The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-16
TIE EVENING STORY

by Edith NJ. Doane.l

TO September and by Dawson, the game
keeper, at all times, yet one May morn
| Ing found Dan O'COnnor in the Cornish
preserves with a brace of quail at his
! belt Whereupon Dawson, summoning
the sheriff rom Windsor Bend, had
promptly arrested O'Connor and jailed
him.
Such a thing had never happened be-
fore in the history of Four Corners. and
public feeling ran high. A crowd had
| gathered at the one store the place
boosted and their muttered threats
finally merged into open defiance.
4 heerd that Dawson had kinder got
his eye on a couple more O. the boys
limited old man Pierson.
A ruffianly looking fellow leaning
against the counter looked up with
heavy scowl
He'd better look out the boys don't
get their eyes on him first he growled
sayagely.
"A few birds more or less amt nothin'
ter make fuss over nohoW," put in a
tall, lank fellow behind the stove
He's got to look fer a little shootin'.''
mumbled old man Pierson.
The hard-faced fellow against the
counter Strengthened up and moved
/ slowly toward the door. He might
well look fer tits comm ter him." he
said nenacingly, as he slouched heavily
from the room.
The rougher element of Four Corners
4 We're used to depending upon their rifles
to exc out an existence meager enough
/ at best, and IN the lifetime of old Mr..
/ Cornish, the former owner of the great
estate, their depredations had been
practically unchecked, but now a new
order of things prevailed. Old Mr.. Cor
nish was dead and the villagers re-
garoed the son who had succeeded him
with suspicion, and the gamekeeper he
had appointed with sullen hatred.
The villagers were not alone in their
disapproval of Dawson.
You are making a mistake in ap-
pointing him." the DOCTORS daughter
had declared, her brown eyes resting on
the tall young man beside her.
I don't see why" Robert Cornish had
returned stubbornly. Something has
| to be done to preserve the game. These
fellows are a 1awless set-shooting in
season and out. and running the pre-
serves. Besides his voice rung deter
minedly, lit is my property
YES" she admitted land yet-they
have so httle-it doesn't seem quite fair
| they should have no rights"
But I'm willing they should do a GER
tain amount of hunting he protested,
"only they must observe the game laws
1 and they must also realize that it is
my property, not theirs"
DO they know you will allow them
certain amount of gamer"
Robert Cornish shook his head. Not
i yet. Dawson advised cutting them off
short until they learn to realize the es-
tate Is private property. Wnen In6N
| understand shooting is a privilege-not
a right-they will give less trouble"
Molly shook her head doubtfully.
| 4 know thea better than you do
she said. They are lawless and igno-
rant, but there is more good in them
than you believe, and Dawson isn't the
man to deal with them.y
I wish you would talk to them your
self" she went on.
There was a brief silence.
Il Wilt you wish,'' he said impul-
sively I will do it tomorrow
But on the morrow two unforeseen things
happened. Robert Cornish was called sud
denely away on an urgent business trip
and Dan O'Connor bagged the quail.
1t was the evening after the excited dis
cussion at the store that Molly, prompted
by an unusual feeling of restlessness,
crossed the room to the window and. step
ping out on the yeranda wandered down
into the moonlight garden. Robert Cor
nish would be back that night, but Of
course it was no vague hope of meeting
through the gate into the road. made light
as day by the full moon overhead
Hist. Miss Molly, hist!' said voice
close to her ear.
She started violently as a small IN
kempt figure crept through the hedge and
Don't go on Miss" said the boy with
much excitement. Don't Theyr re waitin'
fer Dawson below an maybe they might
do We some HARM"
Waiting? For what? To shoot him? p
asked the girl breathlessly.
Yes, miss. The wagon has gone to
Windsor Bend to meet him. an when it
comes blackwell, they're waitin', miss,
But it isn't Dawson the wagon has
gone to meet. said Molly. IN Mortified
| whisper; st is Mr.. Cornish
Il guess it won't make no difference to
them, miss, whether it's Dawson or the
| master himself-they'r bent on blood"
The boy darted through the hedge, Ieav-
ing the girl, white and Mortified, in the
middle of the road. For a moment she
stood as stunned. then her mind leaped
riotOusly to the chance of escape. IF
can reach the Windsor road through the
cross path, she thought desperately, I
may be in time"
She turned through a broken gap in the
hedge into a field beside the road and
breaking into quick run, rushed through
the wet grass into the thicket beyond.
! over a high bank into a tangle of black
berry bushes, whose thorns clutched at
her light dress, through another gap.
across wall, whose stones slipped and
| swiftly, through a plowed field, across a
ditch, over marsh where her slippered
onward-with a passionate thankfulness
in her heart as she heard the distant ring
| of horses hoofs
Could she reach him?
"Robert! Robert she cried, desper-
The sounds came nearer-a light road
| cart swung swiftly toward her.
Robert" she cried again; then. as a
horses sharply. she sank, spent and
breathless beside the Windsor road.
The excitement had largely been a mat
ter Of misunderstanding. and when young
Cornish had explained his plan Of sharing
the game and furthermore had refused to
prosecute the ringleaders of the disturb
ance. Four Corners was with him to a
man.
1t is hard to say which of his two next
moves-his marriage to Molly or his ap-
pointment Of Dan O'Connor to the position
of gamekeeper-evoked the more adnira-
ton.
Each Nv 'em beIn' so ter speak, a
stroke O. genius" numbled old man Pier
Copyright, 1906, by W. R. Caldweil.)
A Roosevelt Story.
one night in camp he told us the
| story of one of his Rough Riders who
| had just written him from some place
in Arizona. The Rough Riders, wher-
ever they are now, look to him in time