The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-12-26

turn Tatton saw the look OF Joy
in her eyes. heard tile ring of glad
ness in her Voice. lie turned from
her and left the house As he walked
de icctrdly TO the front gate. the littlc
girl ran after him. shyly slipped her
hand into his. and told him not to
look so. that her papa was coming
home that night. Tatton stopped alb
ruptly. took her in his arms. and held
her close for q moment Gently plac-
ing her on her feet again, he contin-
ued his way to the woods, while the
little CIR, returned and told her
mother what the man had done.
When he came TO the village the
letter, notifying him of Toms death.
was given him. Out by the Old Fort
swamp he brooded over II all. Tie
wondered in mechanical way how
much IL would cost TO reach Ken.
tucky. Once there. he would shoot
Jenkins. Tom would rest easier In
his grave " he knew OF 1t.
Late that evening he came to the
Hawkins house. He came late pur-
posely. that he might miss seeing
Mrs. Hawkins husband. As he ap.
proa ched the house he took refuge in
the clump of saplings. to see II the
road were clear. A glance convinced
him TINT IL was not. Coming towards
him, along the path, were q man and
woman; before them. in childish
glee, ran little girl. He knew the
three at q glance. As they came
nearer something about the man
seemed familiar. Tatton watched
him closely. The man raised his face
to look at the full moon in the east
There was no mistaking hint was
Ben jenkins. Tatton's first emotion
was one Of ferocious pleasure. His
blood surged hot within him. and
then ran cold. Already was his enemy
within his reach. He paused not te
think how he came, or why he came
but pulling out the pistol was pre-
pared to do bloody work. One sec
opd he hesitated and then II was toe
late. Softly he replaced the pistol
and as softly slipped from the sap
ling thicket deeper into the woods
"It mout scare Mis- Hawkins an
, the leetle GAL" he muttered; "Tl
come back tonight an git him wei
, they amt so clost to him."
True to his word. two hours late
} he returned with his rife. Long h
paused in the thicket, but he coul
: see no one about the house. FINAL
; he slipped up close to the front doc
! and lay in hiding. From within cam
r the sound of voices. Soon jenkins ar
peared on the small front porch. an
t with him came the little girl. Sh
: climbed into his lap as he sat on tn
d step, and called him papa"
: UP to this time Tatton could nc
e conceive of Jenkins relation
: Mrs. Hawkins and her daughte
j With a sudden shock IL now came
t him. He remembered having hear
that Hawkins was Mrs. Jenkin
i maiden. name. For some reason sh
v had adopted it when her husban
u went to Kentucky.
Tatton had Just raised his VIII
It chester when the words OF the litt
n girl came to his ears. At this m
h ment, from within doors, came II
e sound of Mrs. Jenkins voice In son
J. Sweetly the words throbbed In h
a. ears. It was the old song. dear
l. every loyal heart Of the old stat
"She was bred in old Kentucky
q, Tatton thought the gates OF paradi
y had opened, and that this was u
Is fragment of an angel song. Ezra
d tured he listened until the last wol
d ioated on the night air and died ava
d He dropped the muzzle of his gu
1t arose to his feet, softly slipped out
d the pine thicket, and thence aloi
ID the path to the Old Fort swamp.