Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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4 ~ .*» V THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1925. THE BARNWELL PEOPLE, BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA. fc>AGk v r v. r 'I ♦ 0 -i- Judith of Blue Lake Bauch By JACKSON GREGORY Osprrlzht by Charles Scribner's 80ns ■J CHAPTER XIV—Continued —16— “•Tndlth, Judith," th.e girl whispered ifter the first outburst, when she *<>iind that she was shaking pitifully. ‘You’ve got to do better than this; I’m ashamed of you.” She went hack to her couch, where »he sat down seeking to hold her (angling nerves In check. But. despite her Intention, she sat shaking, lis tening. listening—praying for even the footfall of her Jailer. When Ituth was with her she at tempted In a hundred ways to gauge the woman’s warped brain, to seek some way to get the better of her, to gain her trust and so to slip away. But she found that here was the us ual cunning bom of madness, and that Bath’s one idea was to keep the girl who had escaped her once but who must never escape again. There were times when suspicion awakened In Bath’s mind, and she broke^ Into vio lent rage, so that her big body shook and her eyes In the lantern-light were cruel and murderous, when Judith shrank hack, and tried to change the woman’s thoughts. For more than once had Mad Bath cried out; “I’ll kill you! Kill you with my own hands to keep you here. To keep you mine. mine, mine!” The woman carried no weapon, hut after her two hands hmf once gripped the girl’s shoulders, shaking her. Ju dith knew that Ruth needed no wea pon. Hers was a. strength greater than Trevors’, greater than two men’s. If Mad Bath saw fit to Util Judith with her two hands, she could do It. Sunday passed and Sunday night; Monday and Monday night. Judith knew that sue had accomplished noth ing, except perhaps to make Ruth be lieve that she was very much of a coward. In Bath’s mad brain that was little enough, since this d.d not allay her cunning watchfulness. Then -Judith began to do something else, something actively. Just to he oc cupied, was something. Her lingers selected the largest, thickest branch from her bed of fir-houghs! It was per- •>s a couple of Inches In diameter and heavy, because it was green SI iently, cautious of a twig snapped, she began with her^tlngers to strip the branch, tough -fired pliable. Then the iimb must he cut into a length which would make It a club to he used m a cramped space. She found a Idt of -stone, hard granite, which had scaled from the walls and which had a rough edge. Witlitthls, wcwklng many a quiet hour, she at last cut In two the fir-hough. She lifted It in her hands, to feel the weight of It, before she thrust minder her bed to lie hid den there against possible need. Boor thing as It was, she felt no longer utterly defenseless. v Once M»<l Ruth, lighting the lan tern. hail dropped a good match. When she had gone, Judith secured It hastily, hiding it as if It were gold. She knew that now and then Mad Ruth went ('own the cliffs and to the cabin across the chasm. Always at night and at the darkest hour. When bread and meat, hoarded from her scanty meals, she hid in her blouse. “If I could stun her, Just stun her." she got into the way of whispering to herself. "Not kill her outright— Just stun her ” At last, seeing that she must work her town salvation with the crude weapons given her, Judith told her self that she could wait no longer. Another day and another and she would be weak from the confinement and poor food and nervous, wakeful hours. She must act while the Strength was In her. And, |f Trev ors had spoken the truth, if there were a man to deal with outside— well, she must shut her mind to that until she came to It. Mad Buth was gone again, and Ju dith stood hy the thick door, her heart heating furiously while she waited. It seemed to her eager Im patience that Ruth would never come hack. Then after a long, long time she heard a little scraping sound upon the rock ledge outside, the sound of a quick step. And then, be fore she heard the snarling, ugly voice which she had heard once and had never forgotten, she knew that this time she had waited too long, that It was not Buth coming. One man—and there might he oth ers. She stepped hack to her bed, hid the two weapons and waited. She must make no mistakes now.- The door was flung open. Outside It was dark, pitch-dark. But evident ly the man en’erlng had no fear of being seen. He threw down a bundle of dry fagots, and set fire to them. The blaze, leaping up, casting wav ering gleams to where Judith stood, showed her plainly the twisted, ugly face of Qulnnlon, his red-rimmed eyes peering at her. Oiled with evil light. ‘M he better to see you by, my dear!" was Qulnnlon’s word of greet ing. Judith inade no answer. She drew a little farther back Into the shadows, a little closer to the things she had hidden among the flr- hranches. ‘‘Ho," sneered Qulnnlon, his mood from the flrst plain enough to rend In the glimpses of his face and In the added harshness of his voice. “Timid little fawn, huh? By G—d. a man would sn . v from the bluff you put up that It was all a dream about findln’ you an’ the hnn’some Lee In the cabin -together! Stan’ off all you d—n please^ I’ve come to tame you. you little beauty of the big innocent eyes!" Mad Ruth, Lighting the Lantern, Had Dropped a Good Match. she heard her go, Judith rose swiftly and went to the heavy door. Always she found It locked; her shaking at It hardly budged the heavy timbers. But though she could not see It. she studied it with her fingers until she had a picture of It in her mind. A picture that only increased her hope lessness. Barehanded she could never hope to break it down or push It aside. And above It *nd below, and on each side, were the solid walls of stone. She no longet knew what day It was. She scarcely knew if It were day or night. But. setting herself something to do so that s*ie would not go mad. mad as Mad Rutb, she secured for herself another weapon. Another bit of stone which her groping finger^ hud found and hidden with her club; a Jngged, ugly rock hrfff the size of a do Alt’s hMd. Some little scraps of drunk. But, ns he came a step closer, file heavy air of the cave grew heavier with the whisky he carried, whisky enough to stimulate the evil within hlfh. not to quench It. "Stand hack !’’ cried Judith, with a sharp Intake of breath. "I want to talk with you, Chris Qulnnlon.” "So you know who I am, do you? Well, much good It’ll do you." “I know who you are and what you are." she told him defiantly, suddenly- sick of her long hours of playing baby, kndwlug at the moment less fear than hatred and loathing. "Listen to me: Bayne Trevors has come out In the open at last; he has made his Mg play and Is going to lose out on It. Your one chance now Is to let me go and to go yourself. Go fast and far, Chris Qulnnlon. For when the law knows the sort Bayne Trevors Is and how you have-worked hand find glove with him. it will know Just how muc'h his word was worth when he swore you were with him when father was killed! Coward and cur and mur- dered!" Qulnnlon laughed at her. “Little pussy-cat," he Jeered. "You’ve got claws, have you? And you spit and growl, do you? Want me to let you go hack to that swaggering lover of yours, do you? Buck to Lee -t’ "That’s enough, Qulnnlon." she said sharply. “Is It?" He laughed at her again, and again came on toward her,. Hie red-rlmmed evil of his eyes driving quick fear at last Into her. "Enough? Why, curse you and curse him, I haven’t begun yet! When Fm through with you I’ll go fast enough. And he can “have you then an’ d—n wel come to him !" "Stop !" cried Judith. His lnugbter_dld not reach her ears now, hut as he kicked the fire at h!s foot and the flames leaped and showed his face, she read the laughter In his soul; read It through the gleam ing eyes, the twisted mouth which showed the teeth at one side In a hor rible leer. Ills long arms thrust out before him, he came on. "Oh, my G—d !” cried Judith. "My G—d !" Then suddenly she was silent. She thought that she had known the ut termost of fear and now for the first time did she fully know what terror was. His strength was many times her strength, his brutality was un bounded, site was alone with him. There was no one to call to, not even Ruth, the mad woman,. She was shaking now, shaking so that she could barely stand. Qulnnlon came on, his long arms out. . . She felt the strength die out of her body, grew for a thoinen I .ml and dizzy and Blek~ She tried agt-in to JL call' out to him, to plead with him. But her voice stuck In her throat. He was gloating over her, a look strangely like Mad Ruth’s in his eyes. Good G—d! He was like Mad Ruth; the same eyes, the same long, power ful arms, the same look of cunning! In a flash there came to her a suspi cion which was near certainty : this man was blood of Mad Ruth’s blood, bone of her bone; her son, and, like her, tainted with madness. He shot out a long arm, his hand barely brushing her shoulder. She shrank hack. He stood, content to pause n moment, to gloat further over her. "You little beauty,’ v he said, pant ing. "You little white and pink and brown beauty !" Judith had shuddered when he touched her. But a strange thing had happened to her. His touch had angered her so that she almost for got to he afraid, angered her so that the loathing was gone In white hot hatred, giving her back her old strength. Now, though he had the brutal force of a strong man, Qulnnlon did not have the swiftness of movement of an alert, desperate girl. Before he could grasp her motive she leaped to ward him and toward the bed of houghs, found the ragged stone, and lifting It high above her head flung It full Into his face. The man staggered hack, crying out in throaty harshness, a cry of blind rage. But he did not fall, did not pause more than a briel Instant. A little dazed, with blood In his eyes, he lunged toward her. She had found the club now and struck with all Irer might, again beating Into his face and again and again. He sought to ghippie with her and she heat him buck. She saw his band go to Uls hip and heard him curse her, and she leaped In on him and, panting with the blow, struck again. He flung up his arm. She struck once more. Tnk Ing the blow full across the . face Qulnnlon- reeled back, stumbled at nn uneven spot In the rock floor, bal anced, almost falling. . . . Only a moment he held thus. But there was a chance to pass him In the narrow way, and she took her chance, her heart heating wildly. And as she shot hy she struck again. She heard him after her. shouting curses, stumbling a little, coming on. The door was o[>en, thank God. the door was open! She shot through Not drunk ; . no, Qulnnlon was neve? 'Tf'MW cotlTd lMU takt? "time to close It! But there was no time .for that; he was almost at her heels. And out side was the ledge and the dizzy climb down. If she slipped. If she fell, well. It would Just'be'a clean death and noth Ing more. Qulnnlon was but a few steps behind her. He had not fired Hud he perhaps dropped his gun back there In the darkness? Or was he so sure of taking her. alive and strug gllng. Into his arms In another mo riient? She was on the ledge. It was dark pitch-dark. But she found a hand hold, threw herself flat down and thrust her feet out over the ledge, less afraid of what lay below than what came on behind her. She was grip ping the ledge now with her hands, already torn and bleeding, her feel swinging, touching sheer rock wall, slipping, seeking a foothold. Qulnnlon was just there, above her. She must move her hand-s so that he could not reach her. It seemed an eternity that she hum: there, seeking n place some whore to set her feet. She found It, another lesser ledge which she had almost missed, and knew that this way she had clambered upward with Bayne Trevors. If she could only find another step and an other before Qulnnlon came upon her! She held her club In ner teeth; she mpst not let that go. Qulnnlon was over the ledge, fol lowing her. She heard Ids heavy breathing, heard him cnrslng her again.'{ Site was going so slowly, so slowly; and Qutnnlmv would know the way better than she, Qulnnlon would make better tlme Tft llie dark. She moved along this lower ledge At each instant she wondered If it were to he her last, If she were go Ing tou fall. If a swift drop through the darkness would be the end of life. Suddenly there was scarce room in the girl’s breast fop hatred of Chrjs Qulnnlon. so filled was It# with the love of life. She wanted see the sun come up again, she wanted tile sweet breath of the dawn In her n/& trils, the beauty of a sunlit world in her eyes. She thought of Bud Lee. Clinging to the rocks, hanging on desperately, taking 'a score of des perate chances momentarily,* she made her way on and down. She found scant handhold and. almost falling, dropped her club, heard It strike, strike again. Black as the night was, Its gloom was less titan that of the cavern to which Judith had grown ac customed; little hy little she began to make out the broken surface of the cliffs The chasm below was a pool of ink; above were the little stars;, in the eastern sky, low down, was a promise df the rising moon. The surge of quickening hope came Into her heart. Had ahe hurt Quln- nion more than she had guessed? For, slowly as she made her hazardous way down, It seemed to her that QMn- nlon came even more slowly. Could she but once get down Into the gorge below, could she slip along the course of the racing stream, she might run and the sound of her steps would he lost even to her own ears In the sound of the water; the sight of her (lying body would be lost to Qhin- nlon’s eyes. Then she heard him laughing above her. Laughing, with a snarl and a curse in his laugh, and something of malicious triumph. Was he so cer tain of her then? "Ruth!’’ called Qulnnlon. “Oh, Buth! The girl’s gettln’ away. Goin' down the rocks. Head her off at the bottom." Judith had found, because her fate was good to her, the long slanting crack in the wall of rock up which she had come that day with Bayne Trev ors. There was still danger of a fall, but the danger was less now than lt n haM been ten seconds ago. She could move more swiftly now and confidence had begun to come to her that she could elude Qulnnlon. But now, suddenly, she heard Mad Ruth’s voice screaming a shrill answer to Qulnnlop'a shout; knew that Ruth had been in her cabin across the gorge and was running to Intercept her at flie fobt of (he cliffs. Well, still there was a race to he »-un and the odds not entirely uneven. Buth must descend the other side of the canyon, get down into the gorge, •mike the crossing, which, so far as Judith knew, might he farther up or farther down stream, come to the cliffs below Judith before Judith her self made her way down. Again Judith took what risks the night and the rocks offered her and thanked God In her soul that It was given her to take a chance In the open, to use her own muscles In her own fight, not to Me longer, playing 'he part of a do-nothing. Now and Mien, across the void, there floated to her a little moaning cry from the mod woman’s Ups. Now and then she heard a curse from Qulnnloti above; vften from above her, from below her own feet, from across the chasm, drop- 'ping stones, fulling almost sheer, told of haste and death which might come from nn unlucky step. Fast ns Judith went how, having 1 fair sort of cliff trail under her Mud Ruth went faster. The gorge measured a scant tlftv feet between them and the girl’s alert senses told her that already Ruth was on a level with her Ruth was winning In the desperate race. She knew her way down so perfectly, her heart was so filled with madness, that danger was nothing to her. Down and down climbed Judith, caution wedded to haste, as she told herself that she bad a chance yet, that that chance must not be tossed away In a fall, though It were but a few feet. She must have no sprained ankle If she meant to see the sun rise tomorrow. The flush had brightened In the sky where the moon was so near the ridge 1 . The moon, too, had Joined.In the race; with one quick glance to ward It; Judith again discarded can Ton for. haste. She must get down nto thfjflpor of the canyon before the moonlight did; she must he running before its radiance showed her out to Qulmilon and Ruth. Her builds were cut and bleeding, her heart was heating wildly, already her body was sore and bruised. But these things she did not know. She only knew that Qulnnlon was still coming on above her, and coming more swiftly now, quite as swiftly ns she herself moved, since his feet, too. were In the better trail; that Mud Ruth had completed the descent across the chasmfand by now must he crossing the strftlifff upon some fallen tog or rude bridge; that one minute ,;more, or perhaps two, would decide Bier fate. ' She could see the stream, glinting palely In the starlight. It seemed very near; Its-tbunder filled her ears Down she went and down, down tin til at Inst, she was not ten feet above its surface, wlt|i a strip of gently sloping bank Just uader her. She stopped, took firm hold upon a knob of boulder, prepared to swing down and drop to tbe'|fiittom. And, ns she stooped, she heiird a little whining ryonn Just undl-'r her and straight ened,' up, tense and terrified. Mad Buth was there before her, MaiLtlujfft wad Waiting. CHAPTEH XV - ■ Alone in the Wilderness Arid Qulnnlon was coming on. She was trapped, caught between the two of them. She heard Qulnnlon laugh again; he, too? hud heard Buth. “Oh, God help me!” whispered Ju dith. "God help me now!” There was no time to hesitate. If sue stood here, Qulnnlon would In « moment wrap his arms about her; If she dropped down, she would be In 'he frenzied clutch of Mad Buth. A second she crouched, peering down Into the feloom below her, seek- irig to make out the form of the mad woman. Then she did n<>t merely drop, but Jumped, landing fair upon the waiting figure, striking with her boots on Mad Ruth's ample shoulders. A scream of rage from Buth, a llttje, strangling cry from Judith, and the two fell together. Buth clutched as she went down and a hand dosed over the girl's ankle. Judith rolled, struck again with the free boot, twisted sharply and felt the grip torn loose from her ankle. She was free. She Jumped up and ran *nnd knew that Buth was. running Just behind her, screaming terribly. Judith fell, and her heart grew sick within her. But again she was up Just as Huth's hand clutched at her skirt, clutched and was torn away as Judith ran on. Qulnnlon cursed from above as she had not yet heard him curse. Ruth reviled both her and Qulnnlon for hav ing let her go. Judith was running swiftly and felt that she could get the better of the heavier, older woman In a race of this sort. She stumbled and fell, and Jumped, Striking With Her Boots, on Mad Ruth's Ample Shoulders. fear again gripped her; It seemed so long before she could rise and clamber over a fallen log and race on. But (he darkness which tricked her pro tected her at the same time, playing no favorites now. Ruth, too, had fallen; Ruth, too, was frenzied at ihe brief delay. Stumbling, foiling, rising, stagger ing hack from a tree Into which she had run full tilt, bruised and torn, the girl ran on. At every free step hope shot upward In her heart; at every fall she grew sick with dread. The canyon broadened rapidly, the ground underfoot grew less broken and littered with boulders and logs. Through tangles of brush she went blindly, throwing herself forward, falling, rising, falling, rising again. It vuis^a nightmare of a race, with Ruth always Just there, almost at her heels. She turned as far away from tht stream as she could, keeping under ihe cliffs where there was less brush; where the way was more opeh, where the shadows were thickest.’ She was outdistancing Mad Ruth. with DAVIS BAKING • POWDER Now—as Yon Read —Make this -Test! P RESS the thumbnail firmly for a few seconds—then watch it . . . unless the blood comes rushing back rich and red. It means that you too may blame your lack of energy on Anemia —blood starvation, The best way to restore the iron and manganese to your blood is by the daily use of Gude’s Pepto-Mangan. Physicians have seen thou sands of worn out bodies regain health because of its iron and manganese content. Easily as similated by the blood stream, it it distributed to every cell in the body—rebuilding their vital ity. 1 Gude’s Pepto-Mangan is now at your druggist in liquid o* tablet form. Gude’s pepto-M&ngan Tonic and Blood Enricher Croup! TteliefBegmsin Three^finutes Mother! Don’t ba frantic with fear when your child wakes up at night choking with croup. Just give a pleasant tasting spoonful or two of Cheney's, as millions of mothers have dono. See how thankful you will be when that labored breathing stops and In a few minutes the little ano Is sleeping peacefully again. Mothers who once use this quick, dependable remedy always keop am Inexpensive bottle on hand. 5 k for Qmhs.Croup.Colds A CHENEYS EXPECTORANT Quick and Dependable Ruth's weird voice came frotn sTgreat- er distance L.tbe woman was ten, may be twenty, feet behind her. The moon at last rose pule gold above the eastern ridge. And now Judith could thank God for It. For the canyon had widened more and iriore, the bunks of the river were studded with big |rees. there were wide open spaced between them through which she shot like a fright ened deer, turning this way and that, darting about a clump of little firs, plunging into the shadows under great sky-seeking cedars, running as she had never run before and as she knew Mad Ruth could not run. Free! She was free. The triumph of It danced In her blood. On she ran and now Qulnnlon’s voice and Ruth’s were confused with the roar of the river. On she ran and oik and on. and hut faintly ther^ cfene to her the sound of bfeaking brush somewhere behind her. Never had her brood sung within her as It sang now; rw?ver had the dim. moonlit solitudes\of the mountains opened their sheltering arms to one more grateful to slip Into them, like a wounded child Into the •’soothing embrace of Its mother. Now again she turned so that her flying steps brought her close to the water's edge. Louder and louder grew Its shouting voice In her ears, little hy little drowning out the sounds of Ruth and Qulnnlon behind her. Now, in all the glorious night, there was no sound to reach her hut the sound _of runulng water and her own heating feet.. She was free. (TO DE CONTINUED.) ' ? 1 ''' ' ' 1 ~ r • Pearls ronsflst of layers of dellcat* ir.aterlnl Inclining some foreign par dele, usually • pansit* An engaged girl Is always suspicious of her girl friends who are heartwhole and fancy free. The Woman Who Know* Columbia, S. C.—"I felt so weak that it was impossible for me to keep on my feet and my back ached all the time. I had a heavy cold and the cough disturbed my sleep. I sent for a bottle of ‘Gol- den Medical Discovery' and one,of ’Favorite Ftrlcription.’ I improved so much after taking the first two bottles that I con tinued the treatment. Now I am ab solutely well Dr Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery for the blood and his ‘Favorite Prescription’ for femi nine weakness are sure to build up any woman who will try them."— Mrs I. J Reeves, 309 Whaley St. " Att’dralers Liciuid or 'ah'ets Many a nmn fails to reach to top because every time he stops to rest he falls asleep. Hr The virtue of Justice consists 1| moderation, as regulated hy wisdom. Sure Relief Bell-ans Hot water Sure Relief ■ELL-ANS AND 754 PACKAGES EVERYWHERE