Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-04

I
49, as they turned eastward OH
the pike toward home.
They'll make the eight miles iii
| three-quarters of an hour" said Judge
Briscoe proudly. He turned from his
daughter at his side to Miss Sherwood.
who sat wish Mr.. Fisbee behind them,
/ and pointed ahead with his whip.
Just beyond that bend we pass through
Six Crossroads.
Miss Sherwood leaned forward eager
ly. What did you mean last night
after the lecture" she said to Fisbee,
when you asked Mr.. Martin who was
to be with Mr.. Harkless?''
who was watching him." he an
swered.
Watching him? I don't under
stand"
Eyes; they have shot at him from
the woods at night, and
But who watches hinl?"
"Tne young men of the town. He
has habit of .aking long walks after
dark, and he III needless of all remon-
STRANGE, so the young men have organ
/ u
Ing one of them follows him until he
goes to the office to work for the night.
1t is dilferen. young man each night,
and the watcher follows at distance,
80 that he does not suspect"
| sBut how many people know of this
arrangements"
NEARLY every one in the county ex-
cept the Crossroads people. though it is
not improbable that they have discov-
cred it,
"And has no one told him?"
no: he would not allow it to con-
tinue. He will not even arm himself"
"They follow and watch him night
after night, AMI every one knows and
no one tells him? Oh, l must say"
cried the girl II think these are good
people,"
The blackboard turned the bend in the
road, and they entered a squalid settle
ment built raggedly abolt black
smith shop and saloon I'D hate to
have breakdown here Briscoe re-
marked quietly.
Half a dozen shanties clustered near
the forge, few roofs scattered through
the shiftlessly cultivated fields, four or
five barns proIped by fence rails, some
sheds with gaping apertures through
which the light glanced from side to
side. squad of thin razorback hogs,
1 now and then worried by gaunt hounds.
and some abused looking hens cropping
about disconsolately in the mire. a
broken topped buggy with twisted
wheel, settling into the mud of the
middle of the road dhere was always
abundant mud here in the drlest sum-
mer); dim face sneering from bro
ken window-six Crossroads was for
bidding and forlorn enough by day
The thought Of what might issue from
| it by night was unpleasant, and the
legends of the Crossroads, together
with an unsliapen threat easily fancied
/ in the atmosphere Of the place, made
Miss Sherwood shlver as though q cold
draft had crossed her.
ut Is so sinister she exclaimed.
I"And so unspeakably mean! This is
where they live, the people that hate
him, is it? The White Caps?"
"They coll themselves, that" replied
Briscoe. Usually White Caps are
vigilance committee in a region where
the law isn't enforced. These fellows
aren't that kind. They got together to
4 wipe out grudies, and sometimes didn't
need any grud ga-just made their raids
for pure deyiInent. There's, feud be-
/ a hot
pioneer days, and only a few OF us old
folks know mich about it"
And he was the first to try to stop
them?''
Well you see, our forks are pretty
long suffering" said Briscoe apologet-
meanness of the Crossroads. 1t took
a stranger to stir things up, and he
did He sent eight Of them to the peni-
Tertiary, some for twenty years.
/ AS they passed the saloon man
stepped into the doorway and looked
at them He was coatless and clad in
garments worn to the color of dust.
HIS bare head was curlously malforln-
ed, higher on one side than on the 9th
er, and though the blackboard passed
rapidly and at Il distance this singular
lopsidedness was plainly visible to the
occupants lending an ugly significance
to his meager. yellow face. He was
tall, lean, hard powerfully built He
eyed the strangers with affected Ian
guor and then, when they had gone by,
broke into sudden loud laughter.
''That was Bob Skillet, the worst OF
the lot said the judge. HAIRLESS
sent his son and one brother to prison,
and it nearly broke his heart that he
couldn't swear to Bob"
| When they were beyond the village
and In the oren road again Miss Sher-
wood took Il deep breath. II think |
breathe more freely. That was a hid
eous laugh he sent after U.S."
| The judge glanced at his guests face
and chuckled. Il guess we won't
brighten you much.'' he said. Young
lady, / don't believe you'd be afraid of
many things. would you? You don't
look like it, Besides, the Crossroads
isn't Plattville, and the White Caps
have been tco scared to do anything
much except try to get even with the
Herald for he last two years-ever
since it wen. for them. They're lay
ing for Harkless partly for revenge and
partly because they daren't do any