Evening Star Newspaper, September 24, 1923, Page 17

] ; (Copyright, 1922, by Times-Mircor Pres ! The Yellow Trail f By E. MANCHESTER BODDY Printed by arrangement with Metropolitan ; Newspaper Service.) (Continued from Yesterday's Star.) A little later Pete answered the volce that had counseled sweet sleep only a few hours before. But now there was no disturbing command that racked his very brain and tor- mented him to further effort. In- stead, he slept, long and _soundly, turning his weary, aching body un- consciously as though it wished to make certain that it was indeed once more resting on a soft, warm mat- tress. His eyes for weeks past had been accustomed, on awakening, to look out upon early morning in all its ra- diant glory, and always the grandeur of it had thrilled him. Now, as he opened his eyes after long hours of sleep, his gaze rested upon the mas- terplece itself of the handiwork of God—full upon the face of a beauti- ful woman, bending tenderly over him, administering the while warm, fragrant oil to the crusted skin be- how min Susie summoned the woman again, and this time took from her a steam- ing bowl of broth, a huge tin plate of Jt's you folks' story first, then roast meat he had ever seen, and sev- eral other steaming dishes that filled the room with the stimulating odor of a savory meal. As Pete ‘ate, Hawkins entered into his_story. how things stood when they packed me into that low wagon box on run- ners. For the life of me I couldn't and can’'t yet see why they wanted to do away with me. Thought at first they wanted the Dead Horse—knew did in fact, from the way their er and Demons had been hound- ing ‘me. But that didn't explain why that gangster fellow, Buller Garret, got so polson mad at me. Later on I found out he was in love with Susie, here.” At this Susie blushed § what looked to Pete like the finest| “Well,” he began, “guess you know | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO As the door closed ~silently behind Hawkins leaned close to Peta's and whispere ‘Don’t be too hard on h 0y~ had a father once, just as you have now. She burleq him under the tamaracks, and——"_ he _quickly stralghtened up, as Susle returned silently through the door; carrying a letter In her hands. She walked steadily 1> the bedside and looked unfalteringly into Pete's eyes and said “Yes—I alone caused Mr. Hawkins to sign the deed. You asked me why, well, here s the only reason So saying she handed Peto the lotter. Long before le had finished read- ing the first. page, his eves dimmed. and he could read no more. “Read it to me—please,” he pleaded, as he handed it to the girl. “Read it It was a message from Judge Stivers, of Pete's dramatic life; it described how he had been the ‘sole joy and comfort of a father bereaved by the death of the boy's mother. death | caused by his very birth, in fact, and hew the boy had been spolled by ! riches and ill-directed love, until he had lost direction, it seemed. and knew not how to llve. the story so well, was deeply touched by it. ten as only a master lawyer pleading for a life could write, followed: Then a paragraph, stating that the letter was a “shot in the dark,” the result only of a half hope that the reader might fing a way in which it could be used to influence those who held Pete in thelr mercy, closed the A masterful story of most | The letter | was sad, and even Peter, who knew | Page after page, writ- Just before the blissard, he ment & o the peak yonder." Pete, d in the words, pala no to the directions, but waited breathlessly for Hawkine to continue, d whe gave him the sigried, papers. He ls to take them to the mine—where the first ship- ment of ore goes out tomorrow.'” " these words med the lips of the old m it seemed he would break into tea At length he contibyued: “All the officlals are to be there, he says—Browning and all He says they are there for a bluff, they have no pay ore, they claim to he just working the place for me, but 1 am not so sure.” Pete's hands twitched nervously as he listened Impatiently to the words. “But now,” Hawkins continued, bracing himself, “for heaven's sake, what brings you here? Buller's mes- senger sald only yesterday you,were still at the mine.” As Hawkins fin- ished the question he looked intently at Pete, who seemed not to hear the words at all. “For God's sake, quick,” he shout- ed as though wa |nr from a dream, “where are we now? Where are we? ‘Where {s the mine?’ He trembled with excitement, as he ignoreq Haw kins' further questioning and grasped him violently by the arm as though to shake the answer from him. “Just eight miles down the moun- here——" Hawkins pointed off of rolling moun- Before Fall Cleaning Time D. O, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1923 “But the trail is twenty miles nuy ons hel ack way. Yo ou been? With swollen red blezing like coals Pete sprang from the bed, his frost-bitten limbs snapping into action in spite of the terrible abuse they 'had sufferod. wkins made a rush to restrain him and his frantic affort, but Pete continued rushing about the room, gathering boots, fur cap, coat, guns and whatever else he could find that might serve him on the trail, “Now, food—g blanket or two—and be quick, for God's sake, be quick!” he shoufed. “They've lled to you! They have lled to you! Your mine is worth millions, man—and they are stealing it! The letter is a forgery. Tho dirty yellow dogs! Tam—Susie, I moan—send some one—the man out there, any one to Moapa and wire Judge Stivers to come. Hurry, Haw- kins, a pack and food! Hurry, for henven's sake!” “But I've already written him to come,” Tam started to say. “Three weeks ago, when I got the letters, I wrote him’ all about—-" “But It's twenty miles, man—you will die on the trail,” Hawkins broke in, both he and Susie raising their volces at once. But Pete heard neither, as he buckled on his belt and glared out upon the trail. tains. (Continued in Tomorrow's Star.) Gets ALL the dirt and none of the rug Preserve your rugs with a “UNIVERSAL” Vacuum Cleaner with its thread- catching, self-clean- noath his sHegEy Deard. violently and made as if (o carry out | nle, oo | Have Your Furniture During his sleep his lips had re- turned to something resembling their | some of Pete's discarded dishes. Haw- kins, however, seemingly unaware of normal shape. and he found he could | the embarrassment caused -the sjrl mutter words, as he exclaimed: “Tam—you, too—here! Thank God! Both of you—Hawkins and Tam!” “Yes—Mr. Alden,” Tam replied, “we are both here—and your patient is much better than his doctor—aren't you, Mr. Hawkins?" Hawkins was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, and could speak for | But before he could utter a | himself. word Pete replied: “No wonder—with such a nurse!” Then he stopped short as he noticed the slight frown and troubled look that came over the face of the girl as she gathered her bottles and linen from the bed. For a moment she seemed undecided whether to carry them from the room or to remain. She hesitated only a moment, how: ever, and then called a French name which Pete could not understand. The object of the call soon ap- peared in the low doorway that sep- arated the * -to,” or built-on bed- room, from the rest of the cabin “Here, Marle, please take these out hat you can do for Jacques | He seems to be suffering very " Tam directed as the woman approached. “Now, Pete,” Hawkins began, “when you are ready, tell me Bow you feel— what you have done—how it has all happened. My God! If you coud se yourself. ~Tam, for heaven's sake bring old Bannic’s mirror.” He fin- ished with an amused twinke in his eve. “Pete's eyes followed the girl across the room as she went for the ratror. He thought there was a twinkle In her eves also as she held it before him, and he looked intently as though to make certain. i “The mirr man—look in the mirror,” Hawkins broke in, his good- natured old face wreathed in smiles, Caught in the pardonable act of staring at the first girl he had seen fn months, Pete gratped the mirror in confusion, and then gazed at what he saw much like a frightened child watching the antics of a suspended pi The image in the mirror broug him to a sitting posture with a jerk— n jerk that only accentuated the d torted vision he beheld in the, glass Hair, great masses of it, made his head and face Seem three times the size he remembered it to be. Little red gimlets where his eyes should be looked out of shaggy holes in the wooly mass; wherever he could see skin it seemed red and crusted, or black from its recent frost bite. For a moment he was held speechless by the spectacle. Then pushing the glass violently from him, he sald to Hawkins “For a long while I've been think- ing the most important thing in the world was ve you, Horse Mine, 2 _he seemed about to include Tam, when an expression on her bafing face stopped him— “and so-on,” he continued, “but now, I know the most important thing in the world is to get to a barber shop and a bath tub. Great Moses! There isn't a barber shop in the world that would let me through the door! Do you suppose that fellow at the store in Moapa has saved my togs?’ ‘Tam smiled faintly, perhaps a little wistfully, while Hawkins in _spite of his worried face, laughed at Pete’s consternation. “Well,” Hawkins final breath enough to remark, “you're a mighty lucky young man that you aren't in the fix of your traveling mate, Ellot, iri there. How in the world that ‘breed up and gets cought in a blizzard, and you don't, beats me.” “And T don't?" Pete stormed, “and I don't?>—I'm half frozen—right now. We were together all the time.” “Ah, ves, so you were. But you kept moving. Two days here and your frost bites will be gone. The 'breed in there will be on his back for a month. But come, tell mé—3i'm dying to know how. . . . “Dinner first, Mr." Hawkins,” Tam admonished, “let the poor man eat He must be starved; aren’t you, Mr. Alden?” “Quite,” found agreed Pete. “And any- the Dead | continued: “And he got it Into his head that I was digging up his p: in order to get something or oth on the Gold Company. Well, he was ! mighty worried lest I might tell Tam | here, and then he seemed to be work- ing under orders from Houston, too. | But it was Susie here that saved me, after all—that is Susle and your whopping big varn about the ffty thousand. Whew! Hawkins paused in his stor a long breath, then, placing his hand to his forehead, he continued: “What a blessing and a_curse money Is, Pete. It saved my life this time, though, for your frozen friend in there, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to where Slim Eliot was lying, “made a bargain with Tam—bless her heart —to spare me If I would tell where it was—the fifty thousand, that's about all, ism't it, Susie? Anyhow, s how we happened to be hidden H up here. Y he continued | brokenly. “that's all—-" “Of course, it Is not, Mr. Hawkins; | go on and tell the rest. You know it isn't all"—Tam hesitated for a | moment, ‘then continued. as though weighing evers . Alden has a right to kno “Well,” Hawkins hesitated— |%ee I know. that is, we knew that you weren’t dead; but might be anytime. to take e | Then I knew that it was only a mat- [ter of time until 1 would be found lout. So,” at this point the old man, | visibly “affected, turned his head to {one side as though to hide his cmo- | tion as he forced the final words out, i made a bargain_ for you—and {—and for all of us. I—I—signed a | quit-claim deed to the Dead Hors | Mine. It wasn't much, after all—I— “You what?" Pete shouted, as the { full significance of the words came |to him. “You what? You signed a deed?’ His hands sought the shoul- ders of the miner as he lowered his voice almost to a sob, “Tell me you didn't.” Susie and Hawkins gaped in wide- jeyed astonishment at the frenzy that overcame Pete as he fairly sobbed out the last words—and continued mut- tering: “What have vou done? My 1 God. what have you done?” | “But why—what is the matter— what have I done?” Hawkins finally gulped out, aware that he must have done something far worse than he himself imagined. Before he answered, Pete looked intently from Hawkins to Susie and choked back the rush of woi came welling up from his sorely troubled heart. Should he tell them, he asked himself? After all, wouldn't | it be better to let them find out their grave mistake angd let them take the blow when circumstances lessened its sting? He sank back dejectedly onm ihis pillow, and said no more. All his efforts in vain' All of his fight, fought for nothing! He sighed deep- 1y as though resigned to his fate, and suppresseq with difficulty the bitter tears that flooded his eyes and bade Hawkins continue. The old miner, suspecting that Pete was withholding _knowledge that held for him something worse | than the pangs of regret he had al- ready experienced, continued In a broken voice: “She.” pointing to Susie, “found {out—that you were in their hands, { that you were at the mine. They told her that you would be killed, burled in the tunnel unless I sold the prop- erty to them, and that I would never come out of the winter alive. And so—I did it—didn’t we, Susie?” Poor Hawkins struggled hard to shoulder all of the blame on himself. but in spite of his efforts, his actions told | more_eloquently than words that he had but yielded to the pleadings of the girl—of Tamarac Sue, who sat while Hawkins talked, with her head howed, hot tears streaming down her tender cheeks. | Pete looked from one to the other, not knowing what to do, or say. His voice choked as his eyes met hers. “Tam—Susie—why did you do it?" he _finally asked. Susie hesitated and looked for guidance to Hawkins. The moun- taineer slowly shook his head in silent _approval of the question she seemed to ask. Slowly she left her seat and walked to the room beyon When your head is splitting or your feetfeellikedroppingoff; when your muscles ache and every movement causes pain in your back or neck— Baume Bengué will bring quick and blessed relief. Just rub it on like cold cream and before you know it fon’l! be feeling fine again, Dse it for: Headache Backache Toothache Rheumatism Sore muscles Tired feet Neuralgia ‘Ihos. Leeming & Co. Amer, Agents, N. Y. BA -BENGUE ANALGESIQUE The Original Freenc%aum As Tam finished reading she hand- | od the sheets to Pete. He looked long and searchingly at the signa- ture, and as he did so the brow be- neath his hair contracted. For a moment the thrde heads bowed in sllence, tug and torment of his consclence within. This man, Hawkins, almost a stranger to him, had given up his all—his mine—but more, much more than that—his fight against the Sal- mon River Gold Company, just to save him! And this girl, who read the letter with tears In her ey pleaded for him! The thought came crashing home to him that after all, he alone had done nothing worthy—neither of the old love of his father nor of the sac- rifice of these noble people beside him. The thought of his glgantic failure fairly sickened him, and he groaned aloud in agony. “And so” Hawkins concluded, “yesterday I signed the deed, and in four days I was to join you In Moapa.” A sudden hope started Pets from his utter dejection. “Signed yester- day?” he asked wonderingly. Yes” answered Hawkins, “Tam here, has been carrying on secret negotiations with Buller. He told her you were still at the mine, and Pete felt the old | UPHOLSTERED =N \« ) STnm Painting Paperhanging Cablnet Work MERICAN UPHOLSTERY CO. 627 F StN.W. san Wi Bring Sampies Phone Main 8139 Right now our upholster ex- perts are not busy, and to get your order right away we are UPHOLSTERING $ 1 0 3-Piece Parlor or Living Room Suites, special this Labor Only Speclal low prices on our com- plete stock of Tapestries, Velours and Silk Upholster materfals. Slip Covers Made to Order ing nozzle and more powerful suction. No brush to clean or get out of order. 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