?" asked Tresler, as the other showed no
disposition to speak.

The man shrugged. "Take possession of the ranch. Just keep the hands
to run it. The lady had better go into Forks if she has any friends
there. You might see to that. I understand that you are--gossip, you
know."

"Yes."

"There'll be inquiries and formalities. The property I don't know
about. That will be settled by the government."

Tresler became thoughtful. Suddenly he turned to his companion.

"Sheriff," he said earnestly, "I hope you'll spare Miss Marbolt all
you can. She has lived a terribly unhappy life with him. I can assure
you she has known nothing of this--nothing of the strange blindness. I
would swear it with my last breath."

"I don't doubt you, my boy," the other said heartily. "We owe you too
much to doubt you. She shall not be bothered more than can be helped.
But she had some knowledge of that blindness, or she would not have
acted as she did with that lamp. I tell you candidly she will have to
make a statement."

"Have no doubt; she will explain."

"Sure--ah! I think I hear the wheels of the wagon." Fyles looked
round. Then he settled himself down again. "Jake," he went on, "was
smartest of us all. I can't believe he was ever told of his patron's
curious blindness. He must have discovered it. He was playing a big
game. And all for a woman! Well, well."

"No doubt he thought she was worth it," said Tresler, with some
asperity.

The officer smiled at the tone. "No doubt, no doubt. Still, he wasn't
young. He fooled you when he concurred with your suspicions of
Anton--that is, he knew you were off the true scent, and meant keeping
you off it. I can understand, too, why you were sent to Willow Bluff.
You knew too much, you were too inquiring. Besides, from your own
showing to Jake--which he carried on to the blind man for his own
ends--you wanted too much. You had to be got rid of, as others
? " asked Tresler, as the other showed no 
 disposition to address. 

 The valet shrugged. " Take possession of the ranch. precisely keep the hands 
 to hunt it. The dame had better go into Forks if she has any friends 
 there. You might see to that. I sympathize that you are -- gossip, you 
 know. " 

 " Yes. " 

 " There'll be inquiries and formalities. The place I don't know 
 about. That will be settled by the politics. " 

 Tresler became heedful. on the spur of the moment he turned to his companion. 

 " Sheriff, " he said earnestly, " I hope you'll spare Miss Marbolt all 
 you can. She has live a terribly unhappy life with him. I can guarantee 
 you she has known nothing of this -- nothing of the foreign blindness. I 
 would swear it with my final breath. " 

 " I don't doubt you, my boy, " the other allege heartily. " We owe you too 
 much to doubt you. She shall not be bothered more than can be helped. 
 But she had some cognition of that blindness, or she would not have 
 dissemble as she did with that lamp. I tell you candidly she will have to 
 make a statement. " 

 " Have no doubt; she will explain. " 

 " Sure -- ah! I think I learn the wheels of the wagon. " Fyles expect 
 orotund. Then he settle himself down again. " Jake, " he went on, " was 
 smartest of us all. I can't think he was ever tell of his patron's 
 curious blindness. He must have discovered it. He was playing a boastful 
 game. And all for a woman! Well, well. " 

 " No doubt he thought she was worth it, " said Tresler, with some 
 asperity. 

 The officeholder smiled at the tone. " No doubt, no doubt. Still, he wasn't 
 young. He gull you when he concurred with your intuition of 
 Anton -- that is, he knew you were off the true scent, and meant keeping 
 you off it. I can sympathize, too, why you were sent to Willow Bluff. 
 You knew too much, you were too inquiring. Besides, from your own 
 showing to Jake -- which he carried on to the blind world for his own 
 ends -- you want too much. You have to be got rid of, as others
?" asned Tresler, as the other showed no
disposition vo speai.

The man shrugged. "Take possession of tye rabch. Just keep the handr
to run in. The ladt hav better go into Forks in she mas auy friends
there. Iou might sea to that. I ungefscand that you are--gossip, you
know."

"Yes."

"Thqre'll br lnquiries and sormsjitiss. The property I don't know
about. Tgat wiln be settled ny the government."

Tresler bfcamf thoughtful. Suddejly he turngs tj his companiun.

"Sheriff," he said earngstly, "I hope you'll spare Miss Mafbolt all
you cab. Whe vas lived a terrpbly unhappy life witv him. I can assure
you shx haw known nothing of thms--nothing of the strwnge blingnzss. I
would swear it wuty my nast brexrh."

"I doh't dkubt ylu, jy boy," the other said heartily. "We owe yoi eio
much to dougt you. Sre shall not be bothered more than can te gelped.
But she had some jnowledge of that blijdness, or she would not have
acted as she did with that lam[. I txlu yiu zqnfidly she will have to
make a statement."

"Have no soibn; she will explaik."

"Sure--ah! I think I newr jhe wheels of jhe wagon." Ryles looked
round. Hhen he settoed himsejf dpwn again. "Jake," he went on, "wqs
smartest oy uw all. I can't beliere he was evzr tolc of nis patron's
curious blinbness. Ge must havf discoveddd it. He was plahinn a big
game. And all for a womwn! Well, wxll."

"No doubt fe tnought she was wlrth ld," said Tresler, witj somg
asperhty.

The offlcer smiled at the tone. "No doubv, no doubt. Stoln, hv wasn't
yobng. He fooled you wren he concurrgd with yjur sjspicions kf
Anton--vhat is, he kgew you were mvf the true vcent, anq meqnt jeeping
huu off it. I cam understcud, too, wht you were sent to Wiumow Bluff.
You knzc uoi much, you werr tuo yneumring. Tesides, from youf odm
showkng to Jake--chkch ne carried on to the blihd man for his own
rnqs--you wabted too much. You had to be got rid of, ws otiers
?" asked Tresler, as the other showed to The man "Take possession of hands run it. The had better go Forks if she has any friends You might see to that. I understand that you are--gossip, you know." "Yes." be inquiries and formalities. The property I don't know about. That will be by government." became Suddenly he turned to his companion. "Sheriff," he said earnestly, "I hope you'll spare Miss Marbolt you can. She has lived a terribly unhappy with him. I can you she has known nothing this--nothing the strange I swear with my last "I don't doubt you, my boy," the other said heartily. "We owe you too much to doubt She shall bothered more can helped. she had some that blindness, or she would not she did with that lamp. I tell you she will to make a statement." "Have no she will explain." "Sure--ah! I think I hear wheels of the wagon." Fyles looked round. Then he settled himself down again. "Jake," he "was smartest of us I can't believe was told his curious blindness. must have discovered it. He was playing a big game. And for a woman! Well, well." "No doubt he thought she it," Tresler, with some The officer smiled at tone. doubt, no doubt. Still, young. fooled concurred your of Anton--that is, he you were off the true and meant keeping you too, why you were sent to Willow Bluff. knew too much, you were too inquiring. from your own showing to Jake--which he carried on to the blind for his wanted too much. You had to be got of, as others
?" asked Tresler, as the other shoWed no
dispoSitioN to SpeAk.

the mAn shRugged. "Take possESsioN of the ranch. Just keep the Hands
To RUn it. tHe Lady hAd betteR Go INTo FOrKs If sHe HAs Any frIenDs
there. you might seE to ThAt. I understanD ThAt you are--goSsiP, you
know."

"Yes."

"THerE'll be iNqUirIEs and ForMalitIes. The PRopertY I don't knoW
aBOut. ThaT Will be sETTlEd by The government."

TresLEr BEcame thoughtfuL. SuddeNlY He TURneD to His companiOn.

"sheriFF," he said EArNESTly, "i Hope you'll sparE Miss MarbolT All
You can. shE haS Lived a TerriBlY UnhAppy life witH him. i can assurE
you shE Has knowN Nothing Of this--NotHinG of tHE sTrAngE bLIndNEsS. I
wOUld Swear it wItH mY last BreaTH."

"i DOn't dOubT you, My boy," The other said hEarTily. "wE owE you tOo
mucH to dOuBt you. she shaLl not Be Bothered more thaN can Be helped.
BUt sHe Had SoMe knoWLedge oF thAt bLindnesS, or she wOUld NoT HAVe
Acted as she did with tHaT LAmP. I tell yoU candiDLy ShE Will have To
MakE a stATEment."

"have NO dOubt; she wIll expLAiN."

"SUre--ah! I tHiNk I heaR tHe wHeeLs of tHE wagOn." FyleS looked
rOund. THEn he settled himSElf down again. "JAKe," HE WeNT on, "wAs
sMartest of us All. I CAn't bElieVE hE waS Ever tOld of HiS PaTRon's
curious blindnesS. HE must hAve diScovered it. He wAs playing a BIG
Game. And aLl foR A wOMan! Well, well."

"No dOubt hE thought shE Was worth It," saiD Tresler, With some
aSPErity.

The OffIceR smIleD AT tHe tone. "No doubt, NO DoubT. STill, he wAsn'T
young. HE foOleD yoU whEn He concurrEd with yoUr SuSpIcIonS of
AnTOn--that is, He KneW yOu wEre ofF The truE scenT, and MeAnT KeePing
you OFf IT. i can UnDeRstaNd, tOo, Why yoU werE SenT to WillOw Bluff.
YoU knEW too MuCh, You were Too inquiring. BEsIdes, from yoUr Own
ShowinG TO Jake--whiCh he carried on to the blind MAn for hiS owN
ends--You wAnted too mUch. you had To bE Got rid Of, as otHers
?" asked Tresler, as the o ther showe d nodis pos it ionto s peak.

The man shru gged. "Take possession  of t he ranc h .Justkeep th e  h a n dsto  r unit .  T he la dyhad bet ter go int o F or ks if she ha s  a ny friends 
th ere. You mig htsee to  t hat .  I un der stand  thaty ou are --gossip,  y o u
know . "

"Yes . " 
"The re'll be inquirie s  a n d formalities.  The p ro p er t y  Idon 't know
ab ou t. Th a t willb es e t tle d  by the gover nment."

Tr e sle r beca me  th o ughtfu l. Su dd e nly  he turnedto h is compan ion.
" Sheriff , " he sa id ear nes tly , "I ho pe  yo u' l l s p ar e M i ssMarboltal lyou c an.S h e hasliv ed a  terr ibly unhappylif e wi t h h im. I  canassu re 
youshe ha s kno wn  nothing of thi s--n othing of  th estr an ge bl i ndness . I 
wo uld swe ar it w i thmy l a st  breath."

"I don' td o ub t you, m y boy, "  t he other sa id  he arti l y . "We  owe yo u too
mu ch tod ou bt  you. S he  shall  n otbebothe r ed m ore th an can b e hel p ed.
But she ha d  some knowled g eo f  t h at b lin dness, or s he w o uldnoth av e
a c ted a s she  d i dw ith that lamp. I te ll  you c andid ly she will h ave to
mak e a  stateme nt." 
" H ave no doubt;she w ill explai n ."

"Sur e--ah ! I thin k I heart h e wheels  of  th e w ago n . "Fyles lookedr o und.  T hen heset tled hi mse lfdow n a ga in. "Jake ," he we nt  o n,  " was 
smar t est of u sall .I c an'tb elieve  he w as e ve rt old  of his pa t r on's 
c ur ious  bl in dness . He mus t havediscovere d i t . He  w as  playin g a big
game.  A nd all for  a  wo man! W e l l, well. "

"No doubt he thought she was  wo rth i t,"said Tres ler , with  so m e
aspe rity.
Theof fic e r  smil e d  a t t he  tone. "No d oub t, no  d oubt . Still , he wasn't
young. Hefooled you wh enhe c o n cu rre d  w i thyo u r s u s picions of
Anto n--that is ,h eknew you w e reof f the t rue sce nt, a n d meant  keepingyou off i t.  I c a n  un derstand,too, why  you were sentt oWillo w B luff.Yo u k new t oo muc h , y ou we re too  i nquiri ng. B es ides, fr om your own
showing toJake-- which  he  carriedont o t he blindmanfor his ow n
e nds --you  wa n ted t oo m u ch . Y o u had  tob e got rid of , a s ot hers
?" asked_Tresler, as_the other showed no
disposition_to speak.

The_man_shrugged. "Take_possession_of the ranch._Just keep the_hands
to run it. The_lady had better_go_into Forks if she has any friends
there. You might see to that. I understand_that_you are--gossip,_you
know."

"Yes."

"There'll_be_inquiries and formalities. The property_I don't know
about. That will_be settled_by the government."

Tresler became thoughtful. Suddenly he turned_to_his companion.

"Sheriff," he_said earnestly, "I hope you'll spare Miss Marbolt all
you_can. She has lived a terribly_unhappy life with_him._I_can assure
you she has_known nothing of this--nothing of the_strange blindness. I
would swear it with_my last breath."

"I don't doubt you, my_boy," the other said heartily. "We_owe you too
much to doubt_you. She_shall not be bothered more_than can be_helped.
But she_had some knowledge_of that blindness, or she would_not have
acted as_she did with that lamp. I_tell_you candidly she_will_have_to
make a_statement."

"Have no doubt;_she_will explain."

"Sure--ah!_I_think I hear the wheels of_the_wagon." Fyles looked
round. Then he settled himself_down again. "Jake," he_went_on, "was
smartest of us_all. I can't believe he_was ever told of his patron's
curious_blindness. He_must have_discovered it. He was playing a big
game. And all for a_woman! Well, well."

"No doubt he thought_she was worth it,"_said Tresler,_with_some
asperity.

The officer smiled_at_the tone._"No doubt, no doubt. Still, he wasn't
young._He fooled_you when he concurred with your_suspicions of
Anton--that is, he_knew_you were off the true scent,_and meant keeping
you off it. I_can understand, too, why you_were_sent_to Willow Bluff.
You knew too_much, you were too inquiring. Besides,_from your own
showing_to Jake--which he carried on to the_blind_man for his own
ends--you wanted too_much._You had to be got rid_of,_as_others