Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-01


tered self-rcspect. he was so absorbed zen
tally in thinking over what ne should say
that he did not hear sudden command
10 halt. and realized that he was III
trouble only when a sinuous, swshing
thing hurtled through the air, pinloned
his arms to his sides and jerked him from
the saddle TO the rough ground.
Good shot, OF man. said some one In
cowboy costume, who came up and sat on
the victims chest. "Ye got him right
round the elbows, fust throw O. tn rope.
Let me up. you id scoundrel.' fumed
Van Vert. You can take my money
without taking my wind at The same time,
can't you?'
Easy. m son" chuckled the giant who
was sitting asride of him as he held the
candidates wrists so that the other men
who now came up could the more easily
tic them. I'VE don't want your stuff. DO
we. pardner?'
''Nopey, Van" said the second man in
voice that Van Vert tried in vain to rec
ognze. We jest want L put We where We
won't make no mo- fool r'marks bout tn
lady tht's ag'in ye-not this evenin', any
ways"
calmly. This isn't a square deal. You
know I've got 10 be at that meeting at
Meeker at S o'clock? Well, it's almost
that now, so let me go
"Oh no, Jimmie" laughed on Of his
captors. hearlessly Not tnight. 'Squar'
deal l believe We said? Was It a sQuar'
deal rr you L git up an m5ke tn talk
We did bout tn little schoolma arr las
night?Not any. So stan up. Jimmie, an
let tn gent tackle We TO tn tree. Wen let
We go fore We git cold. Easy, lad. Ef We
git gay we won't do thing but hawg-tie
We an leave We lay till mawnin'."
The next hour was as long as one as
Jimmie Van Vert ever spent The night
was a chilly one and the ropes with which
he was bound prevented the free circula-
ton of blood. so that in a very short time
his extremties were shaking with cold.
To add to his discomfort. an owl took its
station in the brush near by and hooteG
derisively whenever the prisoner shouted
and the cries of the owl were responded to
by several wolves whose voices sounded
as though they were very close at hand.
Several times Van Vert heard people
20 by on horseback and in wagons, and
shouted 10 them at the top of his lungs;
but the trail was some distance from the
clump of brush and they did not hear him.
At last. however, when he had about given
up all hope of escaping until his cap
tors should come and release him, ne
heard the sound of horses coming along
the trail. their riders laughing and chat
tinr. and he lifted up his voice in
mighty effort to make himself heard. The
riders evidently heard him and stopped.
He shouted again. and presently heard
them coming toward him.
Where are you?" called feminine
voice in response to another bleat from
Van Vert, and in "a moment there was i
crushing of underbrush and the face and
form of a. young woman were outlined in
the moonlight. followed a second later by
the wondering couutenance Of lad of
about twelve years.
How did it happen?' queried the young
woman, after she and the boy had releas-
cd the candidate from his uncomfortable
predicament and he was untying his horse
from d neighboring tree.
Van Vert explained, in an irirr,J. tone.
adding with as much dignity as he could
command: u m th4 candidate for SUI
perintendent of schools. and 1 suppose
this is a sample of the methods Miss
Smith and her cowboy friends have
adopted to defeat me. They knew that /
was to speak at Meeker tonight, and
thought that by preventing me from do
ing so they could gain a few votes. I'll
show EN- when l get there
The young woman laughed merrily.
Politics is a funny business, isn't it?'
she said. The idea of resorting TO such
measures, But" she added, soberly. you
should not blame Miss Smith what her
oyer-zealous friends have done. Miss
Smith is a friend of mine and I know
she would not sanction such a thing. 1t
it would be most unfair TO accuse her of it,
don't you think, without being certain OF
your ground?
Van Vert admitted that it would.
Then, as a favor to me, said his fair
rescuer. do not, please. say anything
about it. at least by way of connection
with her affair. ! am sure that no one
would regret it more than she if she knew
about it."
After some hesitation Van Vert prom
ised. and presently his rescuer and her
escort left him, branching off on a trail
that led toward "a farm house that ne
could see i'm the distance.
The candidate noted with grim smile,
on his return, the CONSERVATION his APP
pearance created in certain part of the
room. and concluded that two or three
men whom he knew 10 be friends Of his
looked rather sheepish; but he kept his
own counsel and made no reference to his
adventure. In the course of the excellent
speech he presently made he took back
what he had said about his opponent in
a manner so graceful as TO win for him
rounds of applause. and when he sat down
IL was with the consciousness that he had
in part redeemed himself.
As he started, along with some Of the
other candidate. to leave the hail. he no
ticed for the first time that the young
woman who had rescued him from the
fix" in which the cowboys had left him
had not gone home to stay when she left
him. for there she was. just leaving the
hall in company with an older woman in
widows weeds.
WHO is that?" he asked of the candidate
for sheriff. who was at his side.
THAT grip" queried the other. why.
boy. that's your hated adversary, Miss
Smith. Hadn't you seen her before
But Van Vert did not hear the ques-
ton. He hurried to catch up with the
opposing candidate, who started when he
addressed her, but quickly recovered her
self and smiled sweetly upon him.
Miss Smith" he burst out impetuous-
ly. Il don't know what you must think
of me. after all the low-down things I've
said about you and the holy show l made
of myself this evening. But l hope you'll
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