The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-11-26

avoid the cruel steel
He regained his feet, and attacked hi
assailants: bus strong blow with ia
clenched hand upon his arm caused hi
| weapons to drop from his grasp. Tn
two men closed for the possession of th
knife The other darted to seize il
when q kick in the face from Hardy
foot stretched two of them full lengtl
upon the bridge.
The contest on both sides was despeE
ate. It was no longer robbery, but mur
| der. The girl attempted TO render he
brave companion some assistance, bu
she was brutality thrust against the rail
ing.
By dextrous kick Hardy succeeded
in sending the knife flying off the bridge
and Immediately thereafter, having push
ed his assailant against the outer railing
suddenly picked him up and thrust him
headlong into the mud beneath 1t WIS
fall of fifteen or twenty feet.
The remaining robbers, evidently dis
coursged ST the determination and i'm.
mense strength of Hardy, and disguised
with an enterprise that had already cost
them so dear, were easily put to flight by
the appearance of knife that Hardy
whipped from his pocket.
He was master of the field. A dead
body remained
He quickly moved the gag from the
mouth of the almost fainting girl. He
restored to her what jewelry the robbers
had dropped. The blood covered his
face
you are seriously hurt" she said, as
soon as she could recover her speech.
at is nothing" he replied, wiping the
blood from his face
+ Nevertheless, he walked unsteadily as
4 fhaV yarHano6nA oSl a,, i,
| PEELED 10 stagger toa fence and lean upon
it for support. Every noble and gener
GUS feeling in the girls heart was arous.
ed. There was no longer any ceremony
between them. She put her hand ca.
ressingly on his face, then she took il
away and looked at it by the light of q
distant lamp. TWAS stained with blood
Soon he regained his stregth, and they
continued on their way. They stopped
before the gate.
"Come in" she said this shall be
your home until you are well.n And
she added, somewhat embarrassed, "You
are hero"
THANK you. must CO. Good night
you must come in. I shall never
forgive you if you don't. I may never
see you again.
Perhaps not" he said bitterly.
This made her thoroughly determined
to detain him. She had a strong will
but his was stronger She became al
most angry; then she bit her lips in the
| dark and implored him to remain.
He declined, in respectful, kindly
way.
"Well, then" she said, where do you
liver"
Nowhere"
PLEASE tell me =
Nowhere"
"Will you let me know tomorrow ~
81 don't know"
"Please do.''
Perhaps. Here is street car. Good
night"
Then she did very foolish thing
| She threw her arms around his neck
and kissed him. He left, doubly a con
querOr.
There was tremendous excitement
over the affair. The police were inform
ed as soon as the girls father could hear
the terrible story and reach the police
station. The officers could only find {
quantity of blood on the bridge, the body
having been removed. Rigorous search
for several days failed to reveal the iden
tity of the robbers. Several arrests wer,
made, and strict vigilance maintained
but without avail.
Another mysterious development was
the disappearance of Hardy. He could
not be found. However, on the second
day the old family physician OF the Nor
ris household came painting up the wall
in great excitement, and exclaimed t.
the girl:
81 have found him!''
She turned pale with excitement ant
where is heg" she asked breathless
ly.
Jump into my buggy and I'll taxi
you to him.
She did SO. They found him in
small, dilapidated adobe house on Mar
ket street, with Spanish family. He
was delirious and in a high fever. The
| girl sat down by the bed, took his ho
hand in hers, and before the old doctor
knew what was coming next, she begaI
to cry. And then she kissed Hardy
| hand
The old man took her home, but she
| came twice day to see him bringing
her father or mother, and taking alone
some delicacy, and doing whatever
Gradually he recovered, and as sooI
as he could be moved he wa.
taken to her home. There he was com
| pletely restored to health. BY his pa
tence and gentleness he won the heart o.
everyone-except the girls. Hers wa!
won already.
fine slipped away. Hardy was final
| ly established in business by the grateful
! father.
Poor old Tarantula Joe, who unac
countably seemed to be great favoritt
with the young man, was allowed to si
in the kitchen and drink dozen or NOR
| glasses of champaign on the night of tn
marriage of Sophronia Morris to 10 hl
Hardy-a brilliant affair, by the way.
A few months ago Hardy was reading
! the morning paper, when a bright ray O
sunshine came in through the open dool
1t was Hardy's wife, the happiest wo
man on the Alameda.
"My DEAR" he said, sthave we livet
happy these two years ?''
"Why, John-what question:
"And you have never regretted th
persistence of seedy stranger on SAINT
Clara street, about two years and hal
ago*"
81 regret nothing, John, and you know
it well enough. didn't know what lif
was until met yon. But oh, that was
terrible night, wasn't it, John ?"
awful ~ he calculated, with a look O
.
what makes you look that way? Yol
are so provokingr'
81 am villain, dear"
"What do you mean?'
do you remember about those rob
bers ~
81 think dol They came near kill
"They were all friends of mine, dear
"Johni" she exclaimed in astonish
ment
absolutely friends. Tarantula 10
and put up the job, so that coult
clean 'em out, become a hero, and ther
marry you" She stared at him, shock
ed and incredulous.
"Johnr'
ats fact" he said. laughing, as b
saw her anger rising.
She was Supplied. Then a quicl
light came into her eyes. She knew b
was joking.
4 you are fooling me John. Yo
know that that horrid club nearly kille
you"
1T was made of paper" he said, still
laughing.
i a gloom again stole into her face, bu
it was dispeiled by another recollection
"But your face was really bloody"
"Joe got that for me at the slaughte
house"
She was thoroughly muzzled, nc
knowing what to think.
"But, John, those were real hurts O
! your Lead and face / saw then
There, nowi'
Eyes; and can't you imagine how
received them 90
| She thought she had him corneret
but the look of confidence in his fac
disheartened her.
when. how, then ~ she asked, petg
liant and despaiTing.
"You remember that fellow pitche
, into the mud %
ssYes-welI, whatg
. HWhen went back to join the boy
and have good laugh over the affai
: and to report progress, this fellow ms
me, mad as . Turk, for spelling b
! .Io,fhaa and NEARLY hraaRin1 hta racI