Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-13
CHAPTER XII.
IN DANGER,

CHAPTER XII.
IN DANGER
Reporter Thomas had no time to
bad happened. For whatever reason,
Stella North was the woman he had
unwittingly followed, and Stella North
was the woman who now lay in his
arms, as devoid of life, to all appear
ances, as the twigs upon which her
dainty feet were dragging. He looked
into her face for the moment with
helpless irresolution. The dictates OF
common humanity would have i'm
PEELED him to pity her, but it was no
ordinary pity that filled his soul on
this occasion. He had been aware
ever since the day she flashed upon MIN
that appealing glance as her sister was
leading her from the room at Swamp
scott, Of peculiar interest more ro-
mantle and tender, perhaps, than he
cs a matter-of-fact man was free to
admit to himself
But the present emergency demand
ed prompt action. He could see plain
ly enough that it was not merely
fright that had caused her to lose con-
seriousness. Nature had bestowed upon
her face charming in its natural
roundness Of outline and ready always
to break into dimpled smiled: but,
alas! horror and deprivation Of sleep
and food had wrought wicked change
in few days.
AS she lay with her head thrown
back, her lips parted, her eyes closed,
her hair strayed recklessly about her
temples, she looked as if she had just
died after painful illness. Thomas
fastened with her out Of the sight OF
possible curiosity. A few steps brought
him deep enough into protecting
wood that fringed the roadside, and
here, in the leaves beneath the trees
where the birds were singing, he laid
her gently down. His experience in
the art of restoring fainting women
to consciousness had been extremely
limited. but he believed in the effica.
ciousness of alcohol, and always car.
ried when travelling for use in an
emergency flask of brandy. A little
OF this strong remedy poured down her
throat half strangled the victim, but
1t awoke her. Her eyes opened and
she regarded him languidly. He had
seen dying bird look just that way.
Come, Miss North, you feel better
Row, don't you?" he said, awkwardly
as he supported her head upon his
arm. And when sudden betrayal OF
fear and shame suRged into her white
cheeks he fastened to add: ''There
now, there's nothing to be afraid Of
Not the least in the world"
She made an effort to disengage her.
self and to arise, but she, was very
weak, and she only sank back again
with pathetic sigh. The tears came
into her eyes at once, and she was un-
able to conceal her weakness or to
check it. Faster and faster they
chased each other down her cheeks.
Her face was wet with them.
Come, Miss North he mrrmured
"this will never do. You must not give
way like this. Don't despair. If there
is anything wrong, you may depend
upon me to help you all I can"
ooh, it's not who need the help"
she moaned, quite light-headed by rea-
son of her long sufferings; and, grasp,
ing his sleeve with her little hand, she
exclaimed with sudden, passionate in.
tensity: con, don't let them arrest
her. Don't let them hang her. Marion
never could have done it in her right
mind. She was out of her head, you
know. You are sure she was, are you
not?"
This unexpected entreaty was sur
prise, but it was most welcome one
to Thomas. He had not had an oppor-
tunity for deliberate thought since he
had recognized who it was that had
thrown away the compromising weap-
on with the suspicious smudge upon it.,
and fled from the North villa in the
most damaging of circumstances; but
in vague, general way, his heart had
been conscious of the weight of the ac-
cepted theory that she was in some
way implicated in the dark work Of
the tragedy. And now these wild, hys-
terical words, delivered under the pres
sure of her oyerstrung emotions, gave
him more than hope that she was
innocent OF any part in the hideous
crime.
He smoothed her hair. He wiped
away her tears. He induced her to