Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-05

refined his horse in and was staring
after them in bewildered fashion.
Evelyn gave her companion a COM
prehensive glance. Never mind" she
said, hell tell everybody he knows
that he has seen us together, but you
and have other things to think about.
Will my love console you at ALP"
More than anything in the world"
"Well, remember" they are now in
sight of the sheriff's house, FIVE
roomed erection with porch over
which clambered wealth of vines,
remember that 1 shall be thinking of
you every minute"
THANK you for that" he said, and
added: II might as well get out here
and walk up to the house"
Her only answer was to whip up the
pony; her face was pinched by pain as
she drew up at the gate in front of the
house. He got out.
"Good-by," he said.
She held out her hand.
"Good-by," she echoed, and as he took
her hand he felt her quivering fingers
tighten round his own. II am going to
pray for you night and day." she said.
Andthen she turned her pony and drove
slowly homeward. AS he was entering
the gate, he saw her stop and look
back; then she signaled him to come to
her. >Obeying, he found her face wet
with tears.
us there nothing can do for you?"
she questioned.
He reflected, and then:
IF you should happen to meet David
1 have done, and that I came to the
sheriff.
II wish it were something harder"
she said, pressing her handkerchief to
her twitching lips. "Oh, it is so awful
there is so little to hope for-you see
you are SO .despondent!"
He could not deny this last charge;
her very words seemed to add weight
to his, gloom. Lifting his hat, he
turned away.
There was an open passage between
the two front rooms of the sheriff's
house, and at washtub, on little
back porch, battling stick in hand, he
saw Mrs. Ratcliff. She was about 30
years of age, but might easily have
proved that she was third older, if
her appearance had been taken as testi-
mony,
Ronald raped on the door-facing to
attract her attention, and when she
looked up he asked her if her husband
was at home.
HE was jest this minute she said,
coming forward and wiping her hands
on, her apron. "He took his gun jest
now and went into the strip of woods
down thar at the foot O. the field. Is it
anything important?"
II came to turn myself over to him,
Mrs. Ratcliff; if you could, send for
him, perhaps he would like for you to
do it."
II could blow the dinner horn" she
betrayed no surprise, if she felt any,
over his announcement. ut might
wake the baby, but reckon l could
quiet it down ag'in."
She gave him a seat in the passage
and took his hat and laid it, according
to rules of hospitality, on her bed in
the room on the left. Then she reached
up for the cows horn, which hung on q
nail on the porch.
Have you got yoreself in trouble,
| Mr.. Fanshaw?" she asked, as she raised
| the horn to her lips.
Eve killed Sydney Hart, Mrs. Rat
Cliff He gave this explanation after
slight hesitation, for he feared that
being woman and alone with him it
might upset her nerves.
you don't say" she ejaculated;
''well, I'll be switched"
She did not seem more surprised than
if he had told her that he had had a
tooth extracted, and then he remem-
| bered that she had been Ratcliff's COM
panion in many rough experience.
| One night when he was taking three
| desperadoes to Jail and had stopped at
| home for refreshments, he found that
| the mountain streams ahead were so
much swollen by recent rains that he
| could not go on, and there was nothing
open 10 MIN Dut 10 convert lIlelr COM
pany room into temporary prison.
Mrs. Ratcliff sat up till daybreak with
a shotgun on one knee, and a restless
baby on the other, and remarked after
| wards that she didn't sleep half the
night.
Ronald watched her as she stood like
an Amazon in the doorway and gave
two long echoing blasts on the horn.
Then she came back to him.
well reckon you had obleeged to
do it, as she looked into the room on
the right at the little box cradle. "Mr.
Ratcliff lowed you an sgd would have
a taste O. one another's gore fore long;
he lowed he'd never seed man with
yore reckless nerve, an that Hart never
would sleep till he'd bucked ag'in it,
The baby being quiet, she stepped
back to the door. II see Mr.. Ratcliff
comm lickity-split through the broom
sedge. We agreed when thar was any.
thing important fur me to blow twice ];
I reckon he'll think the house is afire,
My la! did you ever see body ske.
daddle like that? You'd think hoop
1 T. L 81