The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-13
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
Y YHEN Joe left Ariel at Judge
Ma Pixies gate she fingered there,
WV her elbows upon the upper
most croSshar like q village

most cr0SSbar, Ike village
girl at twilight, watching his thin fig
ure vanish into the heavy shadow Of
the naples, then emerge momentarily
ghost gray and rapid at the lighted
crossing down the street, TO disappear
again under the trees beyond, followed
q second later by a browniSh streak as
the mongrel heeled after him. When
they had passed the second corner she
could no longer be certain of them, al
though the street was straight, with
fat, draftsmanlike western directneSs,
both figures and Joes quick footsteps
merging with the night. Still she did
not turn to go, did not alter her posi-
ton nor cease to gaze down the dim
street. Few lights shone, almost all
the windows of the houses were dark
ened, and save for the summer MUIR
murs, the faint creak Of upper branch
es and the infnitesimal voices of in
sects In the grass there was silence
the pleasant and somnolent hush,
swathed in which that part Of Canaan
crosses to the far side of the eleventh
hour.
But Ariel, not soothed by this balm,
sought beyond it to see that unquiet
Canaan whittier her old friend bent his
steps and found his labor and his
dwelling other Canaan where
peace did not fall comfortably with
the coming Of night; place as alien
in habit, in thought and almost in
speech as if 1t had been upon another
continent. And yet-so strange Is the
duality Of towns-it lay but a few
blocks distant
Here about Ariel as she stood at the
gate of the Pike mansion the houses
of the good Secure of salvation and
daily bread were closed and quiet, as
safely shut and sound asleep as the
churches. But deeper in the town
there was light and life and merry
evil industry, screened but strong to
last until morning. There were haunts
OF haggard merriment in plenty; sur
reptitious chambers where roulette
wheels swan beneath dlzzied eyes; Ill
favored bars, reached by devious ways,
where quavering voices offered song
and were harshly checked. And through
the burdened air Of this Canaan wan
dered heavy smells of musk like that
| upon Happy Fears wife, who must
now be so pale beneath her rouge And
above all this and for all this and be-
cause Of all this was that one resort to
which Joe. now made his way-that
haven whose lights burn all night long,
whose doors are never closed, but are
open from dawn until dawn-the Jail.
There in that desolate refuge lay
| Happy Fear, surrendered sturdily by
himself at Joes word The picture of
| the little man was clear and fresh in
| Ariers eyes, and, though she had seen
him when he was newly come from a
thing so terrible that she could not re-
alize it as fact, she felt only an over
whelming pity for him. She was not
even horror stricken, though she had
shuddered. The pathos of the shabby
little figure crossing the street toward
the lighted doors had touched her
Something about him had appealed to
her. for he had not seemed wicked. His
|
perate Perhaps it was partly his very
desperation which had moved her. She
had understood Joe when he told hel
that this man was his friend and com
pretended his great fear when he said
1--WE got to clear him! l promised
him.
Over and over Joe had reiterated
"T've got TO save him! I've got to!
She had answered gently. Yes, Joe,
hurrying to keep Up with him. "He'i
a good man." he said. 1--WE known
few better, given his chances. AnC
none of this would have happened ex
cept for his old time friendship 70
me. 1t was his loyalty-oh, the rares
and abSurdest loyalty,-that made TIT
first trouble between him and tn,
man he shot. I've got to clear him."
"Will 1t be hard?'
''They may make 1t SO. 1 can onl.
see part of it surely. When his wifi
left the office she met Cory on tn
street. You saw what a pitiful kline
OF fool she was, irresponsible and help
less and feather Drained. There ar
thousands of women like that every
where-some of them are court beau
ties 1 dare say-and they always mi
things up, but they are most danger
GUS when they're like Claudine, be
cause then they live among men O
action like Cory and Fear Cory wa
artful. He spent the day about tow,
telling people that he had always liz
ed Happy; that his Ill feeling of yes
terday was all gone. He wanted t
find him and shake his hand, bury pas
troubles and be friends 1 think b
told Claudine the same thing whe
they met and convinced the tiny braiI
let Of his sincerity Cory was a ma
who had way with him. and I ca
see Claudine fattered at the idea c
being peacemaker between two sue
nice gentlemen as Mr. Cory and NJ
Tear Her commonest -asseyeration-