Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/166

 THE FIGHTING SHEPHERDESS

soon clear her, and she felt in her despair that she could not return to the ranch until he had given her some re- assurance. She checked her horse at the corner and looked each way for him, but he was nowhere visible. Then, while she hesitated she saw him emerge from a doorway where a steep stairway led to the office of the mayor on the second floor of Prouty's only two-story building.

Kate received the swift impression that the deputy was agitated, and a closer view confirmed it. His face was pale, and the light that shone in his eyes was unmistakably due to anger. He walked to' the edge of the sidewalk and stood there, too engrossed in thought to see Kate until she had ridden close to him.

" Will you tell me what progress you're making? It's so hard, this waiting and not knowing."

The deputy's eyes blazed anew when he recognized the girl, and under stress of feeling he blurted out harshly:

" I'm called off. Miss Prentice 1 "

" Called off 1 " she gasped. " You mean -. — ^"

"Stopped!" fiercely. "I've been blocked at every turn by the authorities and others, and now it's come straight from * Tinhorn ' himself — the mayor."

Speechless, Kate's trembling hand sought the saddle horn and gripped it

"Butwhy?"finally.^

Ineffable scorn was in the deputy's answer;

" It might hurt the town to have this murder stirred up and the story sent broadcast — make prospective set- tlers hesitate to invest in such a dangerous community-— that's what was given me, along with my instructions to quit. But another reason is that the man implicated be- longs to one of them secret orders."


 * I can't believe itl " she cried piteously.

150