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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1922)
THE BEEt OMAHA. SUNDAY. APRIL 30, 1922, tliilMlMlitltrtN.lil.t.llllilllliltliiH The WANTED MAN by Harris Dickson filltllllllllMIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIHIIIIIIM IIIMIIIIIIIII ttMtlttlMIIMMt MIMtllMMIIMinilll tl IIMIl I I Ml IIIIIIIIIMIHH i'lNAL JKZTALLMENT. Birbtrt Ittmtntu WITtI the msoluto tread of a r adier, lUrbara left Cnela Net at the steps d inarched diagonally wrM the back yard to ber garage, liar mlod wss msds op. definitely and Irrevocably, (or now ths knew. She knew that Clayton hd been led to Bennington by her own deception, beginning to a jest, o( course. Extenuations or no extenuations, a lis is a Us, and Bar bar caver cowered bchlod poUta phrase. She felt responsibls for what had happen!, for tho delay In his splsndld purpose, aad ashamed to look henwlf In tho face If be bouJd fail becauss of her. la Barbara'! uplifted mood tho wasted to eonfront the major at once, to beard the old Stark Hon In bia den, and tell htm that t w bis own daughter, not Adelaide Racily, who had boon meeting Clayton at tho lake; and the note should bare boon addressed to Miss Stark. When her father flrat spoke of knowing about the note, Barbara had sprung op from her window to go In before thorn all and Utl the whole truth. But that would only start an endleaa wrangle, and Clayton would never get away. No, Barbara bad a practical head, and abe'd help htm la a practical way, then come homo and fight It out with her father. The notion tickled Barbara. She laughed In anticipation of their candid family gather ing, with Florlan jawing at Adelaide, and ' Adelaide (patting back, while the major bluntly rwore that If a Stark woman had Bade a darn fool of beroelf, aha muat let no other woman, or man, ruder by It. How he'd storm and rage, with picturesque denuncia tions of bis daughter's trystlngs, and her midnight drive with Clayton to Vleksburg. Of course the doctor would put In a few boa set words. And Barbara could say what she thought about Florlan which alone would bo worth the price of admission. They'd hold an open session, free for all, where very fellow spoke his mind regardless of sore toes, or who got mad. Let them aD get mad, the madder the better. Then things would clear up, with combatants and teutrals knowing precisely whera they stood. It was a lovely powder magazine, and Bar-' baza Itched to Are It on tho Instant she earns tack from Vleksburg. ; But first she must square herself by speed ing Clayton on his way, and toning him the truth. Moreover. Barbara bad the devil la her bigger than a mule, and what an ad venture! , Straight to the garage she went, took down her ulster from Its peg, and her gog gles. Two swift hands tucked up her hair beneath tho cap, and Barbara was ready. Without lights, her phantom automobile slipped along the driveway, passed out of Bennington gate, and halted under the big If Barbara's fairy godmother had greased tho cogs of happy ebaneo. Its wheels could sot hare revolved more smoothly. la ths bases Intensity of night her purring car stood aardlsoernahl beneath tho oak; aad its driver ssmad only a gibbous blot. Tho girl shir cad with a most deUetous exaltation, and her oompstSBt fingers gripped tho wheel, as she heard the stops of man who avoided the gi a voted path and trod soundlessly upon tho tnrf beside It They were coming; aad spoke no word, not even tho incessant gab bler, Nat x He led Clayton directly to her oar, himself opening tho rear door with a cautious "OH in here, Ulster Stuart. Git la." ;,v'" .v.: : It. seemed most singular, but when Clay-, ton stepped Into the automobile ho caught again tho same elusive breath of new mown hay, with Its memories of tho lake and of Adelaide. Imagination? , Tea. But imag ination strangely real, and very near, so hear that tho exiled lover must always take It with him. . . Perhaps It was this which gave the sweet ness to his voice as he settled back on the rear cushion" and reached out a hand to Uncle Nat ." Good-by," he said. " Good-by, my faith ful friend; m never forget how you have stuck to mo." - Suttlnly. Mister Stuart suttlngly. I done aH I eould to he'p you. Thankee sub; thankee sub." In the darkness Barbara couldn't see what It was that Clayton laid upon the Negro's palm, but It was enough of something to make old Nat stand bowing and waving his hat as the car pulled out for her long long race. Not until they were gone did Uncle Nat striks a match and examine the size of various bank notes. "Huh!" he grunted; " dat's a heap better'n gittln Jes twenty dot tare from Mister Foxyjaw." A silent shape at the wheel had never opened its lips; yet when Clayton leaned for ward and touched her shoulder, Barbara felt herself trembling. "To Maxmion," he ordered, "and drive, like hell." , ,.' .. : Then Clayton gave thanks for a reticent chauffeur who merely nodded. With so much that he was leaving behind and so much of unoertainty that ho was rushing to meet it would have maddened him to talk with s gabbling Negro. Of chatter there was . nona. Ths driver seemed a noiseless part of his machine. Their speedy car sprang forward, and dusty miles began unwinding from Its tires. Although yet early In the night, the roads were deserted, which the brooder accepted gratefully. , Ever a man of action, tonight he yearned for peace; he ached to lean back In his corner and dream of her, the perfume of whose presence followed him. A clump of myrtles beside the road gave out the baffling scent a patch of ripening plums puffed new mown hay Into his face; fields of young cot ton taunted him with reminiscent odors..- Presently hs could see the lake 'upon his right her lake, their lake. Its gleaming waters lay placid beneath the' stars, calm and unstirred by tho turmoil which they roused. Of what had there befallen, Stuart Clayton could take nothing with him, safe only his memories, and that persistent per fume. '' - ' ' ' ; : -' ' All was dark, except the shining waters, when straight ahead he saw a flash, a glim mer, a daszle amongst the trees. They were meeting another car, and he drew back In shadow to avoid the headlight Two great eyes glared momentarily upon him as his own driver swerved aside and then swept on, once more In darkness. But that single shaft of light had shown him something, a totally unexpected something which startled him. Before that time hs had scarcely glanced st his chauffeur, had only gained the Impression of slenderness. and of a steady sktn which gave htm confidence. His driver was an agency by which he'd get to Vleks burg. and that was ail he wanted. Yet by the revelation of the passing head y f Dlue (nibbca) " Then you don't need me any more?" She wu ittnding clou to him. Again tht perfume oi new mown hay cams to him, disconcertingly. light be Imagined that be saw something in the tUt of ths cap, something In the poise of the shoulders, something perhaps In the ' reiterated suggestion of new' mown hay, something that made him sit up and peer more closely. It was so densely dark that " . he could only see the back of a head, not the head of a man, but rather of a graceful boy. The face, hs felt sura, was whits. Tho voice he had not heard, for Its driver had ' never spoken. ' Clayton had lived through much that day; and many doubts yet lay before him, doubts that must bo solved as they arose. Hers was a doubt thai eould not wait for solution. Hs moved forward--without touching the shoul der in front of him and inquired, "Do you know these roads T" . For reply he gained a nod, only a nod., v "You can reach Vleksburg by midnight?" Another nod, more decisive and emphatic; his chauffeur neither turned nor spoke. They were now approaching Marmion Forks, and ' Clayton wanted to hear the voice, so be asked 'a question that hs supposed could not. be ! answered by a nod: , , ' ' - , ",, ... , i '','.'... Which road do you take to VIcksburgT" ' Not yet was he clever' enough to trap her, for the unspeaklng dummy ma no sound as the left arm arose and pointed southward. "No," ; Clayton objected. "That's ths ' Marmion road." The head shook, and the right arm lifted, indicating the lower end of the lake with a gesture which followed its curving banks. It , was only a gesture, but enough. No two women in all this woman crowded world pos sessed ths same little tricks of nod and shrug and gesture as Adelaide. He recog . ntxed her, and struggled to hush the triumph in his voice before speaking. "Adelaide, what are you dolngr "Driving this oar." " Why did you oomsT" " To take you to Vleksburg." " MaJ. Stark should here sent another . chauffeur," , "He didn't get a ehsnoe." " What will Mr, Raxllly seyl" " 01 I don't knowl " with the tantalising laugh hicb bad so goaded him at the lake, " When Floriso finds out that I have driven away with you. It might be amusing to hoar what he will say, Then Barbara laughed again, a reckless, headstrong laugh. AH day long ths perrer s.ty of Impish devils had possessed her, ter rifying Adelaide, lashing Florlan Into freniy, chuckling st the coming explosion of bar father: and at tho lake eluding this very . -an who now sat behind her. Through all the daylight hours her Incorrigible obstinacy had stifled the one big thought which Bar bara still refused to think. She realized that she must think, for he was going away, and might never come back. Tet the vast void spaces of the night the joy of motion, and the freedom had got Into Barbara's blood. And the girl reveled In the reckoning that was due. Between the outraged Stark and the taunted Clayton, she foresaw a tempest and like a petrel spread her wings to sail upon it ' " Ton didn't know mtV ahs laughed, until the echoing woods gavs back her merriment and the level road caught up her voice to bear it on ahead. , The man on the rear cushion saw nothing to laugh at, for he looked the situation straight in its ugly face. After sloping from Bennington she eould never return ' to her husband. Hs eould not take her with him, neither was it possible that be should leave her behind to pay their penalty alone. "Adelaide," he queried soberly. "Do you realize what you are doing? " " O, yes. Fvs considered everything." . " Did you consider that you are leaving Mr. RazUly?" " ' ' " Considered that too." She rounded a curve with such dexterity that Clayton sup posed she thought only of where her wheels were going. At her frivolous tones and cal lous Indifference hs drew a sharp breath and said,. ( ' " Mr, Baztlly will never see you again." " Not if I see him first Florlan bores ms to death. No sense of humor." "This will put you beyond the pale an outlaw." ' : I " I dearly love Robin Hood." Had he mistaken her character T Did she regard ths desertion of her husband nothing mors than another amusing prank? And Clayton wondered what the woman could be made of. He must find out and inquired: " Where do you intend going? " . " With you at present" ''.":' " But I cannot take you." ; "Who asked you to take me? I'm taking you." . ', ' ' Their lights flashed now upon the old burnt cypress by ths lakeside, which, ac cording to the Stark contention, had been adjudged the boundary line of Marmion. They passed the cypress In a whirl, and Clayton was now upon his own property, speeding toward Marmion House. Adelaide," very gently he tried to. make her comprehend. " Adelaide, it Is Impossible for you to go home with me, alone, at night" "Why didn't you think of that before or dering me to Marmion? " " But I didn't know that you were" " Shut up! Toull make me wreck a brand new ear." Again she laughed, and kept laughing, such a laugh as addled every thought In his brain. He supposed himself to be thinking; but he wasn't Nothing swemed clear. This girl could sot possibly travsl In a munition laden ship, with a crew of fighting men, pirates, adventurers, and machine guns. No, Vbe muat lura back horos before tbey missed bar from Benning ton, ' "Adelaide," be decided, and unlatched the car door. "Let ms out X can walk from here get a horse, and- " "Better not try to get out" be pressed down stronger on ths accelerator and warned him, " Keep your seat or break your neek! . Oi 01" Suddenly, almost too late, Barbara ssw a horseman in their road, galloping madly toward them. A dee Derate grinding of her emergency, a short skidding la ths dust and her car stopped, trembling, crosswise of the highway. " It's Mr. Bart Scurry! " she exclaimed. The sorrel bsd reared and come down all a-qulver as Clayton bounded out of ths ear and ran to Scurry, crying, "Any news, Bart? Any news? " at the same time fending Scurry away from the Bennington oar. With headlights throwing the two men in bold relief, Barbara saw Mr. Scurry tumbls from bis horse and thrust a paper into Clay ton's band. The glare was blight as day, and Clayton read, with Bart's stubby Angers pointing out and helping to decipher the words. At first Clayton seemed Incredulous and looked up at Bart like a child that does not believe what he sees. Then it cams Bar bara's turn to be amazed, for the self contained young Clayton, who had held his temper and his Indignation, now capered about la ths dust flinging up bis broad brimmed bat and yelling triumphantly. '"Viva Cardoval Visa Tandell! Viva! Viva!" his voice ringing like a battle cry through ths stillness of the woods. Hs ran to Bart Scurry and hugged him, danced around and yelled again, "Bart! Bart! That's ths most glorious news a man aver got Glorious! Viva! Viva Tandell! " Barbara could stand It no longer. She sprang out and rushed to the men, calling in advance, "What la it Mr. Scurry? What is It? " Whatever it was that might have oc curred in far away Salamanca, it did not mystify Bart Scurry nearly as much as the miracle that he witnessed before his eyes. Here wss Miss Stark; hs knew her by sight but hsd never presumed even to lift his bat when passing her in the road. To him ths Stark and Clayton feud was an immutable . fact no more to be transgressed than tho laws of gravity. Here he saw ths daughter of MaJ. Kenneth Stark, with eyes ashlne and flushed face, runing through ths dust to ' seize bis own hand Bart Scurry's band and say, "What Is It Mr. Scurry? What Is It? " Scurry bad a bigger face than any man alive, and could therefore spread more of be wilderment across It Off came bis hat and he stood mute. "Tell me, Mr. Scurry," Barbara begged and Insisted, "Plssse tell me, too." He couldn't tell her anything. Bart could only stand aghast and blurt out unbelieving ly, "Miss Stark!" . ' Then Clayton stared and shut up. Ths last peal of a "Viva Tan " broks off short la his throat as he gazed from ths girl to his crazy manager and asked, "Bart what do you mean? " ' " I didnt mean any harm," the manager apologized, as the girl caught Clayton's arm ':' and ssld: "Yes, Stuart, yes; I'm Barbara. Stark. What has happened?" The shouting man forgot his friend In prison; bis victorious comrades In Salamanca ceased to exist; the whole world was at bis elbow, there could be no other world, as hs repeated stupidly: "Miss Stark?" - "Yes, you goose!" she laughed at his in credulity. " But what is ail this excitement about?" ' ', "O, the excitement? It's nothing much. Just a telephone message from New Or leans. There's been a revolution In Sala manca. My friends have taken CoL Tandell -out of prison and put the Vulture In the same cell. It's all over all over." " Splendid! Splendid! " Barbara burst out in jubilation. ' " Then you don't have to go away?". " No." He shook his bead as if this were no time to be thinking of Salamanca, and repeated again in a whisper, " Miss Stark." Neither of them said another word, until the silence grew embarrassing to the middle aged manager who was scared of women anyhow.' Bart Scurry stirred the dust with his awkward feet braced up a little, and vol unteered: "Mr. Clayton, they come an' got Rafe jes' now that long distance messags from New Orleans bughter be answered right off they say your ship Is a waitlo for Mr. Clay ton's orders to sail" "The ship car wait" a all that Claytoa answered, like a man groping for bis mud died faculties, and watching Barbara,' AO of a suddao Barbara fslt a vacant sens of disappointment and failed la trying to laugh as sbs said: " Wall, I seem lo be out of a job? Tbera stood ths brave lltOs oar, useless now, and her own competent hands that were not needed. But Clayton did not fully grasp bar feelings as hs also looked at ths ear and said: "Tea. There's no use of my going to Vlckaburg." "Then you dont need ms any more?" She was standing close to him, looking down and drawing a queer diagram with bsr toe in ths dust ss shs repested, " Then yoa don't need me." Again the perfume of new mown bay came to him, definitely and disconcertingly. Us msde no answer. Of course, she must go boms, and be would return to Marmion. Oood-by," ahs half whispered, and held out ber hand, which be took without a word and kept without a thought And Clayton did not know when It was that hs put bis arm around her; nor was Barbara certain bow long It had been there when she bo cams conscious of not interfering. Only Bart Scurry knew. According to Bart's best guess, Clayton's arm had encircled Miss Stark just about three seconds prior to the moment when Bart turned bis back, mounted the embarrassed sorrel, and galloped out of sight Other uncounted Intervals passed before they missed him, then Barbara glanced around and suggested, " Stuart Mr. Scurry's gone." "O, has be?" " Yea. We can't stand hero In ths road by ourselves. Get back in ths ear and 1st ms drive you home." No," he protested, "I can walk. Ifa better for you." "Makes no difference to me," the girl laughed recklessly. " Might as well take you home. I'm snake bit and going to die any how. Ill have a terrible time with father." When her, car rolled on again, with Clay ton also on the front seat his disclosed chauffeur headed her lights for Marmion, but did not travel so rapidly, nor with such precision. Her car moved zigzag, like tho wabbly experiments of a novice at the wheel. Sometimes it crept; sometimes it scarcely went at all. ,The wheels veered crazlly to either side, when there was plenty of road way. What happened within their car was legibly written upon the dust Presently tho moving tires, having writ stopped writing. The ear halted and stood, and continued to - bait and stand. ;aU of a sudden that little car seemed to make up its mind. It backed, it turned with decslon. It ran firm and straight as an ar row, speeding northward to Bennington. "Now!" laughed Barbara, " we'll hold family conference." The Stark and Clayton feud broke out afresh. Within the narrow limits of Miss Barbara's pantry two clansmen fought their light . Aunt Canine claimed her privilege to servo the champagne. Uncle Nat didnt do much ' claiming against a woman, but clung man fully to his Ice cream freezer, in which ho kept cooling a quart bottle among tho ley slush. "Git away fum here, ole nigger!" Ant CsJline tried to shove htm aside. "Major's) bees savin' dis here champagne over sines da war, an' 'm twine to tots it In.' - "No you ain't I la." .. "Ain't I nussed Miss Barbara from 'a baby?" . ,. ' " " Mebbe so," old Nat admitted, "but youa likewise been lowratln' Mlstah Stuart Clay ton. An' dat sort o' talk dont go no mo', -not In dis house. Huh! Better not 1st major hear you neither. Gimme dat tray." With out allowing Aunt Calllne's eliminated bands to touch the glasses, Old Nat arranged his trsy for six.' "Now, den," he planned; "dees two glasses, day's fer Mister an' Mrs. Bazxlo. Set dem two close togedder, cause dem young folks Is not mighty lovln'. Lawd, Lawd, CaUlne! Mister Kazxle dons prom ised Mrs. Bazzle a pearl necktie, an' take her to New Yawk, an' give her a brand new autymoblle, an huh! I alnt never seed Mister Razzle act o nice. "An dis glass, dat'n's fer do doctor, bo's steppln' high, like a rooster In deep mud. "An' dis here glass, dat's fer.de major hlssef, to 'spose deir health. "Now, dess two, deys de main two, fer Miss Barbara Stark an' Onable Stuart Clayton. Dat make six, ons fer each o' dem white folks in de parlor. Now den, Aunt Calllne, you kin toiler behin' wid de tray, whilst I travels ahead an' totes dis bottle." In ths lesd of his proud procession. Undo Nat went marching ' through ths hallway, like a cup bearer to their majesties. A stream of light flowed out from the parlor door, and the major's rounded sbsdow dark ened It as be appeared and shouted: " 0, Nat! Uncle Natl Fetch seven glasses. Mr. Clayton Insists that you are to have yours In here you've been such a good old friend." "Egzactly, major. Suttlnly. Ons mo' glass, suh. Egzactly, suh, egzactly." The End.) lOpTrtxht: 1822: By Harris MeksosJ