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BY KATE AND VIRGIL
COPYOlOir BYACtftCLUPC
you say. And 1 want you to believe
that every thing will be all right. They
would not dare to kill him now, know
ing that we are after them. If we are
not back to-nlgbt, you will not worry,
will you? They had so much the start
of us."
"I will try not to worry."
"Well, good-bye. He a good girl'
won't you?"
"I will try," she answered, wearily.
With a last look Into the brave,
sweet face, and smothering a mad, un
cowman like desire to stay and com
fort this dear little woman while oth
ers rode away in stirring quest, Lang
ford strode from the sick-room Into
the kitchen.
"Don't let her be alone any more
than you can help. Mother White," he
said, brusquely, "and don't worry her
about going to bed."
"Have a bite afore you start, Mr.
Lang ford, do," urged the good woman,
hospitably. "You're that worn out
you're white around the gills. I'll bet
you havn't had ary bite o' breakfast."
"I had forgotten but you are right.
No, thank you, I'll not stop for any
thing now. I'll have to ride like king
dom come. I'm late. Be good to her,
Mother White," this last over hi3
shoulder as he sprang to his mount
from the kitchen stoop.
The long day wore along. Mother
White was baking. The men would
be ravenous when they came back.
Many would stop there for something
to eat before going on to their homes.
It might be to-night, it might be to
morrow, i might not be until the day
after, but whenever the time did come,
knowing the men of the range coun
try, she must have something "by
her."
At last came the doctor and Gordon,
driving up in the doctor'a top-buggy,
weather-stained, mud-bedaubed with
the mud of last spring, of many
springs. The doctor was a badly
dressed, pleasant-eyed man, past mid
dle age, with a fringe of gray whisk
ers. He was a sort of journeyman
doctor, and he had drifted hither one i
day two summers ago from the Lake
Andes country in this self-same travel-worn
conveyance with its same
bony sorrel. He had found good
picking, he had often jovially remark
ed since, chewing serenely away on
a brand of vile plug the while. He
had elected to remain. He was part
and parcel of the cattle country now.
He was an established condition. Peo
ple hail learned to accept him as lie
was and be grateful. Haste wr.s a
mental and physical impossibility tc
him. He took his own time. All must
perforce acquiesce.
"You have worked yourself into a
high fever. Miss Williston, that's what
you've done," he said, with profession
al mournfulness.
"I know it," she smiled wanly. "I
couldn t help it. 1 m sorry.
I
chair and sat !
Gordon drew up a
down by her, saying with grave kind
ness, "You are fretting. We must not
let you. I am going to stay with you
all night and shoo the goblins away."
"You are kind," said Mary, grateful
ly. "May I tell you when they come?
If some one speaks to me they go
away."
"Indeed you may, dear child," he
exclaimed, heartily. He had been half
joking when he spoke of keeping
things away. He now perceived that
these things were more serious than
he knew.
The doctor administered medicine to
reduce the fever, dressed the wounded
arm, with Gordon's ready assistance,
and then called in Mother White to
prepare the bed for his patient; but
be paused nonplussed before the
weleht Of entreaty in Mary's eyes and
voice.
"P'ease don't," she cried out, In ac
tual terror. "Oh, Mr. Gordon, don't
let him! I see such awful things when
I lie down. Please! Please! And
Ir. Langford said I might sit up till
he came. Mr. Gordon, you will not
let him put me to bed, will you?"
"I think it would be better to let her
have her way, Lockhart," said Gordon
in a low voice.
"Maybe it would, Dick," said the
doctor, with susprising meekness.
"I ll stay all night and I'll take good
care of her, Lockhart. There's Moth
er White beckoning to supper. You'll
eat before you go? No, I won't take
any supper now, thank you, mother, I
will stay with Mary."
And he did stay with her all through
the long watches of that long night.
He never closed his eyes in sleep.
Sometimes Mary would drop off into
uneasy slumber always of short du
ration. When she awakened suddenly
in wide-eyed fright, he soothed her
with all tenderness. Sometimes when
he thought she was sleeping, she
would clutch his arm desperately and
cry out that there was some one be
hind the big cottonwood. Again it
would be to ask him in a terrified
whisper if he did not hear hoof-beats,
galloping, galloping, galloping, and
begged him to listen. He could al
ways quiet her, and she tried hard to
keep from wandering; but after a
short, broken rest, she would cry out
again in endless repetition of the ter
rors of that awful night.
Mrs. White and several of her small
( L fV
: )
"07 1 1
progeny breathed loudly from an ad
joining room. A lamp burned dimly
on the table. It grew late 12 o'clock
and after. At last she rested. She
passed from light,' broken slumber to
deep sleep without crying out and
thus awakening herself. Gordon was
tired and sad. Now that the flush of
fever was gone, he saw how white and
miserable she really looked. The cir
cles under her eyes were so dark
they were like bruises. The mantle
of his misfortune was spreading to
bring others besides himself into its
somber folds.
The men were coming back. But
they were coming quietly, in grim si
lence. He dared not awaken Mary
for the news he knew they must carry.
He stepped noiselessly to the door to
warn them to a yet greater stillness
and met Langford on the threshold.
The two surveyed each other grave
ly with clasped hands.
"You tell her, Dick. I I can't." said
Langford. His big shoulders drooped
as under a heavy burden.
"Must I?" asked Gordon.
"Dick. I I can't," said Langford,
brokenly. "Don't you see? if I had
been just a minute sooner and I
promised."
"Yes, I see, Paul." said Gordon,
quietly. "I will tell her."
"You need not," said a sweet clear
voice from across the room. "I know.
I heard. I think I knew all the time
but you were all so good to makf me
hope. Don't worry about me any
more, dear friends. I am all right
now. It is much better to know. I
hope they didn't hang him. You think
they shot him, don't you?"
"Little girl, little girl," cried Lang
ford, on his knees beside her, "it is not
that! It is only that we have not
found him. But no news is good news.
That we have found no trace proves
that they have to guard him well be
cause he is alive. We are going on a
new track to-morrow. Believe me,
little girl, and go to bed now. won't
you, and rest?"
"Yes," she said, wearily, as one in
whom no hope was left, "I will go. I
will mind the bos."
As he laid her gently on the bed,
while Mrs. White, aroused from sleep,
fluttered aimlessly and drowsily about,
he whispered, his breath carressing
her cheek:
"You will go to sleep right away,
won't you?"
"I will try.
You are the boss.
CHAPTER XII.
Waiting.
The man found dead the night the
Lazy S was burned out was not easi
ly identified. lie was a half-breed,
but half-breeds were many west ot the
river, and the places where they laid
their heads at night were as s'ji-'ting
as the sands of that rapid, ominous,
-
changing stream of theirs, which ever
cut them off from the world of their
fathers and kept them bound, but rest
less, chafing, in that same land where
their mothers had stared stolidly at a
strange little boatload tugging up the
river that was the forerunner of the
ultimate destiny of this broad north
west country, but which brought in
incidentally as do all big destinies in
the great scheme bring sorrow tc
some one wrong, misunderstanding,
forgetfulness, to a once proud, free
people now in subjection.
At last the authorities found trace
of him far away at Standing Rock,
through the agent there, who knew
him as of an ugly reputation a dis
sipated, roving profligate, who had
long since squandered his government
patrimony. He had been mixed up in
sundry bad affairs in the past, and
had been an inveterate gambler. Sc
much only were the Kemah county
authorities able to uncover of the way
ward earthly career of the dead man.
Of his haunts and cronies of the
period Immediately preceding hie
death, the agent could tell nothing.
He had not been seen at the agency
for nearly a year. The reprobate band
had covered Its tracks well. There
was nothing to do but lay the dead
body away and shovel oblivion over
its secret.
Ih the early morning after the re
turn of the men from their unsuccess
ful man hunt, Gordon, gray and hag
gard from loss of sleep and from hard
thought, stepped out into the kitchen
to stretch his cramped limbs. He
stumbled over the figure of Langford
prone upon the floor, dead asleep in
utter exhaustion. He smiled under
standingly and opened the outerdoor
quietly, hoping he had not aroused the
wornout boss. The air was fresh and
cool, with a hint of autumn sharpness,
and a premature Indian summer haze.,
that softened the gauntness of the
landscape, and made the distances
blue and rest-giving. He felt the need
of invigoration after his night's virgil.
and struck off down the road with
long strides, in pleasant anticipation
of a coming appetite for breakfast.
Thus it was that Langford, strug
glng to a sitting posture, rubbing his
heavy eyes with a dim consciousness
that he had been disturbed, and won
dering drowsily why he was so stupid,
felt something seeping through his
senses that told him he did not do
; well to sh-ep. I o dccit'rd h" would
I take a plunge into the (old artesian
! pond, j:nd with su h drastic measures
; banish (iiiro and f ir all the ehuive yt
j all-pervading cobwebs which clung tc
' him. Rising to his feet with unusual
' awkwardness, he looked with scorn
j upon the bare tlnor and accused it
blindly and bitterly as the direct
cause of the strange soreness that be
set his whole anatomy. The lay of the
floor had changed in a night. Where
was he? He glanced helplessly
about. Then he knew.
Thus it was, that when Mary lan
guidly opened her eyes a little later
it was the boss who sat beside her
and smiled reassuringly.
"You have not slept a wink," she
creid, accusingly.
"Indeed I have," he said. "Three
whole hours, I feel tip-top."
"You are fibbing," she said. "Your
eyes look so tired, and your face is all
worn."
His heart leaped with the joy of her
solicitude.
"You are wrong," he laughed,
teasingly. "I slept on the floor; and a
good bed it was, too. No, Miss Willis
ton, I am not 'all in yet, by any
means."
In his new consciousness, a new
formality crept into his way of ad
dressing her. She did not seem to
notice it.
"Forgive me for forgetting, last
night," she said, earnestly. "I was
very selfish. I forgot that you had not
slept for nearly two days and were
riding all the while in our behalf. I
forgot. I was tired, and I went to
sleep. I want you to forgive me. 1
want you -to believe that I do appre
ciate what you have done. My fath
er "
"Don't, don't, little girl." cried
Langford, forgetting his new awe ot
her maidenhood in his pity for the
stricken child.
"My father," she went on steadily,
"would thank you if he were here. I
thank you, too, even If I did forget to
think whether or no you and all the
men had any sleep or anything to eat
last night. Will you try to believe
that I r'' T net forget wittingly? I was
so tired."
When Langford answered her,
which was not immediately, his face
was white and he spoke quietly with
a touch of Injured pride.
"If you want to hurt us, Miss Wil
liston, that is the way to talk. We
cowmen do not do things for thanks."
She looked at him wonderingly a
moment, then said, simply, "Forgive
me," but her lips were trembling and
she turned to the wall to hide the
tears that would come. After all,
she was onlv a woman with nerves
and The reaction had come.
The sheriff and his party of depu-
ties made a diligent search for Willis- ;
ton that day and for many days tc
come. It was of no avail. He had
disappeared, and all trace with him,
as completely as if he had been spir
ited away in the r.ight to another j
world body and soul. That the j
soul of him had really gone to another j
world came to be generally believed j
Mary held no hope after the return ;
of the first expedition; but why could .
they find no trace of hi? body? Where J
was it? Where had it found a rest- j
ing place? Was it possible for a man, j
quick or dead, even west of the river ;
in an early day of its civilization when j
the law had a winking eye, to fall ,
away from his wonted haunts in a
night and leave no print, neither ?
I
The Sheriff and His Deputies Made s
Diligent Search for Williston.
bone nor a rag nor a memory, to giv
mute witness that this way he passed
that way he rested a bit, here he took
horse, there he slept, with this man h
had converse, that man saw his still
body borne henci? Could such a thing
be? It seemed so.
After a gallant and dauntless search
which lasted through the best days ol
September, Langford was forced tc
let cold reason have its sway. He had
thought, honestly, that the ruffians
would not dare commit murder, know
ing that they were being pursued; bul
now he was forced to the opinion thai
they had daied the worst, after all
For, though it would be hard to hide
all trace of a dead man, infinitelj
greater would be the difficulty in cov
ering the trail of a living one one
who must eat and drink, who had e
mouth to be silenced and strength tc
be restrained. It came gradually tc
him, the belief that Williston was
dead; but it came surely. With it
came the jeer of the specter thai
would not let him forget that he
should have foreseen what would
surely happen. With it came also s
great tenderness for Mary, and a re
doubled vigilance to keep his unrulj
tongue from blurting out things that
would hurt her who was looking tc
him, in the serene confidence in his
good friendship, for brotherly counsel
and comfort.
In the first dark days of his new bn
lief, he spoke to Gordon, and the
j young lawyer had written a .second
j letter to the 'gal reporter." In re
sponse, she came at onco to Kemah
and from thence to the White home
stead in the boss's "own private. '
This time the hots did the driving
himself, bringing consternation to the
heart of one Jim Munson, cow-punch
er, who viewed the advent of her and
her "mouse-colored hair" with serious
trepidation and alarm. What he had
dreaded had come to pass. 'Twas bul
a Mvp now to the Three Bars. A fus
sy woman would be the means ol
again, losing man his Eden. It was
monstrous. He sulked, aggrievedly,
systematically.
Louise slipped Into the sad life al
the Whites' easily, sweetly, adaptably.
Mary rallied under her gentle minis
trations. There was would ever be
a haunting pathos in the dark eyes,
but she arose from her bed, grateful
for any kindness shown her, strong
in her determination not be a trouble
to any one by giving way to weak and
unavailing tears.
Mary, because of her abounding
health, healed of her wound rapidl.
Langford took advantage of the girU'
absorption in each other's company
to ride often and at length on quests
of his own creation. With October,
Louise must join Judge Dale for the
autumn term of court. He haunted
the hills. He was not looking now
for a living man; he was seeking a
cleverly concealed grave. He flouted
the opinion held by many that the
body had been thrown inti the Mis
siuri and would wash ashore some
later day many and many a mile be
low. He held firmly to his fixed idea
that impenetrable mystery clouding
the ultimate close of Willlston's earth
ly career was the sought aim of his
murderers, and they would risk no
river's giving up its dead to their un
doing. It had been ascertained beyond rea
sonable dooubt that Williston could
not have lef the country In any of the
unual modes. His description was at
all the stations alonT the line, togeth
er with the theory that he would be
leaving under compulsion.
Meanwhile, Gordon had buckled
down for the big fight. He was sadly
handicapped, with the whole prop of
his testimony struck from under him
by Williston's disappearance. How
ever, those who knew him best the
number was not large looked for
things to happen in those days. They,
the few, the courageous minority,
through all the ups and downs with
the balance in favor of the downs
most of the time of the hardest
fought battle of "his life, the end of
which left him gray at the temples,
maintained a deep and abiding faith
in this quiet, unassuming young man,
who had squared his shoulders to this
new paralyzing blow and refused to be
knocked out, who walked with them
and talked with them, but kept his
own counsel, abided his time, and in
the meantime worked.
One day Langford was closeted with
him for a long two hours in his dingy,
one-roomed office on the ground floor.
The building was a plain wooden af
fair with its square front rising above
the roof. In the rear was a lean-to
where Gordon slept and had his few
hours of privacy.
"It won't do, Paul," Gordon said in
conclusion. "I have thought it all
out. We have absolutely nothing to
go upon nothing at least but our own
convictions and a bandaged arm, and
they won't hang a man with Jesse's
diabolical influence. We'll fight it out
on the sole question of 'Mag,' Paul.
After that well who knows? Some
thing else may turn up. There may be
developments. Meanwhile, just wait.
There will be justice for Williston
yet."
CHAPTER XIII.
Mrs. Higgins Rallies to Her Colors.
The Kemah county court convened
on a Tuesday, the second week in De
cember. The judge coming with his
court reporter to Velpen on Monday
found the river still open. December
had crept softly to its appointed place
In the march of months with a gentle
heralding of warm, southwest winds.
"Weather breeder," said Mrs. Hig
gins of the Bon Ami, with a mournful
shake of her head. "You mark my
words and remember I said It. It's a
sorry day for the cows when the riv
et's running in December."
She was serving the judicial party
herself, and capably, too. She dearly
loved the time the courts met, on eith
er side of the river. It brought many
Interesting people to the Bon Ami, al
though not often the judge. His com
ing for supper was a most unusual
honor, and it was due to Louise, who
had playfully insisted. He had hum
ored her much against his will, it
must be. confessed; for he had a deeply
worn habit of making straight for the
hotel from the station and there re
maining until Hank Bruebacher, liv
eryman, who never permitted any
thing to interfere with or any one to
usurp his prerogative of driving his
honor to and from Kemah when court
was in session, whistled with shame
less familiarity the following morning
to make his honor cognizant of the
fact that he, Hank, was reedy. But
he had come to the Bon Ami because
Louise wished it, and he reflected
whimsically on the astonishment,
amounting almost to horror, on the
face of his good landlord at the Vel
pen house when it became an assured
fact that he was not and had not been
in the dining-room.
"You are right, Mrs. Higgin.5," as
sented the judge gravely to her weath
er predictions, "and the supper you
have prepared for us is worthy the
arar cnna, i am roaa of you anu
bnao von will never go back, east."
US
Economizes the use of flour, but
ter and eggs; makes the biscuit,
cake and pastry more appetiz
ing, nutritious and wholesome.
1
ABSOLUTELY PURE
This is the only baking
powder made from Royal
Grape Cream of Tartar.
It Has No Substitute
Tber are Alum and Phosphate of Lime mixtures aold at
lower price, but no housekeeper regarding the baaltb
of ber family can alford to UN tbem.
(0
Loviisville
Krom the Courier.
Mrs G. H. Wood returned from the
hospital at Omaha last Saturday.
County Assessor II. M. Soennichsen
was a Louisville visitor Wednesday
and paid this office a pleasant call.
Miss Mabel Wirth returned home
from the St Joseph hospital at Omaha
last Saturday, where she underwent an
operation for appendicitis.
Grandma Hooker was in town Mon
day visiting with her son, B. J. Hoover
and wife. This was Mrs Hoover's
first visit to town since last Thanks
giving. Uncle Thomas Urwin was down town
Tuesday for the first time in several
years. He was brought down in an
automobile and cast his vote at the
village election.
Fred Ossenkup has returned from
Omaha where he took the the civil
service examination for a railroad
clerkship. He says there were seventy
in tha class who took the same exami- j
nation.
t
Joe Fitzgerald of Plattsmouth and ;
Barack Teodorski of Omaha were in
Louisville. Mr. Teodorski is thinking
of putting in an automobile livery in
Louisville this spring, and says if the
bridge was rebuilt it wouldn't take him
long to make up his mind to do so. 1
Say! gentlemen of the city council;
and gentlemen of the Commercial club, '
what's the matter with having a gener- j
al "cleaning up" day for Louisville? i
Why not set a day apart for every
body to take a hand in cleaning streets I
and alleys, brushing up premises, :
trimming trees and making lawns, i
Understand this would make the town j
pleasant in our own sight and attractive j
to those who sojourn among us tern- ;
porarily. '
A Twenty year Sentence.
"I have just completed a twenty year
health sentence, imposed by Bucklen's
Arncia Salve, which cured me of bleed
ing piles just twenty years ago," writes
O. S. Woolever, of LeRaysville, N. Y.
Bucklen's Arnica Salve heals the worst
sores, boils, burns, wounds and cuts in
the shortest time. 25c. at F. G. Fricke
& Co. drug store.
Elmwood
From ttie Leader-Echo.
H. M. Soennichsen, county assessor,
was in town yesterday.
Neal McCrory and Herman Dett
man left Tuesday for Corpus Christi,
Texas.
Ezra Miller has rented the Ed Swartz j
property, west of the catholic church, J
and is moving his family therein. j
Another child of Geo. Nenstiel is !
down with pneumonia. This is the j
third one of his children to have pneu
monia this spring.
Henry Mollen severely injured his
spine while scuffling Thursday evening
of last week. Friday the pain became
so intense he fainted and was taken to
the hospital for treatment. He is able
to be out again now.
C. D. Kur.z,sr.,had one of his thumbs
thrown out of joint and one of his
ankles crushed Wednesday by his horse
running away, throwing him down and
buggy running over him. He was tak
ing off the bridle and putting on the
halter in front of Schneider's harness i
shop, when the horse started to run.
Mr Kunz grabbed the horse around the
neck and hung on until the animal
threw him. The horse was caught near
the livery barn no damage being done
to either the harness or buggy.
DSSD5
nl()
ko
0
j
s
Nehawka
(From tlie liPirlster. )
O. M. Ward of near Wabash was in
town Monday looking over property
with a view of purchasing.
Word has been received from II. F.
St. John at Bellingham, Washington,
that his health is very poorly.
Mrs J. M. Stone returned home Fri
day evening from Nebraska City, where
she has spent the winter.
D. C. West returned home from
Oskaloosa, Iowa, Tuesday. He reports
Mrs West as getting along fine.
Jesse Dodson and family and Mrs.
Dodson's brother, Mr. Martin of Hunt
ington, West Virginia, arrived in Ne
hawka Friday. They will live on the
farm where Herman Lohse used to live.
Charles St. John had his forearm
quite badly wrenched Monday morning,
it getting caught between the fly wheel
and the drive wheel of his engine. It
was feared at first that the bones were
broken.
W. J. Brownell of I'ortland, Oregon
is spending several days in town in the
interest of the I'lattsmouth, Telephone
Company. On his way ea.-t lie slopped
over at Ogden for a short call on Miss
is Moon and Murdock, and ho reports
them very pleasantly situated.
As Forest Cunningham was bringing
his automobile home from Nebraska
City last Thursday, w hile passing M.II.
Wheelpon's residence, two cilts became
frightened and jumped over a barb
wire fence one cutting its self very
badly, necessitating have several stitch
es taken in the fore shoulder. This is
the first accident to record against the
new automobile, but we hope the hor
ses will soon become accustomed to
it.
How to Avoid Appendicitis
Most victims of appendicitis are those
who are habitually constipated. Orino
Laxative Fruit Syrup cures chronic con
stipation by stimulating the liver and
bowls and restores the natural actions
of the bowls. Orino Laxative Fruit
Syrup does not nauseat or gripe and is
pleasan t to take. Refuse sub
stitutes. F. G. Fricke & Co.
U HELPFUL HAND
you can most surely de pend
upon in l!::ie of trouhle is
your'. auk account. II. ' r
st.u t to acquire a 1 -by
depositing v.h. ,.:i
have in the I:!nk of Cass
County. You'll find the
necessity of thinking i.e.-fore
paying a great inter. live to
saving. When trouble
comes what ycu have been
prevented from frittering
away will make a comfor
table balance.
The BANK OF GASS COUNTY,
PUTTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA.