Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-05-01

when the circular does come we'll Jest
nab Mr.. Man an rake in that reward"
They ail saw the wisdom Of Hicks
plan and readily agreed to 1t, and for.
awhile they kept sacredly to their
agreement. The temptation to talk
was great, 1t must be admitted. but
that reward was greater temptation
yet.
So 1t had come about that Turner
was still ignorant Of everything con-
corning Melvin and in forming his
opinions was acting altogether on mere
surmises. He had never changed from
his first formed opinion that there was
something back OF Melvin that was not
exactly right, but he had never sue
ceeded in gettingsbeyond that point.
He readily conceived the idea that
there was connecting link some
where between Melvin and Waite, but
what that link was he could not tell.
He had no Idea whether the link was
one of friendship or enn3ity. but he
was inclined to the belief that It was
the former. In fact, he labored under
the impression that the two young men
had been associated together in the
commission of a crime or were leagued
together for the purpose Of committing
some crime at later date, He did not
place their crime or contemplated
crime beyond robbery. however, but he
fixed 1t at robbery on a large scale.
When Melvin rode away from the
house that night, Turner believed he
had gone to meet and confer with
Waite, but he was partially mistaken.
Melvin had gone to Jenkins place, and
1t was on account Of Waite that he had
gone, but II his surmises were correct
Waite was one Of the last men In the
world he would care to meet OF with.
whom he would seek a conference.
AS Melvin had told Mrs. Banks. he
had taken the life Of human being.
In the heat of a quarrel he had shot
down and instantly killed young man
named Marchand. He justified him
self for the act on the ground that he
had acted In self defense, and In q way
his claim was, true. Just at the time
of the killing 1t was merely a question
Of who could fire first. and II Melvin
had not killed he would have been
killed. But. on the other hand. Melvin
was responsible for the misunder-
standing. for Marchand was seeking to
avenge the honor Of his sister. whom
Melvin had betrayed.
| While Melvin might Justify his act,
he knew public opinion nor the courts
would justify 1t, so he fied from the
scene to escape arrest. Having met
Louisa Banks and learned to love her
while she was girl at school. his first
thought when he began his flight was
to go where he could be near her. That
she had married mattered little to him.
except to the extent that It removed
her out Of his way. for he had no very
high regard for marriage nor a yer.
strongly developed sense of honor.
His plan was to induce her to elolhs
with him II possible. and. though she
had refused to marry him when she
was free to do so. he had no doubt Of
his ability to influence her now since II
had become known to him that she
had learned to regret the step she had
taken when she had declined him for
Sim Banks. II she would elope with
him. they would 60 to some out Of the
world place out west and there lose
themselves to every one who had ever
known them. @ well as to the law.
In all his planning Melvin did not
lose sight OF the fact that the man he
had killed had younger brother liy.
ing and that the brother was deter.
mined, desperate character who was
not likely to wait for the slow process
Of law to right his wrongs. From the
first Melvin had feared Robert Mar
chand more than he feared the law
and day and night he had been haunt
ed with dread that that man would
hunt him out, and kilt him. He had
covered his flight we'll. he knew, blu,
he was also aware Of the tirelcss ener
gy and set determination Of youns
Marchand. and this. added to the anx
iety a criminal always experiences
kept him In continual state of un
easiness.
His purpose in going to Jenkins wal
to discover, II he could, without max
: Ing his own presence known, whether
the man giving his name as Waite hal
J stopped there and whether or not I
was Robert Marchand. The way h,
had planned to do this was very sim
i pie and at the same time comparative
ly safe to himself.
He proposed to tie his horse some
where In the woods near jenkins
0 house. then creep cautiously forwart
I under the cover Of the fences an'
n shrubbery until he reached position
r commanding view OF the house an,
b its surroundings.
He was well aware that II was a uni
Il versal custom among the people o
e Postum Ridge to sit out In their from
e yards after supper on hot summe
n evenings. and he felt assured that b
a would ind Jenkins and Waite 80 Gil
ting II the latter was there. In thi
e way he could satisfy himself az (
(. whether Waite was the man no fearet
It then steal softly away again.
ID And II that man should prove to b
% Robert slarchand there was but on
h thing for Melvin to do. and that wa
d to flee from the section. Hc had thl