The evening world. Newspaper, June 29, 1915, Page 15

LOOPHOLES 4 thirteen ye “ and has left ta possession Jone fs to be the Judge property. is" Giecs ladda eaten, which the father hes tupted somoe a tanch, And ‘which Meal Tweeart chmbar coe 2 ep lichty oe ety, Caftmet, tater MS iresence. tm f j qrornce, ‘makes hith coafew’ he lcd; CHAPTER II. (Continued, ) Progre: ALUMET stood watching him, He felt Betty's hand on his arm, laid there restrain- ingly, but he shook her viciously off, telling her to “mind her own business.” Malcolm had come forward; he stood behind ‘Betty. Dade had not moved, though ® @avage satisfaction had come into hia eyes. Bob stood in front of the # @table door, trembling from excite- ment, But besides Betty, none of them attempted to interfere, and there was a queer silence when Tag- gart finally got to his feet. He stood for an instant, glaring around at them all and then his gaze 4t last centered on Calumet. Calumet , silently motioned toward Betty Tn response to the movement, “I'm epologizin’,” he said. He turned to his horse. After he had climed into the saddle he looked around at Calu- met. He sneered through his swol- Jen lips. "You'll be gettin’ what I owe you,” ho threatened, I'm your friend,” Jeered Calumet. » “I’ve been your friend since the day you tried to bore me with a rifle —the day I come here—after runnin’ like ® coyote from the daylight. I've got an idea what you was hangin’ around —I've got the same idea You're tryin’ to locate that heathen idol, You're wastin’ your time, You're doin’ more—you're runnin’ a heap of risk. For what you've Just got is only a sample of what you'll get if you stray over onto my range again. That goes for the eneakin’ thief you call your father, or any of your damned crowd.” » _ He stood, slouching a little, watch- _ {ng Taggart until the latter rode well ~ out into the valley, Then without a word he walked over to the sill upon fwhich he had been working before Jo the arrival of Taggart, selzed a ham- c and began to drive wedges hi ever they were necessary. Presently he heard a voice behind im, and he turned to confront Betty. \ "I heard what yya said to Taggart, course, about lim trying to shoot u, I didn't know that. He deserv- punishment for it. But I am sure t part of the punishment you dealt Im was administered because of the way he talked about me. If that 1s so, wish to thank you.” “You might as well save your breath,” he said gruffly; “I didn't do At for you." She laughed, “Then why didn’t you choose another place to call him to account?” He did not answer, driving another wedge home with an extra vicious jow. She watched him in slience for an ant, and then, with a laugh which Might have meant amusement or mething akin to it, she turned and ked to the hous CHAPTER III. A Peace Offering. F there was one trait in Betty's character that both- ered Calumet more than an- other, it was her frank- nes: More than once dur- the days that followed Neal Tag- s visit Calumet was made to feel ‘absence of guilo in her treatment ry him. Pathe glances she gave him were as ghtforward and direct as her rds, and it became plain to him t with her there were no mental ervations, Her attitude toward had not changed; she still dealt we th him as the oe bag dente unruly scholar—with a per- gral al that promised 4 -widening gulf if he persisted in fle ying her authority. Calumet got Mais impression and it grew on him; as disconcerting, irritating, and tried hard to shake it off, to no M1, fe had considered carefully the 1m bise hadich had moved him, to entice Pfaggart to the Lazy Y, and was con- need that it had been aroused rough a desire to take some step to avenge his father. He told himself Reheat if in the action there had been y desire to champion Betty he had Dt been conscious of it. It angered in to think that she should presume {magine such a thing. nad felt a throb of emotion when eo had thanked him—a reluctant, Wage, resentful satisfaction which Na changed to amusement. If she Ieved he had thrashed Taggart tn PI her, let her Sieve, hot Tt made no difference pne way or another, But he would ke good care to see that she shou pave no occasion to thank nim again, 5 w . She did not interfere with the Work, rosperous Se. Within a week after the Bppeartug of the work the sills were 1 in, the rotted bottoms of the stud: Ging had been replaced, and the out pide walls patched up, During the eect week the old porches were torn own and new ones built in thelr wes. At the end of the third week foof had been repaired, and then re were some odds and ends that & to be looked to, so that the fourth ly gone when Dade ong the n to ‘ou with him and looked hen she had concluded ber WhO Feyutation as 10 his. boyhood home—the alter fs p inspection she turned to him with @ smile, “To-morrow you can go to Lasette and get some paint,” she sald. Want it doi p in atyle, eh?” It," he growled; “why not? You don’t have to do the work.” She laughed. “I should dislike to think you are lasy. Ho flushed. “I reckon I ain't none lazy.” He could think of nothing else to say. Her voice had a taunt in it; her atteck was direct and mercile: She looked at Da whose fave wi red with some emotion, but she spoke to Calumet. “I don’t think you ought to com- plain about the work,” she said. “You Were to do it alone, but on my own responsibility I gave you Dade.” “Pitied mo, I reckon,” he sneered. “Yes.” Her was steady. “! pity you in more ways than one. “When did you think I needed any he demanded truculently, she said, in pretended sur- prise, “you are in one of your moods again! Well, I am not going to quar- rel with you.’ She turned abruptly and entered the house, and Calumet fell to kicking savagely into a hummock with the toe of his boot. As in every cl: he had had with her yet, he emerged feeling like @ reproved school boy. What made it worse was that he was beginning to feel that there was no Justification for his rage against her. As in the present case, he had been the aggressor and deserved ail the scorn she had heaped upon him, But the rage Was with him, nevertheless, perhaps the more poignant because he felt its impotency. He looked around at Dade. That young man was trying to appear unconscious of the embar- rassing predicament of his fellow workman, He endeavored to lighten the load for him. “She certainly does talk straight to the point,” he said, “But Ir she don't mean more’n half of it.” Calumet shot @ malignant look at him. “Who in hell is askin’ for your opinion?” he demanded. The paint, however, was secured, Calumet making the trip to Lazette for it. He returned after dark, d Bob, who was sitting in the kitchen where Betty was washing the dishes, hobbled out to greet him, Bob had been outside only a few minutes when Betty heard his voice, raised joy- ously, She went to a rear window, but the darkness outside was im- penetrable and she could see nothing. Presently, though, she heard Bob's step on the porch, and almost instant Jy he appeared, holding in his arm a three-month-old ‘puppy of doubtful breed. He radiated delight. “Calumet brought it!" he said, in answer to Betty’s quick interrogation, “He sald it was to take the place of Lonesome. I reckon he ain't so bad, after all—is he Betty?” Betty patted the puppy's head, lean- ing over so that Bob did not see the light in her eyes, ‘8 nice,” she said. no?” said Bob, quickly-—“Calu- “No,” Betty rose, her face flushinj she said sharply; “the puppy.’ Bob looked at her twice before he said, in @ slightly disappointed voice, “Uh-huh,” When Calumet came into the kitchen half an hour r, having stadled his horses and washed his face and hands from the basin he found on the porch, he found his supper set out on the table; but Betty was now- where to be see! “Where's Betty he demanded of Bob, who was romping delightedly with the new dog, which showed its appreciation of its new friend by yelping joyously, “I reckon she's gone to bed,” re- turned the young man. For a few minutes Calumet stood near the door, watching the dog and the veral times he looked other doors, disappoint- ment revealed in his eyes. Was he to take Betty's departure before his a rival as an indication that she had fled from him? Hoe had seen her when she had\pressed her face to the window some time before, and it now appeared to him that she had deliber- ately left the room to avoid meeting him. He frowned and walked to the table, looking down at the food, She had thought of him, at any rate, He sat at the table and took sev- eral bites of food before he spoke again. “Betty see the pup?” he asked, “Like him?" “Yep.” He hesitated, while Bob looked at him, intent for more questions. He had liked Calumet from the first, de- spite the killing of Lonesome, He could not forget the gruff words of consolation that had been spoken by Calumet on that oecasion—they had Deen sin at any rate—his boy's heart knew that. He worshipped Calumet since he had given him the dog. And so he wanted to talk. “She patted him on the head,” he sald. “Just what did she say?" inquired Calumet. “She sald he was nice,” HOW TOM “WON OUT”—No. 14—Failure and Determination ‘Copyright, 1918, Press Publishing Ce. (N. Y. Evening Warley faethe ti tli ik ORRO En en WCB eNOMne ye setw one she returned; “why “ There was @ ailence again, while Calumet chewed meditatively at his food. Bob suspended play with th puppy to watch him. ° “Well,” gaid Calumet finally, “that shows just what & woman knows A! about doge—or anything. He ain't none nice, not at all, takin’ dogs as dogs. He's nothin’ but a fool yellow” mongrel.” Boy contemplated his benefactor, sourly at first, for already he and th dog were friends, and thus Calumet's derogatory wor of a base slander. But he that all was not well between Betty and Calumet, and therefore perhaps ets Ay ty meant them in tly that spiri Well,” ald at last, “I like him lot, anyway “What's that?” eaid Calumet, star- tled. He had forgotten about the dog, He had been wondering if Betty had ay to bed, or whether she was in he sitting room, accustomed to doing. A ee came through the sitting room door, and Calumet bad been watching It, mo- xpecting to soe Betty's “What's that?” he repeated. jon. jumet looked at him, sourly at first; and then, with a grafty grin on his face he watched the sitting room door, he raised his voice eo that if Betty were in the sitting room could not help hearing it. “Well,” he sald, “you like him be- cause I gave him to you, eh? Shucks. I reckon that ain't the reason Betty likes him.” Apparently Bob had no answer to Calumet saw a shadow cross the sit- presently he CHAPTER IV. Suspicion. F the repairs on the ranch- house were not finished by this time you would not be reading this,” began a letter drawn from a tightly sealed envelope Betty had given Calumet after he and Dade had completed 4 the painting. Supper had been over for some time, but the dishes had not yet been cleared away, and when Betty had handed Calumet the letter he had @ shoved the tablecloth back to make room for his elbows while he read. Bob had gone to bed; Malcolm and Dade were somewhere outside. Calu- met had started to go with them, but had remained when Betty had told him quietly that she wanted to talk to him on @ matter of import ance, She sat opposite him now, un- concernedly balancing a knife on the edge of a coffee cup, while sne waited for him to finish reading the letter. “Therefore,” continued the letter, “by this time your heart must have softened a little toward me. I am certain of this, for I know that, in spite of your other wi cupidity and greed have no place in your mental make-up. I know, too, that you are no fool, and by this time you must have digested my first letter, and if you have you are not blaming me as much as you did in the beginning. “I have talked this over with Betty, and she is of the opinion that as you have thus far obeyed my wishes you should be permitted to have a free hand henceforth, for she insists that perhaps by this time the restraint she has put on you will have resulted in you hating her, and in that case she says she will not care to remain here any longer. But as I have said, I do not think you are a fool, and no- body but a fool could hate Betty, So I have persuaded her that even if you should come to look upon her in that Nght she owes it to me to stay until the conditions are fulfilled. “It is my own hope that by this time you have made friends with her. Per- haps—I am not going to offer you any advice, but Betty 1s a jewel, and you might do worse, You probably will if you haven't sense enough to take her—if you can get her. I have given her your picture, and she likes you in spite of the reputation IT have given vou. She says you have good eyes. Now, if a girl once gets in that mood there's no end of the thin, won't ¢o for a man, And the man would be f; an ingrate {tf he didn’t try to live up to her specifications after he found that out. That's why I am telling you, Faith made a certain disciple walk on the water, and lack of it caused the same one to sink. Do a little thinking just here. If you do you are safe, and if you don't you are not worth saving. “This is all about Betty. Whatever happens, I think she will be a match for you. “Retty will give you another thou- sand dollars, With it you will fix up the corrals, the bunkhouse and the stable. “Perhaps you will want to know why T have not so much faith tn you as Betty has, It is because one day a man from the Durango country stopped here for a day. He told me he knew you—that you were cold- blooded and a hard case, Then I knew you hadn't tmproved after leav- ing home. And so you must continue to do Betty's will, and mine. Do you doubt this 1s for vour own good? “YOUR FATHER.” When Calumet folded the letter and placed it in a pocket he leaned his arms on the table again and regarded Betty intently, “Do vou know what is in this let- “There is someth! ere 9 returned: “a thousand a bigger one. paseed it over to him. Betty had ap; re, there were ten one-hun- “sised him up,” in Dade’s tdiomatio is were in the mature én’ reasoned tty: Give Calumet @ thousand tow, @oliars when you turn over letter awaken no one ‘JAMES MARSTON.” Calumet looked at the envelope; saw, under the thres! door pottys name waa on the face OF Nt, imal led from the tone noes The triumph tn his eyes was bod by embarrassment. He looked ine, ne Oe was + ooo Betty's amused gase on “Well?” she questioned, ry ba would have yea = fs im J cuenpt from the 94 eal. Ho fot up and went outalde the threshold that it was barred, for knowing whether he had meant to compliment her or not, He found Dade and Malcolm stand- pe tightly closed unless bai near the stable. There was a ee brilliant moon. At Dade's invitation (re weein the room, too, | He heard they all went down to the bunk. ioe. In’ spite of th, dilapidated CAF scraping on the floor, He stood rance of its exterior, the in- the building was in com. 500M straining hie ears to catoh an- condition—due to the ther sound. Contigual tinkering of Maloclm. WhO mumried undertones whieh, while cer jours a ‘and Malcolm lighted « candle, piaced told him that there were two or more table, took a deck of eee in the room, gg him ne clue ,thelf, and the three f° th ni for two hours. At the end of that time Malcolm ® /augh, low, but clear and musical. ing to bed. Dade sig- Ne eine ie ded dcina Ike. often when she had been. talking to He occupied half of Calumet's Dade; she had never lughed in that following the Voice when talking to him! liked to spend it on the rou ol make to thia, for he kept allent, But corde from f nified that he bed. Since the day ash with Dade, Calumet had insisted to show you that what you listening intently, afflicted with inde- ain't botherin me a 1d some one to keep an some careless son of a gun won't feel a growing desire to know who herd-ride you.” That Dade accepted ‘Red suits me,” ard the door close. The lamp i burned after he had seen Dade's tons.” This in shadow vanish, and he knew that Dade had gone upstairs. left the light burning for bim. Alone, Calumet rolled the cigarette he had’ promised himself, it it, and TRC alon the flood of rt slowly around the bunkhouse, estimating the material and work th: would be necessary to r puffing at his cigarot! round of the corral fence. It was and ‘he stopped twice to roll new ‘cigarettes before he cir- Then he examined the stable. The man laughed. Well,” he This finished, he stepped over to the Said, “keep stringin’ him along until corral fence, leaned his arms on the We get ready to lift the Idol from ita top rail, and, in the moonlight that hidin’ place. I've been thinkin’ that reread his it'd be a good idea to take the durn making out the pio- thing over to Las Vegas an’ well it. turesque chirography with difficulty. The money we'd get for it would be As during the first days of his re- safer in the bank than the {dol where turn, when he had watched the army it is. An’ we could take it out when of memories pass in review, he lin- we get ready.” gered over them now, surprise, discovered that he Uttle regret over his own conduct in those days preceding his leave-tak- came over his shoulder, father's letter, and, to his “No, i “fo be sure, he had been only @ boy ee ee ee cht St reauan Voices became inaudible to Calume Should have shown him that there must have been cause for his father's Peet tre at rae’ nad mind with reference to him was acted in his youth as ho had acted since reaching maturity, gmail reason to wonder th received blows. there was rage—the bitter, that it had nm the rear Dade? H the kitchen sounded strangely like He halted gart’s. This suspicion enraged him, at the table on which stood the kero- and he stepped back, Intending to sene lamp, looking at the chair in hurt himself against the door in an which he had been sitting some hours effort to smash it in. But he he blinking at tated, leered cunningly at the door, the chair in which she had sat, sum- and then softly and swiftly made his moning into his mind the picture she way upstairs. had made when he had voiced his suspicions about her knowledge of he the contents of the letter she had before talking to Betty, could hate Betty." the letter had read. And at the instant he had read the vow that if it were Dade who was words he had known that he didn’t with Betty the young man would But he was a fool, just leave the Lazy Y before dawn quite ‘a tool for treating suddenly, But tt was not Dade. Dade her as he did—as Dade had said. He was in bed, snoring, stretched out had known that all along; the same; he wi The Evening World Daily Magazine: Tuesday: June 29: 1915 fmto that was the reason why hi pocket iy he had bis rage when it would have driven him to commit some msh missing from action, He had been a fool, but had he let imself go he would have been raised him correctly— phraseology—and knew that his vic- ooking tri- tous im: "ie yew don't know wat le g pulses were surface ones that 21 you didn’t reat as ho had thought And he was how do you know that I am to have this money?” he said. ee laciee con She silenti; been acquired and not inherited, He looked once around the room, passed over another noting the spotless cleanli of. . watched him with a betore he blew out the light, “and @ emile + aot contempt as he re- then he stepped across the floor and y into tho dining-room, fara =the stall that ‘f room to his suc. father’: —— ing beam The door was tightly closed. He knew from the fact That no it the bottom of it and he had locked the door during the time he was repairing the house, and had satisfied himself that it could not scuffle of a foot, the sound of a rigid in the darkness of the dining- For a long time he could hear only identity. id then, as he moved closer to the door, he caught It was Betty's! He had heard it He halted in his approach toward the door, watching the light under it, he had cision. At first he felt only @ natural 1in’ and curiosity over the situation, but as he 6 on you, Continued to stand there he began to Betty was talking to, To be sure, this in the Betty had a right to taik to whom she spirit in which it was spoken made it Pleased, but this talk behind @ barred possible for them to punk together In 400r had an appearance of secrecy. If Dade had “sized up" Calu. And since he knew of no occasion for met, the latter had made no mistake Secrec: , the thing took on an element of mystery which irritated him. He amiled ‘imly in the darkness, and Dade snuffed out the candle and followed Malcolm out. The latter went pith infinite care eat down on the Porrgiree4 Be! tne a hho: * je lingered until Calumet steppe down from the door of the bunkhouse, Placed his ear against it, suggested Dade, “y . ” the words were sufficiently clear and Me eee tabbe kane he aided ae distinct. There was amusement in an afterthought. He watched Malcolm go in; saw the " ght from the lamp on the table in Hye 1 aah Merge Bee dig floor and removed his boots. Then he but stole noiselessly over to the door and Almost instantly he heard a man's voice. He did not recognize it, but them. “So you's stringin’ him along all ve got olever.” “I am. merely following instruc- ‘tty's voice. Tho man chuckled. “He's « hard case. I expected he'd have you all Dade had ‘red out by thin time.” Betty laughed, “Ho ts improving "phe said. “He brought dog to replace Lone- Bob anot recon! some. I felt sorry for him that night.” “Well, the man, “I'm glad he's loarnin’, I reckon he's some im- ir it. Then, . he made a pest to find out where the Idol “Rathe: said Betty. “And he wanted the money right away. , ‘i id Betty firmly; “we will felt aome jenve the idol where it is. No one knows, and I certainly will the boss,” said the man. He laughed again, and then both A cold, deadly rage seized Calum Betty was deceiving him, trifling with him. Some plan that she had in working smoothly and well, so suc- cessful that her confederate—for ce had tainly the man in the room with her Tova needed’ tobe must be that—was distinctly pleased. reprimanded, punished, and perhaps Betty, to use the man's words, was he had deserved all he received. " ‘The tone of his father's letters was W48 making a fool of him! rrowful. Remorse, sin- had afflicted him. His which Calumet had made ther had been wronged, misled, be- utes before entering the house had trayed and humiliated by the Tag- fled long a garte, and as Calumet stood beside realized what a fool he had been for the corral fence he found that all his making them, Betty had been lead- malignant hatred ing him on. He had heen under the t which had once been in his heart spell of her influence; he had been his father—had vanished; allowing her to shape his character succeeded by an to her will; he wa emotion that was new to him—pity. danger of becoming a puppet which An hour, two hours, passed before he returned and walked toward the some strings. She had been working His lips were grim and on his better nature with selfish aims, white, telltale signs of a new resolve, as he stepped softly wu porch, stealthily open door and let himself in. “stringing” him. In other words, she Those half-formed good resolutions few min- 9 snarled now as he or had been, in @ could control by merely pulling Who was the man? Malcolm? thought not; the vol ‘Tag- He went first to his own room, for half suspected that it might. be Dade who was downstairs with Bet- ——~ Well, Just now vividly how Dade had defied him, and he made a mental he knew comfortably, Calumet si and went to out of the room icorm’s, Both Bob Were sound asleep. He hesitated for an instant, and then ™ his way slowly downstairs, Again he listened at the door. Betty and the man were still talking. Calumet found his boots. He de- clded not to put them on until he got to the kitchen door, for jan do! around the outside make any soun was proceeding stealthily, is course through the dark- ness by @ stream of moonlight that camo in through one of the kitchen windows, and had aimost reached the kitchen door when his feet struck an obstruction — gometning eoft and yielding, There was a sharp, terrified yelp. It was Bob's The animal planted himself in stream of moonlight that oa: in through the window, — jumet a by 4 of surprise from the direction of the dining-room, and he turned just in time to see the office door closing on a flood of light. ‘With savage energy and haste, he pulled on his boots, darted out of the house, ram across the rear porch, leaped down and ran arou the nearest corner of the house, As he he 4 his pistol from ite holster. * When he got to the front of the house he bounded to the door of the office and threw it violently open, ex- Pecting to surprise Betty and ber confederate. He was confronted by @ dense blackness. He dodged back, fearing a trap, then lighted « match and held it around the corner of one of the door jambs, After the match was burning well he threw it into the room and then peered after it, There came no reply to this chal- lenge, and so he strode in boldly, Mghting another match, ‘The room was empty. He saw how it was, Betty and the man had heard the barking of the dog and had suspected the presence of an ecavesdropper. The man bad fled, Probably by this time Betty was in her room. Calumet went out upon the porch, leaped off and ran around the bouse in a direction oppo- site that which had marked his course the front, cov- with long, swift the other side or the front, whoever had been with Betty had made hie escape in this direction, and he drew a breath of tisfaction when, % proaching some underbrush near the kitchen, he saw outlined in the moon- light the figure of a man on a horse, The latter had evident): Just mounted, for at the instant Calumet saw him he had just settled into the saddle, one foot searching for tir rup, He was about seventy-five feet distant, and he turned at about the instant that Calumet saw him, That instant was enough for Calumet, for as the man turned his face was bathed for a fraction of a second in the moonlight, and Calumet recog- nized him. It was Neal Ti rt. Calumet halted. His #ix-shooter roared at the exact second that the man buried his spurs in the flanks of hia horse and threw himself forward upon its neck. ‘The bullet must have missed him only by a narrow margin, but it did miss, for he made no sign of injury. His instant action in throwing him- self forward had undoubtedly saved his life, Calumet swung the pistol over his head and brought {t down to a quick level, whipping another shot after the fleeing rider. But evidently the latter had anticipated the action, for as he rode he jumped his horse from one side to another, and as the distance was already great, and grow~ ing greater, he made an elusive tar- get. ‘alumet saw his failure and stood silent, watching until Taggart was well out into the valley, ridimg hard, - a cloud of dust enveloping him. A yell reached Calumet from the dis- tance—derisive, deflant, mocking, Cal- umet cursed then, giving voice to his rage and disappointment. He went glumly around to the front of the house and closed the door to the office. When he stepped off the porch, afterward, intending to fo around the way he had come In order to enter the house, he heard a voice above him, and turned to see Dade, his head sticking out of an upstairs window, his hair in disorder, his eyes bulging, # forty-five gleaming tn his hand. Back of him, his head over Dade's shoulder, stood Malcolm, and Bob's thin face showed between the wo. ‘At another window, one of the front as Betty. Of the four who were watching him, Betty seemed the least excited; it seemed to Calumet as he looked at her that there was some amusement in her eyes, “Lordy!” said Dade as Calumet looked up at him, “how you scairt me! Was it you shootin’? An’ what in thunder was you shootin’ at?” “A snake! Holy smoke!" growled Dade in disgust. “Wakin’ people up at thix time of the night because you wanted to shoot at a measly snake. ‘To-morrow we'll lay off for an hour or so an’ I'll take you where you can shoot ‘em to your heart's content. But, for the love of Pete, quit shootin’ at ‘em when a guy's asleep.” Calumet looked up sardonically, not at Dade, but at Betty. “Was you all asleep?” he inquired in a volce of cold mockery, Even at that distance he saw Hetty redden, and he laughed shortly. ‘A ‘foxy snake,” he said; “one of them kind which goes roamin’ around at night. Lookin’ for a mate, mebbe.” He turned abruptly, with @ last sneer- we i A New EVENING WORLD “8UCCE88 MOV! MMustrated by WILL 8. JOHNSTONE —— wt | Pi f, |The Girl Who Had No By MARY ROBERTS RINEHART “ m ae iabamabadad > ing look at Betty, and made hie wa: around the house. 4 eee CHAPTER V. Jealousy. DE was asleep when Catu- met shot a quick glance at him, got whether he, also, was @ party to was still asisep when Calu- a@woke the morn- met ing. Calumet descended to but the kitchen. ‘When ne opened the kit- [ere om the subject then, Bat sua eben door Bob's dog ran between bis contrived to come upon lege and received & kick that sent bim, the house. She was bai whining with pain and surprise, off the porch, Dominating everything in Calumet’ mind this morning was tho bitter con- viction that Betty had deceived him, against her for ‘There had been ground for Taggart's W8® & gnawing regret. taik in the Red Dog—he saw that now, 5 something he valued. Taggart and Betty were ieagued this emotion away from against him. When he had brought faced her. ‘Taggart face to face with Betty tuat “You're slick,” morning more than a month ago the than I thought you was, Arrow man had pretended Insolence Wttiil, you think that you’ toward Betty in order to allay any put vicious and "tan suspicion that Calumet migat have on the word, and when concerning (he real reiations vetwuen start he knew she divined that he tad them. 1t had been done cleverly, too, overheard the conversation between so cleverly that it bad convinced Bim, ber and Taggart. When he remembered the cold, dis- Her face flushed. “You were tisten- dainful treaiment that ietty Bad ac- ing, then,” she said with cold com corded Taggart that afternoon ne al- termpt. most smiued—though the sinile was It ain't ashamed of it, /” en a my ‘8 le not good to see, ke had chainpioned shot back, ‘Wh her—ne knew now that it had been @ with crooks Hk hesttated, serious championship—and by doing and then gave @ venomous accent to #0 he had exposed himself to ridicule; the words—-"like you an’ Taggart, he to Betty's and Taggart’s secret can't be over-serupulous. 1 was iistenttr. "Taggart ask aa ie humor, T heard you He discovered an explanation for Betty's, conduce wars he fed and | oH oy pty rap wien watered Blackleg. was all per- broug! Y what fectly plain to him, Neither Bouy P whee hula nor Taggart had expected hin to r return to the Lary ¥. Betty's ao- tions on the night of bis arrival proved that. She had exhibited emo- tion entirely out of reason. Un- pew iyd she and Taggart had ex- peo! to wait tho year speciiied in the will, certain that he would not ag ge puee ing, appear to claim the money or the er volce was idot or they might bave planned to ee vat conten leave before be could return, But “° rm since he had surprised them by re- “SO you heard T we unexpectedly it followed that Me?" she mocked, mirth in ber must reconstruct thelr plans; “And you shot at him? they would have to make it impos- Well, what of it? I do able for him to comply with his Sccount to you for my father’s wishes. They could easily + or thought they could, by ite the ranch unbearable he was Co gas | was the reason that Betty had it pretty strong the adopted her cold, severe, and con- his face for talkin’ temptuous attitude toward him, She reckon he had some expected he would find her nagging and bossing intolerable, that he would leave in a rage and allow her and Taggart to come into possession of the nroperty. nor Taggart would dare opped sharply at hor, come over her, In conscious had noticed many ino seomed to be Neither they make off with the money and the stiffening. idol as long a# he was at the ranch, {ine a little rigid, pa ag for they would fear bis v _ wits elena Peto» He thought hts ranner had already rgd forced Betty to give him hie father's letters and admit the existence of the idol—she had been afraid to le to him about them, And so Betty was “stringing” him along, as Tag- Her manner was fart had suggested, until he com- woman whe is oa pleted the repairs on the buildings, thing dishonorable; until he had the ranci in such shape poise of sturdy honesty that it might be worked, and then while he was mystified, at the end of the year Betty would convineed. felt him that his reformation had not wen accomplished, and she and Tag- ¥ reeko wart would take legal possession, x oe But if that was their plan they 4 M were mistaken in their man. Until to’ he had worked out this solution of any of that sweet jal the situation he had determined to on” mor any moree' Youre leave, Betty's deceit had disgusted Sick but I've sised ye him, But now, though there were made a monkey of the faults in the structure of the solution made him think like he had worked out, he was certain that they intended working along those lines, and he was now equally determined to stay and see the thing out. a heap of mush into his letters Of course, Taggart was trying to It'’# likely you wrote them make a fool of Betty—that was all 48’ you hoodwinked him too evident, A man who has serious You the money an’ the intentions—honorable intentiona—to- &2' could aivvy Cy ward a girl does not talk about her Dut mo out of the . to his friends as Taggart had talked, Feform me! I reckon Taggart did not care for her; he was angel I'd have to have a merely planning to gain her con- Lord fidence that he might gain possession of the money and the idol. The very fact that he was meeting Betty se- cretty proved that ahe had not given im the treasure. Perhaps she had doubts of him and was delaying, Yes, placing the paddle sa the as that was the explanation. Well, he hesitated and stood would see that Taggart would never indecision. He had wot the treasure, fuse to accept Betty's He went in to breakfast and future, and decided that watched Betty covertly during the no more work on the meal, She was trying to appear un- But he was not the concerned, but it was plain to that who did things to sult himeelf, her unconcern was too deep to be fiance to the opinions and wishes genuine, and {t moved Calumet to other people. Betty had thrown a malevolent sarcasm. over him; he discovered that “Nothin’ is botherin’ you this of his discovery he felt I mornin’, I reckon?” he said to her modating his movements once when he caught her looking at sires, It was a mystery him lear conscience, eh?" be dened him; he seemed to added, as she flushed, grip on himself, and, “What should bother me? she h asked, looking straight at ‘him. “t was thinkia’ ‘that mebbe the Oe nee toca ren Ow Ore racket I was makin’ tryin’ to kill that "It aeemed to him puertle, rtat snake might have bothered’ to think of refusing to continue with To his surprise, she pressed her lips the work he had started, As loi tightly together, and he could #¢ he was going to stay at the Lave? mirth in her eyes~mocking mir he might as well keep on. “Bat “You are talking in riddles,” she would surely laugh at kim if he pd waid quietly. fused to go on. He fought tt out and took long time to It, but he finally pulled the saddle from Blackleg and hitched the two harses to the w: When he drove out of the ranchhouse yard he saw Betty watching him one of the kitchen windows. He felt Uke cursing her, but did not. 5 sald as he curt sh of the whip viciously ey the shoul of the horses, “that she's t me locoed. Well,” he cogitated, ny woman's Mable’ to stampede « man, an’ I ain't the first guy that's had his doubts whether he's a coyote fa a woe aft he been herd-rode YY a petticoat. I’m waitin’ But Tasgart"— bc: © frown on his face indicated that his intentions toward the lattor were perfectly clear, (To Be Continued.) ‘ou soft-soaped him into ! i 4 i ef? GOING AWAY FOR SUMMER? Remember The Eve- ning Work prints each week a complete up-to-date novel —=¢ week's reading! Have The a (Ge