Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-29
CHAPTER XVII.

some time she could barely see sui
hciently to avoid collisions. The air,
weighted by low-hung roof Of clouds,
was surcharged with the electric sus-
pense of an impending storm, and
seemed to sigh and tremble at the hint
OF power in leash. 1t was that pause
before the conflict wherein the night
laid finger upon Its lips.
AS the girl neared Glenister's cabin
she was disappointed at seeing no
light there. She stumbled towards the
door, only to utter a half-strangled cry
as two men stepped out of the gloom
and seller her roughly. Something cold
and hard was thrust violently against
her cheek, forcing her head back and
bruising her. She struggled and cried
out. -
Hold on-it's a woman!" calculated
the man who had pinioned her arms,
loosing his hold till only hand re-
NAMED on her shoulder. The other
lowered the weapon he had damned to
her face and peered closely.
Why, Miss Chester, ne said. What
are you doing here? You came near
getting hurt
II am bound for the Wilson's, but
must have lost my way. think you
have cut my face" She controlled her
fright firmly.
That's too bad one said. 1--WE mis-
took you for" And the other broke
%, sharply, you'd better run along.
We're waiting for some one"
Helen fastened back by the route
she had come, knowing that there was
still time, and that as yet her uncle's
emissaries had not laid hands upon
Glenister. She had overheard the judge
and Mcnamara plotting to drag the
town with force of deputies, Selling
not only her two friends, but every
man suspected of being Vigilante
The victims were to be Jailed without
bond. without reason, without justice,
while the mechanism Of the court was
to be juggled In order to hold them
until fall, IL necessary. They had
said that the officers we're already
busy, SO haste was crying thing. She
sped down the dark streets towards
the house Of Cherry Malotte, but found
no light nor answer to her knock. She
where to seek among the THOUSAND
spots which might hide the man she
wanted. What chance had she against
to end? There was only one; he might
be at the Northern theater. Even SO,
she could not reach him, for she dared
not go there herself. She thought Of
Fred her Jap boy, but there was TO
time. Wasted moments meant failure.
Roy had once told her that he never
gave UP what he undertook. Very we'll
she would show that even a girl may
possess determination. This was nc
time for modesty or shrinking indie
cision, SO she pulled the veil more
closely about her face and took her
good name into her hands, She male
rapidly towards the lighted streets
which cast a skyward glare, and from
which, through the GREATNESS calm,
arose the sound of carousal. Swiftly
she threaded the narrow alleys III
search Of the theater's rear entrance,
for she dared not approach from the
front. In this way she came into q
partacf the camp which had lain hid.
den from her until now, and of the
existence of which she had never
dreamed
The vices of a city, however hor-
rible, are at least draped scantily by
! the mantle Of convention, but in a
{ pTeat mining camp they stand naked
s nd without concealment. Here there
we're rows upon rows of criblike
Z houses clustered over tortuous, i'll
lighted lanes. like blow-fies warming
to an unclean feast. From within came
the noice of ribaldry and debauch
Shrill laughter mingled with coarse,
maudlin songs, till the clinging night
reeked with abominable revelry The
girl saw painted creatures of every ma
tionality leaning from windows or
reckoning from doorways, while drunk
en- men, collided with her. barred her
course, challenged her, and again and
again she was forced to slip from tn cir
embraces. At last the high bulk of the
theater building doomed short dis
lance ahead. Painting and frightened
she tried the door with weak hands. 10
find 1t locked. From behind 1t rose the
blare of brass and the sound OF sing
ing. She accosted man who ap
preached her through the narrow alley
but he had cruised from the charted
course in search of adventure and was
not minded to go in quest of doormen
rather, he chose to sing a chantey, to
the bibulous measures of which he
invited her to dance with him. SO she