Adventure, December 3, 1920 — page 53: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Law Comes to Singing River Lang had come to tell the girl about himself. He knew a posse might even now be closing in upon him, but he was going to have the satis- faction of telling Alice Thornton everything be- fore the end. Something in the quiet majesty of the great hills had gotten into his blood; the clean skies and sunshine, the pure, sparkling water in the river, the clear air—ali inspired him to ease his heart of its load; to face the conse- quences like a man. Finally he saw the girl upon the path leading from the house to the spring. He stepped out upon the slope and called softly. She looked up, saw him and hesitated. He beck- oned to her. She continued on to the spring, filled a pail with water and went back into the house. Lang drew again within the screen of trees. Would she come? And then he blushed at the thought of his presumption in inviting her to meet him. What had he been thinking of? He walked to his horse, took the rein and turned for a last look at the peaceful scene be- low. He dropped the rein and his heart gave a great bound. She was coming up the slope! “Miss Alice,” began Lang as he removed his hat, “I called you up here because I didn’t want any one to see us together—not that I care for myself, but because of you.” ‘Vou are very considerate, Mr. Langworth.” “My name isn’t Langworth, Miss Alice, al- though it is partly that. My name is Lang Rush.” “Langrush?” she inquired in a cool voice, - turning questioning eyes to his. “Two words—first and last name; Lang Rush Miss Alice, I come from the prairie country. I have never been this far up in the mountains except this once. I—I killed two men down there.” - She took a step backward and her hands flew to her breast. He didn’t see her movement, for he was not looking at her; but he sensed it. “T killed one of the men because he tried to draw on me. I thought the other was tryin’ the same stunt. I was the faster man with his gun. I had been drinking, too; but not enough but. what I knew what I was doing. I’m not offering excuses; I’m tellin’ you because—I want you to know. I am also charged with bank robbing.” She was watching him intently with a strange, perplexed smile upon her face, which was white. ‘After the killing when I realized I had made a mistake concerning the second man I beat it out of town and hit for my ranch. The drought, I guess, wiped me out of its ownership; but I took two horses and some supplies and es- caped to these hills. I was followed by a man who arrived in here a day or two after I got here and who went to work for me. I opened up that old prospect-hole in the draw as a blind 43 —to excuse my being here until my horse could get over his lameness.” He paused again, and in the interval of si- lence she stooped and picked a few flowers to cover her agitation at this strange confession. “The man who followed me has disappeared and I believe he has gone to notify the sheriff. One thousand dollars reward is offered for my capture. The posse may be here at any mo- ment.” “How long has the man who followed you been gone?” she asked in a low voice. “Since day before yesterday.” “You suspected all this yesterday—that the officers would be coming for you?” SV ce “Why didn’t you go then? You could have gotten away.” “T wasn’t sure of what he had done until—last night.” From his breast pocket he took the handbill and held it out to her. “T found that under his bunk last night.” “But you could have gotten a good start last night.” Lang looked at her with sudden interest. Was she interested in seeing him get away? “Why didn’t you go last night?” she asked, looking at him frankly. “Something—held—me back,” he faltered. “T guess it was you.” “MW oY dd “T rather reckon so,” said Lang dreamily. “But how could I hold you back?” ; “T—I wanted to see you again before I went, and—although I didn’t know it at the time—I wanted to tell you—everything.” “You risked your liberty, even your life to— to wait and tell me what you have today?” “T reckon that’s about it.” “But why?” exclaimed the girl, coming close to him and looking into his eyes. Lang put his hands upon her shoulders. “T reckon you know why,” he said softly. She paled; then the color stole into her cheeks as Lang dropped his hands. She stepped back. “Vou can’t be so very bad or you couldn’t tell me these things so easily and look at me so frankly. Are you sorry?” CONT 5 “But you didn’t want to kill those men, did you?’ “Tt happened as those things happen on the range. My father taught me to watch a man’s gun-hand, and made me practise until I got pretty speedy with my own.” “Vou still have time to get away,” she said al- most in a whisper; ‘‘and your secret is safe with me. “T’m not asking you to keep it a secret,” said Lang. “But you trust me—you must have expected me not to tell.” ECORNICLOO© (E@)