The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-09

.9O2. THE J
Of the number they had brought against one
man: picture Of the unequal struggle, Of
the young fellow he had liked SO we'll, TN
armed and hghting hopelessly in trap and
sense of the cruelty Of It,, made the hot
anger surge up in his breast. and he started
on again. Then he stopped once more
Though long retired from faithful service
on the bench. he had been all his life sert-
GUS exponent Of the law, and what he went
to tell meant lawlessness that no one could
hope to check. He knew the temper Of the
people; their long suffering was at an end.
and they would go over at last and wipe
out the CROSSROADS. It depended on hin.
II the mob could be held OFF over to-day Il
mems minds could cool over night, the law
could strike and the innocent and the hot.
headed be spared from suffering. He would
wait; he would lay his information before the
sheriff; and Horner would so quietly with
strong posse, for he would need strong
one. He began to retrace his steps. s3ss
The men on the embankment we're walking
slowly, bending far over, their eyes fixed on
the ground. Suddenly one of them STOOD
erect and tossed his arms in the air and
shouted loudly Other men ran to him, and
another far down the track repeated the shout
and the gesture to another far in his rear;
this man took 1t up and shouted apd waved
to fourth man. and so they passed the Sig
nal back to town. There came, almost I'M
mediately, three long, loud Whistles from a
mill near the station, and the embankment
grew black with people pouriag out frtm
town, while the searchers came running ficm
the fields and woods and underbrush 10th
sides Of the railway. "-
Briscoe paused for the last time; then he
began to walk slowly toward tho emoank-
ment.
The track lay level and straight, not dim
ming In the middle distances, the rails con-
verging to points, both northwest and south
east, In the clean washed air, Ike examples
cruel man, either. reckon Lige Willetts
better keep out Of Hartley's way
II keep out OF no mans way" cried a
voice behind him. Turning, they Lige
| standing on the threshold Of the door that
led to the street. In his hand he held the
bride Of the horse he had ridden across the
sidewalk. and that now stood painting, with
lowered head. half through the doorway, be-
side his master. Lige was hat1ess, splashed
with mud from head to foot; his jaw was set,
his teeth ground together; his eyes burned
| under red lids. and his hair lay tossed and
damp on his brow. "I keep out Of no man 3
Mr.. Tibbs, but I've got too nucfr to do.
| while you loaf and gas and drink over LuIn
Landis's ,bar-I'ver got, other business than
keeping out of Hartley Bowldec's way. I'm
| looking for John Harkless. He was the best
man we had in this ornery hole. and he was
| too good for us, and SO we've maybe let him
get killed, and maybe LIN to blame. But
I'm going to find him, and If he's hurt-damn
| me! I'm going to have a hand on the rope
| that lifts the men that did 1t, If I have to
| 80 to Rouen to put 1t there! After that I'll
answer for my fault not before!' -.
He threw himself on his horse and was
! gone. Soon the room was emptied, as the
patrons Of the bar returned to the search,
and only Mr.. Wilkerson and the landlord
| remained, the bar being the professional Of
! doe, so to speak, Of both.
| Wilkerson had chair in a corner, where
he sat chanting a funeral march in sepul-
! chraI murmur, allowing a parenthetical hic
| to punctuate the dirge in place of the drum.
Whenever a batch Of newcomers entered, he
| rose to drink with them; and, at such times,
| after pouring off his liquor with rich mel
| ancholy, shedding tears after every swallow,
| he would make an exploring tour of the
| room on his way back to his corner, stopping
! to look under each chair inquiringly and
| calculate: why, where kin he bet" Then,
| shaking his head. he would observe sadly:
| Fine young man, he was, too; fine young
man. Pore fellow! reckon we hain't a.
| goin' to git him.
At II o'clock Judge Briscoe dropped wearily
| from his horse at his own gate, and said to
! a wan girl who came running down the walk
| to meet him: "There ts nothing yet sent
| the telegram to your mother-to Mrs. Sher-
wood"
| Hslen turned away without answering. Her
face was very white and looked pinched about
| the mouth. She went back to where old Fis-
bee sat on the porch. his white head held
between his two hands; he was rocking him
self to and fro. She touched him gently
but he did not look up. She spoke to him.
| "There isn't anything, yet. He sent the
telegram to mama. 1 shall stay with you
now, no matter what you say She. sa,
beside him and put her head down on his
shoulder, and though for moment he ap-
peared not to notice IT, when Minnie came
| out on the porch, hearing her father at: the
door, the old scholar had put his arm about
the girl and was stroking her fair hal,
softly .---& .-~.
Briscoe glanced at them, and raised
| warning finger to his daughter, and the,
went tiptoeing into the house, where the judg.
/ dropped heavily upon sofa with a,
asthmatic sigh: he was worn and tired. Min
ME stood before him with look of pail
+ inquiry, and he shook his head. r. a.
mo use to tell them; but can't see an,
hope" he answered her, biting nervously a
the end Of cigar Il expect you better brinl
me some coffee in here; I couldn't take an
other step to save me. I'm too old to tea
around the country horseback before break
fast, like I have to-day,
Ibid you send her telegram" Mimi
asked as he drank the coffee she brough
him. She had interpreted "cofee" literally
} and, with the assistance Of Mildly Upto1
(whose subdued nose was frankly red an
\ who shed tears on the raspberries), had pre-
pared an appetizing table at his elbow.
i YES" responded the Judge, and I'm sla
3 she sent dt I talked the other way yester
day, what little / said-it isn't any Of GU
] business-but don't think any too much 6
those people, somehow. She thinks she be
longs with Fisbee, and guess she's righ
That young fellow must have got along wit
] her pretty we'll, and I'm afraid when sh
gives up she'll be pretty bad over II: but
guess we ali will It's terribly sudden, some
z how though It's only what everybody hal
expected would come; only we thought
would como from over yonder." He no1de
toward the west. But she's got to stay her
with u.s. Boarding at Sol Tibbs' with ths
old man won't do; and she's no girl to liv
! in two rooms. You fix It up with her-yo
make her stay" 9, ~ -. - =
, "She must answered his daughter as sf
knelt beside him and patted his coat an
! handed him several things to eat at the sam
time "Mr. Fisbee will help me persuade he
now that she's bound to stay in spite OF hi
> and the Sherwoods, too. I think she ls pei