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keen, gray eyes warm with the light of gladness. He was gripped in hands of iron.

ā€œSon! hyar you airā€”anā€™ itā€™s the savinā€™ of me!ā€ exclaimed a deep, familiar voice.

ā€œSlingerland!ā€ cried Neale, and he grasped his old friend as a drowning man at an anchor-rope. ā€œMy God! What will happen next?... Oh, Iā€™m glad to find you!... All these years! Slingerland, Iā€™m in trouble!ā€

ā€œSon, I reckon I know,ā€ replied the other.

Neale shivered. Why did men look at him so? This old trapper had too much simplicity, too big a heart, to hide his pity.

ā€œCome! Somewhereā€”out of the crowd!ā€ cried Neale, dragging at Slingerland. ā€œDonā€™t talk. Donā€™t tell me anything. Wait!... Iā€™ve a letter hereā€”thatā€™s going to be hell!ā€

Neale stumbled along out of the crowded street, he did not know where, and with death in his soul he opened Beauty Stantonā€™s book. And he read:

You called me that horrible name. You struck me. Youā€™ve killed me. I lie here dying. Oh, Neale! Iā€™m dyingā€”and I loved you. I came to you to prove it. If you had not been so blindā€”so stupid! My prayer is that some one will see this Iā€™m writingā€”and take it to you.

Ancliffe brought your sweetheart, Allie Lee, to meā€”to hide her from Durade. He told me to find you and then he died. He had been stabbed in saving her from Duradeā€™s gang. And Hough, too, was killed.

Neale, I looked at Allie Lee, and then I understood your ruin. You fool! She was not dead, but alive. Innocent and sweet like an angel! Ah, the wonder of it in Benton! Neale, she did not knowā€”did not feel the kind of a woman I am. She changed meā€”crucified me. She put her face on my breast. And I have that touch with me now, blessed, softening.

I locked her in a room and hurried out to find you. For the first time in years I had a happy moment. I understood why you had never cared for me. I respected you. Then I would have gone to hell for you. It was my joy that you must owe your happiness to meā€”that I would be the one to give you back Allie Lee and hope, and the old, ambitious life. Oh, I gloried in my power. It was sweet. You would owe every kiss of hers, every moment of pride, to the woman you had repulsed. That was to be my revenge.

And I found you, and in the best hour of my bitter lifeā€”when I had risen above the woman of shame, above thought of selfā€”then you, with hellish stupidity, imagined I was seeking youā€”YOU for myself! Your annoyance, your scorn, robbed me of my wits. I could not tell you. I could only speak her name and bid you come.

You branded me before that grinning crowd, you struck me! And the fires of hellā€”MY hellā€”burst in my heart. I ran out of thereā€”mad to kill your soulā€”to cause you everlasting torment. I swore I would give that key of Allie Leeā€™s room to the first man who entered my house.

The first man was Larry Red King. He was drunk. He looked wild. I welcomed him. I sent him to her room.

But Larry King was your friend. I had forgotten that. He came out with her. He was sober and terrible. Like the mad woman that I was I rushed at him to tear her away. He shot me. I see his eyes now. But oh, thank God, he shot me! It was a deliverance.

I fell on the stairs, but I saw that flaming-faced devil kill four of Duradeā€™s men. He got Allie Lee out. Later I heard he had been killed and that Durade had caught the girl.

Neale, hurry to find her. Kill that Spaniard. No man could tell why he has spared her, but I tell you he will not spare her long.

Donā€™t ever forget Hough or Ancliffe or that terrible cowboy. Ancliffeā€™s death was beautiful. I am cold. Itā€™s hard to write. All is darkening. I hear the moan of wind. Forgive me! Neale, the difference between me and Allie Leeā€”is a good manā€™s love. Men are blind to womanā€™s agony. She laid her cheek hereā€”on my breast. Iā€”who always wanted a child. I shall die alone. Noā€”I think God is here. There is some one! After all, I was a woman. Neale forgiveā€”





31

ā€œWor I there?ā€ echoed McDermott, as he wiped the clammy sweat from his face. ā€œBā€™gosh, I wor!ā€

It was half-past five. There appeared to be an unusual number of men on the street, not so hurried and business-like and merry as generally, and given to collecting in groups, low-voiced and excited.

General Lodge drew McDermott inside. ā€œCome. You need a bracer. Man, you look sick,ā€ he said.

At the bar McDermottā€™s brown and knotty hand shook as he lifted a glass and gulped a drink of whisky.

ā€œGineral, I ainā€™t the mon I wuz,ā€ complained McDermott. ā€œCaseyā€™s gone! Anā€™ we had hell wid the Injuns gittinā€™ here. Anā€™ thin jest afther I stepped off the trainā€”it happened.ā€

ā€œWhat happened? Iā€™ve heard conflicting reports. My men are out trying to get news. Tell me, Sandy,ā€ replied the general, eagerly.

ā€œAfther hearinā€™ of Caseyā€™s finish I was shure needinā€™ stimulants,ā€ began the Irishman. ā€œAnā€™ prisintly I drhopped into that Duradeā€™s Palace. I had my drink, anā€™ thin went into the big room where the moosic wuz. It shure wuz a palace. A lot of thim swells with frock-coats wuz there. Bā€™gorra they ainā€™t above buckinā€™ the tiger. Some of thim I knew. That Misther Lee, wot wuz once a commissioner of the U. P., he wor there with a party of friends.

ā€œAnā€™ I happened to be close by thim whin a gurl come out. She was shure purty. But thot sad! Her eyes wor turrible hauntinā€™, anā€™ roight off I wanted to start a foight. She wor lookinā€™ fer Durade, as I seen afterwards.

ā€œWal, the minnit that Lee seen the gurl he acted strange. I wuz standinā€™ close anā€™ I went closer. ā€˜Most exthraordinary rezemblance,ā€™ he kept sayinā€™. Anā€™ thin he dug into his vest fer a pocket-book, anā€™ out of that he took a locket. He looked at itā€”thin at the little gurl who looked so sad. Roight off he turned the color of a sheet. ā€˜Gintlemen, look!ā€™ he sez. They all looked, anā€™ shure wuz sthruck with somethinā€™.

ā€œā€˜Gintlemen,ā€™ sez Lee, ā€˜me wife left me years agoā€”ran off West wid a gambler. If she iver hed a childā€”thot gurl is thot child. Fer sheā€™s the livinā€™ image of me wife nineteen years ago!ā€™

ā€œSome of thim laughed at himā€”some of thim stared. But Lee wuz dead in earnest anā€™ growinā€™ more excited ivery min nit. I heerd him mutter low: ā€˜My Gawd! it canā€™t be! Her child!... In a gamblinā€™ hell! But that face!... Ah! where else could I expect the child of such a mother?ā€™

ā€œAnā€™ Lee went closer to where the gurl was waitinā€™. His party follered anā€™ I follered too.... Jest whin the moosic sthopped anā€™ the gurl looked

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