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THE STORY
CHAPTER : 1.—Prudence Schuyler
es from New York to Prosperity
Farm, inherited from her uncle, to
make a new life for herself and her
er, David, whose health has been
ah I—Ths. second day on
her farm’ Prue adventures into the
loft: after eggs. She slips on the
‘and falls to. the. ground—would
een badly hurt had not stropg
arms been there to catch her.
arms are those of Rodney Gerard,
ri ch young man, Who lives at High
ges on ths neighboring farm. There
at once a mutual attraction between
eo two. Rod decides to stay at his
home throughout the fall and winter,
“looking after the timber.” But Pru-
‘dence decides to maintain a cool at-
titude toward him. She suspects mén
since her sister's husband ran away
with her brother's wife.
CHAPTER IIL—Len Calloway, a
rival of Rod Gerard, tries to buy the
‘timber off Prue's land, but she dis-
es his conceited attitude and con-
cts with Rod to dispose of the trees.
Rh the evening Prue is expecting David
Sl New York she is visited by Mrs.
Walter Gerard and her thirteen-year-
ola daughter, Jean. They are hateful,
curious persons and leave Prue rankled.
CHAPTER IV.—A few days later
Prudence comes in contact with them
ain when she accompanies Rod to
is place. A clown comes, advertising
» circus in a nearby town. Prue prom-
ses to accompany Rod and Jean to the
~ oircus.
; CHAPTER V.—They go to the cir-
5, and while they are watching the
~! arade, Chicot, an old clown, is ac-
~ cidentally killed. He was the grand-
father of Milly Gooch, one of the cir-
cus riders. Rod became friendly with
Milly “when she and her parents spent
‘a year on Prosperity Farm. Now her
he available laborers in the district
‘so that they cannot be hired to cut
‘the timber for Rodney Gerard.
~~ CHAPTER VILI—Milly Gooch broke
her engagement to Calloway; he be-
ieves Rod was the cause and has since
een Rod's enemy. After the accident
to Chicot, Rod calls on Milly to see
f he can be of any help. Prue hardens
herself still more against Rod when
she sees in the newspaper a flashlight
¥ Picture of him with Milly.
CHAPTER VIL—Rodney 1s forced to
‘go to New York for timber cutters.
David goes with him and helps select
men from among the Rescue Mission
hangers-on. After their: departure for
New York, the ne’er-do-well Walter
@erard arrives, evidently wishing to
‘borrow money from his half-brother,
‘Rod. \
CHAPTER VIIL.—Walter Gerard be-
‘comes a daily, unwelcome, caller at
Prue’s home, where his daughter, Jean,
is staying during Rod's absence. Rod
nds Prue roses from the city by
“airplane. To keep the knowledge of
the workers’ arrival from Calloway,
rudence enters her timber tract with
~ Calloway on the pretense of bargain-
ing with him on the lumbering. He
gecnfines. “her in a cabin. {
CHAPTER IX
ds Sudden. ntoutrolishle panic shook
‘Prudence. In the tense silence she
stared up into Calloway’ inscrutable
face. :
“Thought you'd double-cross me,
idn’t you? There are Sever] trails
to this cabin.”
At his harsh voice her mind and
courage sprang to arms. \ .
“My cabin, isn’t it? I had no dea it
was so—so luxurious.”
~ She forced her eyes to move Howls,
as if appraisingly from the antlers
over the fireplace to the water bucket
on the bench by the door, on to the
‘wood pile near the hearth with an
8x leaning, again it.. That ax—she
oked away quickly. Calloway must
not suspect that it had seemed like
eeting an unexpected friend.
~ “Rather nice. I came here the other
day with Jim Armstrong, but we didn’t
come in.”
She was talking against time. Sure-
ly Jean must have reached the red
brick house by. this time. Must have
told someone where she was.
“Better sit down,” Calloway sug-
gested with sickening suavity. He
~ pushed forward a wooden chair.
Thank you. I prefer to stand
here. ” Prudence caught hold of the
‘great shelf of rock, which served as
a mantel, with a grip which turned
her nails white.
“Suit yourself. When you beat it,
5 1 figured that any path you'd take
would lead here. I took a short cut
and started the fire. There were red
coals; someone's been using the place.
Sorry I can’t provide a lamp. It’s get-
ting dark outside.”
If Prudence had distrusted the man
‘back on the trail, she hated him now,
~ hated his mocking smile to which the
~ flickering light gave a Satanic twist.
She took a step forward.
~ “Then we had better start home at
once. I'm wet and c-cold.”
In one move he was between her
“and the door. -
“Hold on! Why the rush? You've
~~ been fooling me, haven't you? Been
trying to make me believe that I was
to cut your timber, while all the time
you had your tongue in your cheek.
What's the game? I was ready to play
fair, Ty ve no quarrel with you. I'm a
“Just man. But: ‘you've tricked me.
Now yowll pay for it. I'll keep you
“here till you sign a contract for me to ©
parents are dead. Calloway-intimidates.
By Emile Loring
. CAL :
1
trained on you.
tell you my game, as you call it.
HILLTOPS.
LEAR
, W.N.U.
SERVICE
~
cut ror Fou
His cool, restrained ferocity stopped
Prue's heart for an instant. She seat-
ed herself in the one chair, carefully
spread her skirts to the blaze, and
looked up at him. >
“ “You think you will keep me here,
you mean. Wake up! You are in
the Twentieth ceutury. You have for-
gotten that three persons already know
with whom I came into the woods. I'll
Rod-
ney Gerard is bringing in a crew. 1
preferred that you shouldn't see them
arrive. And you didn’t. Basy, wasn’t
it?” :
He seized her “shoulders. With all
-her strength she shook off his hands and
retreated to the fireplace.
“Don’t touch. me again!
dare!”
The words shivered into a whisper.
The icy cold of the brook was stealing
through her bones. Calloway folded
his arms and scowled.
“He is a little mad,” she thought, as
she had thought once before. ait
“Dare! That's a joke. Who can
stop me? Your foxy partner is busy
with his gang, isn’t he? I take off my
hat to you,. you put your fake friendli-
ness across. I believed you. I asked
you to marry me! You've been laugh-
ing at me! Now it’s my turn: You're
here and here you stay. You needn’t
shiver.
bum, I'm not a lady-snatcher like Rod
Gerard. I'm a just man! I'm entitled
to be boss of this eounty and no one's
going to block me. Get that. I won't
stand for interference.”
Prudence regarded Calloway in-
credulously, The man was molding
his life to an obsession.
“Why are you staring at me? Don’t
you understand? You'll spend the
night here, and then I guess—”
“Say, lissen! You've got another
guess comin’, Buddy.”
“A man swayed in the entrance. His
hunted eyes, set in dark rings, glared
from his cadaverous face, as vicious
a face as ever scowled behind bars.
From clawlike fingers a revolver dan-
gled, :
Prudence pressed her hand hard |
against her lips to keep back a cry.
The convict? Perhaps he had taken
the emerald and diamonds last night.
Perhaps she had been horribly unjust
to Walter Gerard. Calloway sprang
Don’t
for him. He leveled the gun. It
clicked. :
“Hands up! Lay off! Get me? If
either you or the jane yip, I'll put a
bullet through each of you, an’ I
wouldn't stop to choose which first,
either. I ain’t like you, you big noise.
I am a bum.”
He watched Calloway’s retreat
through half-elosed lids. The glint
between them was murderous. Pru-
dence said as flippantly as if her heart
were not shaking her body with its
“elamor oi
“This is getting to be one of those
parties, isn’t it?”
“Say, you're a cool one, sister. I
guess you can have the cabin after
all, Buddy. There’ll be folks here after
this skirt you kidnaped.”
“I haven't kid—"
“Keep your mouth
down!”
Calloway sat with a ‘suddenness
which rocked the chair. The man in
possession of the revolver scowled at
Prudence.
“Here you! Scatter that fire! Quick!
Think I want the whole pack after you
shut! Sit
following that smoke? That'll do.
Drop the stick! Stand up by the chim-
ney! Gimme those pearls!”
One instant of paralyzing fright, and
then an inner strength sprang to Prue’s
rescue. x; “
“Pearls!” Her laugh was a master-
plece of its kind. “Pearls!
realize that my wax beads could fool
anybody.”
The man edged nearer. His revol-
ver covered Calloway, whose eyes
looked like those of a trapped fox.
“Wax beads! Oh yeah? Think I
don’t know the real thing when I see
it? What do you s’pose I was doin’ a
stretech— Get going, sister. Take’em
off, quick, or I'll do it, an’ I won’t be
too easy, neither. Lissen, get a move
on!”
Was this nightmare, Prudence won-
dered, as her unsteady hand fumbled
with the diamond and platinum clasp
at the back of her neck. It must be.
What had seemed an amusing plan to
divert Len Calloway couldn’t develop
into a possible tragedy, could it?
- The man grabbed the pearls from
her fingers, weighed them in his left
hand. His leer was horrible.
“Wax beads! Oh, yeah! I guess
they’ll get me three squares a day for
a year of two.”
Was that a faint call? Prudence
caught her throat to stifle an ex-
clamation. The man with the revolver
stiffened. He thrust the pearls into
his dirty shirt. His eyes went dead.
“Lissen, you two. Someone’s com-
ing. T'm gettin’ out. T’ll keep this gat
If either of you tip
’em off T's~ haon here TIl ghoot vou
You are safe enough. I'm no
I didn’t:
I
on the trail. rn know.” }
- He backed to the door. With a quick
SWOoOop/ Prudence flung brush on the
coals. Smoke would give a clue to
the rescuers. It caught fire and roared
up chimney.
“Why you—" Dazed by her daring,
the fugitive hesitated. In that instant
Calloway sprang and caught him about
ie id Both of Youl”
the shoulders. The revolver clattered
to the floor. Prue seized it.
“Don’t waste your strength, Callo-
way.” Why couldn’t she keep her
voice steady? “I’ve got him covered.
I'm not a crack shot, but I think I
can drop him at this distance.”
Calloway turned ang took a step for-
ward,
“Stay where you ‘are! Hands up!
Both of you! If you move, the next
s-scene in this Sergen thriller will be
cut by the censor.”
Gun in one hand, one hand clutch-
ing the back of the chair, Prudence
covered the two men. She disciplined
a wild impulse to shout with laughter.
paying Milly Goocli’s bills? Have you—
Hi—there—you !”
He lunged for the man in’ front,
Caught him about the waist. Fum-
bling for holds, the two strained and
panted. The fugitive was smaller, but
fear of a return to prison-gave him
superhuman strength. He twisted and
twined about Calloway’s legs until both
went down with a crash. With the
agility of a cat and the cry of an en-
raged animal, the victor was on his
feet, whirled, and grabbed the gun
from Gerard's hand. Crouching, he
backed toward the fireplace. His eyes
were flames. He aimed the revolver
steadily.
“Beat it, you two guys—and beat it
quick! TI Jeep the® pearls—and the
i Bir)” v
Prudence rotrested to the wood pile.
She had thought her mind geared to
surprises, but this quick turn stopped
her heart. She couldn’t back away
further; the wood pile was like a wall
behind her. Hadn't David said that
nine times out of ten when one was
backed against an insurmountable
wall, a gate would open behind if you
put up the fight of your life? Perhaps
there was a gate in this wall—perhaps.
A gate! Cautiously, breathlessly, she
groped behind her.
The conviet’s clawlike fingers tight-
ened on the revolver. He scowled hid-
eously at Gerard. “Hey, you! Cut out
that cig. stuff! Beat it, or I'll fire
and—"
With all her force Prudence brought
the dull side of the ax down on his
arm. His sentence shattered into pro-
fanity. His gun clattered to the floor,
Gerard seized it, thrust it against His
~back as he whirled on Prue. -
“Hey! Cut that out!”
“Beat it, or I'll fire!” Gerard’s words,
if not his voice, were a perfect imita-
tion as he prodded the cursing, sham-
bling man toward the door.
Calloway thundered “You're not let-
ting him get away, Rod? Don’t you
know he’s the escaped prisoner they're
hunting 77
“He won’t make his get-away with
you at his heels. It's your job to de-
liver him to the sheriff after you've
frisked Miss Schuyler’s pearls off him.
Get busy, Len.”
How could Rodney be so cool, so
smiling, Prudence wondered frantically.
‘“He don’t need get busy. Here they
are.” The captive pulled the ‘lovely,
lustrous string from under his ragged,
dirty shirt. Prudence snatched it from
the floor and clutched it tight against
- her breast.
“Come across with those jewels!”
Gerard poked a reminder.
“Lissen, don’t get fresh with the
gat. I've coughed up the pearls, ain’t
I—an’ I don’t know nothin’ about no.
jewels.”
“Let him go! Let him go!
care about the jewels. Please let him
go.” The break in Prue’s voice mad-
dened her.
The muscles of Gerard's jaw tight.
ened.
“On your way!” He held out the
revolver, “Take it, Len. Don’t let this
bird stop till you have him safe behind
bars.”
I don’t
Calloway gripped the gun. He said
through clenched teeth:
“You're taking chances. How do
you know I won’t shoot you?”
Rodney Gerard regarded him through |
narrowed lids and smiled.
“Because you're such
Len. Drop that ax, Prue,
need it again.”
“Get going!”
partially expended in the jab he gave
the man at the other end of the re-
volver.
The door
swung on its hinges.
a just man, |
you won't |.
Calloway’s fury was |
7
Calloway’s face! His mouth ne
open as if surprise had permanently
dislocated his jaw. The other-—she
shivered—never ~'had she seen such
eyes. Trapped. Desperate. Murder-
ous. She had not known that anything
human could look like that. David
had known, though. Dave! Where
was he? If only—
The cabin door! Opening! Slowly!
Soundlessly! Something sinister in its
caution, Had the escaped convict a
pal? Her blood chilled. Who had
come?
“Give me that gun!”
Rodney Gerard had the povolver in
his hand before Prudence realized who
had dashed into the cabin. With a re-
lieved sigh Calloway dropped his
hands. :
“Put ’em up again!”
“Don’t be a darn fool, Gerard. T—"
“Put em up! There's blood on your
i “forehead, Prue. Who hurt you?”
Prue’s brain felt curiously light.
Her yoice seemed to trickle from a
great empty space behind her eyes.
“Hurt me! No one. Believe it or
not, I was about to add a colorful fact
to the state of Maine war against
crime, when you crashed in. They're
an intriguing pair, aren ’t they? Read-
ing from left to right, you have first
a just man!”
“Steady, Prue. Don’t shiver like
that. I'll get your pearls.”
“While you're getting those, you
might make that man return the jewels
he stole from my safe last night.”
“Lissen, what does the jane mean,
jewels? Do you-think if I had any-
thing I could turn inte money I'd be
hangin’ round here? Say, she’s crazy.”
Was the man acting amazement, or
hadn't he taken the emerald?
“Crazy or not, you'll come along
with us. Get going!” Gerard
the revolver a suggestive hitch. ‘“Fol-
low him, Calloway. Keep your hands
up, both of you. Prue, come on.”
She nodded. Len Calloway looked
as if he were burning up, his face had
a purplish tinge. He spoke between
clenched teeth.
“I'll get going all right. But watch
out, Gerard. I’m not through with you.
Miss Schuyler’s all for you, isn’t she?
Have .you .told her that you've been
Through the opening came the crack:
ling of twigs ‘under stumbling, heavy
feet, rough voices. The sounds dwin-
dled into forest silence. :
“Is it s-safe to go now?” With un-
steady fingers Prue tried to clasp the
pearls about her throat.
“In just a minute. Let me do thaf.
Bend your head, Gorgeous.”
The husk in Gerard’s voice, his fin-
gers against the back of her neck set
Prue shivering again.
“What's the matter?” He looked
down at her skirt. “Your clothes are
soaked. Your lips are blue. How did
you get so wet? That's a mean bruise,
What happened?”
“Lost © my way. Fell into the
b-brook”. $
He pulled off his coat. “Put your
arms in. Don’t argue, Do as you're
told. It’s not a perfect thirty-six, but
it will help keep you warm.”
“How did you know where I was?’
“Jean got anxious about you.
Turned back and met us, That child
has a brain. She knew you shouldn't
have gone with Calloway. Why, why
did you do it?’ 3
“Jim wished he could be out of the
way when the g-gang arrived. I tried
to help, and now you c-crab—"
“I'm not crabbing. Don’t you know
that I almost lost my mind when Jean
told me where you'd gone? Don’t you
know that I went through h—I getting
to you? Don’t you know that it’s tor-
ture for me to see you shiver and
have my hands: tied by that infernal
promise I made? If I were to touch
you—"
The caressing break in his voice, the
faint tremor of his lips sent the blood
“burning to Prue's hair.
“Oh, come on! Let's get out of
here!” He pulled a flashlight from
his coat pocket.
“Let’s hurry!
“Go on.”
He followed as she entered the trail.
Every swish of her wet skirts about
her knees sent a million little icy shiv-
Hurry! I'm frozen!”
tion swept her,
“You're freezing! Take your coat.
1 don’t need it, r-really I don’t.”
“Stop talking. Go on! If you don’t,
I will carry you, and you are not a
fairy, girl.”
He was cold, but of course he
wouldn't acknowledge it. Had he
heard what Calloway had said about
Milly and money—OQoch, how cold her
legs and feet were—like sticks of ice!
There! She had put the right one for-
ward. Now the left—right—left—
right—Had Rodiey paid the circus
girls bills? Left—right—"Keep on
feet !”—left—right—march time—the
words were like a merry-go-round.
She couldn’t stop them, The clearing
at last. Copper-red light on the trees.
A fire? No, the sunset! A sky of
rainbow splendor. The color warmed
her, all except her feet. Right—Ileft—
they had frozen—
Someone caught her
bled.
arms.
“How warm—how heavenly—Left—
| right—Please—p-lease — Jim — Jim—
stop those words going round and
round—"
Someone smothered something be-
| tween his teeth. Someone pulled off
i the coat, bundled her into something
as she stum-
Someone picked her up in his
|" woolly and soft, something that
smelled of tobacco, lifted her into a
car. She was warmer. Those horrid
|
| words had stopped whirling. Why
{ should she have thought for an instant
that she was with Jim Armstrong?
She looked at the man at the wheel.
a pearl thief, then ‘a—just man—such’
gave
ers coasting along her veins. Gerard.
faced her down the trail. The hand
that touched her was like ice. Contri-
“Thank. goodness, you have put on
your coat! It would be you—the man-
of-the-moment,” she said unsteadily."
He looked straight down into her
eyes. Straight and deep.
“But all the time you thought I was
Jim.”
Prudence closed her lids tight. That
pesky, “Left!” “Right!” started in
her head again. She had better keep
them open. Rodney Gerard needn’t
growl at her. Suppose she were to re-
mind him of Milly Gooch and—lucky
she had found that out in time!
Gerard drew the robe closer about
her.
“Warmer Gorgeous?”
If he spoke to her again in that un-
steady voice, she would cry her heart
out on his shoulder, then where would
she be? 2
“Warmer—but—a roaring fire and
a cup of hot tea will seem like heaven.
‘Jim will—"
“Jim! Jim! You think of him every
minute. Why don’t you marry him?”
Prudence shut her eyes. She had
been about to say that Jim would
think him lost. He had handed her a
weapon of defense. ‘She rushed to her
own destruction.
“IT "have ‘had that idea myself—in
fact it is quite settled.”
air long after they were spoken, to
vibrate like a violin string which had
been roughly struck. What a lie!
What an outrageous lie! She had
stripped off honor and truth in a de-
termination to protect herself from fu-
ture heartache. What would Jim Arm-
He® mustn't
After what seemed hours of
time and miles of road, she begged in
strong say if he knew?
know.
what she recognized as absurd anti
climax,
you to anyone—even David.
1 just flung it at you.”
“Don’t worry.
good news. You are hoarse.
chilly 2”
are almost home!
brick house!”
dine at High Ledges
CAs LT -
“Don’t Try to Be Funny. Drink It.”
pe
wanted to tell you of our experiences
—but if you've taken cold—”
“I never take cold. As soon as I
get off these wet clothes I'll be all
right.” How could she face Jim Arm-
strong, she wondered.
He lifted her out of the roadster
and pulled off the robe. “You're shiv-
ering. There isn't a light in the house.
Where is Jane Mack?”
“Having t-tea with Mrs, S#Si, prob-
ably.”
“You’re shivering again.
I'm going in with you!”
Come on!
“No! No! Go home! I don’t need
anyone.”
“Sez you! Come on!” He laid a
compelling arm about her shoulders
and drew her along the path. The
knob of the front door turned under
his hand. He followed her into the
living room which was faintly lighted
by blinking coals on the hearth.
“Sit in that wing chair. Don’t try
to talk.”
He flung pine cones from the big
copper kettle beside the fireplace on
the embers. They blazed. Carefully
he laid birch kindling; when that
caught he piled on large logs and
lighted the lamp.
Prudence protested hoarsely ;: “Please
don’t do anything more. I can take
care of myself.”
‘ ‘Got a heater in the house? Is your
room warm?”
“My own room upstairs? Only when
I have a fire in the stove.”
“Then I'll get your dry clothes, you
can’t stay in those wet things, and you
are not going up to that cold room to
change. Stick out your foot.”
He dropped to one knee azd unlaced
the boot she automatically held out.
For an instant she was dumb from sur-
prise, but only for an instant.
“Rodney Gerard, don’t dare go to
my room,”
“Did you say ‘dare’? I'm going un-
der the Trading with the Enemy act.
It’s being used this year.”
He carefully removed the other boot,
hearth, and crossed the room.
garded him as he returned.
crepe pajamas hung over one
green over the other,
known what to bring?
“Here you are!
wet things and into these.”
- He drew a chair in front of the
Get out of those |
The words seemed to twang in the
“Please don’t mention what I told
We—we
don’t want it known—at ‘present, I—
I—well, you made me angry and—and
I shan’t broadeast the
Stil]
“I'm warmer, but thank heaven, we
There’s the red
, “David and I had planned for you to
tonight—he
placed the pair side by side on the
Huddled in the wing chair, she re- |
Green |
arm, her |
flannel house coat striped in blue and |
How had he |
|
|
|
i
I
fire and Tald thé garments over It8
back. Prudence regarded him with a
superior smile, as superior as a smile
could be with chattering teeth be-
hind it.
“Just naturally helpful, aren't you? x
1 haven't the slightest intention of x
ch-changing.” I'll stay here until
M-Macky gets back.”
“You have another guess coming to
you. You'll change to dry clothes
while I'm in the kitchen making a cup
of hot tea. Now get this, If you
haven’t when I come back, I'll peel
off those wet things myself.” He paused
on the threshold. “Make it snappy.
It doesn't take.long to boil water.”
Prudence wrinkled her nose at his
back. The act of defiance precipi- rl
tated a body-wrenching sneeze. Let i fi
him try to make her change. Just
let him try.
She glanced furtively at the pas
jamas and coat over the chair. They : alls
looked blissfully warm, and she was = . {
frozen. Why not put them on? Why SEE
freeze for the pleasure of, - <defying Hal]
Rodney Gerard? ih a
What was that sound? Wag he com- ;
ing already? With shaking hands she
pulled off the green cardigan. Of
course, the lordly male would think
he had frightenéd her into ‘obedience. -
She knotted the cord of the green and.
blue house coat. He hadn't. It wasn't
that she was too proud to fight—was ;
her reaction to that thought a chuckle |
or a shiver—she was too c-cold to
f-fight: Silly not to have put these
toasty warm things on at once. Lr
He was coming! She caught up the
wet clothing and jammed it into the
i
s hy
ii
wood box. Back in the wing chair
she thrust her bare toes, still white
from cold, into sandals and sat on
them.
When Gerard entered he glanced
quickly at the chair in front of the
fire. He drew forward a Chinese tea-
poy and set down the tray in his
hand.
“There you are!” |
He poured tea, strong enough to
curl the straightest lashes up tight,
and passed her the cup.
“Drink it while it’s hot.”
She took a hasty swallow.
“It’s boiling! You—haven't a
c-copper-lined mouth up your sleeve,
have you?
p-person.” .
“Did it burn?”
“Oh no, it froze and frosted all the
way down.”
“Don’t try to be funny. Drink it.
At least, you're not shivering now. i
What the dickens have you done to i
this room?”
“Paper and paint. I wanted it fresh | 2
for David when he returned.” She ; :
started to her feet. “Dave! How !
could I have forgotten? He must be
You're such an efficient
a
- wild with anxiety about me.”
“Sit down! Finish that tea! I
phoned him from upstairs. Told him
that you were okay and that you {
would be at High Ledges for dinner. i
I=" A door banged. “Who’s that?
“Sit still!”
Before he could reach the hall, Jane
Mack appeared on the threshold.
“Miss Prue! Miss Prue! They've
caught the escaped prisoner! Now
perhaps you'll get your jewels.” She
took a step into the room and pulled
down her spectacles. “What's the
matter, child? What happened to
her, Mr, Rodney?”
Prue reassured quickly:
“Nothing happened, Macky, except
that I went to look at my timber and :
got wet. Mr. Gerard made some tea 74
and—here we are.”
Jane Mack put her hand against
Prue's cheek. “You look feverish.
Sure you haven't taken cold?” i
“Of course not. I never have a cold. 7 |
XA
| What did you hear about the convict,
Macky? Tell us, quick.” i
Gerard lifted the heavy coat from
Jane’s thin shoulders—Prue wondered
| if that attention ever had been shown
her before—and drew forward a chair. iy
“Sit here, Miss Mack. How did you
hear about the capture?’
“The news was broadcast about ten
minutes ago. The convict was brought
to the county jail by a leading citizen i
—didn’t tell his name over the radio— i
who caught him in the woods, dared .
death from the desperado’s revolver,
and captured him single-handed.”
Jane Mack’s theatrical “dared death”
unleashed Prue's shivers. !
“Single-handed !” she echoed,
The leading citizen was Calloway, ae
of course. Evidently he had forgotten
to mention Rodney Gerard's timely en-
trance at the cabin, had forgotten her
masterly stroke with the ax.
“Single-handed!” she repeated, and
looked at Rodney Gerard. He shook !
his head as’ his eyes met hers. She-
turned to Jane Mack.
“So the leading citizen caught him. {
single-handed. Ain’t human nature-
grand!”
(Continued Next Week.)
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