Part 21 (1/2)
”I suppose so,” he said; ”this ain't no place to spend the night--it's too open We gotta find a sort o' hiding place if we can, dat a fellow kin barricade wit soly hopelessin search of they knew not what Away froers many fold ain she feared and mistrusted the mucker
They followed down the little brook nohere it emptied into a river and then down the valley beside the river which greider and more turbulent with every mile Well past mid-afternoon they came opposite a small, rocky island, and as Byrne's eyes fell upon it an exclaratification burst from his lips
”Jest de place!” he cried ”We orter be able to hide dere forever”
”But how are we to get there?” asked the girl, looking fearfully at the turbulent river
”It ain't deep,” Byrne assured her ”Co for a reply he gathered her in his arhts that had occupied histhe afternoon the sudden and close contact of the girl's war body close to his took Billy Byrne's breath away, and sent the hot blood coursing through his veins It ith the utmost difficulty that he restrained a mad desire to crush her to him and cover her face with kisses
And then the fatal thought came to hiirl to him? Had he not always hated her and her kind? Did she not look with loathing and conte anyway but to him--had he not saved it twice? What difference would it e world alive, and if he didn't take her soet her
They were in the middle of the streahten upon the girl With a sudden tug he strove to pull her face down to his; but she put both hands upon his shoulders and held his lips at array ones of thethat held their looks for a full minute
Barbara sahat she had feared, but she saw too so hope--a look of honest love, or could she be mistaken? And thethat he loved her, and he saw the plea for pity and protection in thehten hed at such a plea Doubtless, too, he would have struck the girl in the face for her resistance He did neither nohich spoke volu place within him, but neither did he relax his hold upon her, or take his burning eyes froh the turbulent, shallow river to clamber up the bank onto the island In his soul the battle still raged, but he had by no irl Fear, nuirl's eyes now The mucker read it there as plain as print, and had she not said that she was frightened?
That hat he had wanted to accohten her He would have enjoyed the sight, but he had not been able to accohtened--she had adave the mucker no pleasure--on the contrary it made him unaccountably uncomfortable
And then came the last straw--tears welled to those lovely eyes A choking sob wracked the girl's fra to trust you so!” she cried
They had reached the top of the bank, now, and the le grass beneath a great tree
Slowly he lowered her to her feet The ripped hi the evil that had predominated before
Theriere's words caood care of Miss Harding,” and his ad that last conversation with the dying uess I was a coward
Dere seems to be ht kind, I guess”
He had been standing with eyes upon the ground, his heavy hand still gripping the girl's arreat eyes upon his filled with fear and questioning, like a prisoner before the bar awaiting the sentence of her judge
As thethere before hiht, and a sudden realization of the truth flashed upon him He saw that he could not harm her now, or ever, for he loved her!
And with the awakening there cae that his love irl of the aristocracy could never be for such as he
Barbara Harding, still looking questioningly at hie that came across his countenance--she saw the swift pain that shot to the rasp upon her arm His hands fell limply to his sides
”Don't be afraid,” he said ”Please don't be afraid o' h of relief broke froirl's lips--relief and joy; and she realized that its cause was as much that the man had proved true to the new estier to herself had passed
”Coht o' de mainland, an' look fer a place to make cait in shape ag'in I know youse ht”