Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-08-15

thing Is ready" He took Jims hand
in both OF his. Goodbye, Jim; sorry
you're not going with u.s.
Goodbye, JOHN was all that Jim
said.
Jim was conscious that the last
moments he had dreaded were be-
comm tragic reality. There stood
Diana ready to start on her Journey;
on the other side of him Petrie ad-
vanced with outstretched hand;
while at the back of the yard he could
see the boys clustered around the
wagon waiting for the final moment.
He. realized that the sun was rising
higher and higher in the heavens and
! that it was growing hotter. He must
send them away A strange veil, that
dimmed all about him, seemed TO
hang between him and his surround
ings. inally he turned to Petrie,
who stood on the other side Of Bill.
| Goodbye, Mr. Petrie." Jim held his
hand out to the lawyer, in front of
the child. and in a low voice said,
you've won your case against me;
see that my boy gets all that is com
ing to him.
Petrie gravely answered. "You may
trust me, SIR" Then he Joined the
others at the wagon.
Jim stretched out his hands in
silence to the boy. The child jumped
from Bills shoulder and nestled
against his father. Bill left them;
only Diana remained near Jim.
And now. old man, kiss your
daddy"
A troubled look crept over the
child's face. It had all been great
fun. but liow-he was growing
/ frightened. His hold frightened around
his. fathers neck. Jim quickly saw
that he must divert the boys mind.
Take good care Of Cousin Diana,
won't you ?"
At this appeal the child who was a
masterful little fellow, used to being
treated as an equal by the men ON
the ranch, answered, Sure" And RS
Diana came to him he leaned down
smiled and said II like you"
Diana smiled as she kissed him,
and said, "And ] love you, God bless
you!"
She could scarcely bear the look Of
pain in Jim's eyes as they went from
the boys face to hers, then back again
to the boy. In silence they grasped
each others hands, then Diana walk.
ed over to Bill: who tenderly helped
her into the wagon.
Jim was alone with his boy. There
was much that he wished to say, but
he dared not speak. He could see
the wistful look beginning to return
i to the child's face
ii Good" he said. lightly "And now
i be off" Close he pressed the child's
face to his lips There's brave
boy-with a smile and hurrah!"
i How could he place the child in the
wagon reside the waiting woman,
whose face was turned away to hide
her pain! His voice dropped low and
almost broke Some day, when you
have son of your own, you'll know
what this means they heard him
whisper. "But no Wynnegate ever was
a gutter, and SO We'll take things as
they come"
Il Still no one turned to him. Diana
felt the child being lifted in beside
her and the baby fingers fasten
around hers She turned her face to
jim but almost savagely he called:
Drive on and never look back
And Charley, who had remembered
Bills words "to drive like hell" with
la crack and a slap let the impatient
animals go. The men started after
the wagon
"Give en- a cheer boys, = Jim cried,
, and the place rang with their shouts.
/ Petrie and Sir John galloped along
; side the wagon. with Grouchy, Andy
) Shorty and Bill following as fast as
r they could run. Cheer after cheer
) sent back it's echo, while Jim stood
, alone listening as he watched the
, swaying, rumbling cart raise its cloue
! of dust. through which he could bare
Ily see the men still running and heal
. the faint echoes Of their cries Of
. Goodbye, Hal"
!, Like a symbol of broken hone, he
stood, solitary figure in the dreary
deserted place. His hands were still
i out-stretched towards the recedine
r wagon The deep-tinted. rose-coloret
4 rocks glowed more and more radiantly
J. until the binding glare from the
9 plains made Jim shield his eyes.
o There they go"-he strained for
}. ward closer to watch the wagon
i down into the ravine-out of sight
il and out of my life forever"
a AS the dip in the land engulfed ant
e shut out his last glimpse of the
a travellers, he dropped inert and clinch
ed his arms over his head, while hi.
!. heavy, dragging steps were the onl.
/. sounds that broke the terrible still
e ness that had fallen over the yard
Il Almost mechanically he reached thu
bench and sank down upon 1t. Nat-u
= ritch, from her hiding place above
: could hear the sobs that came from
the crushed and broken man.
:; CHAPTER XVII.
4 Nat-u-ritch stole down from the lof
and crept to where Jim had stood
Unconsciously she repeated the sam
= picture of desolation he had made a
n he stretched out his arms and straine
= :, his eyes to see the wagon disappea
~ down the ravine, which the India
~ ~ girl could now see far off, like an an
y on hill, as it crawled up the dur
g colored mound. Like him, she folde
:, her arms and stared ahead for Ion
"a time--even though the binding high
II blurred and made the landscape
IoLo - ~,