The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-22
Wednesday,, August %, 1906.

alert The moment that James and
Clemency should drive into the yard
he made ready to spring, but the hor-
r1ble fear lest it should be entirely
would come. Then the man would
slip into cover of the shadows and
steal out into the road, and. Gordon
would jump into the buggy and he and
= Aaron would follow him. He knew the
man well enough to be sure that he
James and Clemency. with witness
If only Aaron would come! Gordon
became surer that the mare had baked.
He vowed within himself that she
should be shot the next day if&she had.
Every moment he thought he: heard the
sound Of wheels: and horse $ hoofs. His
nervous tension became something ter
rible. Once he, thought Of stealing
thru the house and out by the front
door. and walking to meet James and
Clemency1 SO as to warn them. -. But
that would leave the helpless woman
upstairs alone. He dared not do that.
He thought then of going to, the front
endeavoring to intercept james and
Clemency before they turned into the
driveway. But he felt that he could
net for one second relax his watch upon
the watching man, and he had no guar
antee whatever that, at the first sound
VI WucclS, tLc Illdu u1ulSc1l WOU1u uOt
make: for the front of the house. Then
he thought, as always, of not disturb
ing the sick woman whose room faced
the road. It seemed to him that his
only course was to remain where he
was and wait for the return Of Aaron
before James and Clemency. He knew
now that the horse must have baked.
His only hope was that James and
Clemency, since it was such a fine night,
and time is so short for lovers, might
take such long drive that even the
balky mare might relent. Always he
heard at intervals the trot of horse,
which only existed in his imagination.
He began to wonder if he should know
when Aaron, or Clemency and James,
actually did drive into the yard, if he
should be quick enough. Suddenly he
thought of the dog: that he would fol-
low him, and Of what might happen.
The dogs chain-leash was on the table.
He stole across, got it, fastened it to
the animals collar, and made the end
secure to a staple which he had had
liked in the wall for that purpose AS
yet no intention of injury to the man
except in self-defense was in his mind.
If actually attacked, he must defend
himself, Of course, but he wished more
than anything to drive the intruder
away with no collision. That was what
he hoped for. The time went on. and
the strain upon the Doctors nerves was
nearly driving him mad. Sometimes
the mare baked for hours. He began
to hope that Aaron would leave her. and
return home on foot. That would SET
tie the matter. But he remembered
strange trait of obstinacy in Aaron. He
remembered how he had once actually
sat all night in the buggy while the
mare baked. The man baked as well
as the horse. ''The damned fool" he
muttered to himself in an agony.
The dog growled in responee. Then
1t asme was IT. that first the thought
be, done to save them all. He stood
aghast With the horror Of it: He was
essen TALLY a man of peace himself. I'M
less driven to the wall He was a good
fighter atsbay, but there was in his
M nenrt IA along W,th strength utter good
He only wished to 90 his way in peace,
and for those whom he loved to 20
in peace, but that had been denied
him. He began considering the nature
OF the man whose dark figure remained
motionless on the driveway: He knew
him from the first. It sounded sensa-
edge, but it was entirely. true. It was
that awful truth, which is past human
belief, which no man dares put into
fiction. That man out there had been
from his birth distinct power, for
evil upon the face Of the earth. He
had menaced all creation, SO far as one
personality may menace it. He was
force of i'll, moral and spiritual mon
ster, and the more dangerous because
of a subtlety and resource which had
kept him immune from the law. He
had outstripped the law, whose blood
hounds had no scent keen enough for
him. He had broken the law, but al
ways in such a way that there was
not. and never could be, any proof.
There had been knowledge on Gordon s
part, and Mrs: Ewing's, but knowledge
without proof is more helpless than
suspicion with t. The man was IN
asgailable, free to go his way, working
Again Gordon Thought he heard the
nearing trot Of horse, and again the
dog growled. Gordon was not quite
sure that time that horse had not
passed the house. He told himself in
despair that he could not be sure Of
knowing when James and Clemency