The Russellville Democrat., 1889-03-21
RUN OUT" "
Why Bill Heffier Dared to Return
 to Comet City.

The sun beamed benignly through the Indian summer haze. On the breeze came fragrant hint of the beds of wild verbenas that still fingered on the slope of the rise On the top of n slender iron-weed a meadowlark turned his yellow breast toward the sun with a merry carol of jerky music.
 In spite of the beauties of the day and landscape, Bill Hefiler, slouching across the prairie, with his face to the southeast and his back toward Comet City, was far from being in content ed frame of mind.
 Chief among the causes of his dis satisfaction was the fact that only ashes remained in tke bowl of his wire bound pipe. So abrupt had been his compliance with the command ot the committee that he had forgotten to supply himself with tobacco ere he de- parted from Comet City.
 A prolonged search of his pockets failed to reveal a particle of tobacco Then he turned and fercely shook grimy fist at distant Comet City, with its score or so of buildings and great expectations And. as he trudged along. he muttered dire threats against the committee, who, in a spasmodic attempt to purge the settlement of ob- jectionable characters, had begun and ended with himself.
 Although he had never been sus- pected of being alarmingly honest, the only charge brought against him was that of being mo count and ''triiing" "a kind of human cumberer of the ground.
 French Jake, Shorty Bowers, Gen tleman Sam and any number of the rest of tho citizens of Comet were open to suspicious of irregularities. They operated or patronized the saloons, fought, gambied, had been concerned in the disappearance of numerous horses and the taking of of undesira- ble residents, but Comet City's spasm of virtue ended when worthless Bill Heffler was run out"
 Though Bill continued to express in
 
 Comet City and all that pertained thereto, his progress toward the distant timber-fringed crock was not one whit abated. Once beyond the timber, he would be across the county line and safe from molestation from the committee.
 As he reached the shade and trudged along, intent upon putting the timber and county line behind him, he fell to planning how he could best balance &C., counts with the committee who had preferred his room to his company. Not that he really had any intention of returning to Comet City. Far from it. He was too we'll aware of the promptness of proceedings that followed the capture of a ''run-out' man who returned after the expiration of the time that limited his citizenship in the county. But, as it was only couple of miles to the line, Bill felt reasonably safe and at liberty to VOW speedy vengeance upon the committee who had failed to appreciate his worth.
 Suddenly a sound of weeping reached him. and he came abruptly upon child-a girl Of eight or nine years prone on her face and crying bitterly.
 Wall, what's up, little one2" Bill questioned, not unkindly.
 The child sprang up. She was slight and undersized, and clad in worn gar ments. Her head was crowned by tangled mass of sun-faded hay-colored hair
 "oh, mister" she asked, Twill you help me?"
 That sort O depends. Bill an- swered, cautiously Which way do you want ne to goP"
 The child pointed to where a patch Of dingy white shone through the trees.
 Over to our wagon" she answered
 That was in the direction of the county line. and Bill readily agreed to accompany her.
 Can you fix harness that's most broke all to piecese" the child ques- toned That ole mule fell an broke it, an couldn't fix 1t at all, she ex- plained