The Washington herald., 1906-11-18
THE CANDIDATE
APoHdcal Romance By Joseph A Asher

watchful Harley saw that the laugh was
not spontaneous.
7 'clar' 10 gracious he said. II clean
forgot I had old Deadeye. You see. Mr..
Grayson, when I heerd the dogs barkin'
sez ] TO myself it's robbers, shore; and
before / h'ists the window upstairs
/ reaches old Deadeye Off the hooks, and
| then, II It had a been robbers, II
wouldn't a been healthy for en-
I'm sure Of that. Mr.. Simpson" said
Jimmy Grayson; you don't look Ike a
man who would allow himself to be run
over"
An 1 wouldn't" said the old man,
/ with sudden, fierce emphasis But he put
| the rifle on the hooks over the fireplace.
/ Such hooks as these were not usual IN
! Nebraska; but Jimmy Grayson was too
/ polite to say anything, and Harley was
/ still watching every movement of the old
man. The driver returned at this moment
/ from the stable. and. reporting that he
had fed the horses. took his place with
| the others at the fire.
4 low you-Uns would like to eat q
! little, said the old man. laughing in the
/ same unnatural way. 'Marthy tote in
suthin' from the kitchen as quick as you
| kin. "
/ The old woman raised her startled
! frightened eyes. and for a moment her
! glance met Harleys; it seemed to him
10 be full of entreaty; the whole atmos-
/ phere of The place was to him tense.
strained. and tragic; why he did not
/ know. but he shook himself and decided
that il was only the result of WEAKNESS,
! the long ride, and the night in the storm.
Nevertheless. the feeling did not depart
because he willed that it should go.
NO. We thank you" Jimmy Grayson
was saying; I'VE are not hungry: but
we should like very much 10 90 TO bed"
Its jest with you, said Simpson.
'Marthy. III show the gentlemen 10 their
room, and you kin stay here till I come
back
The old woman did not speak, but stood
IN crouched attitude looking at Gray
son and then AT Harley and then al the
driver; il seemed TO the correspondent
thai she did not dare trust her voice. and
he saw fear stiH lurking in her ewes.
Come along. gentlemen" said Simpson,
taking from the table a small lamp. that
had been lighted at their entrance and
leading the way.
Harley glanced back once az the door
and the womans eyes met his in a look
that was like one last despairing appcaI
But there was nothing tangible nothing
that he could not say was the result Of
an overwrOught fancy.
It was a small and bare room. with
only single bed, 10 which the old man
took them It's the best I've got" he
said. apologeUcally. MIR. Grayson vou
an the newspaper man kin sleep in the
ped, an tother feller. / reckon. kin
curl up on the floor"
It is good enough for anybody" said
Jimmy Grdyson, CALAMITY. As a matter
81 q.
what II was 10 fare worse.
Goodnight" the man said and left
them rather hastily. Harley thought:
but the others took no notice. and were
soon IN sound slumber. the candidate be- |
cause he had the rare power of going to /
sleep whenever there was chance. and
the driver because he was Indifferent and 4
tired.
But Harley lay awake. An hour ago
MS dream Of heaven was a bed and now
the bed attained sleep would not come
near Out Of the stiffness. after a while I
ne heard the gentle moving Of feet be 4
low ana he sat up on the bed. an his 4
suspicious confirmed. Something Unusual 4
was going on IN this lone house, And f. 4
mad been going on even before he and
The candidate came,
RE listened 10 the moving feet for a
Ie" moments Then the noise ceased but
Marcy Knew that there was no further
chdhce or sleep for him with his Dcr-es
on edge and likely to remain there. He
lay back on the edge Of the he'd tr,.fre,
10 accustom his ewes 70 the darkness and
presently lie heard sound. the most
chlillng tlat a man can hear. II was
me sound of woman. alone and I'm the
udIh H. between midnight and morning.
crying gently. but crying deepIv mn
ID al
Harley's resolve was taken AT onco
He slipped on his clothes and went to Tho
door. His eyes We're used now IN the
uaik and there was a window that shed
a half-light
lie stopped with his hand on the holt
because he heard the low val
ING note more plainly. and he vss
sure that 1t came from another rom,
actoSs the narrow hall He turned the
Joit' Dut the door refused 10 open. Their
was no key on the inside, They had
been locked in. and for q purpose,
harley was fully aroused-on edge with
Ncl'eineht. but able 10 restrain it and
20 tllHk clearly. There was an ola e-,+o
IN the room. apparently used b,,, sei7II-,,
-i'd' ieaning against the wall beside IL ar
ron poker Ttptoeing. he obtained fha
POKER ana returned 10 the door The loci,
was Himsy affair and. inserting the
point OF the poker under the catch he
Easily pried II of and put It gently on
The floor.
Then he stepped out into the dusl,v hall
ana listened. The woman was VET CRYING
nonotonously. but with such a note of
woe that Harley was shaken He had
hought in his own room that il was the
'id woman who wept thus; but now in
Inc hall he knew IL 10 be a younger. and
'resher voice.
He saw farther down another door and
le knew that it led to the room from,
Nhlch came the sounds Of grief He an
lioached II cautiously. still holding the
'0ker in his hands. and noticed that there s
vas no key I'm the lock The woman f;
whoever she might be. was locked in. ss I
le and his comrades had been: but the !
mpty keyhOle gave him an idea. He
'iew through IL. making n sort Of whis
ling sound with his puckered lips. The
rylng ceased, all save an occasional Low, / ,
sob. as If the woman 7
we're making a supreme effort to control {
Ter feelings Z
Then Harley put his lips 10 the key !
iole again and whispered: What is the
natter? u is a friend who asks" There !
vas no reply, only tense silence. even /
he occasional sobs ceasing. Then. after
few moments of waiting. Harley whis- S
ered: Don't be alarmed; I am about 10 e
OrCe the door" Z
Ihe door was of fiimsy pine. and ii gave {
ulckiy to the poker's leverage Then.
MS uSefui weapon still in hand. Harley q
topped into the room, where he heard a c
eep-drawn sigh that expressed mingled {
motions. :
There was 4 window at the end of the /
oom, and the moonlight shone clearly I
hrough, clothing with its full radiance / g
tall, slim girl, who had risen from a {
hair. and who stood trembling before J