West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-12-13

Jimmy looked at the woman who
held him. hoping his mother would
come. and he could see them both. And
while be waited he dropped OF 10 sleep,
n little Judith. hiding her head ON
ToDeka's shoulder that she might not
see the look In those accusing eyes,
presently dreamed hat all was well
with her again, and Topeka reflected
that II her mother should ask her In
the morning whether she had dreamed
last night she would have a fne tale to
tell OF men riding up and loud voices
and trying OF the door and father go
Ing away with them. Her mother had
questioned her this morning when
nothing had happened to warrant II.
Surely she would ask again tomorrow,
and Topeka could teii-she could tell
all.
The children were sleeping easily.
The hush that had hung like n pail over
the valley had not lifted. Had they
done III Was II Over yeti She went TO
the door and listened. Surely the 81
lence that wrapped the valley was q
thing apart. IL was ~ no other silence
that she could remember. IL was stiii,
still. and yet there was vibration to Il,
like the mufled roar within a shell.
h strained her ears. Was that the
sound Of horsemen going down the
traill No. no, IL was only the beating
OF her foolish heart that would not be
still. but beat and nuttercd and would
not let her boar. Yes, surely that was
the sound or boots. II was over then
They were going.
She would go and look for him. Per
haps IL would not be too late. She had
heard Of such things. A dynamic foree
consumed her. she had no conscious
ness of her body. Her feet and hands
did things with Incredible swiftness-
lighted a lantern. selected n knife, ran
to the corral for an old ladder that had
been there when they tool possession
OF the deserted ~house-npd through all
her frantic haste she could feel this
new force. as IL were. lick up the red
blood In her veins, burn her body to
ashes as IL gave her new power.
1t was dark In the valley, but the
menaclng stiffness seemed to be lift
Ing. The range cattle had again taken
up their plant, he sounds OF the des-
ert night swept across the stony walls
OF the canyon. Aida knew that II
must have happened at the dead cot
tonwoods. There wero no other high
trees about for miles. Again she lis
tened before advancing. There was no
sound of hoof or champlng bit or men
moving quickly. They had gone their
way into the valley. she ran swiftly,
her lantern throwing It's beam across
the scrubby inequalities of ground, but
for her there was no need OF its bea-
con. Tonight she was beyond the halt
Ing, stumbling uncertainties OF tread
10 which man is subject. There was
magic In her feet and In her hands
n brain. Like the wind she ran the
wind on the great plain where there
are no foothills to hinder Its course.
The black, dead trees stood out dis
tlnctly against the starry sky, and
from n cross limb OF one of them dan
Eled something with head awry, like n
broken jumping jack, something that
had once been n man-and her hus-
band. She could touch the feet OF this
frightful thing and feel its human
warmth a wind came up from the
desert ind blew across the canyons
rocky walls into the valley, and the
nnrndv Of n man Ewaved to II
she had been expecting this thing.
For weeks the image of 1t had been
craven on her heart. Sleeping or wax
ing she had seer nothing but his Ian
Cling body from the cross limb. Yetwlth
the actual contamination before her