Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-05-22
CHAPTER XVI.

J" her elbows upon the upper
~ most crossbar, like village
girl at twilight. watching his thin fig.
ure vanish Into the heavy shadow Of
the naples, then emerge momentarlly
ghost gray and rapid at the lighted
crossing down the street, to disappear
again under the trees beyond, followed
a second later by 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
nat, draftsmanlike western directness,
Doth figures and Joe's 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 inf1nitesimal 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 1t to see that unuuiet
Canaan whittier her old friend bent his
steps and found his labor and bis
dwelllng-that other Canaan where
peace did not fall comfortably with
the coming OF night; a place as alien
in habit In. thought and almost in
speech as II It had been upon another
continent. And yet-so strange is the
duality OF towns-lt lay but a few
blocks distant.
Here about Ariel as she stood at the
gate of the Pike mansion the houses
OF the good hecure 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 haggarda merriment In plenty; sur
reptitious chambers where roulette
wheels swan beneath dizzied eyes; III
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 CT musk like that
upon Happy Fears wife, who must
now be SO pale beneath her rouge. And
above all this and for oil 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 Joe's word The picture of
the little man was clear and fresh in
Ariel's eyes, and, though she had seen
him when he was newly come from
thing SO terrible TINT 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
face was not cruel, though it was des-
perate. Perhaps 1t was partly his very
desperation which had moved her. She
had understood Joe when, he told her
that this man was his friend and COM
pretended his great fear when he said:
1--WE got to clear him! l promised
himw
Over and over Joe had reiterated:
1--WE got to save him! I've got tot"
She had answered gently, Eyes, joe"
hurrying to keep up with him. Hes
good man" The said 1--WE known
few better, given his chances. And
none Of this would have happened ex-
cept for his old time friendship for
me. 1t was his loyalty-oh, the rarest
and absurdest loyalty!-that made the
first trouble between him and the
man he shot. I've got to clear him.i
"Will it be hardY'
''They may make it SO. can only
see part of 1t surely. When his wife
left the Office she met Cory on the
street You saw what pitiful kind
of fool she was, irresponsible and help
less and feather Drained. There are
thousands of women like that every
where-some Of them are court beau
ties dare say-and they always mix
things up, but they are most danger
GUS when they're like CIaudine, be-
cause then they live among men OF
action like Cory and Fear. Cory was
artful. He spent the day about town
fQ1linD hot hn l,oI ,I,,,o
ed Happy; that his Ill feeling of yes
terday was all gone. He wanted to
find him and shake his hand, bury past
!. troubles and be friends. l think he
told Claudine the same thing when
they met and convinced the tiny brain.
let of his sincerity. Cory was man
who had a way with him. and l can
see Claudine flattered at the idea OF
being peacemaker between two such
nice gentlemen as Mr.. Cory and Mr..
Fear Her commonest asseveration-
quite genuine, tools that she doesn't
like to have the gentlemen making
trouble about her. So the poor i'm.
beetle led him to where her husband
was waiting. All that Happy knew of
this was in her cry .afterward. He
was sitting alone, when Cory threw
open the door and said. I've got you
this time. Happyv His pistol was
raised, but never fired. He waited too
lnEg, meaning to establish his case q.
self Defense and Fear is the quick
est man l know. Cory fell just inside
the door. Claudlne stumbled upon
him as she came running after him,
crying out to her husband that she
never meant no trouble;' that Cory
had sworn to her that he only wanted
to shake hands and make up Other
people heard the shot and broke into
the room, but they did not try to stop
Fear. He warned them off and walk.
ed out without hindrance and came
to me. I've got to clear him."
> Ariel knew what he meant. She real
lied the actual thing as it was and,
though possessed by a strange feeling
that it must all be medieval and not