The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1904-05-14
THE FEAT OF LITTLE ELLEN
BY ENFIELD JOINER.
Copwiqht, 1901, BY Daily Story Publishing Company.

nine, George MOriarty, the leader of
the strikers, and Philip Rogers, the
representative of the company, were
to confer together.
BY the request of the strikers, the
conference was postponed until the
afternoon, and it was not until after
sunset that Phillip and Moriarity met
in the latter's one-room cabin.
Within reach of Moriarty's voice
were 400 union men-Phillip looked
out at q light up on the hillside and
remembered that there was none save
himself to help her. Therefore he was
reasoning most patiently and earnest
IT, Heavens! What is this? A fash,
terrific explosion; Moriarty was
lying in heap before him, splotches
of blood and brains on his clothes, a
smoking pistol at his feet! It was
Phillips voice that called to. the strik-
aess md ~-Mhen they Eaasz led save
any man from such 9 moment! It
was in vain that Phillip declared that
the shot had been fred from outside
from the window-and that he had
even seen the assassin feet availed
nothing. A rope around his neck and
death on the nearest tree within five
minutes! The man next in authority
to Moriarty stopped them-his was
plan of more exquisite suffering. 1t
was decreed that their prisoner was
to keep watch alone all night over
the dead body, the rude cabin being
guarded on the outside by a dozen Of
their number, and the next day he
was to hang over a slow fire, kindled
on Moriarty's grave.
They agreed and finally withdrew
and that night the Rockies echoed to
such shouts of carousal as the For
get-me-not" had never heard before.
Phillip sat alone with the dead,
watching through the single window
the light on the hillside. He looked at
it with an unfaltering' eye, though he
knew that six cruel guns we're point
ed at that window and six at the
opposite door. Who committed the
cowardly deed for which he was to
pay the penalty he never knew. What
wrong was avenged, what crime was
atoned for by Moriarty's death he
never discovered. Indeed so well did
the assassin lay his plans that he was
never detected.
Meantime the news had been
broken to Ellen in the most brutal
way. Two hours after the killing,
Hamilton, the new leader, was told
that the wife of the prisoner wished
to see him and Ellen was led in to
hear coarse jests, receive gross in
suits and suffer what was almost
death to a tenderly nurtured woman.
She asked for only five minutes and
as she. knelt in the agony of her soul,
her helplessness and beauty kindled
a momentary warmth in, Hamilton's
heart.
Let her see him for five minutes,
boys" Then gruf1ly, Five minutes,
remember, and watch the interview"
How could one little woman thwart
the purpose of four hundred men?
The most poignant moment of Phil
lips trial came when he saw Ellen
led away. 1t was maddening to think
of what might be in store for her.
But he preserved his calm and digni-'
fed mien, sat down by the lamp, took
some letters from his pocket and be-
gan to read. His captors looked in at
him curiously. AS Phillip read not a
muscle of his face quivered, though
his heart stood still within him for
these were the words: when you
hear the whip-poor-will, come to the
window. The second call blow out
the light. The coast will then be
clear-you must escape, dear, Run
to the little gulch-for my sake!"
It had come to him by Ellen's hand
and the reading of it threw him into
the most horrible doubts and fears.
She was going to- attempt. some es-
cape. It would be worse than folly;
1t would be- madder than madness:
He must cry out and save her from