’m sure of it, for one of them
had to do it; there can be ,nb one
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LEARN CHINESE ... a group 01 Junction o.ty, Kun high school
students are shown learning to read and write In Chinese. Arthur M.
Hummel, right, a representative of United Service to China, conducted
the Kansas class as one of a series of demonstrations in Junction
City, geographical center of the United States,
else.” Yet in that second instinct
told him he erred.
“Except G h a r i a n ’ s wife,
m’sieur, the one whom you sus
pected first, the one whom you
hunted first!”
“Come nearer,” he pleaded.
“Let me look into your eyes —
Laure!”
“Yes, m’sieur.” She knelt be
side him, looking at him with
soft, melancholy eyes.
“Look at me, Laure,” he whis
pered hoarsely. “Hear me! As
God is my judge, I believe I was
mistaken. You’re innocent! I—I
love you!”
She was so close that his well
hand touched her flushed cheek,
but she evaded him and pose to
her feet. For an instant she
stood thus, looking down, and
then she hid her face in her own
hands and burst into bitter, pas
sionate tears.
"Laure,” he cried hoarsely,
brokenly, “forgive me! 1 had no
right to tell you, but I couldn’t
keep it back. From that first mo
ment at French Pete’s I’ve loved
you mere than any other woman
on God’s earth! That’s why I left
that letter with the chief. I was
afraid my heart would fail. Bui'
I put the Service before my own
life, before yours. I can’t betray
my trust, but I deserve to die,
Laure; kill me!” He half rose to
his elbow. “Kill me, Laure. and
escape! I can’t give you up!”
“See. what harm you do your
self, m’sieur; your head is burn
ing, the doctor said you must be
quiet!” She put him back among
his pillows, but he caught at her
hand again and held her captive,
voicing his love and his faith in
her. . vx
“Laure,” he whispered thickly,
‘‘do you—care?”
She bent over him gently, look
ing into his grief-stricken face,
then she stopped and softly press
ed her cool lips against his hot
cheek.
“Laure-”
The room swam in glory to his
eyes. He tried to draw her to him,
but she slipped from his hold and
stood, listening.
“Hark, m’sieur, ther’es some
one at the door.”
He almost shouted. “Duval! He
shall tell me the truth, Laure!”
But she turned quietly and
looked at him with a wan smile.
“Not so, m’sieur! They’ve read
your letter. It’s one of your com
rades—come for me!”
“This is tough luck, old chap!”
Gayle was a big broad shouldered
officer, red with the biting cold.
“I understand now-” he cast
a quick glance over his shoulder
at the figure of the woman in the
outer room, “—why you didn’t
bring in your prisoner in six days!
Old Mac' got worried, thought
something had happened — must
have had a hunch, eh?”
O’Hara groaned. “Listen to me,
Gayle,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Did the chief tell you what I’d
written in the letter?”
Gayle nodded. “Sure! How else
could I carry it out if you failed?
I know-” he lowered his voice,
“—about her. Great Scott, man,
she’s beautiful!”
O’Hara writhed. “Hush! Don’t
speak of her in that loud a tone—
she—listen. I must speak to you
alone—” His tone was passion
ate, his eyes glazed with fever;
even his lips were parched.
Gayle saw it and began to think
the man out of his head, so hum
ored him, bending nearer. “What
is it^ old chap? Don’t worry. I’ll
take her back with me. I’m only
waiting for the doctor. She says
he’s coming back about your
head. I can’t leave you alone
here, see?”
O’Hara caught at that. “No,
you can’t leave me alone. Stay
until I’m better, Gayle, for God’s
sake! As soon as I can go I’ll get
to the post. I must see the in
spector, I-” He choked, catch
ing his breath and seizing his
comrades arm with a shaking left
hand. “Gayle, I’ve made a ter
rible mistake, I’ve accused an in-g
nocent woman!”
Gayle laid a kindly hand on his
shoulder. “Be quiet, old chap!
You’ll injure yourself. It’s all
right! You’Jl only have to prove
it. I’ll stay right here. She’s
making broth for you now, isn’t
she?” He glanced through the
open door into the outer room,
where Laure had busied herself.
“It’ll be all right. The chief
thinks a lot of you. Let it go at
that until you’re better.”
O’Hara uttered cryptic and in
coherent things below his breath.
“You think I’m out of my head,
Gayle. I can see that. I*n not!
I’m that devilish thing, a man
hunter. I had no mercy — you
know the game? We all play it,
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we’ve run down some poor wretch
and sent him to his death! I
went to work and wove a web, I
caught her in it. I’ve written it
all down for the inspector. Of
course he believed it, as I’ve done
good work before, but it’s all a
lie, a damnable bunch of lies. I
swear she’s innocent. I’d stake
my immortal soul on it!”
Gayle looked at the raving man
with something like an ironic
smile upon his lips.
O’Hara caught the look and
gasped, ‘‘You don’t believe me?”
Gayle smiled, this time broad
ly. “She mighty pretty, O’Hara!”
O’Hara groaned. “Oh, God, this
is my just punishment! I’m
caught in my own web. I tell
you, .Gayle, she’s innocent. You
can’t touch her. She goes free!
Go back and tell the chief I’m a
liar and a fool; I’ve laid a snare
for the helpless and the innocent.
She’s not Gharian’s slayer!"
Gayle tried to stop him, touch
ed his shoulder warningly. The
woman was busy over the stove,
the red glow of the fire shining
upon the pale perfect oval of
her face. She did not look up
No wonder O’Hara had lost his
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Saturday, February 22
At 11:00 O’clock
ON PREMISES ON RUTH COX’ PROPERTY
Known as A. M. D. Cox Place
On Potato Creek
_ 3 Miles from Piney Creek
Will sell 23 14 acres of land, with
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SALE CONDUCTED BY
Victor B. Phipps
Piney Creek, N. C.
Twin Oaks News
Mrs. Wade Irwin, Sparta Route
1, spent the week end with
friends, hei*e.
Bill Edwards, Martinsville, Va.,
visited his father, Cleo Edwards,
and other relatives in Sparta, last
week.
Mrs. Lizzie Horton and daugh
ter Ruth, stopped with friends
here, Friday.
Kilby Atwood, who has been
very sick with pneumonia for
several days, is very much im
proved.
Richard Finney made a trip to
West Virginia, last week.
Misses Janell Shores and Geor
gia Wagoner spent Saturday
r.ight with Miss Patsy Atwood.
Mrs. Lester Irwin, Mrs. Joe
Bare, Mrs. Cecil Murray, Mrs.
Wade Irwin, and Mrs. Carl Ir
win visited Mrs. Gene Irwin,
Tuesday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Ulmont Taylor,
Charleston, S. C., visited friends
head, thought Gayle; she was a
lovely creature, and surely she
did not look the part of a mur
deress!
He leaned toward his comrade
and whispered. “If she’s inno
cent, O’Hara, who is guilty? You
checked up on young Creuse and
found he was in Churchill the daj
of the killing.”
O’Hara seemed to brush the
haze of fever from his eyes, he
was straining every nerve to be
calm. “I may have been wronj
in that, I’ve been a fool al
through! I want time to check u(
on Creuse again. That’s why 1
want to see the inspector—to bej
for time! I believe it must have
been Creuse, he had the motive
he’d made the threats, he mi]
have shot his sister in sheer rage
because she had been here te
nurse Gharian. If I have time
enough-”
(To Be Continued)
here Wednesday night.
R. A. Reed, who is teaching in
the Honda High school, spent the
week end with homefolks, here.
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Irwin had
as dinner guests Sunday Mr. end
Mrs. Carl Irwin and Mrs. Wade
Irwin. t •
Mr. and Mrs. Mack Boone have
moved to Fred Osborne’s farm,
Sparta Route 3. .
Brady Farmer is erecting a
dwelling on the property he re
cently purchased on the Piney
Creek road near Johnson Wy
att’s.
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Stur
gill have moved to John R. Wat
son’s farm’, Sparta, Route 3.
Clint Landreth and Roscoe Wil
liams returned to their work in
Gary, W. Va., Sunday after
spending the wepk end with
homefolks here.
Lester Irwin visited friend*
here, Tuesday afternoon.
MR. MERCHANT
SEE THAT SHE
READS TOQR AD
IN THESE COLUMNS
*i?.sas
Supper and Square Dance
Saturday Night *
Community Bldg., Sparta
Time 7:30
MUSIC
By Clif Evans and Band
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We have a few studio couches with chairs to match,
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Cabinets $29.50
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Fold-Away Tables
That Seat Four $27.50
Oil Kitchen Ranges
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