Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-12-12
Judith gf the Plains MARIE E ], MANNING. Al A ~ - A A ~ 01 Author of Lord AInsham. ankrup."
 Copyright. 1905. by Har a
MARIE MANNING,

Copyright. 1905. by Harper a Br.


 struck 10, then II, Il am going to fas- ten up the house.
 Do you hear them?" he asked, with out emotion, but as one who deferred to the finer senses of women
 She shook her head, not trusting her self to speak
 He looked at the door that was shrunken and warped from the heat till it barely held together, and there was no measure to the tenderness he put into his words:
 "Oh, you poor little fool. Do you think you could keep them out by fas- tening that:''
 Jim, must" And her voice broke. They may think you are not here, that it's only me and the children and that's why the house is fastened"
 She got up and began to move about as though her thought scourged her to action even if futile. He shook the ashes from his pipe.
 Do anything you blame please he said more by way of humoring her than from faith in her stratagem. He felt strong enough to face his destiny. to meet it in a way worthy of his mothers people.
 Aida seemed under spell in her preparations for the night. Each thing she did as she had done it in her dream the night before 1t was as if she were constrained by power greater than her will to fulfill a sinister prophecy. ,,I,o T wonder if she Iii: ght not break the spell by doing things differently from the way she had dreamed them Her hand grasped the knob of the door uncer- t;nly and she swung it to and fro on it's creaking hinges, while her mind seemed likewise to sway hither and thither Should she taSten the door and push the bureau against it. as it had been ill the dream, or should she leave door and windows gaping wide for them: And then, as one who walks and does familiar things in sleep. she shut the door and turned the key. Jim smiled at her. but she could no longer look at him. One of the children walled fretfuliy from the room beyond Sleep had become scourge ill the sitting heat One by one she lowered the win Gows and nailed them down. Then she dragged the brown bureau against the door, took the brace of six shooters from the wall and sat down with Jim to wait
 What are you going to do with them toys:' he asked as he saw her examine ln ol, 3 n of of CTS
 You ain't going to let yourself be caught like a rat in a hole, are you:2 she reproached him.
 Amt we agreed that it's best to keep unpleasant family matters from the kids:' He smiled at her bravely "The remer brance of what we're an ticipatin' ain't goin' to help young Jim to get to congress when his time comes, nor it ain't goin' to help the girls get good husbands eit'!er. This here coun try ain't what it was in the way of lib crafty since it's got to be. d state.''
 Shsh-sh!' she said. 'Is that the range cattle stampedin' after water, or is it. They listened. The furniture in the room cracked. There was not fiber of it to which the resstless heat had not penetrated On the range the cattle beloved in their thirst torture In the intervals of their cries sounded something far off. but regular as the humping of ships screw. The wo. man did not need an answer to her question. The steady trampling of Ho1 air, but the sound was unmistakable She put her arms about the mans neck and crushed him to her with all her woman strength. "Oh, Jim. you've bec2 q good nan to me!''
 "SteaGy-steaGy." He strained her close to him. They'd be. by the sourl of them, On the straight bit of roati now before the turn. Soon we'll hea: lhcii iloofs r..l.s hollow as they cSo.., the plank bri.g2."
 His piains.n"n. faculty was as soe!i as ever. IT.; calculation of tho ho..zV. mcn's dist;.!.ce was mace as thoCyl h" were ,he least concerned. All Aida. coUi9;4s.ss>. h;id gone With the dread t.l.u, at LanL
 
 "iIoW do you hnoU:'
 They'd he cl:::,5.ng and believing If they were drunk"
 4.4e hoofs rang hollow on the little p!snl, bri&ge that crossed the ditch about a stoie'.s throw from the door. Not q word was said either within or w..tthol;t The lynchers seemed to have drilled fer their part There was no whispering, no defcrr:Ig to q ieade., On tEcy came. so clcse that Jim an,i Aida could hear t.!e creakiag of thc.l saddles. There was the ciank of spHrs and the st;ain;ng of leather as they tlismoUnted. Then some one kaoc.ir at the door till the warped boards rat ted Jim could feel the thaddins of t.- da's heart as sle c.Cng to A..n, '..::; when the KNOCK was repeated q lew courage caL.e 10 Lc.., and ss!c let J.::.l and went on her knees close to the