The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-07
. y crept back into tho

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to me. ard SO y crept back into the
bnrrow. -
See here" he said, exciteoly. What
a devil will you make OF this?"
he had draw the scattered. .ember
together. tanning them ablaze agin. and
had sought and found the arrow. II
was a hl3.t-flead reed and no wax
shaft. And around the middle of it.
tightly wrapped and tied with silken
threads. was a little scroll If parch-
men
- lis the Catawba's arrow," said Jen-
infer, though how he knew I could not
guess: n then he cut the threads to
free the scroll.
Enrolled and spread at large, the
parchment proved to be that map Of
Captain Stuart's that I had found and
bst again. And on the margin Of 1t
that trying momen when the bribed
sentry waited at the door and my sweet
lady stood trembling beside me, MUIR
muring her Holy Marys."
Read It," said I. 1T explains itself.
Tarleton had laid me by the heels to
wait for the hangman, and I would
have passed The word about the In
dian armtng on to you. But my mes
senger was overhauled. and"
Yes. yes" he broke IN; I've spelled
1t out. But this line added at the bot
tom-surely. that Is you Grabbed
fist. BY heaven! tits in Madge's hand!"
He knelt to hold it closer to the flick
ering freight. and we deciphered 1t to-
gether. 1t was but a line. as no had
said. with neither greeting nor leaves
taking, address nor signature.
III this should come into the hands
Of any true-hearted gentleman"-here
was a blot as IL the pen had slipped
from the fingers holding it; and then,
In French. the very wording OF the In
a%rticulate cry that had come to me out
OF the darkness and silence: IA moi!
pour lamour de Dieu!"
We fell apart, each to his own side
OF the handful Of embers.
You make it outo' said I, after a
moment Of strained silence.
He nodded. She has prattled the
parlez-vous to me ever since we We're
boy and maid together"
A full minute more Of the threatening
silence. n at h end Of it we were
glazing at each other like two wild
creatures crouching for the spring.
It was Jennifer who spoke first.
"Twas meant for me-" he said; and
his voice had the warning of q mas
tiff's growl in it.
NO" said I curtly.
II say it vast"
Then you say the thing which is
not"
Had I been Richard Jennifer, I know
not what bitter reproach I should have
found to hurl at the man who had
said no word Of what had gone be-
fore.
You may give me the lie. IL you like,
John I%reton: I shall not strike you" He
said It slowly, but his face was gray
with anger: e he added.
meant for mel"
AT this-God forgive me!-my jealous
wrath broke bounds and I cursed him
for a beardless coxcomb who must
needs think he stood alone in the eye
Of every he should meet. "She
needs a mani" I ragged, lost now to
every sense Of decent justice. "a man.
I say! And to whom would she send
II not to her"
I choked upon the word. He had
risen with me. and we stood face to
face in that grim earth-womb, snarl-
ing iercely at each other across the
narrow hrelit space; two men with
every tie to knit US close together, and
beasts strung up to the killing pitch
because. forsooth. we must needs front
each other across a deadline drawn by
the finger Of a woman!
God knows what would have come Of
all this had my dear lad been as fierce
a fool as I. Twas his good omnon
n that saved US both, I think, for
when the savage rival madness was at
its height he turned away, swearing we
We're the very pick and choice of a
world Of asses to stand thus feeling for
each others threats when, mayhap, the
lady needed both OF us.
This brought me to my senses at a
gallop. as you world guess; to them
and to the lighting Of the conscience
fire within wherein to grill the wicked
heart that but now had thtrsted for a
brothers blood.
Now God have mercy IN US both!"
I gruaned. Forgive me, Dick, II you
can: ! was as mad as any Berlamite.
II I have n claim on her, tits not of
her good will, you may be sure. You
have the baronet to fear-not me-"
h parchment-to the line in French.
Francis Falconnet was under tho
same roof with her-or at least in easy
call-when she wrote that, Jack. He is
no longer my rival-nor yours"
His word set me thinking, and I
would fall to picking out the strands
that Jealous wrath had woven for me
into the web of happenings. Setting
aside the story brought by Ephriam
Yeates. there was no certain proof that
she a ever favored. the Englishman;
nay. more, till I had come to be madly
jealous of Falconnet, I had made sure
that Jennifer was the favored one.
Continued Next Week.)
Custom House carelessness.
Hartford Courant: II was recently
reported from New Haven that a Yale
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