Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-21


/ scarlet and green. Behind him appear
ed Warden Bishop, holding the LAM
thorn.
"This is the Weasel, SIR he said; ''at
least he goes by that name, although
the Weasel / have chased these ten
years was a different cut OF q rogue.
But It's all one, captain. He was took
with Jack Mount, and he'll dance q
rope Jig the 10th Of April next"
"YVhy not hang him soonerT' in
quired Walter Butler, moving back a;
step into the corridor. He limped as he
walked and leaned on a cane. My
mark was still upon him. Cant he
change places with some other rogueg
Lord, mol" cried Bishop, Mortified.
"Leastways not unless the court
martial directs it, sir. They don't do
no such things in Boston, SIR.
"They do in Tryon county" observed
Butler, eying me coolly. Presently a
CHASTITY smile stretched his pallid face.
but his yellow eyes glared unchanging.
"Well, we'll" he. said, $50 you are to
sail to glory at a ropes end, Ell? You
wouldn't burn, you know. But the
flames will come later, I fancy. Eth,
Mr.-er-Mr. Weasel?"
"Are your broken bones mended?" I
asked quietly.
'Quite mended, thank you"
Because" / said, s"you will need
them some day"
II need them now" he said cheerful
ly. II am to wed a bride ere long.
Give me Joy, Weasel! I am to know
the day this very night"
I could not utter a sound for the hor-
ror which froze my tongue.
EYES," he continued thoughtfully, II
ride this night to Lexington. She's a
sweet little thing-a trife skinny per-
haps. I think you have seen her-per-
haps picked her pocket. When we are
wed we shall come to Boston-on the
10th of April next"
l sprang at him; I had gone stone
blind with rage and knew not what I
did. The steel door crashed in my face;
the locks ratified. All that night I lay
on the stone floor Of my cell, by turns
inert, stupid, frantic.
When Bishop came to me in the
morning he thought me Ill and sum-
moned the prison apothecary to cup
me, but ere that individual appeared
with his pills and leeches I was quiet
and self possessed, ready to argue
with the pill roller and convince him I
needed no nostrums. All that day I
watched for Dulcima; twice I saw her
go to Mounts cell, but could hear
nothing Of what they whispered.
Now, as / vas standing looking out
Of the grating. I CHANGED to glance
down and saw that the apothecary
had left his case Of herbs and drugs
/. on a bench which stood Just outside
my cell door.
Idly l read the labels on the bottles
: and boxes-"Senna, Jalap, Birthstone,
Es. Cammomile, Saffron Pills, Tine.
Opium
Opium7 An easy death.
/ gazed at the dark flask scarcely a
foot below me, but as safe from mo
as though under lock and key. Pres
emily I turned around. My cell con-
tanned a cot, an iron table, a bowl for
washing and a towel.
After a moments thought I caught
up the coarse towel, drew from 1t
some threads, twisted them, tied on
more threads and then, greasing the
cord with a bit Of soap, made a run
ming moose at the end.
There al nobody in the corridor. I
heard voices in Bishops room, whittier
he apothecary had gone to examine
The baby at Mrs. Bishops summons.
Very carefully I let down my thread,
ishing for the bottles neck with my
Hip moose, but the neck was so placed
hat 1 could not mar 1t, and I drew
Up another bottle instead, bearing the
abel, Eek. s. Nigrum."
What Ex. S. Nigrum might be I did
aot know, but hid the tiny flask under
loose fragment of stone in my floor
ing where a black beetle had his abode.
scooping out for it a little hole in the
samp earth, I buried it, not harming
ny friend the beetle. Then I returned
70 fish for my opium flask, but could
not snare it. Finally I drew in my
string just as the apothecary came out
with Mrs. Bishop at his heels.
He stood a moment, talking, then
picked up his cowhide case, closed it
Ind took himself off.
That night when the corridor was
husky and Bishop sprawled outside his
door to smoke his evening pipe I call