Mexico Missouri message., 1903-08-13
cHApTER vI.-contlnued.
BY .JEA ~ Rate LUDLVRl



Instinctively she glanced down
toward the shop. The doors we're
open. but no one was there. The hens
peck'ng around the doors were the
only visible signs of life to her enx-
ious eyes Unconsciously she began
hulling the strawberries with me-
chanical but steady fingers.
Times is dull 'nough, pears to
me-" the woman proceeded. First
KEN there want O. rain with Their gyar-
din a-dryin up spite O. the care we
Civ ct; then as though tibet warn't
nough, hyar kems Their acc'd'nt ter
ther mare o. ther jedge's son, an any
o. us likely to be ketched eff 'twarn't
tibet s'plcion rests in one direction
special"
It was coming. Dolores waited with
bated breath A heavy sense of guilt
fell upon her: she could not meet the
gaze Of the eyes bent upon her, and
she went on hulling the berries
waiting in silence for what she knew
must come.
An them as knows says thyar's
a great feelin' over in Their town yam
der bout ther mare" the woman's
voice struck in on the girls thoughts.
AN says ct pears she were worth
a deal O. money, an now nobody'd gev
a copper fer her, an they's wOrkin'
steddy to fin out who done Their deed,
an gettin' every one theys ken ter
prove thar spicions erect O. a certain
person"
Dolores was waiting. 1t was COM
ing now, she felt certain. She crush
ed some of the berries in her hand
in a sudden frenzy.
"Theys holdin' court Almost every
day. an workin' as though 'twere
some great thing tibet a critters
gone lame. But theys won't do moth
in with Their s'picioned Teller tell
thar's mo- ground, as theys calls ct,
though young Green do feel pretty
sartin who is Their guilty one. But
theys got considerable proof, en-
there's ter be a great time ter-morrer,
an they wants yer feyther ter go ter
prov thar s'picions erect"
It was out at last. Dolores seemed
turned to stone; she neither moved
nor spoke; she dared not lift her eyes
from the red berries with which her
fingers were dyed. Her head was whirl-
ing; there was a din in her ears as
though a legion of spirits repeated
and shouted in wild horror:
"Theys wants yer feyther ter go ter
prove-theys wants yer feyther ter
go-they wants yer feyther-yer fey
ther-"
Her eyes were like those of hunt
ed animal, half hidden beneath their
long lashes; her mind was filed with
a great longing to go-tO get away
from the tiny room out on the noun
tain under the quiet heavens where
the winds were free from the watch.
ing eyes.
The woman at the other side of
the table arose with an injured air.
She had received scarcely a word of
thanks for her berries, scarcely even
a show of interest In her story.
"Thyars them as takes an interest
in thyar Teller critters. an'thyars them
as don't" she said, tartly; AN
thyars them as has thyar spicion O.
things"
Dolores watched the woman's tall,
gaunt figure go down the worn path,
her purple print dress brushing the
scant grass with an Indignant sweep,
the cape of her sunbonnet limp and
Tapping over her shoulders. When
she disappeared from view behind
the shrubDery of the roadside Dolores
put away the dish of berries and put
On her gray sunbonnet to go out.
1t was early afternoon. The rocky
road, like yellow thread, wound in