The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-09-01

My personal interest centred in the
; effect it would have upon the pro
posed railway and was pondering il
: when the outer door opened again
, The storm was subsiding as rapidly as
ii came, but the fellow who entered
had evidently been out in the whole of
, it. He grunted kind of salutation
and staggered to a rude bench before
the open-fire, where he dropped like a
dead log, calling to the ape-faced land
lord:
Hi you black devil. Whiskey. A
joyful. Quick"
1t was fresh opening for the Elixir,
and he was in ii in an instant, bend
ing over the fellow and gently as a
woman asking what he could do for
him.
"Ye kin mind yer own business"
the fellow muttered. Il got into a
landslide four days ago, comm down
from kalgOOry. Lost my horse and
been clingin' by my eyeashes ever
since till the postman give me q lift.
m a bit done. same'S you'd be. but |
ask no odds from God or man and |
don't take none from such as you. Hi,
you monkey. Where's that whiskey?"
undaunted the Elixir stood. his soul
full eyes fixed on the poor fellow in
mistaken sympathy. The half-caste
Vas ambling slowly across the room
with bottle and glass. The man on
the bench sat glazing with bloodshot
/ wi
keeper reached him he muttered:
Didn't | tell yer to-er- Ye lob
| ter-eyed-er-''
/ With urds still gureling in his
throat he fol- over on the bench un
conscious.
1T is better So" the Elixir said
gently stuffing a blanket under his
head for pillow and lifting his feet
to the bench. Sleep will help him
more than that hell-1ire you call whis-
key. Go heat UP some of the stuff
EOu said was soup this noon"
The Elixir returned to the window
and his newspaper. | watched the I'M
conscious face till the CLINT of the fire
light across il daIzled me and the
hypnosis Of his steady snoring made
ne sleepy. | was beginning to doZe
when the Elixir touched my arm,
pointing to something he had written
on the margin of the paper opposite
the description of T." murderer: Gem
pare this with the inn on the bench.
and if you agree with me pass it on to
Father Belcher."
The only thing which astonIshed me
was that ! had not thought of it be-
1cre or that the mans own account of
himself had not suggested it. The
priest read it carefully. then went over
to the bench and read it again. He
crossed himself and muttered a prayer.
Allowing for such days and nights as
he had spent out in the storm the pen
picture was perfect. The Elixir stood
Up and, looking out Of the window,
said:
"A red sunset and a fair tomorrow,
so we shall part in the morning. Let's
have a breath of fresh air together
first"
We understood and followed him
outside. Close upon the horizon the
masses Of sold and crimson cloud were
following the sun away. The Elixir
cast one admiring glance over the
glorious wilderness, then his being
changed to something entirely new.
even after all that he had been before.
He spoke rapidly and earnestly:
That fellow is stark mad" he said.
He was demented when he did it.
IL Is like the work of maniac Per
haps he'd lost everything up there and
charged it to Sir Robert Besides he
is helplessly i'll. Do unto others as We
would, applies to us. If we leave him
here and go our ways, the fiends from
halgoory will tear him in pieces. If
he is crazy he ought at least to have
2 show Of justice, and we can secure
II for him if you will help me | have
handled maniacs several times and al
ways successfully. We two can easily
set him to the coast If we are not over
aiken by a mob from behind. You
ire starting for Kalgoory in the morn
inf, Father, and will doubtless meet
searching parties coming down. It will
naUre success if you will tell them
hat '' man is already captured. in
safe lds, and well on his way to
he coast by way of the Lower Fork.
where he will be given into custody.
Keep them from following if possible.
f not, then send them by the Lower
Cork. The day after tomorrow wire
privately to some one you can trust.
Say that the prisoner will be at Bald
wins by Friday noon. Tell them of
lis condition, SO that they will be pre-
jared to care for him properly"
After a little parlev the nriest nm