The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-08-23

Suddenly nervous chill seized the Old
convict. He shook from head to heel.
II didn't mean to hit you," he said,
speaking to the PROSTATE figure at his
feet. Here, let me help you"
He stopped and felt around on the
floor until he found Ryder's hand. He
released it instantly to take the lamp
from the table. Then he knelt beside
the editor. In the corner where the
latter lay stood rusty wood stove. In
his fall Griff's head had struck against
it.
The lamp shook in Roger Oakley's
hand like leaf in gale. Ryder's
eyes were open and seemed to look
into his own with mute reproach
For the rest he lay quite limp, his head
twisted to one side. The old man felt
of his heart. One or two minutes
elapsed. His bearing was one of fe-
verish intensity. He heard three men
loiter by on the street and the sound
of their FOOTBALLS die off in the distance.
but Ryder's heart had ceased to beat.
Fully convinced of this, he returned
the lamp to the table and, sitting down
III tuc CllitlT Nv tue uOOI, CONeFeu HIS
face with his hands and sobbed aloud
Over and over he murmured: I've
killed him, I've killed him! Poor boy,
poor boy! didn't go to do it"'
Presently he got up and made sec
ond examination. The man was dead
past every doubt His first impulse
was to surrender himself to the town
marshal. as he had done once before
under similar circumstances.
Then he thought of Dan.
No; he must escape. and perhaps it
would never be known who had killed
Ryder. His death might even be at
tributed to an accident. In his excite
ment he forgot the boy he had met at
the door. That incident had passed en-
tirely from his mind, and he did not
remember the meeting until days aft
erward
He had been utterly Indifferent to his
own danger. but now he eXtinguished
the lamp and made his way cautiously
into the outer room and peered into
the street AS he crouclled in the dark
ness by the door he heard the town bell
strike the hour. He counted the
strokes 1t was 8 O'clock. An instant
later and he was hurrying down the
street, fleeing from the CHASTITY horror
of the white, upturned face and the
eyes, with their look of mute reproach.
When he reached the railroad track
at the foot of Main street he paused
irresolutely.
II
Just once more" lie muttered under
his breath. but he crossed the tracks
with a single longing look turned to-
ward the shops, black blur in the
night thousand yards distant
Main street became a dusty country
road south of the tracks. He left it at
this point and sllirted cornfield. going
in the direction of the creek.
At the shops Dan had waited supper
for his father until half past Z, when he
decided he must have gone uptown.
probably to the Joyces So he had
eaten his supper alone Then he drew
his chair in front of AN open window
and lighted his pipe. 1t was very hot
in the office. and by and by he carried
his lamp into the pattern room, where
he and his father slept. He arranged
their two cots, blew out the light,
which seemed to add to the heat, partly
undressed and lay down. He heard the
town bell strike s and then the half
hour. Shortly after this he must have
fallen asleep, for all at once he awoke
with start. From off in the night a
confusion of sounds reached him. The
town bell was ringing the alarm. AT
first he thought it was a fire, but there
was no light in the sky, and the bell
rang on and on.
He got up and put on his coat and
hat and started OFT.
Y-~ ~