The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-01-10


swell, remember" they are now in,
sight Of the sheriff's house, . AVE.
roomed erection with . porch over
which clambered q wealth OF vines,
remember that shall be thinking Of
you every minute"
''Thank you for that" he said. and
added: II might as we'll get out here
and walk up TO the house."
Her only answer was TO whip up the
pony; her face was pinched by pain rs
she drew up at the gate in front of the
house. He got out.
"Good-by," he said.
She held out her hnnd.
"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.
"Is there nothing can do for you ?"
she questioned.
He reflected, and then:
"If you should happen to meet David
on your way back, please tell him what
have done, and that came to the
sheriff."
II wish II were something harder"
she said, pressing her handkerchief to
her twitching lips. "Oh, II 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 IN open passage between
the two front rooms Of the sheriff's
house, and at n washtub, on a little
back porch, battling stick in hand, ht
saw Mrs. RatcliH. She was about 81
years Of age. but might easily hav,
proved that she was q third older, II
ber appearance had been taken as testi
mony.
Ronald raped on the door-facing Il
attract her attention, and when sb'
looked up he asked her IL her husband
was at home.
"TIe was jest this minute" she said
coming forward and wiping her hand
on her apron. "Hs took his gun jes
now and went into the strip Of woods
down thar at the foot o. the field. Is !
anything important"
~ came TO turn myself over to him
Mrs. Ratcliff; II you could send fo
him, perhaps he would like for you 4
do It,"
81 could blow the dinner horn," sh'
betrayed no surprise, II she felt any
over his announcement. "It nigh
wake the baby, but / reckon 1 eoul'
quiet 1t down ag'in."
She gave him a seat in the passing
and took his hat and laid IL, according
to rules of hospitality, on her bed il
the room on the left. Then she reached
ND for the cows horn, which hung on
nail on the porch.
"Iave you got yorcself In trouble
Mr.. Fanshaw ?" she asked, as she raise'
the horn to her lips.
"I've killed Sydney Hart, Mrs. Rat
cliff." He gave this explanation afte
a slight hesitation, for he feared thu
being a woman and alone with him ]
might upset her nerves.
"You don't say" she calculated
.'well, I'll be switched"
She did not seem more surprised thai
IL he had told her that he had had
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 thre
desperadoes to Jail and had stopped u
home for rcfre shments, he found tina
the mountain streams ahead were 81
much swollen by recent rains that h
could not go on, and there was nothing
open to him but to convert their com
pany room into n temporary prison
Mrs. Ratcliff sat up till daybreak will
n shotgun on one knee, and restless
baby on the other, and remarked after
wards that she didn't sleep half th'
night.
Ronald watched her rs she stood llk'
an Amazon in the doorway and CAV
two long echoing blasts on the horn
Then she came back TO him.
"Well reckon you had obleeged I,
do it," us she looked into the room oi
the right at the little box cradle. "Mr
RatcliH lowed you an sgd would hav'
. n taste o. one another's gore fore long
he lowed he'd never seed u man will
yore reckless nerve. an that Hart neve
would sleep till he'd bucked ag'in it,
The baby being quiet, she steppe'
back to the door. ~ see Mr.. Ratclif
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 Ia! did you ever see body ske
. daddle like that? You'd think hoop
snake was at his heels! Nothin' ain
the matter!" (she shouted this to he
husband); "you are wanted-that'
ALI" She stood in the doorway an,
. waved her hands. ~ want i'm to Sc,
I'm unharmed ur he'd break his foo
neck"
A moment later the sheriff came int
. the passage painting and persplrlng.
"Well, lowed the niggers had riz,
he laughed.
Briefly Ronald explained what he hat
come for and Ratcliff pulled his lOni
brown beard thoughtfully. He woul'
have made joke II he were at a'funera
and the joke had been at the expens
of the corpse.
"It'sbad on me-" he said, drily, "if yo'
fellers kill out many more ringleader
like sgd III be out Of n job-that skunl
, has been bread an meat TO me fur |
/ Ill 4.