The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-02-14


miss?'
Potatoes. Shall boil one for
you?"
Come. miss, no more foolishness.
The murderer is down in that hole"
lie lifted the door. Come out, young
man. you are caught Are you coming
or shall ! fire on you?'
"Why don't you 80 down and see?"
the girl spoke up, smiling.
Il guess YOU are right I'll go down"
He lifted the door again and slowly
went down into the cellar. The other
man looked hard at the girl. She
met mis- gaze without a tremor.
Nobody here" said the sheriff, his
head appearing above the floor. Well
I'm much obliged to you for telling
the truth, anyway. Let's walk up the
river. Bill"
When they were gone. she held a
light down into the darkness Of the
cellar. He was not there. How for
tunate Il was that he mad not followed
her instructions. BUT, after all, he
could never get out of the woods His
capture was certain She could see
his eyes. his boyish mouth. lie could
not be guilty In her judgment no
] evidence could have overcome his
smile. Night came, and heavy rain
began to fall.
III they bring hounds. his track will
be cold" she said, when there came a
soft tap at the door
who Is it?" she asked.
THE man who was dazzled."
She opened the door, and there he
stood.
oh why did you come back here?"
"To see you," he answered, step
ping inside
But they will get you"
They won't think I'm here I
heard them talking. / live in a hol-
low tree" he added,
He told her about himself He had
! just graduated from medical college.
For recreation he and friend had
come down in that country to hunt
and had been hunted.
"One day my friend. not feeling
very well, did not leave camp" said
! he. 81 wandered a long ways off, and
! about noon went into a house to buy
some bread. The door stood open
no one had answered my call On the
! floor lay an old man with his throat
cut. In horror l ran out In the road
was seized by a party OF men, taken
to the village and thrown into Jail.
got out and here am. My name is
John Wickly."
81 hear them coming" she cried.
Il will get down into the cellar"
81 have nailed the door down." she
moaned
He looked up and his eyes swept
the wall. He snatched down a long
skirt, and put it on. With his heel
he quickly ground to dust a piece of
! charcoal, and blacked his face and
hands. He put on a sunbonnet and
pulled it close about his neck. II used
to play in the college minstrels," he
said. Lie on the couch and throw the
cover over you"
There came a knock at the door
"Come in," he cried, and two men
entered. "Skuze me, gentlemen, but
walk saft She sick"
The lamp was bad, the light poor.
The men were blear-eyed with liquor
! They sat down on a bench.
Got anything TO drink in the
! house?" one of them asked; and in
well-mouthed negro conceit came the
answer: Huh, amt got nothing ter
drink in de house ner nowhar else"
Have you got something to eat,
them"
Huh, we had something ter eat
den, but we amt got nothing now. l
been so busy / amt had time ter cook.
KANT wash an iron an take care of
sick lady an cook much. But you'll
please skuze us TO- de present. We
amt prepared ter take kere OBJ com.
p'ny, an darfo' we wishes you a good
! ebenin'."
Come on, BILL" said the leader,
and they strobe out.
He knew that his disguise would not
serve him so well by daylight, so
when the sun rose he went back TO his
hollow tree.
Several nights had passed since
/
| down without his disguise. SO wrap
ped was he in a love-deepened study
of her face that the bay of a blood
hound would not have startled him
And you have always lived here?
Yet YOU seem to be the worlds philo-
sophy feminized. Nothing surprises
you. / think that such possession
could be taught only"
Some one is coming" she said
He had no time TO disguise himself.
| The nails had been drawn out of the
cellar door, but he did not try to hide.
The sheriff entered. Good evening,
young fellow. And how do you find
yourself, miss? / dropped in to tell
you that a mistake has been made.
You didn't kill the old man, mister.
Yes, sir, and | have come out to
look for you, to apologize TO you in