The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-22

recognize nIm-came ana looked at me.
He was nursing himself all over and
groaned, and laughed. think; at any
rate my arm was lying stretched out
on the grass. and he stamped his heel
into my hand, and after a little Of that
l quit feeling.
I'm not quite clear about what hap
pened afterward. They went away
not far, i think. There's an old shed. a
cattle shelter, near there, and think
the storm drove them under IL to wait
for a slack. 1t seemed a long time.
Sometimes l was conscious, sometimes
/ wasn't / thought / might be
drowned. but l suppose the rain was
good for me. Then remember being in
motion, being dragged and carried a
long way. They carried me up a steep,
short slope and set me down near the
top. l knew that was the railroad en-
bankment, and thought they meant to
lay me across the track, but il didn't
occur to them-they are not familiar
with melodrama-and a long time after
that l felt and heard a great banging
and rattling under me and all about
disposed Of me by hoisting me into an
empty freight car. The odd part of II
was that the car wasn't empty, for
| there were two men already in 1t, and
l knew them by what they said to me.
"They were the two shell men that
cheated Hartley Bowlder, and they
weren't vindictive. They even seemed
| to be trying to help me q little, though
perhaps they were only stealing my
clothes, and maybe they thought for
them to do anything unpleasant would
be superhuous. l could see that they
| thought / was done for and that they
had been hiding In the car when was
| put there. / asked them to try to call
| the trainmen for me. but they wouldn't
listen or else couldn't make myself un-
j dersfood. That's all. The rest is a blur.
/ haven't known anything more until
those surgeons were here. Please tell
me how long ago 1t happened. l shall
not die, think. There are a good many
things / want to know about" He
moved restlessly, and the nurse soothed
him.
Meredith rose and left the room with
noiseless step. He went out to the
stars again and looked to them to check
the storm of rage and sorrow that buff
feted his bosom. He understood lynch
ing. now the thing was home to him
and his feeling was no inspiration Of q
fear lest the law miscarry. 1t was the
itch to get his own hand ON the rope
Horner came out presently and whis.
pered a long, broad. profound curse
upon the men of the Crossroads, and
Meredith's gratitude to him was keen
Barrett went away soon after. and
Meredith had a strange. unreasonable
desire to kick Barrett. possibly for his
sergeant's sake. Warren Smith sat In
the ward with the nurse and Gay. and
the room was very quiet. 1t was long
vigil. They were only waiting.
| At o'clock he was still alive-jus'
that. Smith came out to say Meredith
sent a telegram to Helen which would
give Plattville the news that Harkles:
was found and was not yet gone from
them. Horner left for the station II
catch a train. There were things FOL
him to do in Carlow. At noon Meredith
sent a second telegram to Helen as bar
rem of detail as the first. He was alive
was a little improved. But this tele
, gram did not reach her. for she was OF
the way to Rouen. and half Of the pop
nlation Of Carlow-at least so II seeme<
TO the unhappy conductor Of the accom-
modation-was with her.
They seemed to feel that they coult
camp in the hospital halls and CORR
, dors. and they were an incalculabl'
worry to the authorities. More cam,
on every train. and nearly all brough
flowers and jelly and chickens for pre-