The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-02-26

common sense. Miss Sherwood Is a
little thing" 0he image was so surely
tall. with bumpy forehead and spec
tacles." he said TO himself. ''or else
provincial young lady with big eyes TO
pose at you" Then he felt the ridicu-
lousness of looking after his common
sense on moonlight night in June;
also. he knew that he lied.
The song had ceased, but the musician
fingered. and the keys were touched to
plaintive harmonies new to him. He
had oome 10 Plattville before "Caval-
leria Rusticana" won the prize at Rome,
and now, entranced. he heard the In
termeZzo'' for the first time. Listening
to this. he feared TO move lest he should
wake from a summer nights dream.
A ragged little shadow fitted down
the path behind him. and from a soli-
tary apple tree standing like lone
" ghost in the middle of the field
came the "Woo!' of screech owl twice.
1t was answered-twice-fr a cIump
OF elder bushes that grew in a fence
corner fifty yards west of the pasture
bars. Then the barrel of a squirrel rifle
issued. lifted out of the white elder bios
SONS. and lay along the fence. The
music i'm the house across the way ceas-
ed. and Harkless saw two white dresses
come out through the long parlor win
dows on to the yeranda. lit will be
cooler out here" came the voice Of the
singer clearly through the quiet. What
a night"'
John vaulted the bars and started to
cross the road. They saw him from
the veranda, and Miss Briscoe called
to him in welcome. AS his tall figure
stood out plainly in the bright light
against the white dust n streak Of fire
leaped from the elder blossoms. and
there rang out the sharp report Of a
rifle. There were two screams from
the veranda. One white figure ran into
the house The other, little one with
a gauzy wrap streaming behind, came
flying out into tho moonlight straight
to Harkless. There was second re-
port The rife shot was answered by
revolver. William Todd had risen
up. apparently from nowhere, and.
kneelIng by the pasture bars, fred al
the fash of the rife.
"Jump fer the shadder. Mr.. Hark-
less!" he shouted. Hes in them el-
ders. Fer Gods sake. come back.
Empty handed as he was, the editor
dashed for the treacherous elder bush
as fast as his long legs could carry
him, but before he had taken six
strides a hand clutched his sleeve and
a girls voice quavered from close be-
hind him: Don't run like that, Mr.
Harklessi I can't keep up"
He wheeled about and confronted a
vision. dainty little figure about five
feet high. a flushed and lovely face,
hair and draperies disarranged and
flying. He stamped his foot with rage
sect back in the housew he cried.
"You mustn't goI' she painted. Its
the only way to stop you"
go back to the housev' he shouted
savagely.
"Will you Gomez"
Ser Gods sake" cried William
Todd, come back! Keep out OF the
roadr' He was emptying his revolver
at the clump of bushes. the uproar OF
his firing blasting the night. Some one
screamed from the house:
"Helen, Helenr'
John seized the girls wrists. Her
gray eyes flashed into his defiantly
"Will you go? he roared.
"Nor'
He dropped her wrists, caught her uI
in his arms as IL she had been a kit
ten and leaped into the shadow of thu
trees that leaned over the road from
the yard. The rifle rang out again
and the little ball whistled venomous
ly overhead. Harkless ran along thu
fence and turned In at the gate.
loose strand OF the girls hair blew
across his cheek. and in the moon he