Thomas County cat., 1890-02-20

has happened, and what does he want
with me? Where is Mrs. Adams !?
Has anything happened to her?"
For moment she eyed me in sol
emn silence, then said, slowly, as if
weighing every word, and prepared to
doubt any answer 1 might make:
"Whur is Hank? Gone ter fin you
with er Winchester Whur is jimmy?
Thet is jes' whut he's agoin' to AK you.
Look heur, Mr.. Mcpherson, eff thet is
yer name, haven't yer seen Jinny?"
"Not since she left here this morn
ing. Ny God! what has happened
here that your son is looking for me
with gun, and watts me to tell
him where his wife is? don't under
stand"
Wall, it pears 'sif yer WIZ speakin'
ther truth. But yer'd better be hidin'
when Hank comes tell l kin tell him
whut yer said. Jes' read this and
she thrust a piece of note-paper into
my hands. Before [ could read it we
heard Hank coming up the road, NUT
tering curses on some one, and alter
nately blessing and cursing his wife
and calling down imprecations on his
own head for being blind to something
or other. / could not comprehend any
more than l did what it was all about.
His mother snatched the paper from
me and thrust me into the other room
and shut the door just as he came in. :. :.
Wall, 1 coulden fin ther white-liv
cred cuss, an 1 tole yer thet all yer
talk fur him wur in favor of a sneakin'
wolf, mother" he said, as soon as he
came in and saw no one but his mother
there.
20, eff 1 could jes' get bead on him,
I'd show him how ter steal inter
mans house like thet. Poor little
Jimmy. God knows 1 meant well by
her, mother; an 1 wuz fool not ter
see thet she wur pinin' fur somthin'
whut / could never give hur. Eff she
had only told me thet she wanted ter
go way, an thet she coulden love me
as she should, I'd hev sent hur any
whur. But ter leave like this, an with
a man whut-"
/ could hear no more. / saw it all
now His pretty, innocent-l looking wife
had eloped, and he thought I was the
scoundrel l burst into the room, and
exclaimed. before he could say word
in his astonishment:
Mr.. Adams. 1 have just learned
what all this trouble is about. I am
innocent of this, in thought, word, or
deed. As God is my Judge, and as 1
hope to receive mercy above, l have
not seen nor heard of your wife since
she left here for church this morning.
You may be mistaken. Why do you
think she has left you? Let me see
that paper your mother had just now
For answer he gave his mother a
terrible look, and she covered before
his gaze as if in terror. He then
reached for his gun, and said, in
voice so low and calm as to be more
terrible than a cyclone of wrath:
Back! Don't yer dare ter touch
anything whut she has writ with yer
vile serpent paws. 1 will give yer jes'
two minutes ter tell whut yer done with
her, an then I'm goin' ter make yer
swar ter keep her always. An ef I
ever hear thet yer hev let her want fur
anything, or thet yer hev got tired of
her, I shall kill yer on sight ies' as
would miserable, cowardly cyote thet
yer are. Whur is she?"
My dear sir, you must be mad. I
swear to you hev not"
With a quick motion he brought his
gun to his shoulder. when his mother
caught it and held on to it with
death-grip.
Don't, Hank; not thet way. Give
ther stranger time ter pray. Give him
q chance. Let him read ther letter.
Don't yer see his hosses an buggy air
in the lot. Don't yer put blood on yer
soul whut yer can't ever wash off.
Hank, my son, wait ies' little. His