The Osceola times., 1879-01-04
OsCEOLA ARKANSAS, SATURDAY, JANUARY a.

the sticket-Olnce, Tor l saw lgnt ana
heard a voice. What did they want +?
The money oh, the money left in my
charge Somebody was stealing it, and
what should | say to Mr.. Ssyrc 7 My
God, might be accused OF taking 1t my
seli and thus lose honor and position.
"'Rsther lose life,' | said to myself.
Il will defend that money unto death,
and looked ABOUT for some weapon.
"Under the stove was lsrge iron
poker. Selling it carefully, i started
slowly toward the Office door, The light
fell upon the mirror, rejecting my figure,
and I've often thought since, with sick
feeling of horror, what picture OF des-
peration was, clad in my flowing white
mght-dress, my hair oil unbound, my
face white as marble, and eyes dilated
and gittering, with a strange, steely
light.
"God aid me said, with white
lips; and then opening the door of the
Office stole softly in. A man with his
back toward me was at the other end OF
the room. He had forced opened the
drawer, taken out the money, and was
looking glostingly at the crisp green bills,
when | stole behind him. | had just
raised the poker to strike him when he
glanced around.
"My God 1t was Clarence Devafges
Hang it n / suppose I'll have to
kill this pretty He seized me by the
throat and, mutteiing faint cry, sank
down. just then Jack, my own Jack,
rushed in heard oaths, blows, fierce
struggling-then ali was dsrk.
For the first time in my life tainted
"When / recovered Jacks face was
bending over me, and Jacks voice utter.
ed loving words / put my arm about
his neck and cried like weak baby.
+" Aren't you hurt, Jack 2
Not a bit, dearest. Devarges is
disabled, though, with n pistol wound
in his leg. 'Tisn't very severe, but it
will prevent his escape
"But how came you here ?
"Why, you see, when we parted this
morning, Nell, | thought I'd never see
you again, but to night, after ! came
home, ! made up my mind 10 come
around and try and make up 1t was
pretty late, between nine and ten, when
| came, and who should | see prowling
around but Devarges. Thinks |, What
does he want? II he's coming a. court
ing, why don't he go instead OF peeping
in at the Window
81 rather the ught he was scamp,
because when ] was in ths city yesterday
the Chief of Police told me that they had
.,,1r hot tod oftah N a
black leg had come up in these parts.
He gave description, and it suited De-
varges perfectly, all except a mustache
And, by the way, Nell, that silky mus
tache you 30 admired was false, and fell
off in our scuffle.'
well, as ! said, | saw Devargee
prowling about, and | thought I'd see
what he was up to. He looked in at the
window at you, aud heard him mutter;
THE deuce take it She is at home
after all What the deuce made her say
she was going to her grandmotber's
Now, suppose Pllhsve TO wait till my
pretty birds asleep
$3.50 he sat down under one tree and
sat down under the other. We both
saw you when you opened the door and
looked out. After you had been in bee
about an hour, Devsrges forced open the
sitting.room window and crawled in
While he was in the office lighting The
lamp, | also got in at the window and
concealed myself in the closet, snd-well
you know all the rest
"Jsck, said |, tearfully, you'll for
give me for being naughty and wayward
and you'll believe me when | say that
loved you all the time, won't you y"
"Well, Jack said he would, and We
have been happy ever sipce. And thi'
/ is my story, ma 'am--my only romance