The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-26

oyen1ber 26, 1904.
ing with Mollie, she had wept misera-
bly,, but she had never thought of writ:
ing j TO y ElWood, Or even trying 70 see
volved between her lover, with his
sturdy common sense and devotion to
this helpless, altogether useless old ami
NAL. She made her choice unhesitating-
~, though she wept with the pain Of It.
When the note was handed to her, how
ever, the color came rushing back into
her cheeks 81 has Smiling Smiling and dimpling she
self down, IN the parlor-but no aged
horse walked in the procession Of her
thoughts FL
IL For time Mollie gazed patiently into
the gathering dusk; but these nocturnal
constitutionals with her mistress were
the one break in her otherwise event
less life, and presently she turned he at
tention to the door,. She pushed il sew
made Insulating exit. In st 1.-THE. The door eop
OF Mrs Whites leaning gray barn she
drifted: The widow did not keep. a
| horse, but bag of oats stood against
the wall, and these Mollie Instantly
discovered. She thrust her nose into
them with the delight Of tippler at
tacking a full cask. Some time later
Mrs. White, returning from the grocery,
was startled by sound proceeding
up 9 lamp and scuttled out there. She
held the faring light above her head
and peered around the door.
whoever yer be, git out Of here! "
Mollie, in the further darkness, stood
with her head up.
II don't want yer In my barn, =
screamed the woman. tt
Molie saw her \quite plainly and
startled by the sudden radiance and by
the grotesque shadow, with wild snort
she charged out Of the barn. The light
went out in the gust Of her passing
but her stiff gait had betrayed her
Mrs. White gasped. Her knees ben,
Filled with fright and oats, Mollie
raced thru the moonlight like green
hearted colt, tho she was by no means
as clear-sighted as one. Some children
had barely time to scurry out of hel
way, and at the entrance to Mrs, AL
lens lawn she lunged blindly agains,
Norman ,Elwood and carried him of
that for an instant the discounted
lover stared about him in a daze.
few. PAGES away, cut like a cameo
against the moonlight, Mollie stoot
i regarding him alertfy, and at sight d
her he leaped to his feet. But will
that strange preliminary movement
which there was no installing, she spec
away toward the barn.
Again the day when he had gone
with Winnefred in the old buggy, be
hind the old horse, on that pilgrimage
4 Of wrath and humiliation, rose before
him; then the quarrel in the field. witt
the mare as the hypocritical cause, and
finally, this onslaught, when he hat
supposed her dead and had brough
himself to take the first step toward {
reconciliation. She had come bacl
his purpose. She had not only knocked
him down-she had destroyed hi
faith in Winnefred. Winnefred ha,
spread the report Of the shooting-sh,
had deceived him.
Mrs. Allen IS dead mare had returned
as frisky as colt. Mrs. White lis
tened greedily to the children VIII
: account OF the apparition. Then sh
put on her bonnet triumphantly. Sh
was quite pale when she pushed by tn
| wondering hired girl into Mrs. Allen !
room. :
} The dew had been heavy and the,
had no difficulty in following Mollie
woman s face grew dark. All the plant
were broken down and there was a sus
picious hollow in the mold.
lit looks jest as tho she d laid dow
and rolled over, doesn It it9'' said Mr.
White. .......
! Coats" returned the other, dryl5
A. they neared the barn, she discerne
:, Mike frightened face. peering at he
+ around the door She signifed that sh
wl9hfd to stop put Mrs White hit ashg
; there, Mis- Allen. They lead to wher
: she s buried; you'll see.'' ~
TX But at the Toulouse the tracks stor
ped abruptly. The little building ha
, q tightly-closed, non committal air. Til
door: was locked: The woman. stoo
: staring at it. "Perhaps she Jest var
|, ished into thin air. ventured Mrs
. White. But her companion had hitche
her chair until she was in view Of tn
9 rear Of the building T.
Thin air, fddlesticks! she criet
. sharply. HCome here, Jane White,
: and she extended a finger shaking wit
r rage and scorn.
r There, thrust forth into the sunshin,
!. like an ungainly sprout from plant j
Q cellar, were the head and neck Of Mo
lie. Mollie, infinitely detected, wit
: eyes half closed and a stream of bloc
r meandering down her nose.
L The bullet hole!'' shrieked Mr.
White: She was darting away, whe
3 Mrs. Allen caught her Dress
esYou fool, it's oats!"
Mrs. Allen was not accustomed t
T having her orders set aside; moreove
9 the nnwonted exertion has caused he
rheumatic limbs to ache, and she wa
! particularly incensed over the destru,
7 tion of the geranium bed. After Mr.
Z daughter. Crouched at her window
Winnefred had watched with dull eyt
the descent upon the Toulouse. e
;. wood had not come and she had scare
Fl y moved since going to her room lat
7 the evening before. She rose and we1
i downstairs. But there was no defiant
in her attitude, neither. was there an
4 pleading. She looked almost stupi
4 The grandmother felt her anger dwi1
7 die, but she spoke out sharply:
"a What do you mean by keeping thu
poor beast aliveqo .%
Winnefred was silent.
}. the grandmother. III suppose yc
:. never dreamed Of my finding her--yo
o nor Mike.
o Unlike didn't know thing abo,
. it," returned the girl. He suppose
e Tommy Watkins shot her. I'm the OF
to blame, and I IN the one that Is kel
J, her hidden in the Toulouse
X uToolhousel Nice place for a hors