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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1922)
THE REE: OMAHA, SUNDAY. MAY 7. 1022. The Them That Be So Mighty Fond of Explaining Everything on Earth May Find Them selves Explaining Out of Heaven One of These Days. Hiere l"t m or torie fold of w pirn and on woman than you'll find about 10 p m m and on man; but that's only tfiu women b cleverer lo hid their ert than w are, iliouih, if truth wr known, ther'a jut many adventure In man-hunting wuinan-hunilug. only Hi females keep their moot he ehut vlowr and don't about at loud lini they bring down their prey, nor yet mako such fui- when they Nil, ISut In tit raw f Henry, Jaeuh and Jemima, called "Jem" for Bhnrtiieee '11a Ju th cemmmi Bituatlon of two men after on girl; only, thank to th Devil's limiting Horn ana (ruin other mighty queer features o( their af fitlr, th atory t worth th telling. Th men also mal It a lt out of th common, (or on was a churchman n'l a ehining light, who don a power of goi In hi way, whll th other belonged to th am'lent order of anointed a amp that eaue ua moderate people lo dcrpair of humun nature. In another station of life no doubt Jeob Ctegg might have paste. to hi grave it re apectahle figure, for all lis wanted waa to be lei Ion to shoot mid Jfiali and play; but, not being born t that condition where ehootiiig and flailing and playing la ret-pet-table. Jacob Mil 1 finliire. Th difference between lilm and (ioulr Hnllrr amoiinteil Just to that. Pqulr Inherited hi land and fur and fenthera, and b i t uld devoi hia day to slaughter and gamra without a disrespectful word from an) body; w hlle Jat-ob. being a, w ood cutler'a child, w ho'd loat hla father at year old. had no aort of right to bird and beaata and flahes; or. In fart, to an thing but work. Yet hia nature craved to t limiting before all clae; and ao It cam about that It was a buggering young poacher, with no friends hut hia mother, though It wan well known It had a good brain and could aland to work aa well aa anybody when he plenaed to do eo. By trado ho waa a lhateher a very skillful man and It wua well In hia power t be a respectable character and a credit to the parish If he chose. Hut lie didn't choose, and he'd hem locked up more'n once and done a good few things to make hia mother weep and the godly elgh. And I'm cure that nobody aighed oftener than Henry Hird. Indeed, he had tried once or twice to win over Jacob to rlghteousneas and plain dealing, but so far couldn't point to no nuccc.su. . "If ever I'm reformed." said Jacob, "'twill be by a chap from the Establishment, because I haven't got no use for psalm-smiting dissenters, and least of all for you, Henry. You're a fiddle-faced fool in my opinion, and you're only so amaxing good because you haven't got the pluck and spirt to be anything else." So spoke Jacob, and the good man replied: "The Lord forgive you for that speech aa readily aa I lo,"answered Henry, because he always offered the left cheek if anybody smote him on th right. And yet there waa secrets hid in him as nobody guessed at, and the first thing that showed he was only human, after all, happened in the matter of Jemima Mason. In a word, Henry fell in Jove with her, much to tbe surprise of a good few maidens of his own persuasion, who listened to htm like lambs and who thought, of course, he'd take one of them when the time came. But Jemima was Church of England, and yet he fell in love with her most furious and made the running in a very manly way at first. She weren't a beauty, but she had a lot of sense for 25 and she wast independent having a clear fifty pound a year left her by her grandfather, who knew her worth. Her parents were dead and she lived 'with a woman cousin a widow a good bit older than herself in that nice double cottage just outside Thorpe. She did needlework and made a useful bit of money by it, and she kept herself to herself and was well thought upon for a sensible and self-respecting creature. She had a mind, too, and a good education. She must needs even go to town now and again, and she'd often leave home and put In a week all on her own, at Exeter or Plymouth, Just to keep In touch with things and rub off the rust of the country. Out of the common, you may say, and Thorpe was proud of her and hoped she'd take Henry Bird as being the young man among us most worthy of such a sensible maiden. And now I'll just name the Devil's Hunting Horn and then we'll get going. It weren't a public house, as you might think, but a lone tower built a hundred years before this tale, by the Squire Euller of them days, at the time : we were fighting the French. "He lifted it in the midst of Thorpe Woods, and why he done " so his descendants may know, but nobody else ever did. A gamekeeper lived there for a bit, but it had been empty for more than half a century, I daresay, and it got its name from a curious fact, because, often and often, there came a strange and wisht sound from the tower 1 a noise between a bittern booming and a ' hunter's horn heard far away. 'Twas an un natural and creepy note, and not a man, woman or child at Thorpe but had often heard it. Some said there was a sort of a natural trumpet in the stoneworka rift through which the wind blew when it was southwest, and made the noise; but for my part I don't like to hear every strange affair explained away in the . modern fashion, and I steadfastly believe that all sorts of dark and deep things happen round about us far beyond the power of human wits to understand. 'Twas not accident that made that fearsome and creepy sound; the reason was hid with Providence, and, as I tell the young folk, them that be so mighty fond of explaining everything on earth may find them selves explained out of heaven one of these , days. 'Tis a faithless generation; and so sure as God's alive a lot of us will be called to pay an ugty price for our unbelief when our turn , comes. - - The Devil's Hunting Horn stood in the very thick of the woods on top of Thorpe Knoll, yet rot much above a mile from the highroad. It was a four-square tower, stained and time bitten, gray and yellow and moldering, with ivy-tods hanging from the window lroles and ferns fastened in the routing mortar the home of bat and owl its plaster fallen in the little chambers and even the flat roof up on top scattered to shiver at . one angle, 'where . the lightning struck some time before living mem ory. And y6i can still see the great rusty nail where the Dark Hunter was said to hang his horn. Then of wirtter nights he'd blow it, and the hounds of the air would come out of the storm, to do his wicked will and harry poor, naked human souls. A fearsome place in a narrow clearing, with pines towering 'round 'about and a straggle of thorn and laurel and sapling rowans in the uudergrowth. And of a moony night, if any had the pluck to go there, they'd see the tower ilsing up like a White ghost in the midst of the black forest, And some had heard strange noises within at such times noises half man, half beast-" and laughter that made 'em go goose flesh; and Dicky Tremleft lost the little mind he had to lose after being night-foundered up there; and it was there also that the baker from Fogley hanged hisself for love and was found in a lower chamber hitched to a hook, with his tongue out of his mouth, so dead as a tut. And a wise one or two even said the bit Devil's Hunting of ruf 'round hi net itettr twn'd by tr.i rial band. Anient h young ! In my youth la thought a pretty plucky deed to go up over at midnight, when th hern sounding, and good l mor vowed they had don than ever did; but Henry Hird h feared no evil inis, being shod with th ahoon of rightou. i tH and girt with the lnld of truth. lle'4 gun thr inure than on to show h waa pot a f rared of th devil or hla work: but h was young, and. alaa! b didn't Know that when th I 'run a of lrkiirM ran't gH It by th front door he'll fore it window or fvrn rem down th chimney, for (he hou if th soul ha Plenty of weak spot, and nobody know tm better than th Lnerny of Mankind. Well, Henry ha felt in lot with Jemima and f t willed that th danger spot In the man should b tombed by that Innocent woman. He waa a puwltng character without any doubt, and. though nobody could ever say t but he weren't' an honest man. and didn't believ alt h id. and didn't strive all be knew to how th light to other and gather straying sheep tcr th fold, yet, w hen hi own i-roM ram and hi love wam 't relumed, then hia better nature filled him. It was th caa of a man who had never been tempted before and never found lit to thwart him and flout him, suddenly up agalnat a iru.-hlng trial and denial of hla pataion; and if:Tf; . J. V tr- . .X, cp-- l Jw H' tin 'Have you ever faced the the blow made his honor and justice and hu manity go doWn before the wind. For he was ever in extremes, no doubt, though he hadn't realized that, and the fervor, and emotion and excitement he put into religion were all switch ed off into his love affair when it came. He took the matter to his Maker, you may be sure, and prayed that all would go right with the happiness and prosperity of such a righteous and faithful servant of the Lord as he was. But it didn't go right, and after walking with him and paying him ever proper respect and attention, Jemima Mason convinced herself that he wasn't the man for her market. She liked a bit of the joy of life and told him so. "Life with you 'would be one long Sunday, Mr. Bird," she said. "I admire you something tremendous, and I'm sure there never was such another; but I couldn't live up to it not all the week; and, whether or no, I don't love you. If I did the rest would come easy for certain. But love is the needful thing." He didn't take "no" for an answer very easy, however. Life had gone smooth with him and his goodness been repaid with prosperity, so he wasn't at all used to disappointment and quite unprepared to be denied in this great matter of a wife. Jemima seemed a proper masterpiece to him, not fine enough to tempt the lust of the eye, but as sensible as she was homely, and just the sort of young woman- to be the mother for a nice lot of little Birds presently. So he stuck to her dogged and made a hole in his manner before long, -for after she'd turned him down half a dozen times he began to suffer a new sensation and get a bit wild . and fall' away from his own. high 'Standards. The Devil was feeling for the weak spot, you see, and, ac cording to his fatal custom, he very soon found it. Time passed and bad things began to happen in the soul of Henry. Then came a curious chance about a year after Jemima's final refusal of the man, and, little knowing that love can turn to "poison and be a ' deadly danger to 'some natures, Jemima played into' his hands on a certain winter night. She thought he was , over his sorrows and content to be just a friend, like other men, and after he shut, down on love making she was content to see him and pass the; time of day with him, and even, offer him a cup of tea if he happened along at the proper hour. Then she ordained to go to Plymouth for one of her visits, to do a bit of shopping and see the world. .For she was very independ ent and liked to show the people that she weren't a stay-at-home. ' ... And the train went off a bit afore midnight, hearing which Henry offered to see her to it. Thinking no evil and little knowing he was a man possessed, she agreed, and the night came full moon with a scud flying . and mild as milk. He was early, but found her ready, and he suggested a stroll first, ae he was wishful to get her to do a few things for him in town. So, guessing nought was wrong she eet off and he carried her little cane hold-all for her. -. "We'll go up the hill." he said, "for I'm short of exercise, and along by the Thorpe "Wood we shan't run across anybody." They walked up to the forest, she thinking to drop down the other side to the station; .and Henry pretended to be bright and cheerful and hoped she'd have a good time away. "AVhat a one for mystery you are!" he said. "Your cousin tells me you never even let-anybody know where you put up at Plymouth." "I lik to b frM. ah anawtrtd. "T wy littl bit of fun for the tear," Tou'll go to worship on flunday, X hop," b said, for even then, with f)tan working double lida In lua heart, b had to b Ms pious aelf. "Vea," she answered, "I go hr they mg f!s anthem to fet. Andrew pariah church." They went along, and then, mournful and ettady, the lvi'a Hunting Horn sounded through the wooda; but Henry ahead knew It w blowing that night, llav you ever faced the tewer after dark?"' b SNked. and Jemima aaid ah never had. "Now' a good opportunity, then." be told her. "and I dare My you'll b th first woman in Thorpe to aay you hat. It will b a good example and show th maideni they ntuat not be auperntitloua." "I don't fear it. Ikium I know tliera'a noth ing thr for an honei girl to fear," ah anered. , 80 they at rolled Into th fir tree and soon aiood under th tower lUmg abov 'em with th born whouting Its melum holy not aloft. "We'll go In and climb the aton steps and look at tl moonthere's plenly of time," he nils her, and, rather enjoying the adventure, Jem followed him. , There waa a heavy, oak door at the bottom, that mmt time hung open on the runty hinges. They climbed th steps and got up on the flat loof, and then Henry's manner changed and 9 e , ' . urn fma 4 - tower after dark?" Henry asked, and Jemime said she never had. something of the hungry devil inside the man broke out of his eyes and voice. , "Tell me this," he said, "and tell me true. 1 there anybody else coming between us? Is there another man you love, Jem? I've a right to- know that, and I'm going to know." She was frightened, but didn't show It. She looked away out over the tree tops and heard the horn humming under he feet, and replied very quietly and truly: "No, Henry. There's no man in my life." With that he went at her like a, flame of fire, implored her to take him, and knelt to her, .touched the hem of her garments and showed ' her in half a minute he was beside himself. But she . kept her nerve and prayed to God in her heart, and told Henry that she could never take him, and begged him to remember his manhood and let her be. Then he broke loose and cursed her for a hard-hearted giglet who had ruined his life; and she saw his love turned to bitter hate, and feared every minute he'd seize her and fling her down and break her neck. She implored him for his religion tt keep a tight hold on himself, but he was , raging mad now and he told her that if she didn't promise to take him he'd bawk her up in the tower and leave her there to die. "None comes here once in a month, as you know," he said, "and here you'll starve and rot, and nobody be the wiser, for they'll look for you in Plymouth;- and God judge me, when once I leave you if ever I'll come back." She prayed him not to damn his soul with such wickedness and asked him how he would gain by putting her to a cruel death, but he aid her doom was on her own head, and she saw he was far past reason. Then she knelt to him in her turn and implored him not to do such an awful thing. ' With that he threw her on the stones and rushed down the steps, and she heard hinwmt home the great door and heave timber up against it from & wood stack, and make it fast against her. He worked for half an hour with out a word, and she screamed thrice so loud as she might, but there was only him to Jftar her,, and for answer came the whistle of the tiain a mile away in the valley. Then he shook his fist up at Iter and rar off and was Inst in the darkness. He crashed away, like a wild creature, and the Devil's Horn seemed to blow a blast of triumph, but Jemima didn't hear it, because she fainted after Henry was gone. v But her , vcrst horror that night had yet to come. For the Lord chooses His own tools, and He picked a rough one for a rough task. Her cry, that might have gone out to the wind most times, had catched a human ear after all, and Jacob Clegg. very busy with the squire's pheas ants not half a mile from the tower, had heard it. He knowed what it was, too, and, being Love and Learn 'A Blue Ribhon Short Story by Pelcr Clark Macfarlanc If your soul spectrum happens to be overshot with blue, I try this lively, humorous yarn of college life as a remedy, i Next Sunday's Bee Horn giiltrr up abuve, she braid (vol He pa attend ing to Iter again, and, a ah had en lh LlitrkgU'ird go alter he'd mad her fatt, all she knew waa that 'nie utlirr rreatur must b alcn In th tower with her. And thea hr heart failed Indeed, for ah reckoned that It couldn't b ai hurts' ttiuih Um ttii tun than th Demon Hunter himtelf, Hi couldn't Lieani, though ah tried, and her terror mad her faint off once ntoie; o when J'ob, who had got the door free, climbed up to ae who it wa,fasieiid In by the vilMiii h ram acroaa the pour glil llng fUt on her back and dt-ad to the world. And then be pb ked her up and tarried her diiwii below. "t'on't be aftaid no more, iiiUs," he Mid, when ehe'd cut back a little of her scattered wit. "Tin Jacob Clrgg. with no intention but to save you from that limit of the levl. I btard you holier, where I waa l work half a mil away, and came along jurt In tlm to e Henry Mrd tk,Iil hook after he'd mad the door furt on "'ti. Ami you b Mi Jemima Maeon, by the look of It." The blewird fact that li waa safe very near tnnde the poor girl go light-headed, but she eooii pulled lieif loeether, and. knowing J.:cub by eight, thanked hint with all her heart fur aavlng her tinder th grace of God. tiho didn't hide nothing, either, but told the whole fearful atory, and Jacol) sot ao mnd that at pretty much of a man Vor all his wickedness, reckoned there, was a female In trouble calling for succor. So he li'd his birds and his air gun where none could find 'em but himself, and slouched off as fast as he might through the game covers till he peeped out at the edge of the moonlit clearing. And then he saw first, Jemima up in the tower, and, second. Master Henry heaving a lot of heavy 'stuff "against the door beneath. He marked the man, but he had the caution proper to chaps that play his nightly games, so he kept hid and watched a bit. And he didn't creep out till Henry was off. So it happened that just as Jemima was re covering from her faint, and pulling herself to first he wanted to runafter the other man instanter and catch him afore he fetched home. Put prensently the poacher's natural craft got the better of his anger, and he thought of some thing a lot cleverer than that. And Jemima, who was properly indignant by now at the shameful treatment she'd been called to suf ler, and so weak as a worm in body and mind after her cruel handling, fell in with Jacob's idea. She regretted agreeing with him a few hours afterwards, but then it was too late, for more strange things than one happened, inside the next week. , Jacob was the sort that loved a little plot and very quickly made one,' for when Jemima had thanked him yet again for saving her life and told him all that had happened, he thought over it and then planned what she should do. "To night," he said, "you shall come and put up with my mother, and tomorrow morning at eock-light I'll drive you down to Cornford to catch the train to Plymouth. You musn't go from Thorpe, else you'll be seen. What we have got to do is to let that murderer think he's had his way. So you go down and enjoy yourself at Plymouth, then come back to my mother, just for a night or two, and I'll tell you what to do next. The point is that nobody who cares about you is going to be frightened, and there won't be no hue and cry, because everybody will think you're all right. But the only hue .and cry will be in the soul of Henry Bird, where the Devil and all his angels will torture the traitor till he'll wish he'd never been born." "He may repent tomorrow and come up and seek to save me," said Jemima. "Not him. If you'd took him he'd very like have done you in so soon as he was tired of you, same as he meant to do tonight," vowed Jacob. ' "He's a wolf in sheep's clothing, and the awfulest hypocrite ever I heard tell about." "But he's a religious man anc he's done a power of good among the young people, and saved many from drink and foolishness," she said. "He's gone mad, and that's the only right way to explain his outrage on me." However, Clegg wasn't there to argue. He fastened up the door again very careful, same 0 By Eden Phillpotts he a Henry had Uft it, and then he tok Jemima's hold-all' nd ery oon they waa gone. II lived two mil awar, in cuiuae near North ellll, which belonged lo III mother, and h hade th girl atop at certain 'Uc wtul he li.cd bark and got hi budi and air gun. Jemima waa alwate calm Bd slf'Pod. 'id whm he Joined her Bgain. saw only loo tlearly what he'd been up to and was orry. uh. Sir. Clesg." iie id. "I hU ! feel very grateful and kind lo you for tin nisht'a work, but I'm terrible h.nid H' 'i''l brtt. fin thap ahould aink to that. I'm eur )uu be mad of leu guod stuff lo aink to auvli thins," He tell ahuepikh and ruvecd himectf fur show in her what he'd been up lo. "Lucky for you I waa poaching, an) how." h (aid, "for If I hadn't been M Tlmrpo Wpoda you would Bill! be jugiced In th lvit a Hunting Horn, my ihar woman. Hut donl u think I'm not very thankful I was there, for I very welt know tlii la the beet nUht'a work I ever don in my life, and 1 ahull C5 terrible proud of it to my dying day.". h liked Ins h and alio liked hi l"ik h marched her In and woke up hia mm her, and mud the old woman come down !iou and find euiue supper for Jemima. Then' Mra. Clegg heard the awful news and w as aw urn to secrecy, and next nrnmlng Jacob filched hla pony along, juat after dawn, and drove th girl to catch th firt train to Milli onth from Cornford elation, four uillea down the line. Hie promised to write and tell him where khn was, and ehe kept her word, ami the monjent he'd got her sddreea, at a hltle Inn down 011 th lUirblcan, where aim waa uxed to put up. if .l.vob didn't travel down for a duy mid call in upon her and ax her lo come and have a bit of dinner with him, und hi oil Fl knew by now there waa something drew her to dim, and ImUead of being veed ut bin cheek In coining to aee her alio f-ll quite pleased and iiniHt needs buy lilm a present, becaune, alter all. a lire la a lite, and Jacob delicati-ly reminded her over a veal cutlet that she'd bo at her Inst gai.p now and dying with hunger in the Devil's Hunting Horn but for him. "But for you nd Trovldcncc," corrected Jemima. Trovldence first." he grsnted. "and I may tell you that this affair have mado me take h much more serious view of Providence, Miss Mason. Because my mother has pointed out to me that the Lord chose a backalidcr like 1110 to do this useful piece of work; and If the Lord haven't throned me over, as everybody, includ ing myself. Imugined long ago. then there mut be hope for me and a rare chance of making gcod. And I hope you'll help me to do so." Well, when a handsome young man tells a woman he wants her help to make good 11h any odds she'll feel a bit pleased at the prospect, and before Jacob went home that night Jemima found herself a good bit along the road to liking him. She brought him a tie pin In the shape of a little silver fox. costing 6 shillings, and she bought him a green Bilk tie also; and she made .one solemn condition, that Jacob would come to church next Sunday; and he swore he would do so, and wear his fine adorn ments. Then he began about Henry Bird, for they'd been so Interested In each other up to now that they almost forgot what had thrown 'em to gether. Jemima saw Jacob to his train after they'd took a cup of tea, and it was fixed up that she'd come to his mother's cottage for a night on the way home in three days' time; and then he was going to tell her of the wonderful plot he'd hatched against tho would-be murderer. She asked him if he'd seen Henry or heard aught of him since she left, and he said that he had not. But Jacob had took occasion to go up to the tower the day before he came to Plymouth to see if Henry had been there. "The devil haven't stirred a finger to save you," he explained. "I don't meaa Satan, but Henry Bird. The great logs aro against tho door, and no doubt he thinks you be dead and gene by now. But his turn will come next week, and I've got a very pretty clever thought upon the subject. And yet, God forgive me,. I can't feel so righteous mad against him as I ought to feel." "Why for not?" asked Jemima. "Be yo,u such a Christian as all that?" But Jacob explained. " 'Tis because if the wretch had never hawked o up there I should never have rescued 'e; and because if I hadn't done that I should have lost the bestest thing that ever happened in all my life." ' And then the train went off afore she had time to answer him. v Well Plymouth seemed a thought empty to Jemima Mason after Jacob had gone, and she asked herself whafa it was about the man had took her fancy, above the fact that he had saved her life; and she judged that it must be his voice and his cheerful nature. Besides, he was terrible handsome, and, though she knew handsome is as handsome does, her wits began to grow quick in the matter of young Clegg, and she reckoned that, by nature, he was a nice minded and kind-hearted creature, and might very like turn from his doubtful, sporting ways and be a successful man in clever hands. At any rate, she dreamed a good few dreams about him, and, strange though it seemed even to her self, Jemima soon found a lot more interest in her heart for Jacob than bided there about the man who had tried to murder her. Her only kind thought and? hope for Bird was that he'd gone daft and would be proved so. Clegg was at the station to meet her with his trap when she came back and alighted at Corn ford. Then he drove her home for that night and told her what a clever thing he'd hatched. "As to Henry Bird's sentence, that's in your hands," he said, "but I've fixed up a very pretty trial for the blackguard, and you've got to help, Jemima; and if I'm too forward in calling you 'Jemima,' then tell me so; but 'tis a very beau tiful name and I'm very wishful to call you by it." "My few'friends call me 'Jem,' " she answered, but he said he thought 'Jemima better, be cause it was like the notes a grayblrd begins his song with. And then he told her what he'd been up to. "I've fallen in with Henry," he said, "and it's very easy to see that he's a haunted man. In fact, more than one at Thorpe marks it and reckon that too much religion is turning his head. Of course, I didn't whisper there was a very different reason for his wild eyes and wild speech, but I went to the man himself, so humble as a worm, and told him that things had happened to me and I'd seen a Light and hoped to turn over a new leaf and mend my ways. And that's true as Gospel, Jemima, for I fully intend to do so after hearing you on the subject. But I didn't mention that you was the Light; I just said I should be very wishful to hear Henry, because he was well known to be a great saver of souls. He shivered and gasped when I said so, but he mado an effort to listen and I asked him if he'd come some night after dark and have a good, long tell with me and put me on the narrow road. " 'I want to bo quHet about it,' I said, 'and I ain't going to the penitent bench at your tin chapel, nor nothing like that; but if you'U give mo an hour on Tuesday night in Thorpe Wood, out of the way of prying eyes, then you may very like save me alive. 'Tis a great feather in any man's cap to save his neighbor's soul,' I aaid, 'and I'll give you the chance to do It, Henry Bird. And I'll pray you'll see your way.' "He stared and he looked up at the sky end quoted Scripture. I can't mind all he said, but one thing I did mark. 'He saved others, him aelf he cannot save,' the blasphemous man gasped out, and then he turned his great dog's eyes on me and told me that he'd do what he could on my account. I thanked him most hearty and said I'd be at the Devil's Hunting Horn o' Tuesday nurht at 7 o'clock that's tonight. There's ni b feared rf th pUe,' I id, 'but not emli a rUhieou man you nor yet such a, tlodle creatur a in, for wbh rduet and goodne be often ahk in brave. m-M, HI await )uu, and I'm vn hopeful you'll Inn nie tuiiiie good laming, for I'm willing to lo better, and I welt knuw yuu'ro tho un to gui'la me If you will, , "I r i'i Id ih hi mind working a If hi for head waa mad of glan. but I'd got lilm catched, you e, and, iliuiiah h did mak on eifi.it to fu another meeting da. I wouldn't hov It, but aid It iiuiHt be I her or nowhere. 'If you can put in right, then I'll come to your iIibihI till r on,' I proiuiMd him. 'and be a very good ildvertlteiiiriit for your faith, locu what I ay I Hi-l a lo; but I muM have , ti ll flrt whet, there won't come tmne between U. and thal'a the very place, And why not?" "H bad riotliiK to aay, but h looked up in tho eky again and be wax torn III t about It. At l.it. however, h ordained lo come, Iwcaure a aotil waa ut (.take, end I believe be will come, Jtmuu. And if he h-n'l then we'll get on him some other way, Iiu' for the minute what you've got to do ia tln; Vou'v got to drink your ej, then you'. iod lo route ut to tho Hunting Horn along with toe. And I'll open the door and let ynii In. Then ,vou go up to th top wi-ar this old white rubber raincoat of mine, nud eland at the, parapet and look down when you aeo me and Henry alttnig bvlow-. He'll damn soon catch eieht of you, and then we'll are how he shape." Jemima a eyr grow round. "You wnut him to think I'm dead, Jaob?" "Ho thinks that it I feud v. He bellevea that Ite'a a iiiiird"r. r, and nuw hla fit of madness la over there's no doiiht reiuoree la eating the vTi'i.-h alive. Hut when he rrcs your ghostey. than I dare eay you'll fre you've had a revenge v.orth talking nliout, and, after that, when Ihe biuMty man 1.1 at hla gaep, you may or may not decide to .-01110 down and attow mercy. H11C thiil's for you to foy, and If you prefer that you want hi neck broke, or anything like that, I shall bo only too plened to oblige you." Well, Jemima hadn't much lime to think nboul It, nud, on th whole, though fearful, she fell that Jacob had hit on a clever way to make Henry's punishment fit hla crime, to ah went tltrougli tho dtiftk ulong with hint and put on hia white coat, that had a ghostly sort of gleam in the dark, and got in tho tower and climbed out to the flat roof and walled. Then Jacob heaved up tho wood and atones again and was alttliig smoking his pipe, so calm as a reformed sinner should be, when Henry Hird come along.' Clegg could ace by hia eyes, like a frightened horse's, and the meat on life brow, that It had cost him a parlous strugglo to come; and first thing Henry did waa to ask Jacob to walk in I ho wood, becauso he said the sound of the Hunting Horn distracted his mind. But the born was blowing very low that night, and only off and on, so Clegg thought they would bide there, and Invited t'other to say the word In season and tell him what he did ought to do to be saved. With a mighty effort Henry began his preach ing, and he was just forgetting his own horrid crime for a minute and warming to his work when he lifted his eyes to the tower and saw, ae vhlle as a owl, a woman's shop standing mo tionless there with her hands lifted, as though calling on heaven. Jemima hadn't no need lo make a sound, for the sight of her was more'n enough as Jacob knew it would be. Henry crumpled like a dead stick and his words stuck in his throat. He fell, as though he'd been hit over the back of the head and dropped at Jacob's feet, where th.y was walk ing up and down, and clutched hold of his leg with one hand and pointed up at the tower with the other. "God's justice! What's that?" he yelled out. And Clegg looked where he pointed, but shook his head and lied. "I don't seo nothing," he said. "On the tower, looking down at lis!" "Nothing there." vowed Jacob. "What do you think you see?" And Jemima stood a few seconds more, bi t she knew by the scream that Henry had marked her, and then she sank slowly out or sight. Henry Bird collapsed altogether and fluni himself on the ground, while the other man carried on the farce. "There's more here than meets the eye, seem ingly," he said. "Anyway, there's more than meets my eye; but if you saw something, 'twai either a living creature or else a ghost, and, whichever it may be, I'll damn soon find out." He ran to the tower, pulled down the wooi and flung open the door for Jemima to walk JDUt. But, while she and Jacob had arranged th next scene very careful, they'd forgot there was another party to it. And he didn't fall in with their plans by no means, for, instead of biding wnere ne was and facing Jemima when she came from the tower, as they expected, th love-mad man found he'd had enough. Indeed, ho rose up and fled ao soon as Jacob left hlra. and never saw Jemima again. Thus he wa gone when she came forth, and, as there cer tainly weren't no catching him that night, the woman went home with Jacob to Clegg's mother. And the next day she was back In Thorpe, with her secret still hidden, until that . happened which blazed all abroad and ended the fearful affair, and made a nine days' won der for us all. For now Henry Bird did something more out of the common, and it was the turn of Jacob and Jemima to be a good bit surprised at his next step. Jeniima had meant, if he'd only listened, to tell the .man how God Almighty had saved him from being a murderer, and 0 on, and there's no doubt, if Henry could hAfi" waited and gone through with it, she'd have forgiven him, because out of his evil actions had sprung good for her. But Bird little knew he'd seen a living woman. When Jacob opened the tower the other believed his number was up, no doubt, and his crime to be discovered; so his mind broke down under the strain of his own dreadful actions and he thought the time was come to pay for 'em. Therefore he went straight home and cut his throat in the shed where he kept his bicycle, and there he ( was found afore noon next day. It all come out then, and a few went so far as to say that Jemima never ought to have been s; fearfully revenged on the man, though most people was glad to believe her when she said she had meant to let him off and forgive him his sins. Tho affair cast a gloom on us all and gave the unrighteous a good opportunity to scoff, but 'twas brought in "suicide whilst of unsound mind" a. very right and proper verdict and it was just another case of crossed love bring ing out hidden evil and proving how nature may be stronger even than religion when there' a woman in the balance. Tho only bright thing about it were that the minister, a very large-minded man and a work lng Christian, didn't deny Henry proper burial;, and the other good thing was.that Jacob Clegg, owing to his love affair, was reformed afore tho nation and turned over a new leaf and did his duty to his neighbor from that day forward. You see, Jemima, when he offered for her, granted that she loved him very much indeed, but she demanded a clear year afore she said "yes" or "no," which, seeing Jacob's shady past, weren't an unreasonable bargain. But he rose to the trial and proved once more the power of, a good woman on a tricky nature. In fact, Jacob was properly born again, to his mother's joy and the people's agreeable surprise. And it weren't a case of virtue being Its own reward, neither, for he got Jemima all right, and ha never looked back, but made a rare huaband and loving father. For love will save a bad man aa eaay aa it can wreck a good one, according to th Mys teries of human nature, as be like th peae of God Himself, past all understanding. (Copyright, id, by th Chicago TrlbaaoJ 1 1 (T) M