Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-11-06

O1HHHvHHHvHHvH
do not dare to speak to me! What
can l fail to understand"
but this man is a spy whom / am
here to-"
Then, If you would not let what you
have said to me be a great falsehood,
unbind him and let him go.'
l looked at her standing before me,
waiting for my reply, and groaned
aloud at the misery of it. Then she
turned from me with utter contempt
feet.
drew my pistol, and pointing it
within two feet of his breast 1 said:
IF you move but q step I'll fire.
Mistress Philipse, do not touch that
mani
$50 1t is true! it is true! Oh, you
coward. You coward" and she wrung
completely.
So we stood, misery in my heart and
gloom over all the world for me, when
figure leaped out from the under
brush, and l heard the voice of Curtis
cry out:
so you've got him! You've got him,
Balfort, at last! I should know that
cape and figure in crowded
A piercing cry was his answer, and
the next moment Mistress Philipse was
lying in his arms, crying as If her heart
would break l heard an exclamation
of surprise break from him as he SAID
in sudden bewilderment:
How came you here, Debby? What
is 1T? Stop and tell me the trouble.
ooh, Rob, my dear, dear brother,
she cried. Take me away from this
save Frank from that man"
/ saw him make a sudden movement
He stood q moment and then set her
quickly from him. A stride brought
him up to Hazeltine, and erasping the
man by the arm he turned him around
so that they stood face to face
COG In heaven.' whispered the as
stood looking him in the face without
a word. Curtis gazed at him long and
steadily, as If he We're coming out of a
dream. Thenhe twiried Hazeltine about
again and looked at his back as the
man stood with his long cape over his
shoulders. A moment, and the dazed
man had turned the other face to face
again.
Great God in heaven!" he groaned
under his breath.
Well cousin. do you know me?" said
Iazeltine with forced attempt at
hilarty.
do / know thee, thou foul spy? Do
know thee? Aye. now do! But not
till this moment did l suspect the
fiend Hazeltine could be my own
cousin, Pendleton!"
"'Tis mistake, Rob. You have the
wrong man."
He lies, Curtis. l cried, Lies in his
teeth I've followed him and caught
him now, and bound him, and we have
but to take him across the river to fill
one of the orders that sends us here.
Never fear, Merton. could never
mistake that figure. I've followed him
strong face set in grim resolution and
turned to look at Mistress Philipse. She
was standing by in silent horror at
what she had heard. but as she saw me
approaching her she ran to Curtis.
My brother, will You not protect me
from rhis nlan?''
Why Debby dear, do you not know
Merton Balfort? What harm would he
do you? None, dear sister, none"
He has already. He led me here to
decoy our cousin Frank to his ruin
And-1-I-" and she broke down COM
pletely again.
lis not so, Mistress Philipse.
came
"Do not dare to address a word te
nc, sir" cried the girl, jumping from
her brothers side and stamping hel
foot. And she was back again sobbin=
in his arms.
'Tis gross misunderstanding Cur
tis," said at my wits ends. You are
her brother?" He nodded. II felt ii
long ago. / knew it, aye, knew it al
along, Yet did / never understand il
till now. We'll, then, i came here to
help her in-in another matter-lcol
rot at me SO, Robert Curtis. my con
science is as Gear as u bell--but whei
| came here this man appeared and
knew him at once for Hazctne. and n,
more suspected his relationship to yol
and to her than you did ten minute:
ago"
ateiy. "a gross"
mistress Philippe, / cannot answer
you as | would a man. ! can but sa,
to you-aye, swear to you-that you ar
wrong. And may God forgive YOU fol
your hard words and your lack of faitl
in one ho-who-would watch ove
your wefare!"
II cannot understand this thing.
muttered Curtis
Let us get this man away in safety
| friend" said i. And then | will ex
plain" And walked up to Haze!tin,
and bade him preeede me.
'Tis impossible" said Curtis.
Ills WHAT cried l, wheeling abou
at him.
He cannot go thus TO the command
! er-in-chief replied the man with tina
4 quiet lirinncss and distinctness tina
always belonged to him. "'T will b
/ simply an execution by hand"
Aye, that it will, man, and the soon
! er and simpler the better said l.
1T Is quite impossible" he repeate,
in the same tone
Robert, my friend We have lost you
tf,l,,
leave him to me, and | signed t.
| Hszeltine to move towards the road.
! Merton, if you attempt to remnv
/ this man, you must first cross sword
I with me-" said Curtis in a cold, wiz
voice, the more terrible in its meaning
because it's tone was not raised ON
whit beyond the ordinary.
What mean you, man." asked / ii
| anla1ement, unconscouSly drawing M
sword an inch or two. He did no
move, but folding his arms said in tn
| same cold voice:
Precisely what l say. If you tn
to remove him you must first overcom
me, and whatever the result of GU
struggle, there will be more than tim
for him to make good his escape.
Then. turning to Hazeitine, he Wake
slowly up to him. with folded arms
and said slowly and distinctly in tina
same wiry voice:
Frank Pendleton, you are my cousin
| Therefore shall you not, if can pre.en
it. go to the gallows, as God knows yo
should. But l have within this hou
learned that you are the veriest traffic
in this land; for You have acted as sp
to both armies in this war, ard there
fore shall you not go from this spo
till either l have killed you or you ms
Turn round"
do not do it, Curtis cried 1T /
foolish sense of honor, and the ma
does not belong to us But he pro
ceeded, and soon Hazeltne's arms wer