Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-07-26

! Stood spelI-Bound with Fear.
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AS to jerks, could only learn
that ne was an honest, Trustworthy
fellow, that he was ardently devoted
to the Widow Bruce, but, with II all
| could not find soul to say a word
against the character of either; unless
jerks keenness in striking a bar.
gain, and the businesslike way in
which he brought home the intoxi.
Gated frequenters of Hoskins' hotel
when they had the money for their
fare, and left them to get home as
best they could when they had not,
could be laid up against him as q
crime.
His own occasional rotations seem.
ed to be entirely overlooked by the
toVnspeople in general, or else Who'll
ly unknown to them, and, taking
everything into consideration, jerks
seemed to be regarded by the com.
munity as a pretty fair sort Of a citi.
zen. .-.as.s-<zss,s,.s,---..
With these facts in my mind tried
70 reconcile the doings Of the early
morning, as well as the other haS.
penings Of which l was cognizant
with the regulations borne by jerks
and the Bruce woman, and | freely
confess that ] soon became complete
Y eewildered. ~ . = rs,:~sT,.
1t must be admitted that | had no
positive assurance that the little
graves up on the hill contained the
bodies Of infants, except that their
general appearance suggested as
much, and the fragments Of bone
that | had seen served as a mute wit,
ness of some CHASTITY crime,
MacArdel, too, had identified the
odor Of the rags beyond all question Of
doubt, at least as far as he was con.
eerned, but it still must be remem.
bered that ! had not opened the par,
Gel and that l had no way of know.
Ing that it contained anything more
than rags. as did the one that we
mad examined so carefully in the sum,
meTI - -.
The iiore / thought of it the less 7
was able to make out of it, and, final.
~, as | had determined to take a
walk, and was leaving the house for
this purpose, my establishment was in.
creased by meeting the widow face
to face in the hallway as | descended
the stairs.
She was dressed neatly in freshly
Numbered calico with an immaculate
apron of generous propositions, and, in
her hand, she held a tray with a cup
and some plates on it. We gazed at
each other for an instant and then
| said, in as unconcerned a tone
as | could muster up for the occa.
sion;
Good afternoon, Mrs. Bruce. Do
you remember me? am Mr.. Ware,
you know"
"Oh, yes, sir" she replied, bowling
pleasantly as she spoke, Il remember
you very well indeed, sir"
| smiled at this In Spite Of myself
and stopped her as she would have
passed me and gone up the stairs.
What are YOU doing here, Mrs.
Bruce" l asked. Il had pc idea Of
meeting you IN this way" 80.
why you know, sir, was a nurse
In the old country, sir" she returned,
In the same sweetly modulated voice
that | had noticed before, and when
the young lady took so bad, sir, they
sent for me to take care of her until
the 'ospital nurses came from town"
who sent for you?" l continued
curiously, again impeding her prog.
ress up the stairs aHez-
Miss Carney, Of course" she re.
Joined "She asked the rector and he
recommended me most ighly, sir. You
know do most Of the nursing in crit.
ical cases 'ereabouts, when l can find
the time for it, SIR"
She caught her breath at this last
clause. es il she would have wished II
unssid, and blushed violently as ! re.
marked: You are very busy most Of
the time, l presamea"
"Yes sir, | ana, sir," she retorted,
defantly, ''ana my business is my
own, sir and n Ill becomes outsiders
to NEEDLE With it,"
With these remarkable words she
swept Past me and proceeded to Miss
WesSn's room with all the impor
lance Of an idealized Sairy Camp from
whom the Objectionable qualities had
Been eliminated.
AS / watched her ascend the stairs
with a little self.reliant poise to hel
head and a manner Of absolute non
chalance, came to the sudden and
positive conclusion that the woman
had not a bad trait in her makeup
and that the only way to deal viii
her was to approach her frankly and
In all honesty Of purpose. / was con
WINGED, too, that Miss Weston had
played no small part in persuadini
Miss Carney to send for her ss I
nurse, and wondered how ant
through what sort Of argument sh,
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