Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-07-18

up and hurricdly dressed himself
Then he walked 70 the window
Merciful powers! There were iron
bars across the outside OF il! The
mystery deepened. As he stood
there staring 10. the face of Dingle,
of the hated Dingle, appeared and
looked in at him.
The Colonel staggered against the
wall and caught his head in his hands.
Was this a hideous dream or was il
reality? Dingle remained at the win.
dow but spoke no word. All he did
was 20 grin. in a sarcastic way and
draw the lid partly down over his
glass eye.
That half-wink broke the spell
With roar the Colonel rushed 10 the
cot and grabbed up the Winchester.
VILLAIN" he cried, tossing the gun
20 his shoulder "Your insolence has
overshot the mark! You have dared
To come into this town again and this
time I've got you. Egad, Wen teach
YOU a lesson now that you won't soon
/ forget"
Once more Dingle drew down the
Z y
TO have no terrors for him and the
Colone's fury passed all bounds He
pulled the trigger-not with the in
tention 20 STAY but merely 10 frighten
and 10 arouse the town. There was
n sharp click, but no report The
Colonel pumped" the lever and tried
again, but with like result Then Din
gle found his tongue. Don't excite
Yourself. Keever," said he Capt.
Blue unloaded the magazine Of that
gun last night"
Cad" yelled the Colonel. "Blue
is here, too is he? And he came il on
me last night and tempered with my
rifle" He lifted his voice 10 its
strongest up Concordians! Hello!
Hey! The enemy, the enemy"
As he finished he hurled the Win
chester at Dingle and the resonant
call ended in the crash Of glass. Kew
er sprang TO the door. The key had
been removed from the inside Of the
lock and the door did not respond 10
his furious pull. He hurled himself
upon II and struggled like n demon.
So furious was the onslaught that the
knob came away and the great man
was precipitated 70 the floor. \ laugh
floated in from the window. Gaining
his feet after an elephantine tussle.
he braced himself in a corner and
turned his cleaning ewes upon the
barred opening. Dngle had been
Joined by others, whose heads were
sar. u. Z J. Il
space; and when the Colonel had rec
ognized Capt. Blue, Mr.. Boomer. Mai.
Harp, NlandinCham. Barney and n few
more, his brain became dizzy and lie
staggered 10 the cot. Dropping down
there he buried his face in his hands.
Had il come 10 this? Was he finally
bewitched 10y the spirits Of Kentucky
bourbon? lie had been n hard drink
er all his life, but so had his father
been before him and he had died in
his ninetieth year, Of a palsy. The
Colonel brought an impulsive heel
down on the empty flask.
Il don't know who You are. or
where I am" he said. hoarsely, peer
ing at the grinninC faces in the win /
dow. "but If there's doctor among .
You, send him TO me. I'm going mad ,
7 must be-"
Eat this and you'll feel better"
said Barney, pushing through the bars
n pasteboard box filed with eatables.
The Colonel got up and walked I'M
steadily across the room.
"Liscomb," he returned. "step up
20 the Office and tell Sampson I want
him"
step up" exclaimed Barney. It's
quite a step. Colonel-seven miles if
it's foot. You're in Harmony; don't
you know that?"
Harmony" gasped the Colonel;
'how can that be?"
We'll" drawled Capt. Blue. I'VE
moved the whole shebang over last
night, during the storm. As you hap
pened 10 be inside, we brought you
along"
That took the wind completely out
II the Coloners sails. Very humbly
le received the box Of luncheon out
Il Barney's hands, went back 10 the
'ot, turned his face from the crowd
and sat down. He ate the food and as
ne ate he reflected.
Here was masterpiece, indeed
Beside this that affair of the weather.
'ane paled into utter insiguifcance.
The Colonel had known all along that
harmony was meditating some coup.
Z was for the purpose of discovering
What this was that he had prevailed
ipon Guy 20 come 10 Harmony and at
end the town meeting Although the
heft of the weathervane had cha
-rined the Colonel. il had mlled his
uspicions. for he believed that that
Iad been the contemplated stroke.
What an awakening he now had, The
ecords were stolen, the courthouse
vas stolen and he himself had been
arried along with the rest of the ,
lunder.
During that forenoon all Harmony
anne 10 look into the Concord court
ouse and gloat over the prisoner.
itizens, male and female, young and
Id. felicitated themselves and cried
ncharitable things at the crushed
nd melancholy man who had been the {
cad and front Of all offending against
q