The Red Cloud chief., 1905-04-14

Vent nj once. Tney were stII In IL
norance of the truth about the Cross
roads and spent the day Qt was Sun
day. partly I'm getting in the way OF
the attendants and partly in planning
an assault upon the Rouen jail for the
purpose Of lynching Slattery I'm case
Harkless' condition did not improve al
once. Those who had heard his state
mcnt kept close mouths until the story
appeared I'm full In the Rouen papers on
Monday morning. But by that time
VERY member of the Crossroads White
Daps was lodged I'm the Roucn Jail with
Slattery. Horncr and II heavily armed
posse rode over to the muddy corners
ON Sunday night, and the sheriff dis
covered that he might have taken the
Skillctts and .Johnsons single handed
and unarmcd. Their nerve was gone.
They were shaken and afraid, and, to
employ II figure somewhat inappropri-
ate to their sullcn. glad surrender, they
fell upon his neck In their relief mt
dnding the law touching them. They
had no wish to hear John Browns
Eody' again. They wanted to get in
ylc of u strong Jail and To throw them
selves on the mercy of the court as soon
az possible. And those whom IIarklcss
had not recognized made no delay I'm
giving themselves up. They did not
wish to remain i'm Six Crossroads. Bob
Skillet. Force johnson and one or two
others needed the care of u physician
badly, and one man was suffering
from n severely wrcnchcd back. IIor-
ner had II train stopped at n crossing
go that his prisoners need not be taken
through Plattvillc. and he brought
them all safely To lioucn.'
Ii took nearly Il week To- persuade the
people Of Tlattvillc that il was better
for them to 90 home, and 1t was only
the confidence inspired by the manner
Of the two eminent surgeons Ulcy lny
In wait ut I'LL hours to interview these
gentlemen that did persuade them to
~return-this and the promise of two
daily bulletins.
As many of them said on their re-
turn, Plattville didn't "fecl like the same
place." and u strange thing had hap
pencd-for the first time I'm five years
the Carlow County Herald missed fire
altogether. Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday passed. Mr.. Fisbec only sat
staring out of the dingy office win
dows with Parker I'm q dcmcntcd ST.
lence. There was no Herald; there
was no one to get IL out.
In the Roucn hospital John Harklcss
feebly moved on his bed of pain. His
constant delusion was that the uni
verse was Il vast. white heated brass
bell and he a point at the center Of it.
listening. listening for years. to the
brazcn hum it gave off and burning
In hot wave of sound.
Finally he came To what lie would
have considered n lucid interval had
II not appeared that Helen Sherwood
was whispering to Tom Meredith ut
the foot of his bed. This he knew to
be Il fictitious presentation of his fever
for was she not by this time away and
away for foreign lands? And also Tom
Meredith vas Il slim young thing and
not u middle aged youth with an un
deniablc stomach and n baldish head
who by the prcpostcrous nccromancy
Oh lever uSSulltu u pTotcSluc lkeIlcSS
of his old friend. He waved his hanG
to the figures, and they vanished like
PIGMENTS of Il dream; but, all the same
the vision had been realistic enough
for the lady to look eXquisitely pretty
No one could help wishing TO stay II
q world which contained AS charming
q picture as that.
But the mex night Meredith waited
near his bedside, haggard and DISNEY
eled. ~lIarklcss had been lying in {
long stupor. Suddenly he spoke, quite
loudly, and the young surgeon, Gay
who leaned over him, remembered thu
words and the tone all his life.
~"Away-and away-acrOss the wa
ters,'' said John Harkless. "She wa
here-oncc-in June"
"What Is 1t, John?" whispered Mere
dith huskily. you're feeling easier
! aren't yout'
i And John smiled a little, as II, TO
the moment. he saw and knew his oil
] friend again.
: That same night n friend Of ROdne.
McCune's sent Il telegram from Rouen
b "He is dying. His paper Is dead
I Your name goes before convention II
September"