Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-05-02
Stairs Of


I yet there was an earnestness about the
a in the tree that fixed his atten-
ton.
you are in a close corner, young
man," said the stranger.
Did you come here TO tell me that?"
mo. / am going to saw you, IL I
an. and l am pretty sure that can
But / can save myself"
IT sincerely wish you could, my boy.
ation, and 1 think / may be able to oil
the wheels Of Justice"
Barnett stared at the stranger, Won
derlng what sort of a man he had to
deal with, and why a man he never
saw should take such an interest In his
case.
who are your he asked bluntly.
A I said before, / am n man SIM
ply who is ready and able, / think, to
do you a good turn. What my name s
don't matter just now You know that
there Is quite q pile Of circumstantial
evidence against your
Yes, so II seems"
with a foundation to build on they
may erect a pyramid that will crush
you
you think SOP for there was an
earnestness about the stranger that did
not fail to make an impression on the
school teacher.
Now, justice seldom miscarries to
the extent of hanging an innocent man,
but you may nave a good deal OF
trouble before o clear yourself OF the
charge"
Barnett's face became grave. He
was beginning to realize that what the
stranger told him must be true, and
that his position was fraught with
peril.
There: I didn't come here to depress
you, but rather I cheer you up, my
boy-to point out that you must not
treat the matter carelessly. 1 wanted,
too, to make your acquaintance"
Vas the man mad? Barnett won
dered, but he dismissed the idea as
absurd, for the stranger spoke sensibly
enough, and his eyes were clear and
bright. Well. he vas not so burdened
with friends that he could afford to re-
fuse the friendly offices Of even q
stranger. Perhaps the man was q
type of those e%ccentrics that spring up
often when a crime is committed, and
lend sympathy n funds to the cause
they have espoused.
The fellow might do some good since
h spoke so confidently; at least, he
could do no harm. Let his eccentric
person have his will, II 1t amused him.
You don't seem to much OF a pris-
oner, with nothing but those wooden
bars between you and liberty" remark
ed the stranger. "A good wrench. and
out they would come"
LAS far as l am concerned, they shall
remain as they are" said Barnett. Il
have many privileges here that l
should lose If / tried to escape. so l
shall just let matters run along as they
are, confident that, as / am innocent,
l need nave no fear"
And what of herr"
The young man cast an inqulsitorial
look at him.
What do o mean?"
Il mean Grace-Miss Ellison, I should
say. She knows, Of course, what has
taken place"
You know her, Them" feeling a fresh
interest In the unknown.
mo, l don't know her, but 1t is pos
sible that 1 may see her, If there is any
message that l can carry to her coming
from you"
Man, IL you do that, am your
friend for life!" exclaimed the young
school teacher. "Just wait and I will
jot down a few words" and he turned
hastily away from the window.
Make haste!" called the other in a
loud whisper.
Barnett, filled with a desire to set
down the thoughts that had been up
permost in his mind since the tragedy,
/ Udd ~ VI ~ AOAhAAA " oNNAN OA AAAS
letter. To be quick and concise was
another thing. Though his pen dashed
over the paper. a warning Hist" was
q notice to draw the epistle to a close.
He folded 1t, and, without stopping to
set down the address, went back to the
window and passed 1t to the stranger
by tying it to the end Of a poker
which happened to be standing by the
fireplace. .
You will be sure and deliver it?" h,
said, earnestly, wondering If he was
doing right in trusting the note to a
man he had seen for the first time In
lbs life.
Deliver it? To be sure 1 will, unless
| should happen to have an accident
that would lay me up. HUSH! Go
back! There Is some one coming!" he
whispered, warningly, and then sudden
ly dropped out of the tree and disap-
peared among some bushes on the other
side OF the garden.
"A queer character, that" muttered
Barnett, as he watched the small man
disappear, and noted that he was very
agile for a man Of his years. We'll, he
managed to cheer me up, n l relished
his visit. How did he manage to get
into that tree in broad daylight with
out being seen, 1 wonder? Evidently 1t
IS not the first time that he has had
occasion to make a Surreptitions call.
l should not be sorry to see the old fell
low again."
The subject Of these remarks had
wriggled his way through the denscl!
growing bushes, just as the village
constable came around from the front
Of the house with a party OF friends.
Job Hendricks, for such was the name
the stranger had given to the innkeeper,
peering over the top of the hedge,
grinned inc wagged his gray head.
"Ah, there's an ideal keeper of a pris-
oner. / wish there had been one of his
kind way back in the past. 1t might
have changed everything"
He seemed to lapse into a sad n
thoughtful mood after that as he
turned and made his way to the h'gl-
road, leaping the fences mechanically,
immersed in (what seemed to be from
his eXpression) very bitter thoughts.
Tor q m he stood in the mid
die Of the road, looking up and
down, as If undecided which way to
go. 1t seemed to be a matter that
required some consideration, but
presently he nodded, and, turning,
made his way along the highway that
led in a northerly direction.
Il promised to AXE that letter to the
young lady. l wonder If l shall have
any trouble in seeing her. Perhaps l
am altogether too sure Of what l can
do, and what pressure / can bring TO
bear on others. Non too sure Of my
own liberty, for that matter. Go slow.
Job, slow, or you will spoil every
thing!"
He had reached q little brook
spanned by a wooden bridge, n he
stopped for a moment to wipe the per-
spiratlon from his face, for the day
was progressively hot.
AS he leaned there for a moment,
with his hat off, resting and cooling
himself, a peculiar ringing of a bell